In one breath they talk about investing but most of the article talks about them tendering for contracts. Unless they plan on bidding $3billion more than everyone else I can’t see where the gains are, if it’s just tenders ChCh will get the money whether this mob is involved or not.
“….if it’s just tenders ChCh will get the money whether this mob is involved or not.”
that is theproblem…..they arnt and wont….the appetite for investment in the ChCh rebuild has evaporated for a multitude of reasons, number one of which is the disastrous leadership(?) provided by Brownlee and his cabinet mates.
That was partly my point. Read down the article, ie;
“Rahme, a Guoxin founding partner, said several Christchurch projects had already been identified, but he would not name them.
Once projects went out for tender, Guoxin would submit bids for them.”
and…..
“Because of the company’s size, it could source materials from China and across the world at a cheaper cost, which could make projects more viable, Rahme said”
They’re talking there about projects which are going to be built whether this mob is in it or not. So where is the $3billion of investment?
the point is without the financing they may not be built, or at least not for some considerable time….you can say they are tendering for work that will happen anyway, but whether any of those tenders are accepted will depend on many factors….not least of which will be cost. The cost of construction currently does not allow a return in most instances from projected revenues and the Insurance monies are coming to an end and much is being redirected or sat on waiting for the inevitable fire sales
maybe we are going to try design build projects like used on the beautiful Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River bridge) in South Carolina. In some ways I am a fan of such projects it puts all the responsibility to design and build on the firm doing the construction. If they get it wrong they carry the can.
And that “sourcing of materials” is going to impact on NZ steel manufacturers and building material providers (and resulting job losses) and trade workers.
These decisions are going to have more impact than the most immediate consideration of who can provide for the least cost – NZ company or overseas.
Tim Groser in Parliament yesterday delivered a totally mindless, utterly absurd speech following on from question time. Among other inanely rambling topics he discussed several examples of “why he thinks the number 7 is important”.
In keeping the spirit of mindless absurdity initiated by Groser (“if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”), I’d like to add to his examples seven reasons why the people of NZ voted for a panda as PM of New Zealand in the last election:
1. Pandas believe that they do enough for their country merely by sitting around eating or by lying around on their backs all day. They don’t need to do any useful work nor have a long-term strategy or a vision for the the future of their country. They merely exist to be adored by the public and fed by the taxpayer. However they are expensive for the taxpayer to keep and maintain.
2. They are shorter in stature than a full-grown man when standing on their hind legs. However they have rather strong arms and can deliver an awesome side-swipe to anyone who gets too close and is foolish enough to say something they don’t like.
3. They have quite unnecessarily big heads, given their short stature.
4. They also have a big mouth – bigger than is required for their bland diet of Green fodder. And pandas have quite sharp teeth that can inflict serious damage on their opponents at close range. However they do have a leerish grin that some members of the public find attractive.
5. They have rather small beady eyes that stare unblinkingly whenever a camera is aimed in their general direction.
6. They have a characteristically quite large, long nose.
7. Pandas can be good money-spinners in the short term. However the voting public soon become bored with them as zoo exhibits, due in part to their gross inactivity.
In short, we couldn’t have done worse for the future of this country if we’d voted for a snake instead of a panda.
If Key wants a panda badly enough he can afford one and charge what he likes for people to see it. He can also stick a flag of his preference at the entrance of the panda enclosure.
and
A panda and a flag are priorities for Key, while state housing is in ruins and supported housing is desperately needed for those with complex housing needs.
Where is the logic in making someone homeless, (selling off state homes) then housing a homeless person, (social housing)?
Nothing has been done in 4 years, because Key’s grand social housing plan is RIDDLED with holes because it relies on stripping state housing of assets.
I think its a warning shot from the Greens to Labour, the flag probably won’t change so supporting Red Peak means nothing but it does tell Labour that the Greens don’t want to be seen as Labours doormat anymore and if Labour want the Greens support they (Labour) will have to negotiate with them
quite frankly we did not need another choice to make this ‘shambles’ ‘flag debacle’ ‘rubbish designs’ etc etc more palatable or to give the PM more leg to stand on his vanity project.
the greens could have just simply sat that one out. Oh well, i guess they will be known hence forward as the ‘Aquamarine’ brigade….to the rescue of the national party when ever they need help. Not that that would feed the kids, or help the envirnoment, but it sure does feel good.
the greens, the labour party should have both done nothing else but lean back and watch the trainwreck that is the “Flag Change”.
no, the GP are mediating a solution to the clusterfuck that is the flag change process, and they’re doing so in a way that will probably pick up votes for them.
let people vote on the choices presented to them by dear leader, and frankly if the feathers win, than it is becasue people voted for it.
if the old flag stays, its because people voted for it.
for once, sorry Weka, but the greens fucked up big time here.
I find the whole thing stupid and dumb. Key talking about Labour failing to get Red Peak on the ballot, then breathless admiration for the Greens who “came through the middle”…WHO CARES??? IT IS A SIDESHOW. Nothing happened.
A question for all those eagle eyed economics whizzes that visit TS. (With apologies for the boring nature of the question).
Apparently economists anticipate there will be another cut in the OCR before the end of the year. Anyone have ideas as to exactly when another cut would be announced?
I want to refix my mortgage if the OCR goes down again and banks respond by lowering their lending rates. Currently the best offers are 4.35% for one year fixed. Am hoping they will drop further so I can take advantage.
It’s unlikely that it will drop any more than it has (2.75% is getting down to quite low), but this is dependent on economic indicators. Eg; if business confidence decreases more than expected, then the OCR will be likely to decrease too. If you want to get a general indication of whether the OCR will be set higher or lower, the main indicators to watch are inflation rates, business & consumer confidence levels, and employment trends.
Thanks odot. I got the feeling that those three indicators you mention were flat, at the moment, but then it’s not my area of knowledge.
Despite the unknown I’m going to hang out till 29th October with my current fixed rate.
After all, dear Leader showed his lack of faith in his governments ability to lift the economy by saying that “we could see mortgage rates with a 3 in front of them”. Not that he is to be believed on any topic.
After all, dear Leader showed his lack of faith in his governments ability to lift the economy by saying that “we could see mortgage rates with a 3 in front of them”.
Generally speaking, bank mortgage rates are usually around 1.5 to 2% higher than the OCR. To get mortgage rates with a 3 in front you’d have to have the OCR drop to 2.25% at the minimum and even then it would take the banks a few weeks to drop their interest rates. Hell, they may not even drop them.
Got that thanks Drac, re the mortgage rates to OCR ratio.
I think last time the OCR dropped the banks did drop quickly, within a few days. I guess they’re thinking there has to be some semblance of competitiveness. They never lose though, they get people on their obscenely huge break fee’s, which you have to fight them to avoid paying.
It is unlikely that business confidence will have any reason to head north in the foreseeable future. There will be an increase in unemployment numbers and inflation will likely remain less than .05%.
The dairy giant said its net profit after tax came to $506 million in the year to July 31, up 183 per cent from the previous year’s profit, and raised its forecast payout for the current season.
Yep, it’s called neoliberalism, maximising short term profits to give applause and profits payouts to the CEO and management team, while leaving the workers with less jobs and more work and the company weaker in the long term. The farmers themselves have had less payouts for milk but ‘supported’ by the co-operative instead of giving them the money for milk they used to get. Make it complicated too, like the Natz, take with one hand, and then give a little with the other their own money and keep the rest for yourself.
What has Jacinda Ardern done to warrant replacing Annette King apart from losing to Nikki Kaye twice and putting on makeup and apperaring in some womans magazines?
Annette King is one of the (very few) mps the Labour party has that can match it with National
If National could swop some of their mps for Labours they’d probably pick Annette King, Kelvin Davis, Stuart Nash and thats about it, thats how bare the cupboard is for Labour
Why Labour would want to demote one of thier best, most experienced mps for someone that can’t even win an electorate seat is beyond me
If you can’t convince an electorate to vote for you how can you convice a country? It was a strange (to me anyway) decision to make Andrew Little the leader of Labour but i guess when you scrambling for purchase you’ll grab onto anything
Kelvin Davis comes across very well, competent man-of the-people type and hes even managed to avoid any fallout from his hits on Serco ref: deaths in corrections run prisons so hes doing something right
Which goes to show that the voters of New Plymouth were blind to the likelihood of having the countries next Prime Minister as their local MP.
Oh well New Plymouths loss, the countries gain.
Actually, Little didn’t do too badly in a decidedly Right-leaning Provincial City seat like New Plymouth.
Particularly so in 2011.
2011 Split Vote
(CV = Candidate Vote)
(GE = General Electorates as a whole)
Party Vote……CV for Lab candidate (GE)…..CV for Little in New Plymouth
Labour……………………….83%…………………………………91%
National………………………5%…………………………………..9%
NZF…………………………….43%…………………………………65%
Green…………………………45%…………………………………61%
Cons…………………………..12%…………………………………27%
ACT……………………………..7%………………………………….14%
UF………………………………18%…………………………………34%
In other words, Little was able to attract far greater support from the voters of rival parties (and, indeed, from Labour voters) compared to your average Labour candidate. Remember, this was the first time he’d ever stood so it was a remarkable performance for a newbie candidate. Only the long-time MPs in the Labour leadership (Goff, King, Mallard) (as well as Helen Clark in previous elections) had the same ability to pull in the voters of other parties.
True, 2014 wasn’t quite such a good performance, but Little was still attracting more voters of other parties than the average Labour candidate, even if not to the same extent as his debut in 2011.
But the fact is: he was on a hiding to nothing in such a conservative,
right-leaning seat. Meanwhile, your favourite PM makes sure he initially gets selected for one of the safest and Bluest seats in he Country.
Nah, generally been a Tory seat since the advent of the modern Party system. And the 2011 and 2014 Elections took place during a particularly Blue period (in more ways than one) in the electoral cycle.
The only reason Labour’s Duynhoven held on for as long as he did was that he was basically a political freak. He was winning support from National voters (ie National Party-voters) massively – and I mean massively – out of proportion to other Labour candidates, including the popular leadership old-timers like Clark, Goff, King, Mallard.
The fact that a newbie candidate like Little was able to emulate Duynhoven’s pulling power (albeit to a lesser degree) remains impressive. Little might not have quite been the political freak Duynhoven was, but he was still up there with the Clarks and Goffs when it came to his ability to attract rival parties’ voters.
Thats your view of the world but it’s not mine and many others I speak with. There is plenty of time for Little to further his popularity with voters and I have huge confidence in his abilities to present himself as a Prime Minister in waiting over the next 18 months two years.
Little’s charisma bypass works hugely against him. He comes across as passionless and humourless. Contrast that with all the other party leaders and he’s uniquely boring.
I’d agree with much of that Grindle But please lay off the scorched earth approach to Labour and Little. Give them a chance to grow without cutting down those tall poppies. Find something to praise, however little!
Yup. But there were differences. Goff wasn’t really given a chance and blew it with the stunt on a motorbike that looked too big for him. Shearer was a ditherer and used to seem as surprised as everyone else to hear what he had to say once he’d said it. Cunliffe just didn’t look or sound genuine. Little’s just bland and boring.
“There is plenty of time for Little to further his popularity with voters and I have huge confidence in his abilities to present himself as a Prime Minister in waiting over the next 18 months two years.”
Which basically sounds like the old he just needs more time refrain
No. It’s the reality highlighted by the polls. Little has failed to significantly shine thus far. How that gives you confidence he will improve going forward is unclear.
Andrew Little is concentrating on creating cohesion between all the different strands of the Labour Party (a big job given it’s diversity) and moving around the country getting a sense of what is really going on out there in voter-land. He’s playing the long game and ensuring the building blocks are in place before he starts the job of winning over voters.
Why do you think the blowhard Key and his cohorts have upped the ‘dirty political’ rhetoric on Andrew Little T.C.? Because they know that when the time comes, he’s going to be a much harder opponent to beat that’s why.
Josie Pagani says Labour needs to upset some people (I’m taking that means people on the left) and take some risk.
She’s right about that, but I doubt she recognises that it is she (and others of similar ilk) who are going to be upset. Both Paganis are way out of the Labour loop and have been for a long time. Josie reminds me of that third way Blairite who stood for the UK Labour leadership. Forgotten her name already but she only managed 4.5% of the vote. In a similar situation here I doubt Josie would get 0.5% of the vote.
I think he was “happy” with her starting up an independent Think Tank but be assured she and her mates were given the thumbs down about involving the Labour Party. It seems to have died a natural death because there’s been no mention of it since.
She probably does have the ear of a few within Labour but that is all. She’s highly unpopular because of the way she has sniped at – and run down – Labour at every opportunity. She’s been doing it for a long time under various leaders and my sense is: it’s a revenge thing because she and her husband have not been afforded the reverence and appreciation of the party hierarchy she thinks they deserve.
The fact the Party hasn’t publicly disowned her suggests she may have more support within than we both believe.
Don’t agree. She’s a publicity seeking type and they don’t intend to accommodate her… is the more likely reason they don’t publicly disown her. Best to ignore her.
She is very outspoken and given her media status, her input is far reaching.
Therefore, if she was going against the Party’s wishes (potentially harming their public image) surely they would distance themselves from her, setting the media and public right.
The fact that they haven’t speaks volumes, IMO.
Ignoring someone so outspoken, potentially damaging and with such public reach is an inconceivable strategy.
She seeks publicity – and money – through her engagements with RNZ “The Panel” and other similar programmes on TV, but she doesn’t get news coverage as such. Since the audience for the above is limited then I guess they think she’s best ignored. I know of no-one who bothers to read her occasional written diatribes – confused and irrational as they so often seem.
RNZ, “The Panel” and other similar programmes on TV are generally related to news or political coverage, thus her public reach is rather wide. Not to mention potentially damaging.
Moreover, allowing her to hog the limelight robs Labour from getting their genuine message out. Hence, when all is considered, the ignoring her strategy being put forward just doesn’t wash, IMO.
Of course, that won’t be clear until Little makes his move, then we’ll see which way he decides to go and how well that resonates with voters/supporters.
We’ve come to an agreement – sort of. I don’t think Labour has a lot of choice at present because the MSM are going to use her no matter what. But yeah, she’s damaging – dare I say it – the party brand, and I’d like to see her sent packing. Indeed I’ve considered writing to the Labour Council about her but as yet haven’t had the time to do so.
Publicly distancing themselves from her (while putting forward their own genuine spokesperson) would severely knee cap her current status as an associated Labour spokesperson or commentator of the left. Turning the media off seeking comment from her as it would largely be considered irrelevant.
Labour has this choice, but to date, have decided against it. Leaving me and others questioning why?
Joise Pagani is not and never has been a recognised spokesperson for Labour. What point is there in putting forward a genuine spokesperson when the MSM will simply ignore them. They wouldn’t want Labour’s choice whoever it might be. Madame J suits their agenda well enough. She puts the boot into Labour and that’s how they like it.
Not for the first time, I heard her on Mora’s panel a few days ago talking a load of confused and irrational bullshit. Mora and co. must know it’s bullshit yet they continue to invite her. There’s your problem – not Labour.
i think youre right anne i think hes more of a man than anyone else in the pack and personaly id prefer someone that wasnt always doing that grimacing thing somepeople call smiling anyway ! Timing is everything hopefully he will come through
By praising Annette King? Its not sexist to point out that Jacinda acts (via the medium of print media) like a pretty face but when it comes to the business of politics shes lost against Nikki Kaye and got smacked down by Paula Bennet
When people try and slag off Jacinda Ardern they always bring up the fact that she lost to Kaye, but the reality is she lost by 600 votes last year, and 700 the election before that. In an electorate with between 27-33k voters that is an incredibly slim margin both times…
That’s not quite true – they’d pick all of the ABCs who should be in National anyway.
Also, this is MMP, electorate seats are not as important as popularity nation-wide
They’d only pick the ABCs that were any good (which doesn’t leave alot to choose) and yes electorate seats arn’t as important as they used to be but as I said before how can you expect a country to vote for you if you can’t convice an electorate to vote for you
Because people are tired of old Third Way Labour. They want fresh ideas and young faces. They only reason Ardern lost Central Auckland is because some Green Party voters can’t figure out how to vote strategically, and the party can’t seem to figure this out either. And I know, I’m a party member. Maybe I’ll light a fire under it… Also, I think by the end of this term Ardern will have served 3 terms. That’s 9 years. Is that enough experience? Key became Prime Minister with only 6 years in parliament.
“They ALWAYS give them Maori names.”
Paul Henry channeled the late Paul Holmes this morning. PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 24 September 2015
shallow /ˈʃaləʊ/ adj.1. of little depth; 2. not exhibiting, requiring, or capable of serious thought.
This program gets worse every day. I tuned in this morning just as the 8 o’clock news was finishing….
HILLARY BARRY: ….And the new Cook Strait ferry the Kaiarahi has arrived in Wellington. It has been blessed by iwi, and will start services next month.
Now for most people that would have been an uncontroversial, even boring, little news item. But for Paul Henry, like it was for another hateful multi-media pontificator, Paul Holmes, Māori culture is intolerable, an affront, its very existence a provocation. So, in the mind of Paul Henry, naming a ferry the Kaiarahi was “political correctness” gone mad.
Intolerable!
After a short silence, he made his assault…..
PAUL HENRY: Would it be so hard for them to give the ferry an ENGLISH name? They ALWAYS give them Maori names.
HILLARY BARRY: I think it’s LOVELY!
PAUL HENRY: Do you? It must be all right then, if Hillary likes it. But honestly….
Henry’s slave Jim Kayes looked troubled, but kept his own counsel….
Shortly after that, it was time for the daily “Panel”. Today it featured a particularly gruesome twosome: Christine (Spankin’) Rankin, the self-described “children’s advocate” who believes in hitting children, and Bill Ralston’s ghastly wife Janet Wilson. I had better things to do than listen to three vicious and vacuous people chuntering on at the intellectual level you’d expect at a golf club booze-up, but I did catch the tail-end of it just before 8:30….
JANET WILSON: See, here’s the thing: Len still thinks he’s going to win. Quelle horreur! He’s got a hide like an elephant. PAUL HENRY: Yeah, he has. JANET WILSON: The problem for Phil Goff is that he comes from the same end of the political spectrum as Len Brown. The thing is: who would want to run for mayor, when you get paid two and six for it? CHRISTINE SPANKIN’ RANKIN:[speaking slowly to emphasize how serious she is] He failed as the leader of the Labour Party, and he will fail as mayor of Auckland. JANET WILSON: Christine Rankin and Janet Wilson, thank you very much for coming on the Panel this morning. SPANKIN’ RANKIN: Best Panel ever! JANET WILSON: Ha ha ha ha! Yeah!
+1 – as I’m assuming most people on this site, can’t bear to watch this crap, (and from the falling ratings more and more of the public) great to have the opportunity to have it dissected.
That “two and six” the mayor gets paid is many times the average wage. Methinks Janet Wilson needs to live on the average wage for a while to get some perspective.
funnily enough as far as morning ‘news’ goes there are some segments of Henrys show I dont mind…his interview with Ruby Wax for example and I must begrudgingly admit his SOH is not without appeal.I expect this show to be a winner.
I must begrudgingly admit his SOH is not without appeal.
Yes, Henry can be very funny. I heard him on radio in December 2013 telling Dom and J.J. and Mike Puru about the passive-aggressive glares he gets from people whenever he goes out in public; he was simply hilarious. Some of his antics on his present television show are also quite amusing.
However, the funny bits are less and less apparent now. What might have seemed like irreverance has hardened into the most extreme intolerance and hatefulness, whether directed at refugees, or at the victims of bombs and bullets, or (as it was this morning) at Māori.
I expect this show to be a winner.
It’s not. The ratings are in free fall, as they were when he had a breakfast show in Melbourne three years ago….
By the way apparently Saudi Arabia are planning a crucifixion and execution of a man they arrested as a child.
Saudi are one of our hopeful trading partners that we fly sheep bribes to. Hard to believe this can be happening in the modern world with a country our government loves to suck up to.
Don’t worry our government will be ‘comfortable’ with that.
You say “apparently Saudi Arabia are planning a crucifixion”
Where do you get the bit about a crucifixion from?
I don’t see anything about it in the item you link to.
Here alwyn. Google the name of the young man the daily blog item mentions and you’ll get plenty of sites detailing his sentence to be executed by beheading, then crucifixion.
“Overall, six out of every ten children in care are Maori children.”
“Horrifying” statistics show children under the care of Child Youth and Family are struggling to break free from a cycle of continued abuse and re-victimisation, a major report has found.
IMO this has been a disgraceful situation through a number of governments – now rebstock has written her review and the ‘business case’ is/has been put. What will emerge from this ‘modernisation’, this righting of wrongs, this fucking clusterfuck of a way to help children, especially Māori children – what will happen???
a big nothing apart from more misery and more cutting – I thank the gnats, labour and greens for their contributions to this misery – well done – red reek that one!!!
What will emerge from this ‘modernisation’, this righting of wrongs, this fucking clusterfuck of a way to help children, especially Māori children – what will happen???
National will make things worse by putting in ideological BS as policy and then cut the budget.
I stomached Tolley on the radio for a few minutes and she seemed to me to be saying the government removes these children too late from abusive situations. The implication I assume is that they are too damaged at that point for any of these so called foster homes to provide any sort of stable environment.
She then went on to say that New Zealanders offered their homes to Syrian refugees, then asked why can’t they offer their homes to our own (child) refugees?
This is the sort of thinking which should be confined to some sort of bizarre brainstorming session to then be discarded as ludicrous, not the sort of thing a Minister should be voicing to the public.
These two “Tolley-thoughts” linked make you wonder whether her plan is to remove (Maori) children from disadvantaged and strained families at an ever decreasing age in order to make the children more palatable to ordinary NZ families who might happen to give a fuck.
Here she seems to want to not only shift the responsibility from the government to the private sector, but she goes further – she wants to shift the responsibility to the private individual!
I would have thought any major overhaul would focus on making the homes these children go to better, more stable, and capable of giving the kids an environment which ensured they maximised their learning at school.
I would have thought any major overhaul would focus on making the homes these children go to better, more stable, and capable of giving the kids an environment which ensured they maximised their learning at school.
You would have thought that but that would require taxes on the rich to up rather than down and so there’s no way that National would do that.
i bet theres a lot of people would like to wave their magic wand and make your last paragraph come true mutonbird but it would truely take a miracle .violence like when you wack your kids repeatedly begets violence makes you when you become an adolt wack youre kids too .I think its so deeply ingrained in some cultures it,le take generations to sort out .sue bradfords bill is a good start but theres not a few would like to repeal it an drag us back to the good ole days where a little tap did noone any harm !!
Of course the right has all the answers to these problems which is just to ignore it and say these people need to be individually responsible for their actions. That means no one has to do anything, no surprise then when they don’t offer any solutions to these complex problems and the situation gets gradually worse. Truly inspiring…
absolute racket in Sth Auck and Mangere…30% interest and penalties on over priced goods…non disclosure is rife as is doorstop selling.Seen $500 items =total contract $3700 on rent to own.Creating debt and then enforcing attachment orders on the unfortunate .
Media Alert! ” If National don’t walk away from the TPPA – petitioners will campaign for voters to ‘walk away’ from National!”
This morning, the following petition was presented at the Electoral Office of Nikki Kaye – the National MP for Auckland Central:
Petition wording:
“To the MP for Auckland Central – Nikki Kaye
We, the undersigned state:
That if this John Key led National Government does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, pro-corporate ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.”.
Nikki Kaye is a National Government Cabinet Minister – currently sitting on a 600 vote majority over Labour’s Jacinda Adern.
“AUCKLAND CENTRAL
Candidates Votes Received
ARDERN, Jacinda 11894
KAYE, Nikki 12494 ”
On the afternoons of Tuesday 22 September, and Wednesday 23 September, a tiny handful of determined ‘TPPA – WALK AWAY’ activists collected over 800 signatures for the above-mentioned petition, outside Auckland University (Symonds Street, Grafton Rd intersection), and on Ponsonby Rd.
Nikki Kaye is the Minister of Youth.
Most of whom signed this petition, were ‘youth’.
We look forward to citizens from all over New Zealand, who want to STOP this John Key led New Zealand National Government from signing the TPPA, to consider giving National Party MPs (particularly Cabinet Ministers) – this message which cannot be ignored.
Politicians understand ONE thing.
Votes.
We urge people to make your own version of this petition, address it to YOUR local National MP / Minister, and start collecting signatures!
This is a petition with sharp, pointy political teeth, which will help focus the minds of those to whom it is addressed, directly on the TPPA.
Thursday, 17 September 2015, 11:55 am
Press Release: Professor Jane Kelsey
” Last ditch TPPA Ministerial in 10 days – is Groser preparing to swallow the rat?
Canadian officials have confirmed rumours that the trade ministers from the twelve countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) plan to meet in Atlanta, US at the end of the month in a last ditch attempt to conclude the deal. The chief negotiators are set to meet on 26 September to try to clear the ground for the politicians. ….”
This petition will help to ‘hold the feet’ of National Party MPs ‘to the fire’ – regarding the potential political repercussions of signing the TPPA.
A beheading/crucifixion in the year of 2015, cause we are learned, and civilised and grown up and stuff.
I know, I know, some beheadings (inclusive post beheading crucifixation – a must have for shits n giggles or something) are just more equal and lawful then other beheadings.
“His punishment is a brutal one, even by Saudi Arabia’s standards. Not only was Mr Nimr, now 21, handed a death sentence, but the method of punishment was determined to be crucifixion, which rights groups say means he will be beheaded and then have his mutilated body displayed publicly.”
I was about to post this. Good to see Campbell hitting up the really important stories that actually matter. TV3’s loss is actually New Zealand’s loss.
“No apologies to you mate. And no apologies
for the fact your show has so few viewers.”
In 2012, on Channel 10’s doomed breakfast show, the disastrously unsuccessful host unwisely tried to bully a Melbourne trade union guy….
PAUL HENRY: Do you want to apologise to the taxpayers and the people of Melbourne who’d like to use that street and the taxpayers who’re funding the police activity there. Do you want to apologise to those people now?
DAVID NOONAN: Well you know Paul I think you’ve got a particular political view of the world. You were bought over in the last few months from New Zealand. Mate, construction workers in New Zealand earn a lot less than they do in Australia and the sort of right wing shock jock stuff you want to go on with really isn’t going to faze me. We have a right a right to peaceful protest. We’ve got an important issue here and cheap shots like that really aren’t going to impress anybody.
PAUL HENRY: Right, so no apologies. Thanks for joining us this morning, David.
DAVID NOONAN: So no apologies to you mate. And no apologies for the fact your show has so few viewers.
[An awkward pause follows, then the camera cuts away to a news headline update before Henry comes back onscreen]
PAUL HENRY: Alrighty. I disagree with almost everything he said with the exception of the too few viewers thing. That is a shame.
such a damned shame she didnt end up in parliment i know lprent gave us some of the reasons that didnt happen but its still a damn shame In a perfect world it ud be ALL HANDS ON DECK !!
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions 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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
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Can anyone make sense of this….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/72324474/chinese-investors-plan-3-billion-fund-to-help-city-rebuild
In one breath they talk about investing but most of the article talks about them tendering for contracts. Unless they plan on bidding $3billion more than everyone else I can’t see where the gains are, if it’s just tenders ChCh will get the money whether this mob is involved or not.
“….if it’s just tenders ChCh will get the money whether this mob is involved or not.”
that is theproblem…..they arnt and wont….the appetite for investment in the ChCh rebuild has evaporated for a multitude of reasons, number one of which is the disastrous leadership(?) provided by Brownlee and his cabinet mates.
That was partly my point. Read down the article, ie;
“Rahme, a Guoxin founding partner, said several Christchurch projects had already been identified, but he would not name them.
Once projects went out for tender, Guoxin would submit bids for them.”
and…..
“Because of the company’s size, it could source materials from China and across the world at a cheaper cost, which could make projects more viable, Rahme said”
They’re talking there about projects which are going to be built whether this mob is in it or not. So where is the $3billion of investment?
the point is without the financing they may not be built, or at least not for some considerable time….you can say they are tendering for work that will happen anyway, but whether any of those tenders are accepted will depend on many factors….not least of which will be cost. The cost of construction currently does not allow a return in most instances from projected revenues and the Insurance monies are coming to an end and much is being redirected or sat on waiting for the inevitable fire sales
maybe we are going to try design build projects like used on the beautiful Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River bridge) in South Carolina. In some ways I am a fan of such projects it puts all the responsibility to design and build on the firm doing the construction. If they get it wrong they carry the can.
And that “sourcing of materials” is going to impact on NZ steel manufacturers and building material providers (and resulting job losses) and trade workers.
These decisions are going to have more impact than the most immediate consideration of who can provide for the least cost – NZ company or overseas.
Tim Groser in Parliament yesterday delivered a totally mindless, utterly absurd speech following on from question time. Among other inanely rambling topics he discussed several examples of “why he thinks the number 7 is important”.
In keeping the spirit of mindless absurdity initiated by Groser (“if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”), I’d like to add to his examples seven reasons why the people of NZ voted for a panda as PM of New Zealand in the last election:
1. Pandas believe that they do enough for their country merely by sitting around eating or by lying around on their backs all day. They don’t need to do any useful work nor have a long-term strategy or a vision for the the future of their country. They merely exist to be adored by the public and fed by the taxpayer. However they are expensive for the taxpayer to keep and maintain.
2. They are shorter in stature than a full-grown man when standing on their hind legs. However they have rather strong arms and can deliver an awesome side-swipe to anyone who gets too close and is foolish enough to say something they don’t like.
3. They have quite unnecessarily big heads, given their short stature.
4. They also have a big mouth – bigger than is required for their bland diet of Green fodder. And pandas have quite sharp teeth that can inflict serious damage on their opponents at close range. However they do have a leerish grin that some members of the public find attractive.
5. They have rather small beady eyes that stare unblinkingly whenever a camera is aimed in their general direction.
6. They have a characteristically quite large, long nose.
7. Pandas can be good money-spinners in the short term. However the voting public soon become bored with them as zoo exhibits, due in part to their gross inactivity.
In short, we couldn’t have done worse for the future of this country if we’d voted for a snake instead of a panda.
😀
Seven ticks. 🙂
Christine Lagarde gave a speech in 2014 with opening references to ‘why the number 7 is important’
If Key wants a panda badly enough he can afford one and charge what he likes for people to see it. He can also stick a flag of his preference at the entrance of the panda enclosure.
and
A panda and a flag are priorities for Key, while state housing is in ruins and supported housing is desperately needed for those with complex housing needs.
Where is the logic in making someone homeless, (selling off state homes) then housing a homeless person, (social housing)?
Nothing has been done in 4 years, because Key’s grand social housing plan is RIDDLED with holes because it relies on stripping state housing of assets.
Key likes Pandas because the are nearly All Black.
Can anyone tell me why the Greens backed National for the Red Peak?
Because apparently it was popular and liked by many people.
Personally I think it’s ugly, but if that’ what people want as our flag so be it.
I think its a warning shot from the Greens to Labour, the flag probably won’t change so supporting Red Peak means nothing but it does tell Labour that the Greens don’t want to be seen as Labours doormat anymore and if Labour want the Greens support they (Labour) will have to negotiate with them
Maybe
@ Nick The Greens were giving us one more option to vote for that clearly has some public support. What is the problem there?
Little should give Clare Curran a bollockling for (according to Morning report) tweeting against the Greens. When will she ever learn?
quite frankly we did not need another choice to make this ‘shambles’ ‘flag debacle’ ‘rubbish designs’ etc etc more palatable or to give the PM more leg to stand on his vanity project.
the greens could have just simply sat that one out. Oh well, i guess they will be known hence forward as the ‘Aquamarine’ brigade….to the rescue of the national party when ever they need help. Not that that would feed the kids, or help the envirnoment, but it sure does feel good.
the greens, the labour party should have both done nothing else but lean back and watch the trainwreck that is the “Flag Change”.
absolutely but new leader rashly keen to make his mark wow hes a real big deal
Steve Keen: Simple Complex Model of Great Moderation & Recession (Video)
A very important presentation DtB.
I’ve been following the details of this for some years now. (I even donated to Keen’s Kickstart to assist development of the software package.)
There is a bit to absorb, but the underlying concept makes complete engineering sense.
Ahhhh… I see, the Greens are voting for Red Peak
no, the GP are mediating a solution to the clusterfuck that is the flag change process, and they’re doing so in a way that will probably pick up votes for them.
and you know what,
they
don’t
need
to
do
this
they have no reason whatsoever to ‘mediate’.
let people vote on the choices presented to them by dear leader, and frankly if the feathers win, than it is becasue people voted for it.
if the old flag stays, its because people voted for it.
for once, sorry Weka, but the greens fucked up big time here.
Reinforcing our status as international laughing stock: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/anger-over-nazi-swastika-new-zealand-flag-entry-10514224.html
I find the whole thing stupid and dumb. Key talking about Labour failing to get Red Peak on the ballot, then breathless admiration for the Greens who “came through the middle”…WHO CARES??? IT IS A SIDESHOW. Nothing happened.
+1 – meanwhile TPP goes ahead with nothing meaningful done by opposition.
Tried to read what Audrey Young had to say about the Flag thingy but it won’t open. Wonder why?
Flag backdown won’t harm PM
A question for all those eagle eyed economics whizzes that visit TS. (With apologies for the boring nature of the question).
Apparently economists anticipate there will be another cut in the OCR before the end of the year. Anyone have ideas as to exactly when another cut would be announced?
I want to refix my mortgage if the OCR goes down again and banks respond by lowering their lending rates. Currently the best offers are 4.35% for one year fixed. Am hoping they will drop further so I can take advantage.
They have a schedule for OCR announcements ( http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary_policy/ocr/ – on the right) but no idea what the chances are of an actual cut on those days.
Excellent. Thank you Editractor. Learnt something new today.
It’s unlikely that it will drop any more than it has (2.75% is getting down to quite low), but this is dependent on economic indicators. Eg; if business confidence decreases more than expected, then the OCR will be likely to decrease too. If you want to get a general indication of whether the OCR will be set higher or lower, the main indicators to watch are inflation rates, business & consumer confidence levels, and employment trends.
Thanks odot. I got the feeling that those three indicators you mention were flat, at the moment, but then it’s not my area of knowledge.
Despite the unknown I’m going to hang out till 29th October with my current fixed rate.
After all, dear Leader showed his lack of faith in his governments ability to lift the economy by saying that “we could see mortgage rates with a 3 in front of them”. Not that he is to be believed on any topic.
Generally speaking, bank mortgage rates are usually around 1.5 to 2% higher than the OCR. To get mortgage rates with a 3 in front you’d have to have the OCR drop to 2.25% at the minimum and even then it would take the banks a few weeks to drop their interest rates. Hell, they may not even drop them.
Got that thanks Drac, re the mortgage rates to OCR ratio.
I think last time the OCR dropped the banks did drop quickly, within a few days. I guess they’re thinking there has to be some semblance of competitiveness. They never lose though, they get people on their obscenely huge break fee’s, which you have to fight them to avoid paying.
It is unlikely that business confidence will have any reason to head north in the foreseeable future. There will be an increase in unemployment numbers and inflation will likely remain less than .05%.
HUH
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11518089
And slashed the milk price forecast to $3.85 per kilogram of milk solids.
Yep, it’s called neoliberalism, maximising short term profits to give applause and profits payouts to the CEO and management team, while leaving the workers with less jobs and more work and the company weaker in the long term. The farmers themselves have had less payouts for milk but ‘supported’ by the co-operative instead of giving them the money for milk they used to get. Make it complicated too, like the Natz, take with one hand, and then give a little with the other their own money and keep the rest for yourself.
You really need to learn how business works.
That was the last financial year.
“So they sack 750!!!”
Yep and apparently another 200 will lose their jobs, There are a lot of worried people out there.
Latest political poll has Jacinda Ardern out in front for the position of the party’s deputy
Jacinda Ardern – 33 per cent support.
The option of “don’t know/don’t care” received 28 per cent.
King came in third at 25 per cent.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72322764/jacinda-ardern-favourite-for-labour-deputy–poll
Thoughts?
What has Jacinda Ardern done to warrant replacing Annette King apart from losing to Nikki Kaye twice and putting on makeup and apperaring in some womans magazines?
Annette King is one of the (very few) mps the Labour party has that can match it with National
If National could swop some of their mps for Labours they’d probably pick Annette King, Kelvin Davis, Stuart Nash and thats about it, thats how bare the cupboard is for Labour
Why Labour would want to demote one of thier best, most experienced mps for someone that can’t even win an electorate seat is beyond me
Little failed to win his electoral seat – and now is the Party leader.
They say Jacinda Ardern gives the perception of a new face.
Kelvin Davis received 11 per cent.
The option of “don’t know/don’t care” receiving 28 per cent should be of concern.
If you can’t convince an electorate to vote for you how can you convice a country? It was a strange (to me anyway) decision to make Andrew Little the leader of Labour but i guess when you scrambling for purchase you’ll grab onto anything
Kelvin Davis comes across very well, competent man-of the-people type and hes even managed to avoid any fallout from his hits on Serco ref: deaths in corrections run prisons so hes doing something right
Which goes to show that the voters of New Plymouth were blind to the likelihood of having the countries next Prime Minister as their local MP.
Oh well New Plymouths loss, the countries gain.
He lost in New Plymouth twice so the electorate has had a good chance to see what he was all about and have voted accordingly
Actually, Little didn’t do too badly in a decidedly Right-leaning Provincial City seat like New Plymouth.
Particularly so in 2011.
2011 Split Vote
(CV = Candidate Vote)
(GE = General Electorates as a whole)
Party Vote……CV for Lab candidate (GE)…..CV for Little in New Plymouth
Labour……………………….83%…………………………………91%
National………………………5%…………………………………..9%
NZF…………………………….43%…………………………………65%
Green…………………………45%…………………………………61%
Cons…………………………..12%…………………………………27%
ACT……………………………..7%………………………………….14%
UF………………………………18%…………………………………34%
In other words, Little was able to attract far greater support from the voters of rival parties (and, indeed, from Labour voters) compared to your average Labour candidate. Remember, this was the first time he’d ever stood so it was a remarkable performance for a newbie candidate. Only the long-time MPs in the Labour leadership (Goff, King, Mallard) (as well as Helen Clark in previous elections) had the same ability to pull in the voters of other parties.
True, 2014 wasn’t quite such a good performance, but Little was still attracting more voters of other parties than the average Labour candidate, even if not to the same extent as his debut in 2011.
But the fact is: he was on a hiding to nothing in such a conservative,
right-leaning seat. Meanwhile, your favourite PM makes sure he initially gets selected for one of the safest and Bluest seats in he Country.
Good job at polishing a turd but New Plymouth has had its fair share of left wing mps representing it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Plymouth_(New_Zealand_electorate)
The fact is hes tried, twice, to win the seat and failed to convince the voters to vote for him
Why do you think he’ll be able to convince the rest of the country to vote for him instead?
Nah, generally been a Tory seat since the advent of the modern Party system. And the 2011 and 2014 Elections took place during a particularly Blue period (in more ways than one) in the electoral cycle.
The only reason Labour’s Duynhoven held on for as long as he did was that he was basically a political freak. He was winning support from National voters (ie National Party-voters) massively – and I mean massively – out of proportion to other Labour candidates, including the popular leadership old-timers like Clark, Goff, King, Mallard.
The fact that a newbie candidate like Little was able to emulate Duynhoven’s pulling power (albeit to a lesser degree) remains impressive. Little might not have quite been the political freak Duynhoven was, but he was still up there with the Clarks and Goffs when it came to his ability to attract rival parties’ voters.
Little has failed to significantly shine thus far.
Depth is a problem the Party faces (IMO)
Kelvin Davis had the Government on the back foot over the Serco debacle.
Word is Little favours a female deputy.
Thats your view of the world but it’s not mine and many others I speak with. There is plenty of time for Little to further his popularity with voters and I have huge confidence in his abilities to present himself as a Prime Minister in waiting over the next 18 months two years.
Little’s charisma bypass works hugely against him. He comes across as passionless and humourless. Contrast that with all the other party leaders and he’s uniquely boring.
I’d agree with much of that Grindle But please lay off the scorched earth approach to Labour and Little. Give them a chance to grow without cutting down those tall poppies. Find something to praise, however little!
The same thing was said about the Cunliffe, Shearer and Goff
Yup. But there were differences. Goff wasn’t really given a chance and blew it with the stunt on a motorbike that looked too big for him. Shearer was a ditherer and used to seem as surprised as everyone else to hear what he had to say once he’d said it. Cunliffe just didn’t look or sound genuine. Little’s just bland and boring.
True but I was more referring to this:
“There is plenty of time for Little to further his popularity with voters and I have huge confidence in his abilities to present himself as a Prime Minister in waiting over the next 18 months two years.”
Which basically sounds like the old he just needs more time refrain
@ Atiawa
No. It’s the reality highlighted by the polls. Little has failed to significantly shine thus far. How that gives you confidence he will improve going forward is unclear.
Andrew Little is concentrating on creating cohesion between all the different strands of the Labour Party (a big job given it’s diversity) and moving around the country getting a sense of what is really going on out there in voter-land. He’s playing the long game and ensuring the building blocks are in place before he starts the job of winning over voters.
Why do you think the blowhard Key and his cohorts have upped the ‘dirty political’ rhetoric on Andrew Little T.C.? Because they know that when the time comes, he’s going to be a much harder opponent to beat that’s why.
Playing the long-game is what they say, Anne.
However, I haven’t seen anything from Little that would have National overly concerned.
At this stage, National merely have to maintain voter confidence and they’ll probably sail through.
Can’t wait to see how Little plans to shift it up a gear and start winning over voters.
Josie Pagani says Labour needs to upset some people (I’m taking that means people on the left) and take some risk.
It will be interesting to see what Little actually decides to do.
She’s right about that, but I doubt she recognises that it is she (and others of similar ilk) who are going to be upset. Both Paganis are way out of the Labour loop and have been for a long time. Josie reminds me of that third way Blairite who stood for the UK Labour leadership. Forgotten her name already but she only managed 4.5% of the vote. In a similar situation here I doubt Josie would get 0.5% of the vote.
Josie Pagani was involved with setting up that Think Tank – and Little said he was happy with it.
Clearly she still has the ear of a few within Labour.
Lets hope you’re right, Anne.
I think he was “happy” with her starting up an independent Think Tank but be assured she and her mates were given the thumbs down about involving the Labour Party. It seems to have died a natural death because there’s been no mention of it since.
She probably does have the ear of a few within Labour but that is all. She’s highly unpopular because of the way she has sniped at – and run down – Labour at every opportunity. She’s been doing it for a long time under various leaders and my sense is: it’s a revenge thing because she and her husband have not been afforded the reverence and appreciation of the party hierarchy she thinks they deserve.
Died a natural death? Or merely keeping it on the down low? The launching isn’t till the end of the year.
My understanding was it’s independence is to enable it to make it easier to reach out to businesses.
The fact the Party hasn’t publicly disowned her suggests she may have more support within than we both believe.
The fact the Party hasn’t publicly disowned her suggests she may have more support within than we both believe.
Don’t agree. She’s a publicity seeking type and they don’t intend to accommodate her… is the more likely reason they don’t publicly disown her. Best to ignore her.
She is very outspoken and given her media status, her input is far reaching.
Therefore, if she was going against the Party’s wishes (potentially harming their public image) surely they would distance themselves from her, setting the media and public right.
The fact that they haven’t speaks volumes, IMO.
Ignoring someone so outspoken, potentially damaging and with such public reach is an inconceivable strategy.
She seeks publicity – and money – through her engagements with RNZ “The Panel” and other similar programmes on TV, but she doesn’t get news coverage as such. Since the audience for the above is limited then I guess they think she’s best ignored. I know of no-one who bothers to read her occasional written diatribes – confused and irrational as they so often seem.
RNZ, “The Panel” and other similar programmes on TV are generally related to news or political coverage, thus her public reach is rather wide. Not to mention potentially damaging.
Moreover, allowing her to hog the limelight robs Labour from getting their genuine message out. Hence, when all is considered, the ignoring her strategy being put forward just doesn’t wash, IMO.
Of course, that won’t be clear until Little makes his move, then we’ll see which way he decides to go and how well that resonates with voters/supporters.
We’ve come to an agreement – sort of. I don’t think Labour has a lot of choice at present because the MSM are going to use her no matter what. But yeah, she’s damaging – dare I say it – the party brand, and I’d like to see her sent packing. Indeed I’ve considered writing to the Labour Council about her but as yet haven’t had the time to do so.
Publicly distancing themselves from her (while putting forward their own genuine spokesperson) would severely knee cap her current status as an associated Labour spokesperson or commentator of the left. Turning the media off seeking comment from her as it would largely be considered irrelevant.
Labour has this choice, but to date, have decided against it. Leaving me and others questioning why?
Joise Pagani is not and never has been a recognised spokesperson for Labour. What point is there in putting forward a genuine spokesperson when the MSM will simply ignore them. They wouldn’t want Labour’s choice whoever it might be. Madame J suits their agenda well enough. She puts the boot into Labour and that’s how they like it.
Not for the first time, I heard her on Mora’s panel a few days ago talking a load of confused and irrational bullshit. Mora and co. must know it’s bullshit yet they continue to invite her. There’s your problem – not Labour.
That’s my last reply to this discourse.
i think youre right anne i think hes more of a man than anyone else in the pack and personaly id prefer someone that wasnt always doing that grimacing thing somepeople call smiling anyway ! Timing is everything hopefully he will come through
I’m more concerned about the policy package he plans to push.
Labour will need better policies if they want to get over the line.
effectively theyed have to promise to turn water into wine
Now now PR, your sexism is showing.
By praising Annette King? Its not sexist to point out that Jacinda acts (via the medium of print media) like a pretty face but when it comes to the business of politics shes lost against Nikki Kaye and got smacked down by Paula Bennet
maybe your troling was showing as well.
Disagreeing with something doesn’t make it trolling you know
I wasn’t commenting on your disagreement.
I can assure you that what I wrote isn’t trolling but my genuine thoughts on the matter
laugh of the day.
So genuine they have the stamp of approval from John Key himself.
Did Benefit sit on her?
When people try and slag off Jacinda Ardern they always bring up the fact that she lost to Kaye, but the reality is she lost by 600 votes last year, and 700 the election before that. In an electorate with between 27-33k voters that is an incredibly slim margin both times…
In the 2014 election, she lost by 600, but after the electorate was massively changed. The whole of Grey Lynn was excised and put into Mt Albert.
That’s not quite true – they’d pick all of the ABCs who should be in National anyway.
Also, this is MMP, electorate seats are not as important as popularity nation-wide
They’d only pick the ABCs that were any good (which doesn’t leave alot to choose) and yes electorate seats arn’t as important as they used to be but as I said before how can you expect a country to vote for you if you can’t convice an electorate to vote for you
Because people are tired of old Third Way Labour. They want fresh ideas and young faces. They only reason Ardern lost Central Auckland is because some Green Party voters can’t figure out how to vote strategically, and the party can’t seem to figure this out either. And I know, I’m a party member. Maybe I’ll light a fire under it… Also, I think by the end of this term Ardern will have served 3 terms. That’s 9 years. Is that enough experience? Key became Prime Minister with only 6 years in parliament.
‘Thoughts’
All polls can be rigged
People should consider what else they believe in also probably rigged
Politics
Economics / finance
Sport
etc
etc
etc
“They ALWAYS give them Maori names.”
Paul Henry channeled the late Paul Holmes this morning.
PAUL HENRY, TV3, Thursday 24 September 2015
shallow /ˈʃaləʊ/ adj. 1. of little depth; 2. not exhibiting, requiring, or capable of serious thought.
This program gets worse every day. I tuned in this morning just as the 8 o’clock news was finishing….
HILLARY BARRY: ….And the new Cook Strait ferry the Kaiarahi has arrived in Wellington. It has been blessed by iwi, and will start services next month.
Now for most people that would have been an uncontroversial, even boring, little news item. But for Paul Henry, like it was for another hateful multi-media pontificator, Paul Holmes, Māori culture is intolerable, an affront, its very existence a provocation. So, in the mind of Paul Henry, naming a ferry the Kaiarahi was “political correctness” gone mad.
Intolerable!
After a short silence, he made his assault…..
PAUL HENRY: Would it be so hard for them to give the ferry an ENGLISH name? They ALWAYS give them Maori names.
HILLARY BARRY: I think it’s LOVELY!
PAUL HENRY: Do you? It must be all right then, if Hillary likes it. But honestly….
Henry’s slave Jim Kayes looked troubled, but kept his own counsel….
Shortly after that, it was time for the daily “Panel”. Today it featured a particularly gruesome twosome: Christine (Spankin’) Rankin, the self-described “children’s advocate” who believes in hitting children, and Bill Ralston’s ghastly wife Janet Wilson. I had better things to do than listen to three vicious and vacuous people chuntering on at the intellectual level you’d expect at a golf club booze-up, but I did catch the tail-end of it just before 8:30….
JANET WILSON: See, here’s the thing: Len still thinks he’s going to win. Quelle horreur! He’s got a hide like an elephant.
PAUL HENRY: Yeah, he has.
JANET WILSON: The problem for Phil Goff is that he comes from the same end of the political spectrum as Len Brown. The thing is: who would want to run for mayor, when you get paid two and six for it?
CHRISTINE SPANKIN’ RANKIN: [speaking slowly to emphasize how serious she is] He failed as the leader of the Labour Party, and he will fail as mayor of Auckland.
JANET WILSON: Christine Rankin and Janet Wilson, thank you very much for coming on the Panel this morning.
SPANKIN’ RANKIN: Best Panel ever!
JANET WILSON: Ha ha ha ha! Yeah!
More on Janet Wilson….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22032013/#comment-607420
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17072013/#comment-664190
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03082014/#comment-859688
More on Christine Spankin’ Rankin….
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0605/S00213.htm
+1 – as I’m assuming most people on this site, can’t bear to watch this crap, (and from the falling ratings more and more of the public) great to have the opportunity to have it dissected.
That “two and six” the mayor gets paid is many times the average wage. Methinks Janet Wilson needs to live on the average wage for a while to get some perspective.
funnily enough as far as morning ‘news’ goes there are some segments of Henrys show I dont mind…his interview with Ruby Wax for example and I must begrudgingly admit his SOH is not without appeal.I expect this show to be a winner.
I must begrudgingly admit his SOH is not without appeal.
Yes, Henry can be very funny. I heard him on radio in December 2013 telling Dom and J.J. and Mike Puru about the passive-aggressive glares he gets from people whenever he goes out in public; he was simply hilarious. Some of his antics on his present television show are also quite amusing.
However, the funny bits are less and less apparent now. What might have seemed like irreverance has hardened into the most extreme intolerance and hatefulness, whether directed at refugees, or at the victims of bombs and bullets, or (as it was this morning) at Māori.
I expect this show to be a winner.
It’s not. The ratings are in free fall, as they were when he had a breakfast show in Melbourne three years ago….
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/ten-farewells-paul-henry-hamster-wheel-highlight-video-ck-133297
You know Paul hates Len and bags him pretty much daily. Nothing new here.
That fuckwit hates anybody that’s not a National supporter.
“That fuckwit hates anybody that’s not a National supporter.”
That is the most honest bit of wisdom I have read for ages. Cant make up my mind which bit is the most honest, so I settle for fuckwit.
Why would we give it an English name when we’re not English?
“Why would we give it an English name when we’re not English?”
How True
By the way apparently Saudi Arabia are planning a crucifixion and execution of a man they arrested as a child.
Saudi are one of our hopeful trading partners that we fly sheep bribes to. Hard to believe this can be happening in the modern world with a country our government loves to suck up to.
Don’t worry our government will be ‘comfortable’ with that.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/24/execution-in-saudi-arabia/
You say “apparently Saudi Arabia are planning a crucifixion”
Where do you get the bit about a crucifixion from?
I don’t see anything about it in the item you link to.
Here alwyn. Google the name of the young man the daily blog item mentions and you’ll get plenty of sites detailing his sentence to be executed by beheading, then crucifixion.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/72392125/young-saudi-man-ali-mohammed-alnimr-faces-crucifixion
Saudi Arabia, the country that does the most beheadings every year, has just been re appointed to the UN Human Rights panel. The US is ecstatic about this fundamental injustice.
Yeah, our world truly is that sick.
LORDS OF THE DANCE
No. 1: Rodney Hide
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0605/bd0ebc1e64cf1a740e13.jpeg
Lords of the Dance is curated by Morrissey Breen, for Daisycutter Sports Inc.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72363207/horrifying-outcomes-for-cyf-kids-warrant-a-whole-new-model–tolley
IMO this has been a disgraceful situation through a number of governments – now rebstock has written her review and the ‘business case’ is/has been put. What will emerge from this ‘modernisation’, this righting of wrongs, this fucking clusterfuck of a way to help children, especially Māori children – what will happen???
a big nothing apart from more misery and more cutting – I thank the gnats, labour and greens for their contributions to this misery – well done – red reek that one!!!
National will make things worse by putting in ideological BS as policy and then cut the budget.
I stomached Tolley on the radio for a few minutes and she seemed to me to be saying the government removes these children too late from abusive situations. The implication I assume is that they are too damaged at that point for any of these so called foster homes to provide any sort of stable environment.
She then went on to say that New Zealanders offered their homes to Syrian refugees, then asked why can’t they offer their homes to our own (child) refugees?
This is the sort of thinking which should be confined to some sort of bizarre brainstorming session to then be discarded as ludicrous, not the sort of thing a Minister should be voicing to the public.
These two “Tolley-thoughts” linked make you wonder whether her plan is to remove (Maori) children from disadvantaged and strained families at an ever decreasing age in order to make the children more palatable to ordinary NZ families who might happen to give a fuck.
Here she seems to want to not only shift the responsibility from the government to the private sector, but she goes further – she wants to shift the responsibility to the private individual!
I would have thought any major overhaul would focus on making the homes these children go to better, more stable, and capable of giving the kids an environment which ensured they maximised their learning at school.
You would have thought that but that would require taxes on the rich to up rather than down and so there’s no way that National would do that.
i bet theres a lot of people would like to wave their magic wand and make your last paragraph come true mutonbird but it would truely take a miracle .violence like when you wack your kids repeatedly begets violence makes you when you become an adolt wack youre kids too .I think its so deeply ingrained in some cultures it,le take generations to sort out .sue bradfords bill is a good start but theres not a few would like to repeal it an drag us back to the good ole days where a little tap did noone any harm !!
Of course the right has all the answers to these problems which is just to ignore it and say these people need to be individually responsible for their actions. That means no one has to do anything, no surprise then when they don’t offer any solutions to these complex problems and the situation gets gradually worse. Truly inspiring…
Massive spike in court-ordered debtor wage deductions
The number of people having money docked from their wage or benefits to repay debts has increased five-fold in the past year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/72358546/massive-spike-in-courtordered-debtor-wage-deductions–commerce-commission
absolute racket in Sth Auck and Mangere…30% interest and penalties on over priced goods…non disclosure is rife as is doorstop selling.Seen $500 items =total contract $3700 on rent to own.Creating debt and then enforcing attachment orders on the unfortunate .
Vultures preying on the vulnerable, Les.
Seen this?
Media Alert! ” If National don’t walk away from the TPPA – petitioners will campaign for voters to ‘walk away’ from National!”
This morning, the following petition was presented at the Electoral Office of Nikki Kaye – the National MP for Auckland Central:
Petition wording:
“To the MP for Auckland Central – Nikki Kaye
We, the undersigned state:
That if this John Key led National Government does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, pro-corporate ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.”.
Nikki Kaye is a National Government Cabinet Minister – currently sitting on a 600 vote majority over Labour’s Jacinda Adern.
https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2014-au6200
“AUCKLAND CENTRAL
Candidates Votes Received
ARDERN, Jacinda 11894
KAYE, Nikki 12494 ”
On the afternoons of Tuesday 22 September, and Wednesday 23 September, a tiny handful of determined ‘TPPA – WALK AWAY’ activists collected over 800 signatures for the above-mentioned petition, outside Auckland University (Symonds Street, Grafton Rd intersection), and on Ponsonby Rd.
Nikki Kaye is the Minister of Youth.
Most of whom signed this petition, were ‘youth’.
We look forward to citizens from all over New Zealand, who want to STOP this John Key led New Zealand National Government from signing the TPPA, to consider giving National Party MPs (particularly Cabinet Ministers) – this message which cannot be ignored.
Politicians understand ONE thing.
Votes.
We urge people to make your own version of this petition, address it to YOUR local National MP / Minister, and start collecting signatures!
This is a petition with sharp, pointy political teeth, which will help focus the minds of those to whom it is addressed, directly on the TPPA.
Time is short.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1509/S00215/last-ditch-tppa-ministerial-in-10-days.htm
Last ditch TPPA Ministerial in 10 days
Thursday, 17 September 2015, 11:55 am
Press Release: Professor Jane Kelsey
” Last ditch TPPA Ministerial in 10 days – is Groser preparing to swallow the rat?
Canadian officials have confirmed rumours that the trade ministers from the twelve countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) plan to meet in Atlanta, US at the end of the month in a last ditch attempt to conclude the deal. The chief negotiators are set to meet on 26 September to try to clear the ground for the politicians. ….”
This petition will help to ‘hold the feet’ of National Party MPs ‘to the fire’ – regarding the potential political repercussions of signing the TPPA.
Contact details for MPs are available here:
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00InknoMPsContact1/97a7145b141fd9d6c62adcf0ec68ea22c7163ce2
_________________________________________________________
‘TPPA – WALK AWAY’ signature collectors, who delivered the petition forms to Nikki Kaye’s Electorate Office:
Penny Bright
….
Jacquelyne Taylor
……
A beheading/crucifixion in the year of 2015, cause we are learned, and civilised and grown up and stuff.
I know, I know, some beheadings (inclusive post beheading crucifixation – a must have for shits n giggles or something) are just more equal and lawful then other beheadings.
“His punishment is a brutal one, even by Saudi Arabia’s standards. Not only was Mr Nimr, now 21, handed a death sentence, but the method of punishment was determined to be crucifixion, which rights groups say means he will be beheaded and then have his mutilated body displayed publicly.”
http://www.smh.com.au/world/looming-crucifixion-sparks-global-calls-to-spare-life-of-young-saudi-ali-mohammed-alnimr-20150923-gjtlhk.html
John Campbell has a new podcast with Radio NZ. This is his first episode, which looks at the working struggle in Auckland.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/radionz/programmes/first-person/audio/201771768/first-person-with-john-campbell-'pay-day-is-broke-day‘
I was about to post this. Good to see Campbell hitting up the really important stories that actually matter. TV3’s loss is actually New Zealand’s loss.
“No apologies to you mate. And no apologies
for the fact your show has so few viewers.”
In 2012, on Channel 10’s doomed breakfast show, the disastrously unsuccessful host unwisely tried to bully a Melbourne trade union guy….
PAUL HENRY: Do you want to apologise to the taxpayers and the people of Melbourne who’d like to use that street and the taxpayers who’re funding the police activity there. Do you want to apologise to those people now?
DAVID NOONAN: Well you know Paul I think you’ve got a particular political view of the world. You were bought over in the last few months from New Zealand. Mate, construction workers in New Zealand earn a lot less than they do in Australia and the sort of right wing shock jock stuff you want to go on with really isn’t going to faze me. We have a right a right to peaceful protest. We’ve got an important issue here and cheap shots like that really aren’t going to impress anybody.
PAUL HENRY: Right, so no apologies. Thanks for joining us this morning, David.
DAVID NOONAN: So no apologies to you mate. And no apologies for the fact your show has so few viewers.
[An awkward pause follows, then the camera cuts away to a news headline update before Henry comes back onscreen]
PAUL HENRY: Alrighty. I disagree with almost everything he said with the exception of the too few viewers thing. That is a shame.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/ten-farewells-paul-henry-hamster-wheel-highlight-video-ck-133297
Fucking shit hot. It is a pity no one would or could tackle this prat on television like that in NZ.
Actually, Laila Harré did last year, on a couple of occasions.
such a damned shame she didnt end up in parliment i know lprent gave us some of the reasons that didnt happen but its still a damn shame In a perfect world it ud be ALL HANDS ON DECK !!
Ok. Had a 15 minute power cut. Anyone notice?
Both UPS worked well.
Didn’t notice it go down but the server seems to have picked up another hamster or two. The site is faster now than it has been for some time.