@lprent: The latest comment editor won’t let me reply to someone else’s comment. If I hit the reply button, the comment reply box appears with my name and email autofilled and the cursor at the end of my name. However, the comment text box is only one row high and clicking in the text box doesn’t get the cursor to appear there (it just disappears from the name box). Doing a top-level comment like this one works fine though. Hitting the tab key moves it to email then website then disappears and doesn’t ever make it to the comment text box.
The previous comment editors tested over the last few days all worked fine for me.
Chrome Version 74.0.3729.108 (Official Build) (64-bit) Windows 10 Pro Version 1803 OS build 17134.648
Replies on my android phone go through ok. But I couldn’t do an edit, maybe because I turned the phone wifi off then back on between posting the comment and trying to edit it.
I had a similar problem this morning. No space for comment text in Editor and no cursor when using reply function but a single stand-alone comment did show that space + cursor. When cancelling a reply the space also disappeared in stand-alone comments unless I refreshed the whole page!?
I pressed something last night and the comment space disappeared so that nothing could be entered. My son looked at source? code and restored function but it returned to that same condition – something was 'hidden'. Hitting enter automatically creates a double space, I would prefer to make my own. But can put comment today, so far so good. It is interesting how there are format icons at the top now. But if I edit, the edit box uses the same functions as usual eg the <i> for italics.
Zelda D'Aprano in the 70's, a feminist protester for equality, spent a day trying to travel on buses, buy something, paying a smaller fare price than the official one, the discount being the percentage lower of women's wages than those of men. IThat was in Melbourne too.
I Was looking at some ‘not chicken’ meat choices at the supermarket. Expensive. They use oil salts and cides to grow the vegetable protein then this is shipped to a lab using copious amounts of energy then to be pounded prodded poked altered abridged extracted and exhumed into burger.
Then to be packaged, re-shipped primped and pimped, postered and posted to places placed precariously in piled presentations for punters perusal…
It doesn’t really matter if it tastes like meat.
They’ve added a laboratory, more shipping and more processing to pea farming. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crops-protein/big-ag-turns-to-peas-to-meet-soaring-global-protein-demand-idUSKCN1IJ1B3
Test tube meat is another story. I’ve not enough information to make a call I do understand the move to produce it. The profit motive, but also, whole protein for the masses without factory farms.
Dietary trends drive consumers to all sorts of ridiculous food choices (and some healthy). Growing a garden (and eating the produce) will improve your health better than Atkins, keto, low-carb, bla de bla, et al, etc.
<i>It doesn’t really matter if it tastes like meat.</i>
The people buying these triumphs of industrial food processing should stop calling themselves vegeterians and just eat chicken if they want to eat something that tastes like chicken.
<i>Growing a garden (and eating the produce) will improve your health better than Atkins, keto, low-carb, bla de bla, et al, etc.</i>
To be fair, any diet that minimises your refined carb intake will improve your health more than one that doesn’t. Both growing your own food and Atkins etc fit that bill, although it sounds plausible that growing your own food would give the most improvement.
Depends on your reasons for becoming a vegetarian – I reached 25 years as a vegetarian yesterday and my reasons were and are that I didn’t like the taste, animal welfare, and environmental impact of over-farming, so for me, fake meat is pointless because I don’t like the taste of it. For others, products like Quorn are just the ticket to become vegetarian without having to completely give up their favorite dishes or to allow families with mixed diets to share meals more easily.
You do know, I suppose, that the New Zealand Communist Party, like the equivalent in Britain, were strongly against opposing the Nazi's until June 1941?
"Early in the war, communists' allegiance to the Soviet Union aligned them with Germany. In 1940 their newspaper, People's Voice, was banned by the government, and books on communism were among those outlawed under New Zealand censorship controls. But when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the New Zealand Communist Party, along with others in the west, shifted its allegiance and swung in behind the war effort."
Looking at Bernie’s actual record suggests if he gets to be prez he’ll actually end up being moderate, even centrist. That’s without even considering the fact that to get any actual legislation through he would need the vote of the 50th senator, at best likely to be someone like Joe Manchin or Krysten Sinema. Which all means the anti-Bernie sentiment from moderate Dems is probably misplaced, but also those currently “feeling the Bern” would likely end up bitterly disappointed.
“Bolt in with Moulton”
“Burstin’ Kirstin”
“SuperLooper”
“Pretty Samey with Amy”
Tim Ryan: Working Class Man
“Warrior Worrying Warren”
and of course:
“Made America Great Again”
I think the 2020 election is the Democrat's to lose. I reckon there's around a 1 in 3 chance the Dems will indeed lose it.
Looks to me like the electorate is around 20% those who will vote for whatever has an (R) next to its name, even if it's a three-weeks gone mouldering corpse. There's another 20% that are middle-finger voters. The mandarin master baiter has those segments locked down hard. At this stage I find it hard to see he'll pull back much if any support from the remaining 60% of the electorate.
So the Dem candidate needs to be able to pull in a bit more than 2/3 of the remaining electorate. Against what's bound to be unprecedented levels of attempted smears over social media (having seen how successful that was against Hillary). That social media will target the far left, to try to push them to third party candidates or just not vote. They will also try to get centrists to not vote, by smears and by painting the vote as making no difference anyway.
There will also be unprecedented attempts at voter suppression (since that worked against Stacey Abrams in Georgia 2018). Because by then the courts will have been stacked enough there's a good chance of getting away with it.
I reckon Bernie and Biden are both particularly vulnerable to smear campaigns, because their long histories in Washington will have all kinds of little nuggets that can be twisted and blown up into major smears. For instance, Biden's treatment of Anita Hill would be quite a starting point for a campaign to turn woke lefties onto third parties or to just not vote. Then there's their age, which makes them both vulnerable to "hillary's health" type smears (never mind the 6'3 239lb incumbent's best physical condition for any president ever).
So I think a tough primary is going to be important for sorting out which candidates have the skilz for dealing with the coming smears, as well as finding most of the background weak points that can become the little grain of truth needed for a successful smear.
The numbers weren’t too bad at Waikumete Cemetery this morning for the dawn parade.
Couple of unwelcome changes however.
Police presence shutting off a large surrounding road, and constricting the whole of Great North Road with patrols.
And they used to have little candles lit under each of the hundreds of serried war graves, which were such a hopeful glimmer.
I want to see every neighborhood go back to their own commemoration, as well as the large regional ones. I thought this was supposed to be celebrating a free society? And bring back the candles.
Police have been clear the security requirements are for this year only, because of the well-known issue of increased threat levels for public gatherings after big terrorist events. I am confident that most attendees would happily trade temporarily-blocked nearby roads for a better chance of survival.
With Kushner in his pocket MBS can do whatever TF he likes.
Today’s mass execution of 37 people in Saudi Arabia is a chilling demonstration of the authorities' disregard for human life. It is yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent. https://t.co/09BBTcfDgu
Just as Jared Kushner answered questions about the close ties between the White House and Saudi Arabia in New York on Tuesday, the Middle Eastern kingdom beheaded 37 people in its largest mass execution in at last three years. The executions, of mostly Shiite men accused of terrorism related crimes, were part of what Washington’s Gulf Institute director Ali Al-Ahmed called “the largest mass execution of Shiites in the kingdom’s history.” Al-Ahmed identified 34 of the 37 victims as Shiite. According to reports, Saudi Arabian security services nailed one of the heads to a poll as a warning and one victim was crucified after his execution. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/23/kushner-talks-accountability-crown-prince-just-saudis-offer-egregious-display
Kushner+Bolton have been reasonably successful bringing Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States together in the form of their common sworn enemy in the form of Iran. Iran threatens Israel’s regional nuclear monopoly and decreases is security dominance around israel. Iran threatens Saudi Arabia on security and religious grounds. How Iran threatens the US is completely beyond me.
With the U.S. President officially turning a blind eye to the Saudi murder of Khashoggi, and Netanyahu re-elected, this untied force against iran will re-bind and strengthen. The result will be Saudi leadership to induce other Arab states to open their economies to Israeli investment and technical expertise (particularly in fresh water, and security technology), brining Israel substantial economic benefits.
The bigger goal between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the US, is for money to talk louder than religion.
Which is not an unusual way to achieve lasting peace.
Fucking with other nation’s economies with oil sanctions has always worked out so well.
But if you want a war, why not.
“With the announcement today, we’ve made clear our seriousness of purpose,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a press conference on Monday. “We are going to zero. How long we remain there, at zero, depends solely on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s senior leaders. We’ve made our demands very clear to the ayatollah and his cronies.” The decision to stop issuing sanctions waivers threatens to wipe roughly 1 million barrels per day off the market at a time when analyst say oil supply is already tightening. Crude futures spiked to nearly six-month highs on news of the policy, which was first reported Sunday by The Washington Post. […] Companies in those countries now face the threat of being locked out of the U.S. financial system if they continue to import crude from Iran. The question is whether some of those countries will seek to skirt the sanctions, including by facilitating or encouraging purchases of Iranian crude through companies not tied to the U.S. financial system. China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday denounced Washington’s Iran policy. “China opposes the unilateral sanctions and so-called ‘long-arm jurisdictions’ imposed by the US. Our cooperation with Iran is open, transparent, lawful and legitimate, thus it should be respected,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters. “Our government is committed to upholding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and will play a positive and constructive role in upholding the stability of global energy market.” Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu also rejected the sanctions, saying they “will not serve regional peace and stability” and would hurt the Iranian people.
Agree with most of that, except: “Which is not an unusual way to achieve lasting peace”
There is the war with Iran bit that will come before any peace, with the way these governments are behaving.
The way you’ve written that last line suggests we should accept the alignment of interests that’s going on with a shrug.
Pricks are worried about the optics rather than the ethics of detaining children in a military prison.
The United States is considering housing migrant children at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay to help handle an up-tick in the number of immigrants crossing the US southern border, according to a new report. The idea was first proposed earlier this year as the Department of Homeland Security looked for military facilities where migrants could be held as they wait for their cases to be processed. But, the proposal has not gained much traction so far, with officials telling the New York Times that the idea has been less ideal because of the optics involved with housing children right next to terrorism suspects in the notorious American prison.
The Tax Working Group policy came from a regional conference as a policy remit to work through options (the regional conference had large numbers of tax remits to replace CGT as Labour Party policy as CGT had failed at the 2011 and 2014 elections and the mood from LECs was to dump CGT), so it was actually supported by Labour Party members, not just the MPs.
I also found it ironic that France and New Zealand are planning to lead an International Terrorism Summit next month given that France committed such an act on our soil in 1985. Its quite funny really, although the grand-master of wit and humour, David Lange probably wouldn’t think so.
Edit: lprent, the font size is very small in comment box – about 8 by the looks if it. A bit of struggle for us oldies.
We had a young French family holidaying here at the time back in 1985 and they were mortified and genuinely shocked that their govt had blown up the Rainbow Warrior and killed someone on NZ soil. We have French mayors here this ANZAC day that have come to remember the Kiwis who never made it home from WW1/WW2. There are places in France that celebrate and honour our soldiers efforts to free them from the Germans. The French will always have cap in hand when it comes to NZ and the irony of past events.
Good on our PM for seizing the moment, joining with France and “trying to right the wrongs on the cyber highway”.
So there is talk of Labour introducing a land tax, however the suggestion is it is to be applied and collected by local councils. Helping them with their shortfalls while robbing Labour of any revenue, thus funding to do more.
Therefore, it isn’t going to be much compensation for Labour abandoning a CGT. Which (going off their surprise re the public reaction to the dropping of a CGT) may come as another surprise to them.
“… robbing Labour of any revenue, thus funding to do more. Therefore, it isn’t going to be much compensation for Labour abandoning a CGT…”
Labour (and the working group) had talked about a revenue-neutral CGT/personal income tax programme – so it was never going to be a way to fund other initiatives.
It was going to restore some fairness to our tax system while helping to address inequality by redistributing the new tax take.
However, Jacinda unnecessarily put an end to that ever happening under her watch. An achievement the opposition never succeeded in and would be proud of.
As for being a way to fund other initiatives, it was only projected to be tax neutral for the fist 5 years, then the tax return vastly exceeds the proposed tax cuts. Thus, giving them scope (by providing the funding) to do far more.
It was going to restore some fairness to our tax system while helping to address inequality by redistributing the new tax take.
Improving the fairness of the tax system, while laudable, isn't about increasing revenue. Redistributing tax-based spending to address inequality can be done regardless of whether a CGT is implemented or not – the effects will be the same, because the tax take will be the same – CGT wasn't about increasing revenue.
Of course it was. That's how they were going to cover the accompanying tax cuts, thereby making it tax neutral (in the first 5 years). After which, the tax revenue vastly increases.
Moreover, it was about fairness via taxing currently tax free gains.
Yes, redistributing tax-based spending to address inequality can be done via other means, but those don't also address the unfairness of tax free gains.
In addition, the tax-free capital gains distort the economy by diverting investment from production to renting activity. Great for capital owners, not so great for anybody else. In the end, we all miss out. But the shortsightedness of some (many?) prevented a mature debate and the rest is history.
Some ‘critics’ only want to focus on what might have happened in 5 years’ time. These same ‘critics’ jump up & down when presented with projected figures. Go figure.
Labour built up the hype, talked a big game but are struggling to fund it. Now they are surprised they are being criticized for dropping a means that would have helped them fund it. Go figure indeed.
Chairman, you'll be happy with Patrick Smellie's prediction that the government is temporarily sticking to the course of their own budget responsibility rules for this term in order to earn the trust of the international money hawks (didn't realise they were so powerful).
Then, Patrick surmises, the government will loosen the rules and increase debt to international norms. He also points out that you can't just throw plans and money at infrastructure when building capacity is already stretched. If only we had a competent government over the last 10 years!
That's how they were going to cover the accompanying tax cuts, thereby making it tax neutral
If you increase one source of revenue so you can reduce another source of revenue by the same amount, you don't increase your revenue. That was the whole point of trading it off against tax cuts, being able to promise it wasn't a tax grab.
The view that it would eventually lead to dramatically increased revenue is "jam tomorrow" and, even if it were a realistic prospect, wouldn't give the government increased revenue in a timeframe useful to it – NZ governments don't get more than nine years and this one's nearly had two. If it had introduced a CGT it couldn't expect this alleged increase in revenue to turn up while it was still in power.
While you don't increase your net revenue, you still have to increase your revenue to provide redistribution via the proposed tax cuts to keep it tax neutral.
Moreover, Government accounting methods are largely based on forecasting. Thus, the added revenue stream from a CGT would improve the projected tax take beyond the 5 years, meaning the Government would be able to start increasing the capital and operating allowances in the Budget following it's implementation.
Jacinda's plan to reduce child poverty is a 10 year plan.
Workers pay tax on their wages; landlords pay tax on their rental incomes; businessmen pay tax on their profits; the only ones not paying tax on their earnings are those who are not taxed on their return on their investment in family homes, this return taking the form of free rental accommodation.
Untaxed capital gain from a transaction between a buyer and seller, which produces no income, and which affects nobody else but them, is hardly unfair.
Untaxed capital gain from a transaction between a buyer and seller, which produces no income, and which affects nobody else but them, is hardly unfair.
I see that you are still sticking to your capital gain is not income. The other mistake is that it does not affect anybody else but the vendor and the buyer. You will have a very hard time arguing that. For starters, lenders, real estate agents, and insurance companies. Then, the other houses in the same street and area. I’ll make a big pot of tea …
That's interesting. This is the first time I've heard the effects of capital gain on "lenders, real estate agents, and insurance companies" and on "other houses in the same street and area" raised in this particular debate. However, if a property rises in value, and then is sold, these side effects are going to occur, but that's the result of the capital increase itself, not of the transaction. The sale of family homes no doubt involve the same effects.
And, as you say I'm sticking to my assertion that capital gain is not income. And I'm not making a mistake in saying so.
It doesn't actually. In Vino, apparently incapab!e of presenting an intelligent rebuttal, has merely resorted to insults. Despite his pseudonym there really is no truth in him.
Your premise was wrong. A sale of an asset that realises capital gain cannot be viewed as a transaction strictly between two parties (buyer and vendor). It obviously involves other parties, often dictated by Law, and always has an impact on a third party or parties. If you fail to see this then any further engagement with you on this topic is utterly futile.
Please note that I don’t even have to bring CGT into the conversation up to this point.
Land tax makes complete sense to me as a means to lower the value of land and increase revenue, but the local government option in the TWG report recommends the Productivity Commission investigates local government levying tax on vacant land in addition to rates.
Personally, I would happily see a land tax on all land, even if it is at 0.5% above $500K or something like that.
Require far more detail to know how it will exactly impact. But we may see a land tax may only result in land becoming more productive and not less valuable.
Most are over local government continuously increasing rates above the rate of inflation, so giving them this revenue stream on top of their rate take will most likely go down like a cup of cold sick. Unless the majority are going to get rate cuts.
Nevertheless, it robs central government of any funding revenue, thus their ability to do more.
In the ‘good old days’ people could claim depreciation on rental’s buildings and if you sold the rental for more than its depreciated value you were taxed on that income.
Because land is not depreciated, this won’t work but in essence, a CGT would be a tax on a fixed asset, including land that has risen in real value over time.
That's such a pathetic meme – rates only going up by inflation. That means that the Council could do very little to build infrastructure, cope with changing needs. Going up by inflation merely means keeping the spending value of the money at the same level, virtually a nil rise. It is the sort of bleat that comes from the older age group who want to be kept in the style they are used to.
It's the sort of noise you hear when you talk to just about anyone about their local council. Wasteful spending, budget blowouts and over taxing/rating are the most common gripes.
Many households are struggling, thus want councils to live more within their means.
Increasing council rates adds to the cost of home ownership while driving up rents.
Rates here in Orclund are based on capital value, which is land plus improvements. If it were just land value, the distribution of rates paid would be quite different than what it is now.
Rates pay for services and usage of infrastructure associated with the land. A CGT or land tax is a tax on income from the sale of that land. One is local, the other is national.
We pay GST on rates as well, so government gets some of it already, but I think a separate land tax on all sections > $500K would make sense even if it feels like taxing more tax again, not least because it would be administratively very simple to collect – gets added to rates and passed on quarterly.
@ Anne
Anzac Day
Very Ironic that many NZ TRoops have been Honoured by French Personnel – Mayors of Towns – and individuals.
Several Mayors are in New Zealand today, honouring the Grit and Purpose of our Troops. Also Bringing their thanks from the populations.
But you and and your friend soper would not know one iota of what our men and women achieved in France. Nor the extent of the gratitiude shown to this day by France.
You and Soper – should really aplogise to the families of the dead. Instead of having a fit of the funnies.
My comment was not a cynical overview of the spirit of ANZAC. It was merely a heads up concerning a somewhat wry point made by a journalist and did not include the body of his article. If you can't tell the difference, then you need your head read.
My father saw active service in 1918 during WW1 and lost a number of his mates. He was an army officer in WW2 who was responsible for the welfare of several Pacific Island nations and also spent periods of time fighting the Japanese in extremely precarious conditions.
OT, you obviously don't do irony. You appear to have completely misunderstood Anne's comments. I get her reference to the cynical element of Sopers article, why can't you. I couldn't imagine Anne being a "love dove" with Barry Soper, if she is then I have disembarked at the wrong planet.
I am aware that a female scorned is mayhem. Not in the least bit amusing.
Also when you see all the white Crosses pegged in the ground – each representing a motherless dead soldier, name imprinted – You are inclined to lose interest in the weak comedy of Soper.
So, via you Kat, I promise to giggle at Soper. He is a child. And hopefully I will leave Anne without any cross now or in the future.
Can't stand the Soper. I don't read him or the other ne'er do well tighty righties who frequent the pages of the Herald and other MSM outlets. Eg. the Hosk, and the Hosk's spouse (whose name escapes me), the Soper spouse, HDP and the Hooton. Oh and rwnj Leighton Smith. There’s a few more who are so low in my estimation I don’t know their names.
But I concede I was attracted to the Soper headline because the irony had not escaped either.
Although noted by Bryan Bruce, not hearing much outrage from many of the left on this. If it were National pulling this one, I'm sure there would be far more noise.
Not necessarily bullshit but certainly a convenient lack of rigour….and not a good look.
I would be very surprised if anything approaching the number of jobs claimed in application is ever achieved….but it seems to me that is unimportant in NZ Firsts grand scheme of things and that is quietly accepted by the coalition (the alternative being what it is)
Labour have limited ability to control Jones and it is possible that some initiatives could exceed job projections though I concede that is the lesser likelyhood
They better get on top of it/Jones otherwise they are just giving National more ammo to shoot them down.
These kind of issues pisses off voters from both the left and right. Even many NZF supporters will be pissed.
And while Labour are at it sorting this out, they should also look at the practice of giving offshore owned forestry companies money to plant trees.
Planting trees is what they already do. We have enough money heading offshore, we don't need a government assisting in more of this. Keep it local and keep it real.
I wondered what negative line you would be taking The Chairman. It appears that you have surfaced from the pond after having a whiff of the latest target, Shane Jones, as he goes round disrupting the comfortable patterns of patronage that Gnashional had set up.
I'd like to know how exactly this lighter-heavier-lighter thing works.
An innovative aircraft that turns into a “lighter-than-air” balloon to propel itself forward has been flown for the first time.
The Phoenix is designed to repeatedly switch between being lighter and heavier than air to generate thrust and allow it to stay in the skies indefinitely.
The article says "The vehicle’s fuselage contains helium, allowing to to ascend, as well as an air bag that inhales and compresses air, enabling it to descend."
So I'm picturing an outer bag that can take pressure, and an inner bag filled with helium. When you want maximum lift, vent the space between the two bags so the helium inner bag pushes out all the air between the two bags. When you want to descend, pump air between the two bags so the inner helium bag gets compressed down and you're adding all the weight of the air you're pumping in at higher than atmospheric pressure and density.
So to operate it, you have it rise in it's maximum lift to the desired altitude, with the little wings being used to push it in the desired horizontal direction. Then at the max altitude, pump air in so it wants to drop, and adjust the wings to keep going in the desired horizontal direction. Rinse and repeat.
A wee bit like tacking upwind in a sailboat, using the vertical dimension.
That outer shell is going to have to be incredibly strong.
At a guess, based on the photo I would think the volume would be about 40 cubic metres. Helium has a mass of about 0.18 kg/cubic metre at STP. Air is about 1.20 kg/cubic metre under the same conditions Thus the total lift would be around 40kg when there was only helium in the outer shell, at STP, and that would mean the maximum weight of the plane would have to be less than 40kg. That would seem to be an incredibly thin shell to have the total weight of a thing that size below 40 kg, when you consider the solar cells that are on the wings, particularly when you consider that it would have to be able to handle pressures that were significantly greater than the atmospheric pressure outside when air was pumped in and compressed.
Great idea though isn't it, and much cheaper than satellites for communication..
It might not have any structure to it at all, it may just be a flexible bag. The wings appear held in place with guy wires, and there's wrinkles visible at the tail. As far as weight goes, they look like thin-film solar cells, and for the wings you can make surprisingly rigid skins lighter than 300g/sqm.
As far as pressure goes, if I remember right a whitewater raft needs around 0.15ish bar. Something that much bigger won't need anywhere near as much pressure to hold its shape.
My use of STP was based on the fact that I assumed that the pressure inside the bag should be at least equal to the outside air pressure.
Your number if 0.15 bar is the pressure above the pressure outside. Thus the actual pressure, used to determine the mass of the gas inside would have to be taken as 1.15 bar assuming that the plane is at an elevation where the outside pressure is about 1 bar (ie fairly near the ground).
Looking at the photo again, and the other article you link to I agree that I have probably greatly underestimated the volume. Ah for the days of the 200,000 m3 Hindenberg though for a real airship.
BTW, that 40m^3 looks awfully stingy to me. The wings look quite a lot higher than the tops of the dudes' heads, so call it at least 2m radius/4m diameter. It's 15m long, but the tail is kinda skinny. so call it an ellipsoid 2m x 2m x 10m, for a volume of 170ish m^3. Other reports say it's 120kg, so that kinda ties in with a volume up over 150 m^3.
Counting the number of jobs created by Shane's fund by toting up the projected positions claimed in fund applicants' applications is outrageous. It smacks of deception.
Can someone count the pay packets please.
Shane's fund is in dire need of a credibility injection.
Always willing to put the boot in David Mac. I hope Shane's fund receives a lot of eyeballing from you. We will be interested to find out the good and the bad that you find from your cynical eye.
The interweb would be a boring place, bereft of credible commentary were it not for the contributions of Bryan Bruce.
A slightly different tone to this morning's offering. BB doesn't need to defend himself from such a numpty, but it was a pleasure to read. Each shot right on the mark.
Made all the sweeter as Bryan Bruce really does believe what he writes.
Hmmm, it looks like Mr Bruce is quoting verbatim Dr Eric Crampton of The New Zealand Initiative without proper citation or acknowledgement. Oh dear.
So, the promised 10,000 jobs – actually, it is 13,085 according to the latest available info from MBIE – is BS because they are based on promises and assumptions and may never eventuate? Future projections based on available information are verboten. Is that the crux of it?
Rob Stock doesn’t like to own stuff and gives his reasons. Interestingly, he omits two important considerations: 1) depreciation (most stuff becomes next to worthless over time and becomes literally junk) and 2) opportunity cost (money could be better invested in something that increases in value over time).
I think the Regional Growth Fund should have a career focus. Then it becomes an investment.
Clambering around a mountain planting seedlings is not a career.
Shane has left himself open to flying mud that will stick.
"It would of been cheaper for us to pay these people $100k a year to watch TV hey Shane."
When the positions come with the potential for a flourishing future, dividing a billion dollars by the actual jobs created becomes the price of promoting quality futures. Creating future top tax bracket workers.
You reckon. It's a big task. If you have nothing better to do than pontificate on what jobs are worthy of your consideration, perhaps you could do something useful and help in the planting.
Your song 'Don't do anything till you hear from me!'
I think the fund bankrolling a cultural facility beside the Hokianga is a superb idea. Everyone has nice scenery, it is Maori that make NZ unique.
I can think of 20 small business ideas that could spin off such an enterprise. Individual Hapu could put down the hangi, provide the Kapa Haka show, take visitors for a paddle in a Waka.
Too often we read of fraud associated with this type of initiative. It would be good to see some iron-clad protection. When he's back on his feet, make The Mad Butcher treasurer.
The Provincial Growth Fund is there to buy NZ First an electoral seat, that is all
Fuck Labour for agreeing to this, 3 billion fucking taxpayer dollars given to that fat prick jones to spend as he pleases with no strings attached for whoever he decides to play Santa Claus for.
It's bullshit and shouldn't be allowed to happen, politicians need to be held legally accountable for this sort of pork-barrel politics.
As per 31 March 2019, up to $735,962,077 has been announced in funding that will do sweet FA for growth in the regions? Each and every project is just a cover to “buy NZ First an electoral seat”? Your argument has the strength of a fart in a stormy night: pfffff – WOOSH.
BM, I think you're a closet leftie searching for enough reason to subscribe.
We all are. When we consider what matters the most to us, for nearly all of us it's our loved ones. If we accept that your loved ones are on an equal footing with my loved ones. We're Social Democrats BM.
It's time you came out, I'm sure your folks will be fine with it.
It’s a big reason why so many trade guys vote National now.
Tradies vote National "now?" That's "now" defined as "Psycho Milt's entire adult life and presumably longer," is it? I know we live in the eternal now, but that's ridiculous.
How many? So many. That many? Yup, that many and maybe even more. Wow, that’s a lot. Yup, it’s heaps and there are heaps more to come. I lost count at one …
The Far North is nature's Disneyland. When Nga Puhi eventually settle for their 2 cents on the dollar I think they will evolve into an International tourism powerhouse.
Up here, the ocean is still our back-up pantry. Peat lakes as black as Coke, packed with minerals that have made skin feel like it's 10 years old for 700 years. Up here where we're real skinny, from the car, you can say "Yep, that's the eastcoast and over there, that's the westcoast."
On the way to where our spirits depart, where we're skinny, you'll see a pristine sandy harbour with no road access. It is packed with silica and in the sun glistens like a mass of white diamonds. Glass manufacturers the world over covet the dunes at Parengarenga.
I think dressing up as an 1830 warrior and faking the take-over of a tourist bus on Ninety Mile Beach and leaving gifts rather than looting would be a cool school holiday job. Great confidence booster for the kid.
I think the factions of Nga Puhi that aren't building bridges towards a settlement need to look into the eyes of their grandchildren. They're in a position to make a worthwhile difference.
Yes, it's a melting pot of drama that needs to be sorted out before sitting across the table from Little.
There were a lot of muskets in Northland before a sheriff arrived.
The logical way would appear to be to include a representative from each of the conflicting factions. A united front presenting their individual concerns.
There have been a lot of tables sat round over years with lots of voices from all factions. There is unlikely to be a united front before Little has long gone.
Perhaps sequestering carbon is quite important as well? Some folk should "Keep their breath to cool their porridge". But then some enjoy poking the borax!!
The FDA has built and expanded a vast and hidden repository of reports on device-related injuries and malfunctions
Since 2016, at least 1.1 million incidents have flowed into the internal “alternative summary reporting” repository, instead of being described individually in the widely scrutinized public database known as MAUDE, which medical experts trust to identify problems that could put patients in jeopardy.
Yet the program, in all its iterations, has been so obscure that it is unknown to many of the doctors and engineers dedicated to improving device safety. Even a former FDA commissioner said he knew nothing of the program.
“The public has a right to know about this,” said Dr. S. Lori Brown, a former FDA official who accessed the data for her research. She said doctors relying just on the public reports — and unaware that many incidents may be omitted — can easily reach the wrong conclusion about the safety record of a particular device.
Just FYI; here at The Standard by convention the use of bolding is generally reserved for moderators in order to make their edits or actions more visible.
Someone ought to put that dozy bimbo right about where the shooter came from. Oz. And according to him it was a perfectly normal family.
[Deleted – A little too much information about the accused and naming him is definitely not ok. I thought that had been made clear previously – Incognito]
However Jenny Davies, who thinks that the idea is un-Australian could take PM Ardern’s place in the mural, hugging and comforting the Muslim woman, and showing how Australians have been upset and deeply moved by their fellow citizen’s deathly action.
I thought that copying from published info was right. And I don't see why some info now can't be released for public info. Sorry if the authorities have denied us this info, and thought that was the way to go. At this time I had thought that background should be provided. Otherwise how can some Oz bird say it is nothing to do with them. Time for some free information.
By way of my personal explanation, it was decided shortly after the massacre that the accused would not be named here on TS. As you know, moderation is not open to litigation.
A link with a short explanation or quote is usually more than sufficient; less is more and no need to copy & paste too much text with too many links (which will also automatically trigger a comment going into moderation). However, this is a special case, highly sensitive, and it is before the courts now. For lawyers and academics the name and personal history are important; for political debate here on TS they are largely irrelevant.
TS is not a conduit for public info on people accused of hideous crimes. If people want to know they can seek out the information for themselves, e.g. by using search engines.
Far too late to worry about aliens being here, but fear not, these guys aren't invading, they're just on a scheduled toilet stop on the way through to Proxima Centauri.
The prime directive prevents me from further explaining why the tour brochures definitely describe the Earth as the Huntly of our trip to somewhere nice.
Can we blame climate change on exhaust from intergalactic touring buses and waste from cosmic freedom campers? Do you ETs post your holiday pics on FB and Instagram too?
Since the forced landing I don't fly any more, you'll never get me up in one of those things again (why I’m stuck here), but no pollution from us, there's just you apes and a few other primitive species still doing that – We worked out cold fusion aeons ago.
No facebook for us but we do have alien news desk.
Oh, that’s disappointing because we really need somebody else to share the burden of blame with for climate change. Otherwise, the guilt would destroy us.
That musing is a doozy. I think it should be on How to Get There so am copying it for inclusion. Thanks.
in the 21st century there has been a recoupling: rising resource consumption has so far matched or exceeded the rate of economic growth. The absolute decoupling needed to avert environmental catastrophe (a reduction in material resource use) has never been achieved, and appears impossible while economic growth continues. Green growth is an illusion.
A piece from Chris Trotter on similarities between David Lange's government and that of Jacinda Ardern. It might shed light onto present directions
In one respect, at least, there is a very substantial difference between the governments of Lange and Ardern. In the case of the former, the shape and direction of economic reform (thoughtfully prepared by Treasury in advance) was condensed into a single, revolutionary manifesto – “Economic Management”. In the latter case, the task of mapping the progress of government reforms has been farmed-out to a multitude of working-groups. Their combined reports will, presumably, constitute the Labour Party’s 2020 manifesto.
Is this the explanation for Ardern’s willingness to content herself with the role of Coalition figurehead? Because she knows that her key political strength has always been to present the ideas of others in a lively and compelling fashion? How to identify the emotional potential within any given set of policies and communicate it directly to the voters? Her skill in delivering the party’s messages is very different from the old-fashioned oratorical skill of Lange. His was a twentieth century talent, hers belong to the twenty-first.
National have caused all the messs in the health bill housing shonky farming micro bovine virus many other problems when they ran the country to serve the wealthy first and formost . It does not work very well when everything is structured to suit the 00.1 % over the 99.9 % of Tangata .
I know that rheumatic fever hits the poor common tangata hardest Maori and our Pacific cousin make the majority of those people who are affected by this disease .
Insight – Every year, up to 200 New Zealanders die from heart damage caused by rheumatic fever – an illness wiped out in many other wealthy countries. And despite a five-year campaign to tackle the disease here, rates are once again
There’s no record of the total number of New Zealanders affected by the rheumatic heart disease, but last year the number of new rheumatic cases was 188 – most of them children.
It’s almost the highest figure in a decade, while in other wealthy countries like the US and the UK, the disease has been all but stamped out. What's disappointed those in public health the most is that the numbers have risen despite a five-year push to reduce the rates on the rise. Philippa Tolley reports. The DHB’s public health physician, Pip Anderson, says rheumatic fever rates have risen in the area for the last two years, despite efforts to eradicate it. She says there are questions over whether a change in the prevention programme has reduced its impact, or whether other factors such as the housing crisis had overwhelmed the ability of the health system to reduce rates. The DHB says it is in the process of reviewing its approach
How this rheumatic fever problem isn't having everything thrown at it, like say the measles epidemic, is a matter that needs a serious study and response. I know some are working so hard and getting so discouraged and saddened that they are not able to get on top of it. I thought I would have a little look at what is happening Eco Maori. You may know more.
I think one thing that should be introduced all over the country, like as from yesterday, is a group of roving medical vans that take to the people the testing equipment and personnel to check on health and dispense minor everyday aids and medicine. It is hard to get children to the doctor, getting transport, coping with care of others at the same time – who babysits?
What's available – I can see a surgery bus. It seems a private-public partnership. With the breakdown of active, citizen-oriented government, perhaps this needs to be the new way of delivering health.
(The denizens in administration in the departments fill their time with designing computer projections and finding expensive managers overseas, or organising funds for new buildings for which they choose the lowest tender and enable charlatans; result a building that requires repairs ten years in, and replacement within thirty.)
…In early 2002, private company Mobile Health Solutions spent $5.2 million to build a specially designed 20-metre long, 39-tonne truck to show there was another way to provide day surgery to people living in rural areas.
The country's only surgical bus has since treated thousands of people by giving them access to hundreds of specialist surgical procedures not otherwise available in their towns….
The bus, which was funded by the Ministry of Health, now delivered about 1 per cent of the country's annual surgical workload – the same as an average operating theatre.
Trying to find info on helping access to health care seems hard to find looking on google. I found something on rural nursing done in 1994 so I'll put the link in case it is useful.
Every area of low income, especially where there is distance from services, should have it's own buses and teams of nurses, and advanced nurses-to-doctors and good equipment, and regular routes, with some diversions to the remote, when prior appointments are sought. Is this being done now? How widely? How frequently? Embedded into the system or innovative for effect to be abandoned when the set-term funding runs out? Has there been a national govt/local iwi connection made in areas, and is it being monitored and improved, cost-wise and effectiveness-wise? Have the staff done their proper cultural training and using that basis as much as possible?
Maori are keen to do good stuff, are there trained personnel able to bring it to the people and make a difference? Are those people then assisted to carry out schemes and feel part of a team for health, not just needy recipients? The Biggie – nice small warm cottages with all the requirements, and a cleaner/aid to do the windows and the extras as needed when difficult times have to be coped with. If there were more physical comforts, and mental rest through talking through difficulties with friendly advisors, there would likely be a huge change away from negative statistics.
Eco Maori backs the non violence protest to get the truth to the TANGATA ABOUT how badly climate change is affecting our poorer cosin NOW no tomorrow but NOW we can see the negative effects with our own EYEZ
British police said 1088 arrests have been made since the main protests began. The final day of protests is focusing on the international financial sector, which has made London its home.
"Extinction Rebellion to focus on the financial industry today," the group said in a statement. The "aim is to demand the finance industry tells the truth about the climate industry and the devastating impact the industry has on our planet."
The group advocates non-violent civil disobedience to force governments to reduce carbon emissions and avert what it says is a global climate crisis that will bring starvation, floods, wildfires and social collapse.
They are demanding the government declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and create a citizen's assembly of members of the public to lead on decisions to address climate change.
In 2017, total United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions were 43 percent lower than in 1990 and 2.6 per cent lower than 2016, according to government statistics.
The group said they will end their protests in London on Thursday and will end their blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch.
However, they promised more protests in the future, saying direct action was the only way to bring the issue to public attention Ka kite ano links below P.S I had to use my phone to get this out there .????????????????????????????????
Bottom Trawling for fish and dredging for shell fish is like driving a BULLDOZER to round up the sheep and cows if this was seen the real damage that these technology's do to our fish's habitats there would be a huge OUT CRY but because its out of SIGHT the money people can keep wreaking Tangaroa for short term gain of $$$£$$$££££$$$$£$$$$$$$
The fish need a whare to and those 2 techniques are ruining there whare the out come will BE our fish stocks collapseing. No fish for the Mokopuna grandchildren NO fish for our FUTURE .
According to the report, commercial fishing had reduced in the last decade, and 97 percent of commercially-caught fish came from stocks considered to be sustainably managed.
However, it also said 16 percent of routinely assessed stocks were overfished in 2017 and 10 stocks were considered collapsed. The report said bycatch of protected species such as seabirds had reduced, but this was based on data from before 2016.
Mrs Goddard said those statistics said nothing meaningful about the health of the ecosystem.
She said this was not the latest data, with seabird capture having increased 85 percent in some fisheries in the 2017/18 fishing year compared to the previous year, including hoki, hake, ling and warehou, according to data from the Department of Conservation.
"I think what's disappointing is it makes a bold statement in the report that bycatch is being reduced and that the number of threatened, endangered and protected marine species caught has been reduced."
Mrs Goddard said what she had gleaned from the most recent data was that is not the case.
Independent marine scientist Roger Grace said there were serious habitat-damaging issues such as trawling and dredging, which the report touches on, but not in great detail, so they aren't addressed effectively.
"For the last 30 to 50 years we've been hammering the shallow and inshore habitats and smashing the natural life there to bits, and it's no longer as good for juvenile fish habitat," he said Ka kite ano links below. P.S Whanau I told you that the civil servants run the countrys they are trying to paint a rosey picture about our fisheries if we let them fool US no fish for the Mokopuna look over sea the evedince is there fisheries collapseing all over the place .
There are a few people who are waving the alt right white supremacist flag in NZ.
The Australian man who was part of the Sri Lanka attacks show ECO MAORI that the Australian are targeting the wrong people sending Kiwis to their crap camps and deporting the to A country they don't NO. NZ
Hallys emperor penguins colony collapse show how finally balanced life is a little change can make or break LIFE. We need to take human caused climate change very seriously.
Cortez is Eco Maori pick I have exzamed the others they have strings attached to the people who are making a mess.
Our sports Stars help Aotearoa shine bright condolences to Collettes Whanau
Rammi is a cool actor.
Yes people get wild creatures without being prepared to care for them correctly. I found a crook Hawk when I was young it stayed around for a few days I just gave it food and water and let it FREE .
Eco Maori will have to stop the sandflys distracting ME from the Real threat to US. I say that is there tactics now trying there best to PISS me off they are merely little bugs in my journey in life they are trying there best to sap my MANA but in reality every move they make against me adds to my MANA I see it all over Te Papatuanukue Ka pai.
The main threat to US human kind is Global warming
. Some countries have profited from climate change while the same rise in average planetary temperatures has dragged down economic growth in the warmer countries.
The gap between those groups of nations with the highest and lowest economic output per person is now around 25% larger than it would have been had there been no climate change link below
Next is Artifical Intelligents this threat is being down play by some people but this technology will give the holders of Artifical Intelligents the POWER OF God's they will be able to do what ever they want and not be held accountable for there ACTIONS . Link below P.S I know it looks like that is the case now but they will be held accountable.
Waste and Consumerism is a big threat plastic can take a 1000 year to degrade need need to use biodegradable things like paper bags and cardboard make laws so stuff last 20 to 50 years not 2 to 3 years as some stuff only last that long everything has to recycled no if or buts everything has to be recycled. Ka kite ano video below.
Equality is up there to Equality for all life to be respected equality for Wahine we have to learn to treat all our Wahine like a Queens and LISTEN to them given equal saying in the way our society are RULED .
We must let the ruling class NO that the Way we are abuseing OUR decendints FUTURE is unlogical and unacceptable to US the 99.9 % of tangata /people Kia kaha
The power of grassroots, widespread climate action cannot be underestimated. When ordinary people start to organise among themselves and create communities of resistance in our schools, colleges, universities and neighbourhoods, those in positions of power begin to notice. The emergent climate movements are organising people of all ages to fight for a better world and to take the necessary steps to pressure political leaders to act.
The UK youth strikers Holly Gillibrand, George Bond and myself sat down with Greta, Jeremy Corbyn, Caroline Lucas, Vince Cable, Liz Saville-Roberts and Ian Blackford for the first climate talks of their kind in more a decade. Theresa May’s chair remained empty.
'Outrage is justified': David Attenborough backs school climate strikers
We pushed political leaders to commit to and agree upon some positive first steps to start addressing the climate crisis. Tens of thousands of young climate activists forced party leaders to acknowledge the gravity of the climate crisis, driving home the need to act urgently and collaboratively Ka kite ano links below.
We don't put down other people because they are different humans have bigger problems than that we will have a problem serviving on Papatuanukue if we don't change OUR Ways we treat Papatuanukue and her creations we will all go EXTINCT
But Darryl Ward, an Anglican lay preacher from Paraparaumu, urged Christians to instead show love and care "for our Muslim brothers and sisters".
Ward said Christianity had never been the "sole faith tradition" in New Zealand.
"Māori spiritual beliefs preceded the arrival of Europeans and Christianity, and other faith traditions from overseas soon
our Muslim brothers and sisters, or for that matter, anyone else because they worship God differently from us," Ward said he gave us two simple commandments; to love God and to love others. He also made it quite clear that it is through helping those in need that one gains eternal LIFE Ka kite ano P.S EQUALITY for all.
I see Mark Z is sueing someone from upper hut for minupulating there likes and dislike for monetary gain I planned to do a post on the new computer currency Ka kite ano P.S Artifical Intelligents is a topic we all need to be talking about the positive and negative about the technology
That's a huge fire on the highway in USA condolences to the people who lost there love ones in that crash.
Measles is still out of control in NZ those anti vaxers and the poor people who are to stressed trying to put food on the table to get there tamariki vacancied is part of the cause.
I have already commented on the USA politics Seen Don has helped Eco Maori Mana Wairua Ka pai But he is still a carbon man .oo.
It logical to move more imports out side of Auckland cannot have goods stuck in a Auckland traffic jam.
Roman? looks like a qute boy it's sad he has that illness we are fortunate not to have major sickness with OUR Mokopuna my eldest seems OK for now.
Ka pai to the Salvation Army campaign against the people selling expensive good off the back of a truck I say the laws should be changed to stop the loan Sharks ripping the poor common person off to. I new when I backed The Salvation Army last year as being Eco Maori number 1 charity I was correct.
I seen that they plan to use Cherynoble Russian nuclear accident sites as a green ENERGY site Ka kite ano P.S the sandflys tried their best to stuff up my video feed
This is going to be the new currency with a conscience that will make people and country's behave HUMANLY if they don't the dislike mount up and your networth goes down do good things and you get heaps of likes then your networth goes up. This can be the same for country's to. At the minute the monetary SYSTEM punishes POOR COUNTRY and PEOPLE by giving us a bad credit rating and charging the people who can least afford it huge unstainable INTREST Rates that need to reverse to change the wealthy higher interest rate and the poor common people lower interest rates .
I know that the security for a currency system like this will have to have the best protection that can be made by people but ha from what I SEE the uneqality that is happening around Papatuanukue the Systems definitely need to change.
Facebook alleges 'likes' were sold for commercial advantage.
The company operated the website Likesocial.co, currently undergoing "maintenance", and IGFamous.net.
Another of their companies, Social Envy, operates the SocialEnvy.co website.
Facebook cited the posting of a photograph from a user with no previous Instagram followers which immediately attracted 500 likes within seconds on Likesocial.co.
More photos from the same user achieved similar "likes" in March of this year, Facebook claimed.
The defendants allegedly "enriched themselves at the expense of Facebook and Instagram by US$9.3m", and the media company was seeking damages of the same amount.
Facebook claimed the behaviour was "fraudulent", and also damaged Facebook and Instagram computer systems
Many thanks to the British Labour Party for finally making a stand on the Papatuanukue issues with human caused climate change Ka pai. We have to respect our Decendints rights to a happy healthy equal FUTURE LIFE.
Labour will this week force a vote in parliament to declare a national environmental and climate change emergency as confidential documents show the government has spent only a fraction of a £100m fund allocated in 2015 to support clean air projects.
Jeremy Corbyn’s party will demand on Wednesday that the country wakes up to the threat and acts with urgency to avoid more than 1.5°C of warming, which will require global emissions to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching “net zero” before 2050
Whanau the climate change deniers suffer from this effect they don't even understand WTF they are taking about cannot even truthfully self examination there past ACTIONS to find the negative things that they have done. They will allways only find their actions to be positive everyone else is at fault not THEE I thee I is perfect. YEA RIGHT .
Wheeler didn’t know what he didn’t know, and that’s the cognitive engine of what’s today rued and ridiculed as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It describes what Dunning later called “the anosognosia of everyday life”; a cognitive foible in which people lack the self-awareness—and yes, in some cases, the intelligence—to objectively estimate their own ability. Or, to paraphrase John Cleese: some people are too stupid to understand how stupid they are.
In studies of university students, Dunning and Kruger found a strong inverse relationship between actual and self-ascribed ability. Those who considered themselves competent consistently proved that they weren’t. In a test, many who ranked themselves near the 70th percentile actually scored in the 10th (intriguingly, the opposite effect expressed in smart students).
Now, commentators and researchers are invoking Dunning and Kruger again, as they try to make sense of a raft of recent studies that have found people of strong anti-science disposition almost always understand the least about that same science
Ka kite ano links below P.S I no a – – – – – – that suffer from this .
The person who did that in America Defend his race from what a imagined threat come on people we are all HUMANS.
I seen that story on simons slush fund complaint lol.
The Free Press is a must that includes social media as well free speach is a right for all people
The flat Earthers are foolish most living things have curves there are many things that I could put out to counter their beliefs but I m not even going to waste my time .
Kia kaha Rewa keep up the good Mahi with your strong Wahine goals hope you can beat your cancer problems
Good on him for helping the sick Hedgehog serviving losing his quills looks like it has a Whare for life its cool showing stories like that it will teach te Mokopuna to love OUR wild life have to be careful of it quills. Ka kite ano
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In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...
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As Brexit comes to a grisly conclusion (perhaps) people on all sides are saying intemperate and uwise things. Some, like the Daly Mail, have been doing it for years.People as normally level headed as Jon Lansman are calling for automatic deselection of MPs who vote against a (likely) Labour three ...
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In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busy preparing for our summer paper on Science Communication. Looking for something amusing about ‘risk’ in science, I came across this neat xkcd.com cartoon about why so many people come knocking on my door (or phoning me, or emailing me) desperately wanting ...
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So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThere is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Last month, NZDF's shoddy coverup of what it knew about civilian casualties in Operation Burnham began to fall apart, with the revelation that a report on the matter, which NZDF claimed not to have, had been sitting in an NZDF safe for the past nine years. Yesterday, the man responsible ...
While many imagine that countries like the USA and Europe dominate space activities, in fact India is now a major player on this stage. It launches satellites for its own purposes and also commercially, and has constellations orbiting our planet and returning data of vital importance to that nation in ...
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
How could government evolve over the next decades? Reports of democracy’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. However, satisfaction with political systems in many countries is low, so there is much to do for governments of all political stripes to improve relevance and trust. Digital technologies are seen as one ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Hassan Vally, La Trobe UniversityWho doesn’t want to know if drinking that second or third cup of coffee a day will improve your memory, or if sleeping too much increases your risk of a heart attack? We’re invested in staying healthy and many of us are interested in reading ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand has prided itself for decades with regard to its lack of pollution, and all will be aware that the ‘100% Pure New Zealand‘ meme is under threat through land, water and air pollution of various causes. There is another type of contamination that the country also faces: light ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhy do people still think climate change isn’t real?David ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
Journalist Andrew Dickens, reporting from the 2019 New Zealand First Conference, states that the Party once again proved “they are more than a sideshow”. In his op-ed article for NewstalkZB, Mr Dickens said he has always been an admirer of the Party, saying they are “a true centrist party”. “[NZ ...
New Zealand First's potential policy of compulsory community service for ages 15-19 years old has been getting support from those in the industry. A policy remit was passed during their recent Conference in Christchurch, gaining the support of a majority of its membership. Party leader Winston Peters has been talking ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Party hopes to decide it’s stance pill testing at music festivals "before the season of concern", with festivals generally held during the summer months. Mr Peters' comments come in an interview with TVNZ's Q+A and follow a remit from the party's youth ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he has been told to be "alert" to potential cost blowouts for the light rail project in Auckland. Mr Peters said no such concerns were raised with him from ministerial colleagues, including Transport Minister Phil Twyford of the Labour Party. He suggested that ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First The Benefits of having New Zealand First in the Centre: Security, Experience & Balance 2.00pm, 20th October 2019 Ladies and Gentlemen Thank you all for your warm welcome to this, the party’s 26thConvention. Speaking on behalf of caucus colleagues, it’s great to ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fletcher Tabuteau is travelling to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu this week to continue toadvance important bilateral relationships in our region consistent with thePacific Reset. Mr Tabuteau will engage in a range of bilateral meetings and visit New Zealand development ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Minister for Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, has selected Arihia Bennett MNZM, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as the Te Puni Kōkiri appointed representative on the New Zealand-China Council. The New Zealand-China Council (the Council) was established in 2012 as a New Zealand led and funded organisation ...
Responsibility for processing the small number of Southern Response claims still to be settled will be transferred to EQC by the end of the year. “As claim numbers reduce, it no longer makes sense for the Crown to have two organisations processing the remaining Canterbury claims,” Grant Robertson says. “Since ...
Health Minister David Clark is encouraging Whanganui residents to take up the opportunity for free bowel screening, which can detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Over the next two years 12,000 Whanganui locals, aged 60 to 74 will be invited to participate in the National Bowel Screening ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, heads to Oslo today to represent New Zealand at the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which is being hosted by the Norwegian Government from the 23-24 October. “The Our Ocean Conference mobilises real action on issues like marine plastic pollution and the impacts of ...
Two secondary-school initiatives are being expanded as part of the Government’s plan to see more young New Zealanders take up a trade to help close the skills gap. This includes the largest single increase in Trades Academy places in recent years. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris ...
Session 4: Pacific Connectivity – Youth, Media and New Opportunities Kia ora tatou katoa and Warm Pacific greetings to one and all. Representatives of Tainui, the local people of the land, or manawhenua – the indigenous peoples of this area – have welcomed you this morning in accordance with ...
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...
Babies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...
***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...
The Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Feedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...
Hon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
“The Prime Minister must publicly support an immediate ban on Gay Conversion Therapy . If I was Jacinda I would feel morally obligated to give more confidence on where I stand, when I have asked for, and received, support from that community.” ...
New abortion law marks significant and needed progress for reproductive rights in New Zealand Amnesty International has today made its submission to the Abortion Legislation Committee in Wellington. The rights at stake in the legislation include the rights ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Transport Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): NZ Transport Agency to Phil Twyford: We should have done better ...
Crisis of Safety and Confidence in our Engineering, Building and Construction Industries Please find attached a copy of an Open Letter from Professor Maan Alkaisi, Spokesperson CTV Families Group. This was sent a short time ago to the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, ...
Safe speed limits are survivable speed limits and this is what AT has endorsed in its step change decision today. This decision is a landmark that sets the scene for a new focus on road safety in New Zealand. ...
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) says the inadequate treatment of urology patients in Southern District Health Board is distressing and should serve as a broad reminder to DHB management to listen when specialists raise concerns. ...
Informed via telegram that Netflix has released a full trailer for the new season of The Crown, Tara Ward puts on her best boxhat and white gloves to find out what round three will bring. The good Lorde told us we’ll never be royals, so the first full trailer for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has some sobering reading to do over the coming weeks: an 88-page Senate report into the government-sponsored bill to repeal the medevac law that allow refugees and asylum seekers in Papua ...
Eric Crampton has fun imagining a version of MBIE that worried it could be subject to cartel criminalisation provisions for the anticompetitive regimes it has established. ...
Criminologist Antje Deckert has just completed a two-year study of how women offenders are portrayed in New Zealand newspapers. The results show that journalists are telling very different stories abut Māori and Pākehā. That our criminal justice system is in desperate need of reform and that we need to reduce the ...
China continues its march into the Pacific with a China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Samoa this week. Ahead of the forum, Beijing has signed seven new agreements with Samoa covering education, trade, e-commerce, investment, infrastructure and agriculture. China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua heads his delegation in Apia ...
It might be tempting to yell, but there are more effective ways to talk to doubters about the value of vaccines, write Julie Leask and Maryke Steffens.Your neighbour is telling you about his new baby. He feels nervous about vaccinating, and says he’s considering delaying Lucy’s vaccines.Your mother’s group is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Wain, Academic in Professional and Creaive Writing, Deakin University Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on both page and screen. Anna Spargo-Ryan’s debut novel, The Paper House ...
The Movies, a documentary series that celebrates movies and their impact on culture, is available on TVNZ OnDemand today. Sam Brooks pulls some of the best quotes from its galaxy of stars.Ever wanted to get a snapshot of cinematic history without leaving the comfort of your couch, or even your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronald F Pol, Senior researcher NZ, La Trobe University Money laundering rarely gets as literal as the case in Thailand last week, where police raided homes of a ring suspected of laundering a billion baht (about A$48 million) of drug proceeds and ...
The NZTA chair has acknowledged the agency dropped the ball in its early handling of Auckland's light rail project, as the NZ Infra proposal grips ministers. ...
On Friday it was announced that Armed Offenders Squad patrols will be trialled in Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury over the next six months. The data suggests this will increase police violence and unfairly target Māori, writes Emilie Rākete.Police Commissioner Mike Bush announced on Friday that cars of Armed Offender ...
This summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Court’s judgment. It does not comprise part of the reasons for that judgment. The full judgment with reasons is the only authoritative document. The full text of the judgment and reasons ...
There’s something about the feeling of wind whipping my face that brings me out of my head and into the moment. Once a month we pedal as a group: recreating the feeling of childlike glee riding our bikes together, writes Helen King.The first bike I learned to ride belonged to ...
More than 10,000 school support staff around the country have begun two weeks of paid union meetings to discuss progress on pay equity, and next steps following the Ministry of Education's failure to present a collective agreement offer. ...
Government ministers are adamant New Zealand’s economic fundamentals are solid, unemployment is at a record low, growth is faster than in Australia, and the surplus in the government accounts and low debt present further opportunities to strengthen the economy. Yet, across the road from the Beehive, the view from the ...
Wellington's mayor-elect Andy Foster says talk about a recount is causing a "distraction" for the council at the start of their term, but the incumbent Justin Lester says it's essential for a democratic process. ...
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has today announced an independent review of the systems and processes NZ Police has in place to address complaints of bullying. ...
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry has formalised an integrated pathway for survivors to seek justice for the abuse they suffered in State care or in the care of faith-based institutions. ...
The small-claims mediation process is meant to give real people a voice, but the financial and emotional sacrifice just isn’t worth it, writes Jai BreitnauerWhen we moved to the semi-rural dreamland of Te Henga (Bethell’s Beach) in 2017, we couldn’t imagine that anything would be able to tarnish the beautiful ...
The New Zealand Bar Association welcomes a Court of Appeal decision which gives detailed guidance on sentencing people convicted of offences related to the importation, manufacture and supply of methamphetamine. ...
Methamphetamine (meth) dealers who can prove their own addiction caused their drug offending could have their sentences cut by 30 per cent, according to a landmark judgement released by the Court of Appeal. The role of an offender in a drug network ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Senior Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Australians picked up their morning papers yesterday to find heavily blacked-out text instead of front-page headlines. This bold statement was instigated by the “Your Right to Know” campaign, an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of Sydney The slaughter of horses bred for racing in Australia, as revealed in the ABC’s investigation, highlights the challenge of what to do with racehorses when their careers are over. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carlina Black, PhD candidate, La Trobe University It’s a year since the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. While national apologies can acknowledge survivors, sorry is just the beginning. Access to healing is needed. Our research shows ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Right now, two projects have been proposed to import gas from overseas to supply eastern Australia. This is an absurd prospect. Australia is a resource-rich ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Pitman, Senior Research Fellow, Curtin University In a recent nation-wide survey by online tutoring company Cluey Learning, 75% of Australian senior students said their ATAR score would impact on the rest of their life. And more than 80% said a score ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shih-Wen Sue Chen, Senior Lecturer in Writing and Literature, Deakin University There is a new challenger to Disney’s hold on the global animation industry, and he is a Chinese demon child. [embedded content]Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child, from Chengdu Coco ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wellington’s new mayor faces difficult three years, Zero Carbon bill select committee report comes back, and extremist preacher barred from NZPartly because it was a widely unexpected result, the opening days of Wellington mayor Andy Foster’s tenure have been gripping. He ...
After her own troubled teenage years, Fran McEwen doesn't want to see other girls going through the same challenges. So she's running a race across a Middle Eastern desert to help them. ...
Laurence Fearnley, author of a best-selling novel about perfumes, proposes a radical new scheme in which people of refined noses set out together and establish a sniffing group. ...
A string of failures over the past 25 years has drawn attention to the quality of regulatory practice in NZ. Jeroen van der Heijden looks at what we can do differently. ...
Last night, the two titans of the cannabis referendum came together for their first televised debate on the issue – Paula Bennett and Chlöe Swarbrick.From a distance, Paula Bennett and Chlöe Swarbrick don’t feel like the most likely opponents. What with Paula Bennett recently-ish stating she would not seek re-election ...
Andrew Little’s terrorism suppression bill is facing two very different forms of resistance, from National and from the Greens. What is the legislation, and why is it controversial?What this then? The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill, introduced to parliament by the justice minister, Andrew Little, last Wednesday, seeks to introduce “a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Given her status as holding two vital Senate crossbench votes Pauline Hanson is at times, in the eyes of senior government figures, She Who Must Be Obeyed. And so it was last week, when Hanson ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says he'll be watching out for potential cost blow-outs for Auckland's light rail project, after warnings from a source within the transport industry. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University Fully Sikh, directed by Matt Edgerton, Perth’s Studio Underground The foyer is adorned with colourful fabric and bunting. We’re welcomed by the sounds of Indian music while members of the Sikh community offer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University Fully Sikh, directed by Matt Edgerton, Perth’s Studio Underground The foyer is adorned with colourful fabric and bunting. We’re welcomed by the sounds of Indian music while members of the Sikh community offer ...
New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters with Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.Trying to make sense of the New Zealand First party can be difficult at the best of times. Political journalists and commentators attempt to work out where the party ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.TV3 sale Tim Batt (Metro): What if THREE’s problem isn’t TVNZ but… MediaWorks? Alex Braae ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Miller, Professor of Violence Prevention and Addiction Studies, Deakin University Over recent weeks, the alcohol industry has been drumming up mediadiscussion around Australia’s new drinking guidelines. Australia’s guidelines on alcohol consumption are under ongoing review by the National Health and ...
Extremist Baptist pastor Steven Anderson has just been blocked from entering New Zealand, making us the 34th country to reject his hate speech-filled sermons. American pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church has been denied entry to New Zealand on character grounds, putting a stop to his plans to ...
Twenty years ago Stephen Chbosky had a massive hit with coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Now the director/producer/scriptwriter is back with an epic, kid-centric horror. Early on in Stephen Chbosky’s frustrating new horror novel, Imaginary Friend, its seven-year-old protagonist Christopher is sitting down to watch his favourite cartoon, ...
Hold on to your sponge nubbins, New Zealand’s loveliest reality show Great Kiwi Bake Off is back for a second serving. Before the show’s return on November 3, Tara Ward takes a sneak peek at 2019’s contestants. Lay me down on a soft bed of whipped cream and swab my forehead with a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronald F Pol, Senior researcher NZ, La Trobe University Money laundering rarely gets as literal as the case in Thailand last week, where police raided homes of a ring suspected of laundering a billion baht (about A$48 million) of drug proceeds and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wilfred Wang, Lecturer, Communications & Media Studies, Monash University The Australian society has changed significantly since cemeteries in Victoria were planned and designed 150 years ago. But there haven’t been any major redevelopment or review of the community’s changing requirements for what ...
NZ Post’s failure to maintain an adequate postal voting infrastructure has been the subject of two submissions to Parliamentary Select Committees by the Postal Workers Union since the last Local Authority postal vote in 2016. The union maintained that ...
New Zealand honey growers appear to have so far avoided the heavy hand of the Australian government in their dispute with apiarists across the Tasman. ...
A downturn in Tourism Holdings' (THL) vehicle sales business in the United States is likely to have a material negative affect on its full year results, the company warns. ...
The troubled Auckland Light Rail project is back in the news again, and not for good reasons. So what does it all mean for transport and traffic congestion in New Zealand’s biggest city?What’s all this then?It seemed like such a good plan at the time. Over the course of 10 ...
Since taking office in this Govt, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has applied heft to NZ’s role in the Pacific. Now, 18 months on, he reflects on what has been achieved. Speaking to the NZ Institute of International Affairs, he said NZ is moving away from the donor-recipient dynamics of the ...
A white police officer who shot and killed an African American woman in her home in Fort Worth, Texas, in the presence of her eight-year-old nephew has been charged with murder after resigning from the force. The Fort Worth Police Department said its officers had been responding to a call from a neighbour, ...
Madeleine Chapman took her piano-playing nephew Harper to see the orchestra for the first time. Madeleine: When I was very small, I used to sit in the hallway at home with my closest siblings and we would ask our brother Bernard, a teenager at the time, to play songs on the ...
Otago-grown agricultural technology company Techion has cornered an international market. Its founder, Greg Mirams, explained how the internet of things and fast fibre broadband has transformed the way he does business.In a Dunedin bedroom in 1992, Greg Mirams invented Techion’s founding product: FEKPAKG2. It was developed to help local farmers ...
Botany is an electorate that deserves a representative who is committed to their community which is the reason New Conservative has confirmed Elliot Ikilei as the candidate for the 2020 election. ...
Anyone who would like to submit an account of their experience of state care to the Māori Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki has 10 days left before submissions close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Shaw, Conservation Biologist, The University of Queensland This year, five of the seven Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science were awarded to women. While this is a welcome development, the great majority of awards and prizes for science, technology, engineering and mathematics ...
Open mike 25/04/2019 
There was another police chase in Christchurch this morning, resulting in a crash which killed one person and injured five more. Because someone died, the chase is being investigated by the Independent Police Conduct Authority. And based on previous reports by the IPCA, we know how it will go: the ...3 hours ago
Back in 2010, I wrote about the strange tale of the zombie ants, which do the bidding of their fungal overlords. (They’re not an isolated example; a range of parasites change their hosts’ behaviour. See here and here for example – though as you’ll find, the toxoplasmosis story may be ...7 hours ago
8 hours ago
by the Council of Disobedient Women We call on the Council of Trade Unions to show some fortitude and take a stand with your sisters. Unionists know that there is a material world, otherwise workers could simply identify out of poverty. They could declare themselves Well Paid. Why stop ...23 hours ago
Keir Starmer has hinted that Labour might vote in favour of the Johnson government's shoddy deal, with the proviso that a second referendum is attached:Speaking to BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “We will see what that looks like but it makes sense to say that by whatever ...1 day ago
In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...3 days ago
Dr Helen Waite, sports sociologist and former elite athlete, on the invasion of women’s sport by men and the anti-scientific and misogynist ideology used to rationalise it. ...3 days ago
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...5 days ago
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Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...1 week ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...1 week ago
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More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...2 weeks ago
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Journalist Andrew Dickens, reporting from the 2019 New Zealand First Conference, states that the Party once again proved “they are more than a sideshow”. In his op-ed article for NewstalkZB, Mr Dickens said he has always been an admirer of the Party, saying they are “a true centrist party”. “[NZ ...4 hours ago
We're rebuilding our hospitals, protecting our oceans, and taking mental health seriously. ...4 days ago
Minister for Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, has selected Arihia Bennett MNZM, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as the Te Puni Kōkiri appointed representative on the New Zealand-China Council. The New Zealand-China Council (the Council) was established in 2012 as a New Zealand led and funded organisation ...2 hours ago
“The Prime Minister must publicly support an immediate ban on Gay Conversion Therapy . If I was Jacinda I would feel morally obligated to give more confidence on where I stand, when I have asked for, and received, support from that community.” ...14 mins ago
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Informed via telegram that Netflix has released a full trailer for the new season of The Crown, Tara Ward puts on her best boxhat and white gloves to find out what round three will bring. The good Lorde told us we’ll never be royals, so the first full trailer for the ...2 hours ago
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China continues its march into the Pacific with a China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Samoa this week. Ahead of the forum, Beijing has signed seven new agreements with Samoa covering education, trade, e-commerce, investment, infrastructure and agriculture. China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua heads his delegation in Apia ...3 hours ago
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A downturn in Tourism Holdings' (THL) vehicle sales business in the United States is likely to have a material negative affect on its full year results, the company warns. ...1 day ago
A white police officer who shot and killed an African American woman in her home in Fort Worth, Texas, in the presence of her eight-year-old nephew has been charged with murder after resigning from the force. The Fort Worth Police Department said its officers had been responding to a call from a neighbour, ...1 day ago
@lprent: The latest comment editor won’t let me reply to someone else’s comment. If I hit the reply button, the comment reply box appears with my name and email autofilled and the cursor at the end of my name. However, the comment text box is only one row high and clicking in the text box doesn’t get the cursor to appear there (it just disappears from the name box). Doing a top-level comment like this one works fine though. Hitting the tab key moves it to email then website then disappears and doesn’t ever make it to the comment text box.
The previous comment editors tested over the last few days all worked fine for me.
Chrome Version 74.0.3729.108 (Official Build) (64-bit) Windows 10 Pro Version 1803 OS build 17134.648
Replies on my android phone go through ok. But I couldn’t do an edit, maybe because I turned the phone wifi off then back on between posting the comment and trying to edit it.
Now that is weird. That is almost the exact version that I tested with.
I’ll revert back and retest later.
If you haven't already seen it, Sacha at comment 10 is having the same problem on a Mac OS.
This reply done on my laptop, so something has just fixed the problem for me.
eidt: Anne at 12 should be happier too, it appears to also have reverted back to a larger font.
FWIW, firefox quantum 66.0.3 on win10 replies ok, but the "cancel reply" button doesn't do anything (reads as a link to [thispage]/#respond )
edit… reads down page: sacha already reported it. #readWholeThreadBeforeResponding
Indeed, Cancel reply is dead.
f5 always worked better anyway.
Still works, but a little blunt to cancel a reply. I often have something active in the Find box (Ctrl-f) and that disappears too when using F5.
Try it now.. This one (CkEditor) works ok.
The TinyMce is the one you had a problem with. It is a bit surprising as it uses the underlying javascript editor.
Working for me now, thanks. Was the content field’s tabindex = -1 setting standard for that tinymce editor?
I had a similar problem this morning. No space for comment text in Editor and no cursor when using reply function but a single stand-alone comment did show that space + cursor. When cancelling a reply the space also disappeared in stand-alone comments unless I refreshed the whole page!?
I had the latter behaviour as well.
I pressed something last night and the comment space disappeared so that nothing could be entered. My son looked at source? code and restored function but it returned to that same condition – something was 'hidden'. Hitting enter automatically creates a double space, I would prefer to make my own. But can put comment today, so far so good. It is interesting how there are format icons at the top now. But if I edit, the edit box uses the same functions as usual eg the <i> for italics.
Yep. The re-edit box just shows raw.
Once I get the 'right' editor, I'll edd that to re-edit as well.
Editor controls look nice.
Cancel Reply button does nothing.
Ummm. Testing.
Yep – sure doesn't. Adding to Jira list.
Ummm. Testing.
Yep – sure doesn't make the reply go away. However it does seem to stop the save ??
Adding to Jira list.
”get woke, go broke”
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2019/04/melbourne-vegan-caf-that-charged-men-18-percent-surcharge-to-reflect-the-pay-gap-closes-down.html
Cafe that charges men 18% more goes broke – who would have guessed.
Clearly, 18% more wasn’t enough.
Ok – that was funny.
Zelda D'Aprano in the 70's, a feminist protester for equality, spent a day trying to travel on buses, buy something, paying a smaller fare price than the official one, the discount being the percentage lower of women's wages than those of men. IThat was in Melbourne too.
I Was looking at some ‘not chicken’ meat choices at the supermarket. Expensive. They use oil salts and cides to grow the vegetable protein then this is shipped to a lab using copious amounts of energy then to be pounded prodded poked altered abridged extracted and exhumed into burger.
Then to be packaged, re-shipped primped and pimped, postered and posted to places placed precariously in piled presentations for punters perusal…
It doesn’t really matter if it tastes like meat.
They’ve added a laboratory, more shipping and more processing to pea farming.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crops-protein/big-ag-turns-to-peas-to-meet-soaring-global-protein-demand-idUSKCN1IJ1B3
Test tube meat is another story. I’ve not enough information to make a call I do understand the move to produce it. The profit motive, but also, whole protein for the masses without factory farms.
Dietary trends drive consumers to all sorts of ridiculous food choices (and some healthy). Growing a garden (and eating the produce) will improve your health better than Atkins, keto, low-carb, bla de bla, et al, etc.
<i>It doesn’t really matter if it tastes like meat.</i>
The people buying these triumphs of industrial food processing should stop calling themselves vegeterians and just eat chicken if they want to eat something that tastes like chicken.
<i>Growing a garden (and eating the produce) will improve your health better than Atkins, keto, low-carb, bla de bla, et al, etc.</i>
To be fair, any diet that minimises your refined carb intake will improve your health more than one that doesn’t. Both growing your own food and Atkins etc fit that bill, although it sounds plausible that growing your own food would give the most improvement.
Depends on your reasons for becoming a vegetarian – I reached 25 years as a vegetarian yesterday and my reasons were and are that I didn’t like the taste, animal welfare, and environmental impact of over-farming, so for me, fake meat is pointless because I don’t like the taste of it. For others, products like Quorn are just the ticket to become vegetarian without having to completely give up their favorite dishes or to allow families with mixed diets to share meals more easily.
WtB
A massive missile aimed at masticating mankind in metamorphosis.
Like you – as an omnivore, there isn't a fruit or vegetable that I don't enjoy.
But also, we omnivores also enjoy beef, mutton, pork, chicken etc as well.
Just as homo sapiens [as omnivores] have ALWAYS done.
You woke early today, James. Been to the parade?
im up early every morning.
C’mon. You know James doesn’t believe in a “socialist” endeavor, such as collectively opposing the Nazi’s.
You do know, I suppose, that the New Zealand Communist Party, like the equivalent in Britain, were strongly against opposing the Nazi's until June 1941?
"Early in the war, communists' allegiance to the Soviet Union aligned them with Germany. In 1940 their newspaper, People's Voice, was banned by the government, and books on communism were among those outlawed under New Zealand censorship controls. But when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the New Zealand Communist Party, along with others in the west, shifted its allegiance and swung in behind the war effort."
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/second-world-war-at-home/in-dissent
Would you call that "collectively opposing the Nazi's" in a socialist endeavour?
WTF has that to do with my comment.
Pete George promotes white poppies over red in his Anzac Day post
https://yournz.org/2019/04/25/anzac-day-2019/
Rooster in the neighbourhood, James?
Shane Jones 🙂
Or a peacock
Over stuffed turkey
Gobble gobble
Looking at Bernie’s actual record suggests if he gets to be prez he’ll actually end up being moderate, even centrist. That’s without even considering the fact that to get any actual legislation through he would need the vote of the 50th senator, at best likely to be someone like Joe Manchin or Krysten Sinema. Which all means the anti-Bernie sentiment from moderate Dems is probably misplaced, but also those currently “feeling the Bern” would likely end up bitterly disappointed.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/24/18510756/bernie-sanders-2020-democrats-neoliberals-chill
Bernie’s campaign slogan should be
“Prepare for the disappointment.”
“Downer is coming”
“OBummer”
“Despair and stasis”
“Just Biden my time.”
“Better with Beto”
“Bolt in with Moulton”
“Burstin’ Kirstin”
“SuperLooper”
“Pretty Samey with Amy”
Tim Ryan: Working Class Man
“Warrior Worrying Warren”
and of course:
“Made America Great Again”
"Kool Kids for Kamala"
Do you see Trump's chances of a second term as greater, or lesser than, 45% chance of success?
I think the 2020 election is the Democrat's to lose. I reckon there's around a 1 in 3 chance the Dems will indeed lose it.
Looks to me like the electorate is around 20% those who will vote for whatever has an (R) next to its name, even if it's a three-weeks gone mouldering corpse. There's another 20% that are middle-finger voters. The mandarin master baiter has those segments locked down hard. At this stage I find it hard to see he'll pull back much if any support from the remaining 60% of the electorate.
So the Dem candidate needs to be able to pull in a bit more than 2/3 of the remaining electorate. Against what's bound to be unprecedented levels of attempted smears over social media (having seen how successful that was against Hillary). That social media will target the far left, to try to push them to third party candidates or just not vote. They will also try to get centrists to not vote, by smears and by painting the vote as making no difference anyway.
There will also be unprecedented attempts at voter suppression (since that worked against Stacey Abrams in Georgia 2018). Because by then the courts will have been stacked enough there's a good chance of getting away with it.
I reckon Bernie and Biden are both particularly vulnerable to smear campaigns, because their long histories in Washington will have all kinds of little nuggets that can be twisted and blown up into major smears. For instance, Biden's treatment of Anita Hill would be quite a starting point for a campaign to turn woke lefties onto third parties or to just not vote. Then there's their age, which makes them both vulnerable to "hillary's health" type smears (never mind the 6'3 239lb incumbent's best physical condition for any president ever).
So I think a tough primary is going to be important for sorting out which candidates have the skilz for dealing with the coming smears, as well as finding most of the background weak points that can become the little grain of truth needed for a successful smear.
Bern’ere Before!
Bernie bascially just wants a return to the US of 1933-1980, without the wife beatings and cross burnings.
In other words, more or less a Keynesian welfare state, with strong trade unions.
That seems to be what passes for socialism in the USA.
The numbers weren’t too bad at Waikumete Cemetery this morning for the dawn parade.
Couple of unwelcome changes however.
Police presence shutting off a large surrounding road, and constricting the whole of Great North Road with patrols.
And they used to have little candles lit under each of the hundreds of serried war graves, which were such a hopeful glimmer.
I want to see every neighborhood go back to their own commemoration, as well as the large regional ones. I thought this was supposed to be celebrating a free society? And bring back the candles.
Police have been clear the security requirements are for this year only, because of the well-known issue of increased threat levels for public gatherings after big terrorist events. I am confident that most attendees would happily trade temporarily-blocked nearby roads for a better chance of survival.
With Kushner in his pocket MBS can do whatever TF he likes.
Just as Jared Kushner answered questions about the close ties between the White House and Saudi Arabia in New York on Tuesday, the Middle Eastern kingdom beheaded 37 people in its largest mass execution in at last three years.
The executions, of mostly Shiite men accused of terrorism related crimes, were part of what Washington’s Gulf Institute director Ali Al-Ahmed called “the largest mass execution of Shiites in the kingdom’s history.”
Al-Ahmed identified 34 of the 37 victims as Shiite.
According to reports, Saudi Arabian security services nailed one of the heads to a poll as a warning and one victim was crucified after his execution.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/23/kushner-talks-accountability-crown-prince-just-saudis-offer-egregious-display
Kushner+Bolton have been reasonably successful bringing Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States together in the form of their common sworn enemy in the form of Iran. Iran threatens Israel’s regional nuclear monopoly and decreases is security dominance around israel. Iran threatens Saudi Arabia on security and religious grounds. How Iran threatens the US is completely beyond me.
With the U.S. President officially turning a blind eye to the Saudi murder of Khashoggi, and Netanyahu re-elected, this untied force against iran will re-bind and strengthen. The result will be Saudi leadership to induce other Arab states to open their economies to Israeli investment and technical expertise (particularly in fresh water, and security technology), brining Israel substantial economic benefits.
The bigger goal between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the US, is for money to talk louder than religion.
Which is not an unusual way to achieve lasting peace.
The end game is the Aramco IPO (the worlds most profitable company)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenrwald/2019/04/01/saudi-aramco-is-the-most-profitable-company-in-the-world-but-where-is-all-the-money-going/#47a07a4857d8
Destabalise other global exporters ie Iran, Venezuela,Libya value goes up.
Fucking with other nation’s economies with oil sanctions has always worked out so well.
But if you want a war, why not.
“With the announcement today, we’ve made clear our seriousness of purpose,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a press conference on Monday. “We are going to zero. How long we remain there, at zero, depends solely on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s senior leaders. We’ve made our demands very clear to the ayatollah and his cronies.”
The decision to stop issuing sanctions waivers threatens to wipe roughly 1 million barrels per day off the market at a time when analyst say oil supply is already tightening. Crude futures spiked to nearly six-month highs on news of the policy, which was first reported Sunday by The Washington Post.
[…]
Companies in those countries now face the threat of being locked out of the U.S. financial system if they continue to import crude from Iran. The question is whether some of those countries will seek to skirt the sanctions, including by facilitating or encouraging purchases of Iranian crude through companies not tied to the U.S. financial system.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday denounced Washington’s Iran policy.
“China opposes the unilateral sanctions and so-called ‘long-arm jurisdictions’ imposed by the US. Our cooperation with Iran is open, transparent, lawful and legitimate, thus it should be respected,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters.
“Our government is committed to upholding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and will play a positive and constructive role in upholding the stability of global energy market.”
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu also rejected the sanctions, saying they “will not serve regional peace and stability” and would hurt the Iranian people.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/22/trump-expected-to-end-iran-oil-waivers-try-to-drive-exports-to-zero.html
great way to hasten the abandonment of the US dollar in oil deals, and the expanded use of alternative arrangements to SWIFT
Yeah, sanctions have always encouraged nations to make good decisions.
/.
Not sure Aramco is a solid buy – there's some softness in the Ghawar field at least.
The other big winner you haven’t mentioned from the Iran shenanigans is Russia.
That’s no lie
Agree with most of that, except:
“Which is not an unusual way to achieve lasting peace”
There is the war with Iran bit that will come before any peace, with the way these governments are behaving.
The way you’ve written that last line suggests we should accept the alignment of interests that’s going on with a shrug.
Pricks are worried about the optics rather than the ethics of detaining children in a military prison.
The United States is considering housing migrant children at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay to help handle an up-tick in the number of immigrants crossing the US southern border, according to a new report.
The idea was first proposed earlier this year as the Department of Homeland Security looked for military facilities where migrants could be held as they wait for their cases to be processed.
But, the proposal has not gained much traction so far, with officials telling the New York Times that the idea has been less ideal because of the optics involved with housing children right next to terrorism suspects in the notorious American prison.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/guantanamo-bay-migrant-children-us-immigration-trump-border-a8883511.html
@lprent – same problem as Andre at 1, different platform: MacOS 10.14.4, FF 66.0.3
Was working for me yesterday, whatever has changed since.
While Jacinda has put an end to a comprehensive CGT, it hasn’t stopped National from attacking them on tax.
Conveniently, National already gave us the bright line test which functions like a mild version of CGT.
Yes.
Meanwhile, it seems Labour were surprised from supporters CGT reaction.
It will be interesting to see (in the next round of polls) if Jacinda did expend some of that political capital after all.
The Tax Working Group policy came from a regional conference as a policy remit to work through options (the regional conference had large numbers of tax remits to replace CGT as Labour Party policy as CGT had failed at the 2011 and 2014 elections and the mood from LECs was to dump CGT), so it was actually supported by Labour Party members, not just the MPs.
Cynical though it may be, Soper’s latest Herald contribution does have a point:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12225063
I also found it ironic that France and New Zealand are planning to lead an International Terrorism Summit next month given that France committed such an act on our soil in 1985. Its quite funny really, although the grand-master of wit and humour, David Lange probably wouldn’t think so.
Edit: lprent, the font size is very small in comment box – about 8 by the looks if it. A bit of struggle for us oldies.
We had a young French family holidaying here at the time back in 1985 and they were mortified and genuinely shocked that their govt had blown up the Rainbow Warrior and killed someone on NZ soil. We have French mayors here this ANZAC day that have come to remember the Kiwis who never made it home from WW1/WW2. There are places in France that celebrate and honour our soldiers efforts to free them from the Germans. The French will always have cap in hand when it comes to NZ and the irony of past events.
Good on our PM for seizing the moment, joining with France and “trying to right the wrongs on the cyber highway”.
So there is talk of Labour introducing a land tax, however the suggestion is it is to be applied and collected by local councils. Helping them with their shortfalls while robbing Labour of any revenue, thus funding to do more.
Therefore, it isn’t going to be much compensation for Labour abandoning a CGT. Which (going off their surprise re the public reaction to the dropping of a CGT) may come as another surprise to them.
There is talk of National introducing a new PNT (pay no tax) round of tax cuts followed by a GNS (get no services) when becoming govt next.
Insurance companies are understandably excited and already working on a suite of policies with competitive premiums for those that can pay.
Hardly surprising.
With the abandoning of a CGT and the suggestion of gifting councils any land tax revenue, looks as if Labour are trying to beat them to it.
“… robbing Labour of any revenue, thus funding to do more. Therefore, it isn’t going to be much compensation for Labour abandoning a CGT…”
Labour (and the working group) had talked about a revenue-neutral CGT/personal income tax programme – so it was never going to be a way to fund other initiatives.
It was going to restore some fairness to our tax system while helping to address inequality by redistributing the new tax take.
However, Jacinda unnecessarily put an end to that ever happening under her watch. An achievement the opposition never succeeded in and would be proud of.
As for being a way to fund other initiatives, it was only projected to be tax neutral for the fist 5 years, then the tax return vastly exceeds the proposed tax cuts. Thus, giving them scope (by providing the funding) to do far more.
It was going to restore some fairness to our tax system while helping to address inequality by redistributing the new tax take.
Improving the fairness of the tax system, while laudable, isn't about increasing revenue. Redistributing tax-based spending to address inequality can be done regardless of whether a CGT is implemented or not – the effects will be the same, because the tax take will be the same – CGT wasn't about increasing revenue.
Of course it was. That's how they were going to cover the accompanying tax cuts, thereby making it tax neutral (in the first 5 years). After which, the tax revenue vastly increases.
Moreover, it was about fairness via taxing currently tax free gains.
Yes, redistributing tax-based spending to address inequality can be done via other means, but those don't also address the unfairness of tax free gains.
In addition, the tax-free capital gains distort the economy by diverting investment from production to renting activity. Great for capital owners, not so great for anybody else. In the end, we all miss out. But the shortsightedness of some (many?) prevented a mature debate and the rest is history.
I agree. My dispute is with the idea that by killing it the government's foregone a lucrative income stream it could use on welfare programmes.
Some ‘critics’ only want to focus on what might have happened in 5 years’ time. These same ‘critics’ jump up & down when presented with projected figures. Go figure.
Labour built up the hype, talked a big game but are struggling to fund it. Now they are surprised they are being criticized for dropping a means that would have helped them fund it. Go figure indeed.
Chairman, you'll be happy with Patrick Smellie's prediction that the government is temporarily sticking to the course of their own budget responsibility rules for this term in order to earn the trust of the international money hawks (didn't realise they were so powerful).
Then, Patrick surmises, the government will loosen the rules and increase debt to international norms. He also points out that you can't just throw plans and money at infrastructure when building capacity is already stretched. If only we had a competent government over the last 10 years!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/112231423/you-want-transformational-government-try-this
What is “it”?
That's how they were going to cover the accompanying tax cuts, thereby making it tax neutral
If you increase one source of revenue so you can reduce another source of revenue by the same amount, you don't increase your revenue. That was the whole point of trading it off against tax cuts, being able to promise it wasn't a tax grab.
The view that it would eventually lead to dramatically increased revenue is "jam tomorrow" and, even if it were a realistic prospect, wouldn't give the government increased revenue in a timeframe useful to it – NZ governments don't get more than nine years and this one's nearly had two. If it had introduced a CGT it couldn't expect this alleged increase in revenue to turn up while it was still in power.
While you don't increase your net revenue, you still have to increase your revenue to provide redistribution via the proposed tax cuts to keep it tax neutral.
Moreover, Government accounting methods are largely based on forecasting. Thus, the added revenue stream from a CGT would improve the projected tax take beyond the 5 years, meaning the Government would be able to start increasing the capital and operating allowances in the Budget following it's implementation.
Jacinda's plan to reduce child poverty is a 10 year plan.
Workers pay tax on their wages; landlords pay tax on their rental incomes; businessmen pay tax on their profits; the only ones not paying tax on their earnings are those who are not taxed on their return on their investment in family homes, this return taking the form of free rental accommodation.
Untaxed capital gain from a transaction between a buyer and seller, which produces no income, and which affects nobody else but them, is hardly unfair.
I see that you are still sticking to your capital gain is not income. The other mistake is that it does not affect anybody else but the vendor and the buyer. You will have a very hard time arguing that. For starters, lenders, real estate agents, and insurance companies. Then, the other houses in the same street and area. I’ll make a big pot of tea …
That's interesting. This is the first time I've heard the effects of capital gain on "lenders, real estate agents, and insurance companies" and on "other houses in the same street and area" raised in this particular debate. However, if a property rises in value, and then is sold, these side effects are going to occur, but that's the result of the capital increase itself, not of the transaction. The sale of family homes no doubt involve the same effects.
And, as you say I'm sticking to my assertion that capital gain is not income. And I'm not making a mistake in saying so.
Well, I suppose that deliberate lying is not in the nature of a mistake…
Your obfuscatory manoeuvres are risible.
Thanks, In Vino, that saves me from having to reply.
It doesn't actually. In Vino, apparently incapab!e of presenting an intelligent rebuttal, has merely resorted to insults. Despite his pseudonym there really is no truth in him.
"Obfuscatory maneuvres"? Really ? Or is it just that your powers of comprehension are somewhat weak ?
Your premise was wrong. A sale of an asset that realises capital gain cannot be viewed as a transaction strictly between two parties (buyer and vendor). It obviously involves other parties, often dictated by Law, and always has an impact on a third party or parties. If you fail to see this then any further engagement with you on this topic is utterly futile.
Please note that I don’t even have to bring CGT into the conversation up to this point.
Land tax makes complete sense to me as a means to lower the value of land and increase revenue, but the local government option in the TWG report recommends the Productivity Commission investigates local government levying tax on vacant land in addition to rates.
Personally, I would happily see a land tax on all land, even if it is at 0.5% above $500K or something like that.
Require far more detail to know how it will exactly impact. But we may see a land tax may only result in land becoming more productive and not less valuable.
Most are over local government continuously increasing rates above the rate of inflation, so giving them this revenue stream on top of their rate take will most likely go down like a cup of cold sick. Unless the majority are going to get rate cuts.
Nevertheless, it robs central government of any funding revenue, thus their ability to do more.
In the ‘good old days’ people could claim depreciation on rental’s buildings and if you sold the rental for more than its depreciated value you were taxed on that income.
Because land is not depreciated, this won’t work but in essence, a CGT would be a tax on a fixed asset, including land that has risen in real value over time.
That's such a pathetic meme – rates only going up by inflation. That means that the Council could do very little to build infrastructure, cope with changing needs. Going up by inflation merely means keeping the spending value of the money at the same level, virtually a nil rise. It is the sort of bleat that comes from the older age group who want to be kept in the style they are used to.
It's the sort of noise you hear when you talk to just about anyone about their local council. Wasteful spending, budget blowouts and over taxing/rating are the most common gripes.
Many households are struggling, thus want councils to live more within their means.
Increasing council rates adds to the cost of home ownership while driving up rents.
"Councils living within their means" almost all the time leads to libraries closing, parks being sold off, pools closing, halls being demolished etc."
Every time.
Extremist rubbish, millsy.
Councils living within their means simply means expenditure on such infrastructure will better reflect what a community can afford.
Already paying Land Tax in the form of rates.
Rates are not a Land Tax as such.
Of course they are . They are based on the value of your land.
Rates here in Orclund are based on capital value, which is land plus improvements. If it were just land value, the distribution of rates paid would be quite different than what it is now.
Rates pay for services and usage of infrastructure associated with the land. A CGT or land tax is a tax on income from the sale of that land. One is local, the other is national.
We pay GST on rates as well, so government gets some of it already, but I think a separate land tax on all sections > $500K would make sense even if it feels like taxing more tax again, not least because it would be administratively very simple to collect – gets added to rates and passed on quarterly.
We are discussing sources of revenue for central government. Rates are local government revenue.
@ Anne
Anzac Day
Very Ironic that many NZ TRoops have been Honoured by French Personnel – Mayors of Towns – and individuals.
Several Mayors are in New Zealand today, honouring the Grit and Purpose of our Troops. Also Bringing their thanks from the populations.
But you and and your friend soper would not know one iota of what our men and women achieved in France. Nor the extent of the gratitiude shown to this day by France.
You and Soper – should really aplogise to the families of the dead. Instead of having a fit of the funnies.
Soper,
You stupid ass.
My comment was not a cynical overview of the spirit of ANZAC. It was merely a heads up concerning a somewhat wry point made by a journalist and did not include the body of his article. If you can't tell the difference, then you need your head read.
My father saw active service in 1918 during WW1 and lost a number of his mates. He was an army officer in WW2 who was responsible for the welfare of several Pacific Island nations and also spent periods of time fighting the Japanese in extremely precarious conditions.
You apologise to me.
@Anne
Anazac Day 2019
I didn't for a moment think you would apologise. Certainly your little friend Soper won't.
Enjoy your funnies. You two little dove loves can keep on abusing the French, but neither of you will ever mature.
OT, you obviously don't do irony. You appear to have completely misunderstood Anne's comments. I get her reference to the cynical element of Sopers article, why can't you. I couldn't imagine Anne being a "love dove" with Barry Soper, if she is then I have disembarked at the wrong planet.
Hi Kat
I am aware that a female scorned is mayhem. Not in the least bit amusing.
Also when you see all the white Crosses pegged in the ground – each representing a motherless dead soldier, name imprinted – You are inclined to lose interest in the weak comedy of Soper.
So, via you Kat, I promise to giggle at Soper. He is a child. And hopefully I will leave Anne without any cross now or in the future.
Thank You Kat
Yes, you're on the right planet Kat. 😉
Can't stand the Soper. I don't read him or the other ne'er do well tighty righties who frequent the pages of the Herald and other MSM outlets. Eg. the Hosk, and the Hosk's spouse (whose name escapes me), the Soper spouse, HDP and the Hooton. Oh and rwnj Leighton Smith. There’s a few more who are so low in my estimation I don’t know their names.
But I concede I was attracted to the Soper headline because the irony had not escaped either.
George was a thoroughly likeable character when I worked with him many years ago.
Condolences to Dame Tariana and whānau.
https://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_news/MjE1ODc/Rock-of-M%C4%81ori-party-George-Turia-dies
The bullshit 10,000 jobs claim?
Although noted by Bryan Bruce, not hearing much outrage from many of the left on this. If it were National pulling this one, I'm sure there would be far more noise.
If you wish to include others into the conversation with yourself, it pays to explain what you’re talking about.
The Provincial growth fund and the incredibly dubious way new jobs are calculated.
What’s the reference to Bryan Bruce?
He notes it in his latest blog.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/04/25/guest-blog-bryan-bruce-the-complete-take-down-of-nz-labour-no-matthew-i-have-not-been-sleeping-or-deliberately-misleading/
He's bringing Kiwiblog's talking points over here: The bullshit 10,000 jobs claim. Hold your nose if you follow the link.
No. You linked to kiwiblog. My reference was to the daily blog.
Nevertheless, the talking point is totally valid as many on the left aren't going to be happy with this dubious carry on either.
Trouble is that at the moment the Government is making itself an easy target.
Copping it quite rightly from all sides.
An understandable error from PM.
Not necessarily bullshit but certainly a convenient lack of rigour….and not a good look.
I would be very surprised if anything approaching the number of jobs claimed in application is ever achieved….but it seems to me that is unimportant in NZ Firsts grand scheme of things and that is quietly accepted by the coalition (the alternative being what it is)
A promised job is not a job created, thus bullshit indeed.
While it may be NZF's baby, people will be questioning Labour's oversight.
It's a real shame this fund has been managed so poorly as it had real potential to do so much more.
Labour needs to get on top of this before all the money is gone and been largely wasted.
Labour have limited ability to control Jones and it is possible that some initiatives could exceed job projections though I concede that is the lesser likelyhood
They better get on top of it/Jones otherwise they are just giving National more ammo to shoot them down.
These kind of issues pisses off voters from both the left and right. Even many NZF supporters will be pissed.
And while Labour are at it sorting this out, they should also look at the practice of giving offshore owned forestry companies money to plant trees.
Planting trees is what they already do. We have enough money heading offshore, we don't need a government assisting in more of this. Keep it local and keep it real.
The answer(s) might be hiding in here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/110212861/400-a-day-forestry-industry-told-to-improve-pay-to-meet-one-billion-tree-planting-target
Jones let the cat out of the bag from the get go. Work for the dole was what he first touted.
Evidently, the living wage wasn't a priority when it should have been a condition of receiving the taxpayer funding.
You are criticising Jones for being simplistic in a simplistic way. That’s not very constructive, is it now?
I wondered what negative line you would be taking The Chairman. It appears that you have surfaced from the pond after having a whiff of the latest target, Shane Jones, as he goes round disrupting the comfortable patterns of patronage that Gnashional had set up.
Really, greywarshark? Are you backing the dubious way new jobs are being calculated while having a go at me for highlighting it?
"Planting trees is what they already do"
Nah.
Not so much
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/incompetence-laid-bare-national-lambastes-destruction-400-000-pine-tree-seedlings
I'd like to know how exactly this lighter-heavier-lighter thing works.
An innovative aircraft that turns into a “lighter-than-air” balloon to propel itself forward has been flown for the first time.
The Phoenix is designed to repeatedly switch between being lighter and heavier than air to generate thrust and allow it to stay in the skies indefinitely.
https://wtop.com/tech/2019/04/lighter-than-air-aircraft-has-first-test-flight/
The article says "The vehicle’s fuselage contains helium, allowing to to ascend, as well as an air bag that inhales and compresses air, enabling it to descend."
So I'm picturing an outer bag that can take pressure, and an inner bag filled with helium. When you want maximum lift, vent the space between the two bags so the helium inner bag pushes out all the air between the two bags. When you want to descend, pump air between the two bags so the inner helium bag gets compressed down and you're adding all the weight of the air you're pumping in at higher than atmospheric pressure and density.
So to operate it, you have it rise in it's maximum lift to the desired altitude, with the little wings being used to push it in the desired horizontal direction. Then at the max altitude, pump air in so it wants to drop, and adjust the wings to keep going in the desired horizontal direction. Rinse and repeat.
A wee bit like tacking upwind in a sailboat, using the vertical dimension.
Ingenious as Scottish inventions have often been.
That outer shell is going to have to be incredibly strong.
At a guess, based on the photo I would think the volume would be about 40 cubic metres. Helium has a mass of about 0.18 kg/cubic metre at STP. Air is about 1.20 kg/cubic metre under the same conditions Thus the total lift would be around 40kg when there was only helium in the outer shell, at STP, and that would mean the maximum weight of the plane would have to be less than 40kg. That would seem to be an incredibly thin shell to have the total weight of a thing that size below 40 kg, when you consider the solar cells that are on the wings, particularly when you consider that it would have to be able to handle pressures that were significantly greater than the atmospheric pressure outside when air was pumped in and compressed.
Great idea though isn't it, and much cheaper than satellites for communication..
It might not have any structure to it at all, it may just be a flexible bag. The wings appear held in place with guy wires, and there's wrinkles visible at the tail. As far as weight goes, they look like thin-film solar cells, and for the wings you can make surprisingly rigid skins lighter than 300g/sqm.
As far as pressure goes, if I remember right a whitewater raft needs around 0.15ish bar. Something that much bigger won't need anywhere near as much pressure to hold its shape.
My use of STP was based on the fact that I assumed that the pressure inside the bag should be at least equal to the outside air pressure.
Your number if 0.15 bar is the pressure above the pressure outside. Thus the actual pressure, used to determine the mass of the gas inside would have to be taken as 1.15 bar assuming that the plane is at an elevation where the outside pressure is about 1 bar (ie fairly near the ground).
Looking at the photo again, and the other article you link to I agree that I have probably greatly underestimated the volume. Ah for the days of the 200,000 m3 Hindenberg though for a real airship.
BTW, that 40m^3 looks awfully stingy to me. The wings look quite a lot higher than the tops of the dudes' heads, so call it at least 2m radius/4m diameter. It's 15m long, but the tail is kinda skinny. so call it an ellipsoid 2m x 2m x 10m, for a volume of 170ish m^3. Other reports say it's 120kg, so that kinda ties in with a volume up over 150 m^3.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48013519
Bryan Bruce exposes Labour's spin
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/04/25/guest-blog-bryan-bruce-the-complete-take-down-of-nz-labour-no-matthew-i-have-not-been-sleeping-or-deliberately-misleading/
Counting the number of jobs created by Shane's fund by toting up the projected positions claimed in fund applicants' applications is outrageous. It smacks of deception.
Can someone count the pay packets please.
Shane's fund is in dire need of a credibility injection.
Indeed, David.
Always willing to put the boot in David Mac. I hope Shane's fund receives a lot of eyeballing from you. We will be interested to find out the good and the bad that you find from your cynical eye.
As usual Bryan Bruce nails it.
As usual Bryan Bruce nails it.
The interweb would be a boring place, bereft of credible commentary were it not for the contributions of Bryan Bruce.
A slightly different tone to this morning's offering. BB doesn't need to defend himself from such a numpty, but it was a pleasure to read. Each shot right on the mark.
Made all the sweeter as Bryan Bruce really does believe what he writes.
Eloquently done
That's two goes at the same thing on the same post The Chairman.
Please make your point and not repeat yourself, it makes you sound aged.
I don't know who Matthew Craig is but I think he just got his arse handed to him on a plate.
Yeah…I did actually try to look him up, nada…and I'm handicapped by not being on Faceache…
Hmmm, it looks like Mr Bruce is quoting verbatim Dr Eric Crampton of The New Zealand Initiative without proper citation or acknowledgement. Oh dear.
So, the promised 10,000 jobs – actually, it is 13,085 according to the latest available info from MBIE – is BS because they are based on promises and assumptions and may never eventuate? Future projections based on available information are verboten. Is that the crux of it?
Rob Stock doesn’t like to own stuff and gives his reasons. Interestingly, he omits two important considerations: 1) depreciation (most stuff becomes next to worthless over time and becomes literally junk) and 2) opportunity cost (money could be better invested in something that increases in value over time).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/112223434/the-battle-between-your-possessions-and-your-savings
I find Rob Stock to be one of the better financial writers, with a lot of common sense and written so it's easy to understand.
Yes, lucid writing.
I think the Regional Growth Fund should have a career focus. Then it becomes an investment.
Clambering around a mountain planting seedlings is not a career.
Shane has left himself open to flying mud that will stick.
"It would of been cheaper for us to pay these people $100k a year to watch TV hey Shane."
When the positions come with the potential for a flourishing future, dividing a billion dollars by the actual jobs created becomes the price of promoting quality futures. Creating future top tax bracket workers.
David Mac
You reckon. It's a big task. If you have nothing better to do than pontificate on what jobs are worthy of your consideration, perhaps you could do something useful and help in the planting.
Your song 'Don't do anything till you hear from me!'
You've misread me grey, I don't want to choose the vocations.
Nobody wants to spend their life planting baby trees. I'd rather watch TV.
Lets plant for a week and spend alternate weeks studying the field or working with a tree harvesting gang, create paths to follow. A chance.
This seems like a promising angle – raising the seedlings rather than planting them involves perhaps more valuable skills: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018692048/minginui-the-town-time-forgot-is-growing
I think the fund bankrolling a cultural facility beside the Hokianga is a superb idea. Everyone has nice scenery, it is Maori that make NZ unique.
I can think of 20 small business ideas that could spin off such an enterprise. Individual Hapu could put down the hangi, provide the Kapa Haka show, take visitors for a paddle in a Waka.
Too often we read of fraud associated with this type of initiative. It would be good to see some iron-clad protection. When he's back on his feet, make The Mad Butcher treasurer.
Iwi can fund those ventures, not the taxpayer.
That fact that they haven’t speaks volumes about the viability of such projects.
Far easier to put your hand out than risk your own money.
Yeah, not so much up here BM. NZ's largest tribe are yet to see any compensation for being royally shafted.
It’s gonna be difficult to run a Provincial Growth Fund without assisting Māori enterprises, don’t you think?
The Provincial Growth Fund is there to buy NZ First an electoral seat, that is all
Fuck Labour for agreeing to this, 3 billion fucking taxpayer dollars given to that fat prick jones to spend as he pleases with no strings attached for whoever he decides to play Santa Claus for.
It's bullshit and shouldn't be allowed to happen, politicians need to be held legally accountable for this sort of pork-barrel politics.
Your argument is idiotic. You are saying that Jones is giving money to his Maori mates to buy a Pakeha seat. Drugs i think you must be on.
It's enough dosh to make a valuable difference.
I believe Jones wants to see it used to make NZ a better place for all of us.
Rather than shrieking about it being pissed up against a wall…be useful.
What do you think Jones should be chucking a fire under?
How about $500 million to build a Colossus of Jones statue at the mouth of the Hokianga?
I reckon I'd be a shoe in.
Thanks for answering my question so pointedly.
As per 31 March 2019, up to $735,962,077 has been announced in funding that will do sweet FA for growth in the regions? Each and every project is just a cover to “buy NZ First an electoral seat”? Your argument has the strength of a fart in a stormy night: pfffff – WOOSH.
BM, I think you're a closet leftie searching for enough reason to subscribe.
We all are. When we consider what matters the most to us, for nearly all of us it's our loved ones. If we accept that your loved ones are on an equal footing with my loved ones. We're Social Democrats BM.
It's time you came out, I'm sure your folks will be fine with it.
Welcome comrade, your shout.
With my background, I should be
I just struggle with the snivelling pretentious liberal wankers that seem to be steering the left wing boat at the moment.
Fuck me, they're just so dislikable, I just can't relate to that.
It's a big reason why so many trade guys vote National now.
Too many women in charge now, eh?
Do you like getting dominated by females Mutton bird?
[Deleted – no need for this kind of language – Incognito]
I can see why you vote Labour.
Please watch your language, BM.
Those people are hard-work for virtually everyone BM, regardless of political colour.
Utube etc is chokka with it because it gets clicked. Click = $.
The vast majority of us think it should be fine to say that a woman looks great and not attract a law suit.
It’s a big reason why so many trade guys vote National now.
Tradies vote National "now?" That's "now" defined as "Psycho Milt's entire adult life and presumably longer," is it? I know we live in the eternal now, but that's ridiculous.
How many? So many. That many? Yup, that many and maybe even more. Wow, that’s a lot. Yup, it’s heaps and there are heaps more to come. I lost count at one …
Some do. Particularly those who do not have a functioning business. That rely on capital gains, and WFF to subsidise their paying low wages.
Actual tradies, however. Are intelligent enough to know that National making their customers poorer, is not good for their job prospects.
The Far North is nature's Disneyland. When Nga Puhi eventually settle for their 2 cents on the dollar I think they will evolve into an International tourism powerhouse.
Up here, the ocean is still our back-up pantry. Peat lakes as black as Coke, packed with minerals that have made skin feel like it's 10 years old for 700 years. Up here where we're real skinny, from the car, you can say "Yep, that's the eastcoast and over there, that's the westcoast."
On the way to where our spirits depart, where we're skinny, you'll see a pristine sandy harbour with no road access. It is packed with silica and in the sun glistens like a mass of white diamonds. Glass manufacturers the world over covet the dunes at Parengarenga.
I think dressing up as an 1830 warrior and faking the take-over of a tourist bus on Ninety Mile Beach and leaving gifts rather than looting would be a cool school holiday job. Great confidence booster for the kid.
I think the factions of Nga Puhi that aren't building bridges towards a settlement need to look into the eyes of their grandchildren. They're in a position to make a worthwhile difference.
The only thing that can stop Ngā Puhi thriving as you say are the fools who can't agree how to work together.
Yes, it's a melting pot of drama that needs to be sorted out before sitting across the table from Little.
There were a lot of muskets in Northland before a sheriff arrived.
The logical way would appear to be to include a representative from each of the conflicting factions. A united front presenting their individual concerns.
There have been a lot of tables sat round over years with lots of voices from all factions. There is unlikely to be a united front before Little has long gone.
Too many chiefs in the North ?
Oh dear, David Mac….wheesht! They'll all be heading to the FFN and it won't be pristine for long.
Yeah, I came for a holiday, 10 years ago. Monaco for paupers.
Perhaps sequestering carbon is quite important as well? Some folk should "Keep their breath to cool their porridge". But then some enjoy poking the borax!!
https://khn.org/news/hidden-fda-database-medical-device-injuries-malfunctions
FDA Hiding Adverse Reaction Data
The FDA has built and expanded a vast and hidden repository of reports on device-related injuries and malfunctions
Since 2016, at least 1.1 million incidents have flowed into the internal “alternative summary reporting” repository, instead of being described individually in the widely scrutinized public database known as MAUDE, which medical experts trust to identify problems that could put patients in jeopardy.
Yet the program, in all its iterations, has been so obscure that it is unknown to many of the doctors and engineers dedicated to improving device safety. Even a former FDA commissioner said he knew nothing of the program.
“The public has a right to know about this,” said Dr. S. Lori Brown, a former FDA official who accessed the data for her research. She said doctors relying just on the public reports — and unaware that many incidents may be omitted — can easily reach the wrong conclusion about the safety record of a particular device.
Who knew someone would display the downside of a new Bold button so early?
Asinine comment, Sacha…
Do you have anything productive to add about the FDA hiding adverse reaction data?
Or did the link and information demoralize you down to the level of lashing out at use of a highlighting tool?
If you stop doing the equivalent of shouting, more people might listen.
Good grief…read or don't read…same thing to me, Sacha…
Making excuses for yourself by projecting nonsense about a highlighting tool used sporadically as being the equivalent of shouting…is rather pathetic!
@ One Two
Just FYI; here at The Standard by convention the use of bolding is generally reserved for moderators in order to make their edits or actions more visible.
So the bold tool can't be used in any other way ?
If not…so be it…the various highlight options are all useful…
God Bless Mike Gravel
There's a petition to stop the mural of JA hugging a Muslim woman to be painted on a Melbourne silo! A bona fide picture for the ages.
Jenny Davies signed and said, "Its not wanted in Australia. Nothing to do with Australia."
I'd have agree with Jenny. Tolerance and compassion are not wanted in Australia and are nothing to do with Australia.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12225277
I’d always thought that it was pretty standard for Oz to claim our successes as theirs!? Maybe this exception proves the rule …
Someone ought to put that dozy bimbo right about where the shooter came from. Oz. And according to him it was a perfectly normal family.
[Deleted – A little too much information about the accused and naming him is definitely not ok. I thought that had been made clear previously – Incognito]
However Jenny Davies, who thinks that the idea is un-Australian could take PM Ardern’s place in the mural, hugging and comforting the Muslim woman, and showing how Australians have been upset and deeply moved by their fellow citizen’s deathly action.
A gentle reminder to not name the accused. Any comment will go straight into moderation.
I thought that copying from published info was right. And I don't see why some info now can't be released for public info. Sorry if the authorities have denied us this info, and thought that was the way to go. At this time I had thought that background should be provided. Otherwise how can some Oz bird say it is nothing to do with them. Time for some free information.
By way of my personal explanation, it was decided shortly after the massacre that the accused would not be named here on TS. As you know, moderation is not open to litigation.
A link with a short explanation or quote is usually more than sufficient; less is more and no need to copy & paste too much text with too many links (which will also automatically trigger a comment going into moderation). However, this is a special case, highly sensitive, and it is before the courts now. For lawyers and academics the name and personal history are important; for political debate here on TS they are largely irrelevant.
TS is not a conduit for public info on people accused of hideous crimes. If people want to know they can seek out the information for themselves, e.g. by using search engines.
Oh crap, it's started. Planet of the Apes…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12225299
Oh crap, monkey business.
Not if the Aliens get us first.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12225228
This item amazes me. Why is it not the biggest headline everywhere.
UFO's!
Because the Aliens are suppressing it. Duh!
Same article is also on Stuff, of course …
Far too late to worry about aliens being here, but fear not, these guys aren't invading, they're just on a scheduled toilet stop on the way through to Proxima Centauri.
You would say that, wouldn’t you?
The prime directive prevents me from further explaining why the tour brochures definitely describe the Earth as the Huntly of our trip to somewhere nice.
Can we blame climate change on exhaust from intergalactic touring buses and waste from cosmic freedom campers? Do you ETs post your holiday pics on FB and Instagram too?
Since the forced landing I don't fly any more, you'll never get me up in one of those things again (why I’m stuck here), but no pollution from us, there's just you apes and a few other primitive species still doing that – We worked out cold fusion aeons ago.
No facebook for us but we do have alien news desk.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9287050/
Oh, that’s disappointing because we really need somebody else to share the burden of blame with for climate change. Otherwise, the guilt would destroy us.
If we had AND I would still be watching TV. Instead, I roam the internet, which is where I found this: https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/
I do have a soft spot for you monkey brain two legs, but you're arrogance and ignorance is often infuriating. You burn it, you own it.
My time travelling mate says it gets a lot worse before it gets really bad.
One thing we are very good at is fooling ourselves and denial. I forgot what the other thing was
"Our choice comes down to this. Do we stop life to allow capitalism to continue, or stop capitalism to allow life to continue?"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/25/capitalism-economic-system-survival-earth
One of Monbiot's better musings
That musing is a doozy. I think it should be on How to Get There so am copying it for inclusion. Thanks.
in the 21st century there has been a recoupling: rising resource consumption has so far matched or exceeded the rate of economic growth. The absolute decoupling needed to avert environmental catastrophe (a reduction in material resource use) has never been achieved, and appears impossible while economic growth continues. Green growth is an illusion.
Green growth is an illusion? Now we are f…..ed.
A piece from Chris Trotter on similarities between David Lange's government and that of Jacinda Ardern. It might shed light onto present directions
In one respect, at least, there is a very substantial difference between the governments of Lange and Ardern. In the case of the former, the shape and direction of economic reform (thoughtfully prepared by Treasury in advance) was condensed into a single, revolutionary manifesto – “Economic Management”. In the latter case, the task of mapping the progress of government reforms has been farmed-out to a multitude of working-groups. Their combined reports will, presumably, constitute the Labour Party’s 2020 manifesto.
Is this the explanation for Ardern’s willingness to content herself with the role of Coalition figurehead? Because she knows that her key political strength has always been to present the ideas of others in a lively and compelling fashion? How to identify the emotional potential within any given set of policies and communicate it directly to the voters? Her skill in delivering the party’s messages is very different from the old-fashioned oratorical skill of Lange. His was a twentieth century talent, hers belong to the twenty-first.
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/97407/chris-trotter-questions-whether-pm-jacinda-ardern-really-running-government-or-merely
National have caused all the messs in the health bill housing shonky farming micro bovine virus many other problems when they ran the country to serve the wealthy first and formost . It does not work very well when everything is structured to suit the 00.1 % over the 99.9 % of Tangata .
I know that rheumatic fever hits the poor common tangata hardest Maori and our Pacific cousin make the majority of those people who are affected by this disease .
Insight – Every year, up to 200 New Zealanders die from heart damage caused by rheumatic fever – an illness wiped out in many other wealthy countries. And despite a five-year campaign to tackle the disease here, rates are once again
There’s no record of the total number of New Zealanders affected by the rheumatic heart disease, but last year the number of new rheumatic cases was 188 – most of them children.
It’s almost the highest figure in a decade, while in other wealthy countries like the US and the UK, the disease has been all but stamped out. What's disappointed those in public health the most is that the numbers have risen despite a five-year push to reduce the rates on the rise. Philippa Tolley reports. The DHB’s public health physician, Pip Anderson, says rheumatic fever rates have risen in the area for the last two years, despite efforts to eradicate it. She says there are questions over whether a change in the prevention programme has reduced its impact, or whether other factors such as the housing crisis had overwhelmed the ability of the health system to reduce rates. The DHB says it is in the process of reviewing its approach
Ka kite ano P.S EQUALITY IS NEEDED. Links below.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018686731/nz-s-heart-breaker-rheumatic-fever-rates-on-the-rise
Treasure Our tamariki
How this rheumatic fever problem isn't having everything thrown at it, like say the measles epidemic, is a matter that needs a serious study and response. I know some are working so hard and getting so discouraged and saddened that they are not able to get on top of it. I thought I would have a little look at what is happening Eco Maori. You may know more.
I think one thing that should be introduced all over the country, like as from yesterday, is a group of roving medical vans that take to the people the testing equipment and personnel to check on health and dispense minor everyday aids and medicine. It is hard to get children to the doctor, getting transport, coping with care of others at the same time – who babysits?
What's available – I can see a surgery bus. It seems a private-public partnership. With the breakdown of active, citizen-oriented government, perhaps this needs to be the new way of delivering health.
(The denizens in administration in the departments fill their time with designing computer projections and finding expensive managers overseas, or organising funds for new buildings for which they choose the lowest tender and enable charlatans; result a building that requires repairs ten years in, and replacement within thirty.)
So – http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8467237/Mobile-surgery-brings-health-to-rural-New-Zealand
…In early 2002, private company Mobile Health Solutions spent $5.2 million to build a specially designed 20-metre long, 39-tonne truck to show there was another way to provide day surgery to people living in rural areas.
The country's only surgical bus has since treated thousands of people by giving them access to hundreds of specialist surgical procedures not otherwise available in their towns….
The bus, which was funded by the Ministry of Health, now delivered about 1 per cent of the country's annual surgical workload – the same as an average operating theatre.
https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/hosted-content/mobile-health-delivering-more-surgery-rural-new-zealand
Trying to find info on helping access to health care seems hard to find looking on google. I found something on rural nursing done in 1994 so I'll put the link in case it is useful.
http://www.moh.govt.nz/NoteBook/nbbooks.nsf/0/84F52F035006C70CCC2574A2000A5468/$file/rural-nursing-aspects-of-practice-mar08.pdf
Every area of low income, especially where there is distance from services, should have it's own buses and teams of nurses, and advanced nurses-to-doctors and good equipment, and regular routes, with some diversions to the remote, when prior appointments are sought. Is this being done now? How widely? How frequently? Embedded into the system or innovative for effect to be abandoned when the set-term funding runs out? Has there been a national govt/local iwi connection made in areas, and is it being monitored and improved, cost-wise and effectiveness-wise? Have the staff done their proper cultural training and using that basis as much as possible?
Maori are keen to do good stuff, are there trained personnel able to bring it to the people and make a difference? Are those people then assisted to carry out schemes and feel part of a team for health, not just needy recipients? The Biggie – nice small warm cottages with all the requirements, and a cleaner/aid to do the windows and the extras as needed when difficult times have to be coped with. If there were more physical comforts, and mental rest through talking through difficulties with friendly advisors, there would likely be a huge change away from negative statistics.
Eco Maori backs the non violence protest to get the truth to the TANGATA ABOUT how badly climate change is affecting our poorer cosin NOW no tomorrow but NOW we can see the negative effects with our own EYEZ
British police said 1088 arrests have been made since the main protests began. The final day of protests is focusing on the international financial sector, which has made London its home.
"Extinction Rebellion to focus on the financial industry today," the group said in a statement. The "aim is to demand the finance industry tells the truth about the climate industry and the devastating impact the industry has on our planet."
The group advocates non-violent civil disobedience to force governments to reduce carbon emissions and avert what it says is a global climate crisis that will bring starvation, floods, wildfires and social collapse.
They are demanding the government declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and create a citizen's assembly of members of the public to lead on decisions to address climate change.
In 2017, total United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions were 43 percent lower than in 1990 and 2.6 per cent lower than 2016, according to government statistics.
The group said they will end their protests in London on Thursday and will end their blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch.
However, they promised more protests in the future, saying direct action was the only way to bring the issue to public attention Ka kite ano links below P.S I had to use my phone to get this out there .????????????????????????????????
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rnz.co.nz/article/3b688365-80d7-4c42-af02-3e338715ce64
Bottom Trawling for fish and dredging for shell fish is like driving a BULLDOZER to round up the sheep and cows if this was seen the real damage that these technology's do to our fish's habitats there would be a huge OUT CRY but because its out of SIGHT the money people can keep wreaking Tangaroa for short term gain of $$$£$$$££££$$$$£$$$$$$$
The fish need a whare to and those 2 techniques are ruining there whare the out come will BE our fish stocks collapseing. No fish for the Mokopuna grandchildren NO fish for our FUTURE .
According to the report, commercial fishing had reduced in the last decade, and 97 percent of commercially-caught fish came from stocks considered to be sustainably managed.
However, it also said 16 percent of routinely assessed stocks were overfished in 2017 and 10 stocks were considered collapsed. The report said bycatch of protected species such as seabirds had reduced, but this was based on data from before 2016.
Mrs Goddard said those statistics said nothing meaningful about the health of the ecosystem.
She said this was not the latest data, with seabird capture having increased 85 percent in some fisheries in the 2017/18 fishing year compared to the previous year, including hoki, hake, ling and warehou, according to data from the Department of Conservation.
"I think what's disappointing is it makes a bold statement in the report that bycatch is being reduced and that the number of threatened, endangered and protected marine species caught has been reduced."
Mrs Goddard said what she had gleaned from the most recent data was that is not the case.
Independent marine scientist Roger Grace said there were serious habitat-damaging issues such as trawling and dredging, which the report touches on, but not in great detail, so they aren't addressed effectively.
"For the last 30 to 50 years we've been hammering the shallow and inshore habitats and smashing the natural life there to bits, and it's no longer as good for juvenile fish habitat," he said Ka kite ano links below. P.S Whanau I told you that the civil servants run the countrys they are trying to paint a rosey picture about our fisheries if we let them fool US no fish for the Mokopuna look over sea the evedince is there fisheries collapseing all over the place .
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/387817/rosy-environment-report-card-for-nz-a-greenwash-say-marine-experts
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute .
Love is a underrated VALUE that the Papatuanukue needs
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
Kia ora Newshub.
Love is all we need
There are a few people who are waving the alt right white supremacist flag in NZ.
The Australian man who was part of the Sri Lanka attacks show ECO MAORI that the Australian are targeting the wrong people sending Kiwis to their crap camps and deporting the to A country they don't NO. NZ
Hallys emperor penguins colony collapse show how finally balanced life is a little change can make or break LIFE. We need to take human caused climate change very seriously.
Cortez is Eco Maori pick I have exzamed the others they have strings attached to the people who are making a mess.
Our sports Stars help Aotearoa shine bright condolences to Collettes Whanau
Rammi is a cool actor.
Yes people get wild creatures without being prepared to care for them correctly. I found a crook Hawk when I was young it stayed around for a few days I just gave it food and water and let it FREE .
Ka kite ano P.S we are there Guardians
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Eco Maori will have to stop the sandflys distracting ME from the Real threat to US. I say that is there tactics now trying there best to PISS me off they are merely little bugs in my journey in life they are trying there best to sap my MANA but in reality every move they make against me adds to my MANA I see it all over Te Papatuanukue Ka pai.
The main threat to US human kind is Global warming
. Some countries have profited from climate change while the same rise in average planetary temperatures has dragged down economic growth in the warmer countries.
The gap between those groups of nations with the highest and lowest economic output per person is now around 25% larger than it would have been had there been no climate change link below
https://physicsworld.com/a/global-warming-tips-scales-against-the-poor/
Next is Artifical Intelligents this threat is being down play by some people but this technology will give the holders of Artifical Intelligents the POWER OF God's they will be able to do what ever they want and not be held accountable for there ACTIONS . Link below P.S I know it looks like that is the case now but they will be held accountable.
Waste and Consumerism is a big threat plastic can take a 1000 year to degrade need need to use biodegradable things like paper bags and cardboard make laws so stuff last 20 to 50 years not 2 to 3 years as some stuff only last that long everything has to recycled no if or buts everything has to be recycled. Ka kite ano video below.
Equality is up there to Equality for all life to be respected equality for Wahine we have to learn to treat all our Wahine like a Queens and LISTEN to them given equal saying in the way our society are RULED .
KA KITE ANO LINKS BELOW
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/25/the-white-house-wont-empower-women-sudans-protests-will-womens-rights-ivanka-trump-poland-argentina/
Eco Maori video.
We must let the ruling class NO that the Way we are abuseing OUR decendints FUTURE is unlogical and unacceptable to US the 99.9 % of tangata /people Kia kaha
The power of grassroots, widespread climate action cannot be underestimated. When ordinary people start to organise among themselves and create communities of resistance in our schools, colleges, universities and neighbourhoods, those in positions of power begin to notice. The emergent climate movements are organising people of all ages to fight for a better world and to take the necessary steps to pressure political leaders to act.
The UK youth strikers Holly Gillibrand, George Bond and myself sat down with Greta, Jeremy Corbyn, Caroline Lucas, Vince Cable, Liz Saville-Roberts and Ian Blackford for the first climate talks of their kind in more a decade. Theresa May’s chair remained empty.
'Outrage is justified': David Attenborough backs school climate strikers
We pushed political leaders to commit to and agree upon some positive first steps to start addressing the climate crisis. Tens of thousands of young climate activists forced party leaders to acknowledge the gravity of the climate crisis, driving home the need to act urgently and collaboratively Ka kite ano links below.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/school-climate-strikes-success-forced-uk-politicians-healthy-planet
Emma all governments are playing lip service to the people on the issue facing our grandchildrens FUTURES
We don't put down other people because they are different humans have bigger problems than that we will have a problem serviving on Papatuanukue if we don't change OUR Ways we treat Papatuanukue and her creations we will all go EXTINCT
But Darryl Ward, an Anglican lay preacher from Paraparaumu, urged Christians to instead show love and care "for our Muslim brothers and sisters".
Ward said Christianity had never been the "sole faith tradition" in New Zealand.
"Māori spiritual beliefs preceded the arrival of Europeans and Christianity, and other faith traditions from overseas soon
our Muslim brothers and sisters, or for that matter, anyone else because they worship God differently from us," Ward said he gave us two simple commandments; to love God and to love others. He also made it quite clear that it is through helping those in need that one gains eternal LIFE Ka kite ano P.S EQUALITY for all.
Kia ora R&R.
I see Mark Z is sueing someone from upper hut for minupulating there likes and dislike for monetary gain I planned to do a post on the new computer currency Ka kite ano P.S Artifical Intelligents is a topic we all need to be talking about the positive and negative about the technology
Kia ora Newshub .
That's a huge fire on the highway in USA condolences to the people who lost there love ones in that crash.
Measles is still out of control in NZ those anti vaxers and the poor people who are to stressed trying to put food on the table to get there tamariki vacancied is part of the cause.
I have already commented on the USA politics Seen Don has helped Eco Maori Mana Wairua Ka pai But he is still a carbon man .oo.
It logical to move more imports out side of Auckland cannot have goods stuck in a Auckland traffic jam.
Roman? looks like a qute boy it's sad he has that illness we are fortunate not to have major sickness with OUR Mokopuna my eldest seems OK for now.
Ka pai to the Salvation Army campaign against the people selling expensive good off the back of a truck I say the laws should be changed to stop the loan Sharks ripping the poor common person off to. I new when I backed The Salvation Army last year as being Eco Maori number 1 charity I was correct.
I seen that they plan to use Cherynoble Russian nuclear accident sites as a green ENERGY site Ka kite ano P.S the sandflys tried their best to stuff up my video feed
This is going to be the new currency with a conscience that will make people and country's behave HUMANLY if they don't the dislike mount up and your networth goes down do good things and you get heaps of likes then your networth goes up. This can be the same for country's to. At the minute the monetary SYSTEM punishes POOR COUNTRY and PEOPLE by giving us a bad credit rating and charging the people who can least afford it huge unstainable INTREST Rates that need to reverse to change the wealthy higher interest rate and the poor common people lower interest rates .
I know that the security for a currency system like this will have to have the best protection that can be made by people but ha from what I SEE the uneqality that is happening around Papatuanukue the Systems definitely need to change.
Facebook alleges 'likes' were sold for commercial advantage.
The company operated the website Likesocial.co, currently undergoing "maintenance", and IGFamous.net.
Another of their companies, Social Envy, operates the SocialEnvy.co website.
Facebook cited the posting of a photograph from a user with no previous Instagram followers which immediately attracted 500 likes within seconds on Likesocial.co.
More photos from the same user achieved similar "likes" in March of this year, Facebook claimed.
The defendants allegedly "enriched themselves at the expense of Facebook and Instagram by US$9.3m", and the media company was seeking damages of the same amount.
Facebook claimed the behaviour was "fraudulent", and also damaged Facebook and Instagram computer systems
Ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/112295050/facebook-seeks-us10m-damages-and-jury-trial-against-upper-hutt-trio
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
I'm quite good a seeing – – – – – – people
Many thanks to the British Labour Party for finally making a stand on the Papatuanukue issues with human caused climate change Ka pai. We have to respect our Decendints rights to a happy healthy equal FUTURE LIFE.
Labour will this week force a vote in parliament to declare a national environmental and climate change emergency as confidential documents show the government has spent only a fraction of a £100m fund allocated in 2015 to support clean air projects.
Jeremy Corbyn’s party will demand on Wednesday that the country wakes up to the threat and acts with urgency to avoid more than 1.5°C of warming, which will require global emissions to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching “net zero” before 2050
Ka kite ano P.S I see te links links below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/27/corbyn-declares-national-climate-emergency
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Whanau the climate change deniers suffer from this effect they don't even understand WTF they are taking about cannot even truthfully self examination there past ACTIONS to find the negative things that they have done. They will allways only find their actions to be positive everyone else is at fault not THEE I thee I is perfect. YEA RIGHT .
Wheeler didn’t know what he didn’t know, and that’s the cognitive engine of what’s today rued and ridiculed as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It describes what Dunning later called “the anosognosia of everyday life”; a cognitive foible in which people lack the self-awareness—and yes, in some cases, the intelligence—to objectively estimate their own ability. Or, to paraphrase John Cleese: some people are too stupid to understand how stupid they are.
In studies of university students, Dunning and Kruger found a strong inverse relationship between actual and self-ascribed ability. Those who considered themselves competent consistently proved that they weren’t. In a test, many who ranked themselves near the 70th percentile actually scored in the 10th (intriguingly, the opposite effect expressed in smart students).
Now, commentators and researchers are invoking Dunning and Kruger again, as they try to make sense of a raft of recent studies that have found people of strong anti-science disposition almost always understand the least about that same science
Ka kite ano links below P.S I no a – – – – – – that suffer from this .
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/ignorance-is-arrogance/?source=footer
Kia ora Newshub .
The person who did that in America Defend his race from what a imagined threat come on people we are all HUMANS.
I seen that story on simons slush fund complaint lol.
The Free Press is a must that includes social media as well free speach is a right for all people
The flat Earthers are foolish most living things have curves there are many things that I could put out to counter their beliefs but I m not even going to waste my time .
Kia kaha Rewa keep up the good Mahi with your strong Wahine goals hope you can beat your cancer problems
Good on him for helping the sick Hedgehog serviving losing his quills looks like it has a Whare for life its cool showing stories like that it will teach te Mokopuna to love OUR wild life have to be careful of it quills. Ka kite ano