Open mike 25/06/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 25th, 2024 - 23 comments
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23 comments on “Open mike 25/06/2024 ”

  1. Ad 1

    A great read from a great New Zealand mind with far-reaching scope. In particular how New Zealand consistently generates legislation that is against the will of the majority of New Zealanders:

    https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/06/25/geoffrey-palmer-nz-an-executive-paradise-not-democratic-paradise/

    • Hunter Thompson II 1.1

      Ideally, the government should scrap the Fast-track Approvals Bill and create a working group of experts from the environmental, local government and industrial sectors.

      Task the group with writing a new draft RMA with decent environmental standards as non-negotiable priorities. Economic growth should be down the list.

      A broadly similar approach was taken with the Tax Working Group.

      Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world. NACT doubtless finds it too embarrassing to do a U-turn, but who knows, the number of submissions made against the FTA Bill could effect some change.

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2

    Hamilton city councillor writes expletive-laden rant to neighbouring council

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520468/hamilton-city-councillor-writes-expletive-laden-rant-to-neighbouring-council

    Not much has changed then….

    C-bomb councillor Andrew Bydder not backing away from bad language tactics

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300812660/cbomb-councillor-andrew-bydder-not-backing-away-from-bad-language-tactics

    I was thinking….Andrew Bydder? Where do i remember him from. Oh yea…. A conspiracist

    'I’ve never seen it to that extent' – city leaders flee conspiracy mob

    https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/350019375/ive-never-seen-it-extent-city-leaders-flee-conspiracy-mob

  3. Descendant Of Smith 3

    How some other countries deal with exploitative employers.

    An Indian-born billionaire and three family members are heading to jail for exploiting domestic workers at their lakeside villa in Switzerland by seizing their passports, barring them from going out and making them work up to 18 hours a day.

    A Swiss court dismissed more serious charges of human trafficking against 79-year-old tycoon Prakash Hinduja; his wife, Kamal; son Ajay and daughter-in-law Namrata on the grounds that the workers understood what they were getting into, at least in part. The four received between four and 4½ years in prison.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350321891/billionaire-family-get-prison-switzerland-exploiting-domestic-workers

    • Mike the Lefty 5.1

      Could that possibly be the same emergency response system that National were shouting loudly about how vital it was less than a year ago?

  4. aj 6

    Assange free.

  5. observer 7

    It's amazing how Luxon at Question Time gets away with a level of incompetence and lack of preparation that Ardern never would have.

    On the Cook Strait ferries …

    Hipkins: (gist, not verbatim): Who was the Minister who announced the ferry purchase which this gov't has since scrapped? (he asked, knowing it was Winston)

    Luxon: Dunno.

    Peters: Does the PM agree that the Minister who announced that is awesome?

    Luxon: Yeah, sure.

    Hipkins: But you just said you don't know who it was! WTF?

    (laughter all round, Brownlee doesn't bother to save Luxon)

    No PM in my lifetime has been this hopeless at really basic stuff.

  6. observer 8

    Deputy (and recently Acting) Prime Minister of New Zealand disagrees with Government of New Zealand.

    Another normal one in the coalition of contradiction …

    NZ First disagrees with Cabinet over current Covid-19 inquiry continuing | RNZ News

  7. adam 9

    Good news

    • Obtrectator 9.1

      JA looks to be in remarkably good nick considering he was supposed to be all but moribund not so long ago and unable to attend court hearings in person. It suggests the decision was taken some while back, and they've been fattening him up since then.

  8. tWig 11

    Pressure from Australian Parliament anf Government probably contributed significantly – Albanese putting the squeeze on through AUKUS.