All good in defending Ardern, but are those commentators actually wrong?
[lprent: Of course they’re wrong. While there are a lot of dimwits who subscribe to the great all-seeing dictator theory of management, I’ve never ever seen anyone ever managing it. You’d have to be a complete and utter fool to even think that.. This is probably about as close as you’re going to get to it.
Now lets go back and actually hear your ‘opinion’ perhaps you could explain your theory on it so I can explain why I think that you’re wrong, query the source you parroted it from and spit on your intellect in robust debate.
However that will be a week away. Banned for a week so you can figure out the following.
I see you try this standard troll tactic again, I will boot you off the site permanently. This site is here for your opinions, not for you to play dumbarse debating team / trolling tactical games on it.
this whole Inquiry is like the shit they are investigating – so sad they are getting it wrong on such an important area. Time to walk the walk minister
Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin has refused to express confidence in the leadership of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, after it was revealed a convicted child sex offender was involved.
The gang member chosen is I understand someone who has faced up to his own misdeeds and understands the dynamic so is good value. Pity that many politicians who are guilty of bad actions of all sorts don't own up to them, and turn round and try to improve the situation for the people ane the country. People who declare themselves pure of all stain, have never moved from their easy chair.
The problem here is the connection between gangs and sexual assault. It's not simply about whether the gang member has made amends, it's about whether the survivors feel safe. This should be the priority.
In this case, complaints have been made about his current behaviour, so his 'good value' is undermined by that.
Edit:
Uh-huh. Sounds as if his presence may be disturbing at present, and if a young woman has been attacked she isn't going to feel comfortable seeing a similar guy to the attacker in the panel or even in the room.
However he would be useful in later discussions after the victims have given evidence and got some comfort from that. He would be invaluable to give background about the sexual behaviour that he has observed, and why and how it happens that way, and his opinions on improving the situation.
I think NZ is embarrassed about sex and there should be discussions about it on a medical and social discussion level to try and get a balanced view about sexual matters. We need to think about it and progress, it is a public health thing, and we owe it to each other and our children to have clear guidelines that fit our modern world which seems to have past rigid attitudes and prudishness lingering. We need to respectfully treat the matter, as important to all for relationship health, and to mental health and understanding of our drives as humans.
Do people generally know about the way that young people go about their first sexual experience? Is there open discussion about sexual matters, so basic to us all? What do girls think about it, what do boys? There should be discussions as part of sexual education at school, or run by Primary Health nurses, and should be in a mixed group with appropriate professionals or community leaders leading the discussion. There might be a model discussion videoed that parents could watch to see and understand the value of this.
Guidelines for behaviour formed by agreement between the participants after discussion, would go a long way to preventing feelings of being pushed to participate and talking about the misunderstandings that could lead either gender to believe that it was okay to push ahead because it would be enjoyable in the end, or some such reason.
I apologise to anyone who thinks that the whole matter should be screened off and the less said the better. I think that has led us to where we are now, just as I think that being obsessed with sex and talking about it a lot, casually, is also in appropriate. It should be a special personal thing, 'Not Given Lightly'. Balance is all.
Don't know what you are trying to say there, but the inquiry is about the state's responsibility for children in its care who were abused (sexually, physically, emotionally). This isn't about sex and sexuality, it's about abuse. That you conflate the two renders your opinion on what is appropriate in the inquiry irrelevant.
There is a concept of trauma-informed or clinically-informed process. It exists because when put into practice it gives the best wellbeing outcomes for people who have been harmed. The inquiry has failed on that in a number of ways. The complaints against the gang member are about his behaviour and how that has affected the inquiry in a number of roles. His expertise can't trump that.
With regard to the issue of women not trusting a gang member, the inquiry should have managed that so he wasn't in a role where that would be an issue. Again, trauma-informed process matters and creates better outcomes.
I saw your comment and have thought about since it was made.
Try and listen to Insight this Sunday just after 8am on RNZ. Part of the reason is cyber abuse and predatory tourists.
Parents /grandparents needs to be educated on how to keep a child safe and a child needs to known what is grooming and what is unsafe contact from an adult.
Governments need to take sexual exploitation seriously both online and tourism.
I think you need to have a think about why this Inquiry is being set up in the first place – it is about the innocent victims abused and treated like shit – which apparently continues, in the form of the way this Inquiry is going, to date imo
Sorry marty mars – I do understand that I had suggested something inappropriate at the first. It seems the heariang should be divided into two – first the victims and then better approaches to ensure respect of both genders for each other's emotional nature. I have tried to explain how I feel that things could be done afterwards to lead to less of this sort of trauma happening in the future.
I'm sorry too – I know you are engaging with comments and working hard to put stuff up and debate it – I can be a bit 'shoot first ask questions later' type which is irritating I know.
The purpose of the Royal Commission is to give a voice to the now adults who were children in social welfare care and in faith based care. To exclude anyone who is entitled to be there is to do them a disservice, example a convicted pedophile who was sexually assaulted while in social welfare care.
The Royal Commission needs to establish what the outcome/impact is from an individual's experience of being mistreated and harmed.
Everyone appearing before the Royal Commission need to feel secure about the process.
There are some gaps in the Royal Commission which require immediate action.
"The hope is that Labour will adopt it as official party policy and add the Green New Deal proposal to its next manifesto"
The problem is however as Greta said
“….saying that you’re doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight…”
hmmmm ..solutions are nowhere is sight.
Hey, just a repeat post from last night…if anyone else knows of a group of people pushing for the WEAG recommendations to be implemented can you pls let us know.
What we would all like to know is what WEAG and AAAP mean. Some of us do, and many don't. Will people stop talking in acronyms because you are not going to reach your potential audience to make your point if they don't know what you are talking about?
Horeskin and Garner are Natzi paid shrills trying to destroy Jacinda's reputation by making these types of comparisons, the problem is the RWNJ's will start believing these guys as most New Zealanders are sheep who can not think for themselves and believe MSM ?
What deadbeats – beating up on a kid! No doubt they are put out because all their ranting and raving hasn't had a scratch of the influence of a 15 year old who quietly and respectfully sat outside the Swedish Parliament with a placard on Fridays.
What's new? Not worth the effort to write criticising the 'boys'.
I suggest any outrage you feel uses energy that is precious that could be applied elsewhere. Wallowing in outrage is so satisfying but getting into the support works and the promotion of new ways and the thinking of who and what is being hurt by climate change and political maltreatment is ongoing hard labour.
RNZ are reporting the US Congress leader Nancy Pelosis have announced a formal investigation with a view to impeach the president.
Apparently it is based on an anonymous whistleblower allegations, that link Trump personally gaining political favour, by having investigations in the Ukraine linking Biden to the baddies.
My very amateur hunch is that if this goes ahead, rather than sink trump, it will embolden him and strengthen his voter support. The Dems will think they have their trump card (boom boom!) and Trump can continue to Fake News!, obfuscate and fib.
On one hand, Don of the Deadbrains has been in impeachable violation of his constitutional obligations from the moment of of his inauguration, and has been vigorously adding to his rap sheet ever since. He has made it abundantly clear he's quite happy to betray his country if he thinks there's personal benefit to be had. So if the Dems don't impeach him, they're basically surrendering their oversight and accountability obligations and the power of impeachment becomes meaningless. Also, there may be political benefit in publicising the wrongdoing that's been done and forcing Repugs into a yes or no vote.
On the other hand, removing the Mango Mugabe from office via impeachment simply ain't gonna happen. There's an absolute minimum of 20 Repug senators that would have to vote for conviction. But watching what happened to Mark Sanford, Jeff Flake and the very few other elected Repugs that spoke against the mandarin manutang has dissolved whatever vestigial spines and principles they may have once possessed.
Hell, even after a successful impeachment in the House, Moscow Mitch might just Garland the trial in the Senate and thereby spare Repug senators from having to even cast an uncomfortable vote. I certainly haven't yet seen any language in the constitution compelling the Senate to hold the trial, whereas the language requiring the Senate to consider Merrick Garland's nomination was quite clear, yet Moscow Mitch got away with just blowing off that constitutional obligation.
So yeah, there's the risk that impeaching Hair Furor in the House without a conviction and removal from office by the Senate might be viewed by enough of the electorate as stupid partisan political games and backfire on the Dems.
Great analysis, Adrian. My reckons have a small % following this with enthusiasm, some thinking this will sink the Hysterical Hairdo and for the majority, it will barely register.
BTW do you have a Trump name generator app? The Mango Mugabe caused an involuntary snort.
It looks like the Dems may have evidence yet to be released:
It appears that a lot of additional information about the Ukraine affair is about to come to light. The House intelligence committee has announced that the whistleblower wishes to testify, and could do so as early as this week, meaning that the public could soon learn the details of the allegations against Trump – and see what evidence there is.
Oops: I can’t find the link address. It was a Guardian news item which appears to have disappeared or been incorporated into another story. Sorry.
yep – I can't imagine they have gone this way without some big gotchas – I don't think the teflon turnipturd will be bothered though – he just turns it around by lying
Hi Marty, Anne, things like modern politics have less and less to do with evidence and truth. Witness the British Prime Minister illegally and unlawfully dissolving parliament.
I don't doubt that there is damning evidence but that doesn't matter if the perception of the great unwashed differs from the narrative.
eg CC is no problem because we have 'clean coal', I heard the president say so a few times.
Equally, I have little faith in the Dems making hay from this.
Akin to Hilary being a sure bet, she will win because she is experienced, it's her turn, she is a woman….
Within 24 hrs of the "wonderful" (Trump's words) meeting with Ardern he has:
1) Ruled out any tightening of gun laws in the US.
2) Refused to sign the US up to the Christchurch Call and has made a speech at the UN denouncing the attempt by technological companies to curtail free speech.
Worst case: the terms of the investigation are too narrow, charges go to Senate, and the repugs exonerate him. Re-election 2020.
Best case: he gets investigated, it takes until november 2020 but the dirt getting exposed is so overwhelming that it scuppers his re-election bid. And then federal and state charges are laid January 2021. He spends the last years of his life shafting his lawyers' attempts to have him ruled incompetent to stand trial.
Middle-worst case: senate convicts him, president pence gets elected as a spiritual cleanser.
Middle case: whether or not he gets convicted or re-elected, New York State does him for tax fraud.
So after flailing round for 3 years the Dems think they've finally got their man by saying he's obstructing aid. Oh the irony! Let's see if this has opened the door for Iran, Venuezuela and N Korea to launch their own impeachment proceedings too lol.
A touch cynical, but often correct. The operative word there is "us", though. The national interest, not the personal interest of the officials making the decisions.
The essential difference between realpolitik and personal corruption.
The call is only one red flag. A whistle blower went to the IG with evidence of other wrongdoing, too.
btw, the Senate has unanimously agreed to Schumer's resolution calling for the whistle blower complaint to be turned over to the intelligence committees
Mate is pretending to be too stupid to understand the obvious threat being made. So he can pivot to his one true love, perpetual whining about Dems.
edit: Also interesting is how closely Mate is parroting Repug talking points:
“McConnell also indicated that he hasn’t backed off even an inch from his cover-up for Trump’s criminal behavior, releasing a statement claiming that Democrats have held “a two-and-a-half-year impeachment parade in search of a rationale.” ”
wonderful stuff thank you maui – must be time for a guestpost from you – be great to read all your ideas on this in one post – that will create a forum for debate no doubt
You have a view, shared by many, that tbh I don't agree with AND it would be good to have that difference outlined to see the logic and arguments – I want to really understand why people think the way they think.
A lot of Maori men are in prison, but while a lot is made of the percentage to population, they are still a minority to pakeha and tauiwi extremely unpleasant criminals. Have a look at the s.itheads in this nasty murder case. Should these men when babies have been taken from their parents? What sort of parental methods result in adult outcomes who will never realise their potential to be a great, happy, admirable person? Would parental classes for both young people which would come connected to a fortnightly child assistance payment to them, get them on a positive line of child rearing and understanding how to cope and manage through stresses, and be co-operative.
Those who have worked in the criminal justice system are well aware that there is a massively high probability that the sorts of people you refer to were taken from their parents.
From the "I am not a believer in conspiracy" files.
On Sunday I visited another town in my EV. While having it recharged at a public facility. I went for a walk with my wife for a block a way and went through a car yard I had visited two years ago while searching for an EV to buy. There were no staff as the yard was closed.
Today on Facebook there is a specific ad on my Facebook Home page from the very car yard that I visited.
Coincidence? It's a startling thing.
Is there a possibility that facial recognition technology from a security camera is at play here? That my very basic cell phone is being tracked? That my car rego was noted when I drove past twenty minutes later? That my EV's electronic key in my pocket was somehow 'discovered'?
Or is it just coincidence and some very targeted advertising based on my facebook activity and previous purchase? As the saying goes, coincidence occurs only when we can't see the levers and pulleys.
I guess I am really asking for comment from wiser technology-savvy heads about how deep intrusion in our lives is based on tracking our personal information?
assuming you are in NZ I would guess it's either a semi-coincidence (based on targeted advertising from other activity), or it's your phone or credit card usage.
If your phone is a smart phone you can turn location services off.
FB will be using your IP address to target advertising, so if you have FB on your phone it will know your general area by how you connect to the internet.
I don't know what happens with EVs, but it's worth checking if it's the EV's GPS. You could ask the manufacturer for details on what the tech is in your car and if it's connected to online services.
I would be very surprised if this was facial recognition, we're not there yet in NZ afaik.
According to David Spiegelhalter in The Art Of Statistics there is no such thing as coincidence, its just a matter of mathematics. "Connected "people, the sort who talk to others a lot, and I know you are one mate, find more coincidences simply because they have a lot more information and contacts. Yes, it looks suspicious but as you say you have been online looking at EV sites, also you were in this specific town using cards etc which ramps up the coincidence possibilities. If you had not gone there would the pop up have happened the next day. Who knows ? . It may simply be the act of paying for the charge up in the vicinity and the webby thing did the rest.
Its disturbing this bullshit which is why I have stared paying for everything with pebbles.
So Mac1 if I don''t come back from the bar with my round on Friday night its because I've been thrown out on my arse.
Thanks, Weka and Adrian. The EV's GPS still thinks it's in Japan. I’m in NZ as Adrian knows.
My cell has a FB icon but I've never used it or set it up.
I did get e-mail acknowledgements immediately of my use of public chargers but would FB know that? That charger also accessed my bank account and was my only credit card use on that trip.
So as you say, Adrian, it might be a webby thing……. perhaps I should adopt your payment method using the asparagus coming out of my ears at the moment.
When I return to work after 3 days off, I am often prompted to offer a review of my hospitality place of work. I have put it down to the location tracker jobbie in my Whoarewe phone.
This in no way makes me think we are under-survielled and spied upon excessively.
Location services and the apple equivalent is a generic facility on your cell phone. I haven't looked at it too recently, but it uses GPS, wifi, cell towers, and even near field or blue tooth to try to increase the accuracy of its fix – especially when you are indoors and the GPS signal sucks.
It is also something that quite a lot of apps access, everything from google maps to various other systems that read location information and sell it directly or indirectly to advertisers.
If it's capable a 3g net connection google will be following you around. Need to turn that off, also downloaded any apps? Plenty of them capture location data and sell it back for advertising purposes.
Yep they use all of the things you mentioned. Sometimes car yards/shops use beacons which push messages to your phone (if you have this enabled and didn't realise you could turn it off it would freak you out).
I'll be watching you
Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Bluetooth beacons, however, can track your location accurately from a range of inches to about 50 meters. They use little energy, and they work well indoors. That has made them popular among companies that want precise tracking inside a store.
The beacons connect with your phone to gather data.
The Guardian Firewall team has discovered that a growing number of iOS apps have been used to covertly collect precise location histories from tens of millions of mobile devices, using packaged code provided by data monetization firms. In many cases, the packaged tracking code may run at all times, constantly sending user GPS coordinates and other information.
In order to gain initial access to precise data from the mobile device’s GPS sensors, the apps usually present a plausible justification relevant to the app in the Location Services permission dialog, often with little or no mention of the fact that location data will be shared with third-party entities for purposes unrelated to app operation.
All location data monetization firms listed on this page collect one or more of the following data points:
Bluetooth LE Beacon Data
GPS Longitude and Latitude
Wi-Fi SSID (Network Name) and BSSID (Network MAC Address)
In addition, some firms also collect the following types of less sensitive device information:
Accelerometer Information (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis)
Advertising Identifier (IDFA)
Battery Charge Percentage and Status (Battery or USB Charger)
It's used by one of the biggest retailers in the country.
When customers use mobile applications developed by Scentre, or logon to Wi-Fi provided in Westfield shopping centres or third party applications utilising Scentre’s infrastructure (including Bluetooth beacon networks), customers provide Scentre with certain information including their contact details.
The protest took place in the township of Ruawai, at the northern end of Kaipara Harbour.
Between 120 and 150 farmers turned up, most of them by tractor.
They said a suite of measures, zero carbon legislation, the latest water plan and the Billion Trees Programme could force some of them off their land.
The Mayor of Kaipara, Jason Smith, said it was a quiet protest but with a strong message.
"They weren't tooting horns, there was no loud noise, people were standing around in solidarity, just being concerned (about the future)," Dr Smith said.
The Kaipara Harbour is NZ's largest by area. There are many acres of farmland surrounding it and it's tributaries. As more pressure comes to bear against farmers adjacent to waterways, I think the Kaipara region will become a hotbed of discontent.
I think the strongest protest they could mount would revolve around showcasing farmers that are going the extra enviro mile. We all support those guys.
Edit
We do indeed, and should be helping others up by their bootstraps. All is not won though as i have heard of farmers watching their stock eat down the greenery, flaxes, and then stepping past it to get to the stream. So vigilance is required for effectiveness even once measures to remediate pollution are taken.
I understand that Kaipara has had a lot of run off into the estuary? So it is in farmers interest to keep their top soil, and also to keep the estuary water in good health, because I think it is a place for growing spat as a business? Isn't that also where they had the great sewerage fixing bill? It seems there is a lot to do, so just getting together to protest would be not being real men. Getting together to form working groups helping each other for the good of the whole, as well as to meet the government requirements that have been needed for probably two decades or longer. The problems have not shown up suddenly, out of the blue.
And not to be overlooked is the effect of sea rise. I think that it is flat around Kaipara, so the farmers can huddle around a map showing projections of where the sea will rise and how it will affect them. Perhaps dredging and building up sand and mud dunes on which they could plant mangrove or such that would be good fish spawning cover for young fish. That would help to take some of the brunt of waves in storms.
They might get help on their streams from the Environment River Patrol Aotearoa NZ which Milan Ruka has been behind. He has been doing more stuff than the farmers about water and environment health and might have some tips.
I've thought of a word to describe some of the regular commenters here – CAN'T (Carpers and Negative Controllers) and they attempt to shut down discussion, either deliberately or in the nit-picking way they treat others comments.
While it may not be ad hominem comment, it is slanted to give the commenter the feeling that their comment from their mind has nothing to say of relevance and therefore the person is mindless, ignorant, and for many people this is the same as an ad hominem in its effect. Obsessed people may continue to arise despite, but for those concerned for a wider discussion covering all topics it is greatly disheartening.
The reply to the comment will not build on it adding more background, it will not simply correct a mistake. The comment will be dumped on as wrongly quoted, the syntax is wrong, some figures wrong and so the whole comment is useless to consider, and it shows a mind uninformed and with nothing to add to the superior understanding of the person who responds. Wrong, wrong, wrong, so buzz off you inferior person. That's the message and the end result to many, while the lords, mainly I think, of the internet roll on flattening the poppies who might otherwise have got tall before they were attacked.
In other words the message is 'You 'Can't' say anything of importance or helpful – why bother.'
I try to put my comments to the table test before clicking Submit Comment.
'Would I use the same words if I was sitting across the table from the person I'm responding to?'
I wonder if people that feel the need to dominate and seed confrontation in a discussion on an anon message board lead somewhat different lives in the real world.
I wonder. But I get concerned at the lack of participation in this blog from lefties. I wonder if they lose heart. Times are tough and work hours or making do is demanding. But learning while you are going is not wasted time and just raising a query and some ideas and getting response is heartening. If the response is a sneer not. If it is a little query about meaning or the need to put source, or show opinion one way and quote okay. But encouragement is primary rather than scholastic lessons or entrenched opinion coming down on you.
There are some great people out there so those who seem to want to dominate, go schtum. Let it pass, ask for more info. Try to love other people's reaching up for understanding, communication, togetherness. There are some people who I am very wary of, anyone who tries to love and trust all others is unwise, but let's try to find How to get There…?
Since i read about the Exclusive Brethren leader who commented that a young man who was suicidal over the split between the cult and his family, would be better off dead, should take rat poison, I thought that I can't trust these people. And there were other features of their behaviour which when understood showed they can never be trusted and that applies to a number of cults.
Going round being kind to all without wariness, is being naive sorry gsays – and over time you will find they often understand you very well and prefer to remain obscure themselves.
You are starting to sound like a flower child from hippy times. I think loving all is OTT, trying to have goodwill to all with wariness is good, and helping where you can be kind and being friendly. When you find who to trust, and know the small number that you will ever understand the heart of, then love them. Just don't throw it away like tissues or easy tears, it is precious, there isn't a lot of the real thing around.
Love for those who deserve it, good will for those who deserve it, patient tolerance, disdain or disgust for those gone off track or beyond redemption. That says it I think. No need to hang social dictionary tags on it.
I wonder if people that feel the need to dominate and seed confrontation in a discussion on an anon message board lead somewhat different lives in the real world.
Not usually, however that is mostly because I tend to avoid arguing with people outside of online. It is obvious when you look at what happens on these kinds of forums.
Arguing or even discussing things with other people often means that you need to be somewhat on a level playing field to get anything out of it. But conversations are usually one to few in real-life.
Now I’m an extreme case. I have always had a really capacious memory, lots of CPU cycles, and a habit of thinking a lot about everything. Plus I have been continuously on the ‘social’ nets in some form or another since the mid-1980s BBSes and 90s usenet and have no interest in TV, sport, gossip and anything else that is essentially repetitive. And I never bother to compete or dominate with anyone – it is too easy to just leave them holding a some sinking island while I move on to something that is of interest to me. Plus I’m too damn arrogant to be concerned about what anyone else thinks of me.
Which makes it rare for me to find someone who has anything that interesting or new to me. Which also means that there isn’t that much to argue about except work.
But social networks and especially ones like this, you’re effectively talking to thousands of people at once with a bit of a lag. Yesterday on this site with a quiet day there were 2,784 distinct humans visited and read various posts and comments. 9,978 over the last 7 days**.
That gives a much larger selection of people who can provide the grist for interesting disagreements. It is also self-selecting for people who can argue.
So on here, even if I wasn’t having to moderate, my behaviour would change compared to IRL and has ever since I joined argument forums. I learn a hell of a lot just reading these forums. It is also why I’m also willing to expend time stomping on people who try to dilute the good arguments of a robust debate. The returns make it worthwhile.
//————
** there will be some inaccuracy in that due to people not using cookies or having different ‘identities’ on different systems. However when I analysed it a while ago, the maximum inaccuracy on users was less than 10%. Some of them are single reads from search engines. However that is well less than 30% of all of the users. Something like 40% of users read the site multiple times per week.
humans == Unique Users (at least as far as google can see).
You can see this in the analytics summary in the dashboard. But reminds me that I'm on holiday for 5 days starting tonight. Google analytics coming your way.
Yep. You have to look at how google collects the information about users.
If you look in the cookies on your system, you'll find tracking cookies from google and others. These come in if you're on gmail or logged in on chrome or any number of other things.
What they also do is to allow google analytics to track user patterns. They do this by allocating a analytics number to everyone.
You should have access to analytics now. If you look under Audience / User Explorer you can see the anonymised data looking at individual user stats. That gives a better idea of how it is done.
I’m having a 5 day weekend to do some outstanding work at home. Procrastinating on working on web code rather than my favoured hard-core code inevitably results in me becoming more blog-active…
Oh well the weekend boss is dragging me off to lunch, so I’d expect that there will be an expectation of less blog and more work on her site.
Hope you're well. I just aren't for the Labour Party. Since you know when. When they combined with the strong. When I logically knew them to be in the wrong. In my young age.
I fleetingly heard it and it sounded like the guy was saying that gandhi didn't like a group of people because of the colour of their skin – in other words he said and acted like black people were inferior because they were black. If so then that is racism in my book.
The British Supreme Court has ruled that the decision by the British prime minister Boris Johnson to prorogue or suspend parliament for five-weeks was unlawful. Dr Dean Knight is the co-director of the New Zealand Centre of Public Law at Victoria University and spoke to Corin Dann about the case from London.
Trudeau is no monster; he has spent the past few years upholding refugee rights in Canada and should be commended for it. But he has also spent years basking in a progressive image he doesn’t deserve. For too long, too many people have given him too many passes, preferring to focus on his feelgood soundbites rather than interrogate his less-than-feelgood actions. But the current controversy has made the poster boy of progressivism’s ugly side impossible to ignore.
This comment on Mahdawi's opinion article offers an interesting point of view. As I read it I found myself thinking about the political and public reaction to Metiria Turei's 2017 admission of benefit fraud some 25 years earlier at ~22 years of age – NZ lost an excellent MP over that.
I'm not comparing Trudeau to Turei (there are so many differences), but the effects of self-destructive tendencies in the progressive left are worth reflecting on before going full tilt, IMHO.
"At times, it really surprises me how we have any progressive governments at all. The right cheerfully conducts itself with a lack of shame, self awareness and responsibility. The left subjects itself to a neurotic level of self scrutiny and as each historical mistake or social faux pas comes to light, the evil perpetrator is fed to the howling wolves of Twitter. In other words, rightwingers have no need to undermine the left when the left is quite capable of kicking itself in the balls.
Does this mean we stop holding people to account? No – its only through being aware of our flaws that we improve as people. What is *desperately* needed is proportionality and the capacity to forgive. If we keep nailing leftwing politicians up every time they make a mistake then the right will continue to get louder and stronger because they have something the left doesn't – unity. And unity wins votes."
I found this paragraph in the article to be telling
The right gets incredibly worked up about social justice issues when there is an opportunity to use them for political gain. Just look at the bad-faith way in which US Republicans have weaponised antisemitism to attack Ilhan Omar and curtail criticism of the Israeli government, while ignoring or even stoking antisemitism in their own ranks. Look at how outraged about sexual harassment Donald Trump got when the person accused of it was the Democratic senator Al Franken. You almost have to admire the right for being so shamelessly hypocritical.
For me the left reflexive defensive cos someone is a 'good' person or done 'good things' is the real problem. Own it, accept it, try to change it and then get on with it. Defend it or blame the others for being worse and other tactics really do feed the right. They don't need feeding – they need starving and you do that by sorting shit out fast and you do that imo by owning it, being a grown up and doing something about it and then moving on.
"Own it, accept it, try to change it and then get on with it." – good advice, and I wonder what more Trudeau could do now to address the hurt and allay concerns about the choices he made some years before becoming a politician.
Could Canada do better than Trudeau as PM – yes (IMHO). But will they?
Hats off to Simon Bridges. I admire the consistency with which he depicts himself as the village idiot and the certainty he has that the rest of us are too.
The news just had him as saying Tracey Martin should have been more hands on in the Royal Commission into historical abuse in state care.
I must admit my disappointment that he hasn't called for the resignation of Jacinda Ardern over the situation which has arisen with the Commission. Oh well, maybe tomorrow or when she gets back in the country he'll be singing that tune.
The whipping Bridges has been receiving from all quarters must be taking a toll. The most confident of battlers eventually gets driven to stepping aside.
Bridges' repeated deadpan delivery of the same answered question in the house yesterday was the work of a broken man.
Martin answered his 'What are you doing about a pedo on the board?' question straight out of the gate.
"You're a lawyer, you know it's illegal for an MP to have any influence over a Royal Commission."
On and on Bridges went with his prepared supps. I thought Martin was masterful…mistressful?? The temptation to say "I've already answered that." must of been strong. She went into the rare circumstances under which an MP could influence the Royal Enquiry. She had obviously studied the situation closely.
Still Bridges ground on with questions she had answered in finite detail.
I guess they're stuck with him for the 2020 election but crikey.
One of his Bridges' bridge promises has come true. The new Taipa bridge will be open in the next month or so and it's looking great. They have also hopefully solved issues with the largest school in the district flooding. The guys that built it will move onto the Kaeo bridge, that was always their intention. I see Robertson has begun calling the Kaeo job a Labour party win. Gosh they're amusing the way they all try to pin their brand on the wins, anyone's win.
Gosh they're amusing the way they all try to pin their brand on the wins, anyone's win.
So true. I remember the Nats making a big deal out of the completion of the Waterview tunnel when it was the previous Labour govt, who did all the hard yards.
Canadian feminist Meghan Murphy is coming to New Zealand and will be speaking at the Feminism2020 event in Wellington on November 13th along with Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, Dr Melissa Derby, and SUFW spokeswoman Ani O’Brien. These are the feminists they don’t want you to hear. Banned, deplatformed, censored, and harassed, nonetheless these are women on the frontline of feminism.
Ta. She really understood the role of the UN well, compared with the buffoon who spoke earlier.
Ms Ardern spoke of the need for countries to work together to combat crises like the 15 March terror attack. "Experiences in recent years should lead us to all question whether any of us ever truly operate in isolation anymore."
…
In contrast, Mr Trump's speech was a celebration of unbridled nationalism.
"Wise leaders always put the good of their own people and their own country first," he said. "The future does not belong to globalists. It belongs to patriots."
…
"If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty. And if you want peace, love your nation."
Ardern’s liberal supporters see her as the polar opposite of the US president, and she has even been labelled the “anti-Trump”. They expected her in some way to speak truth to power when meeting the man who has become synonymous with the most reactionary problems in politics today. More than anything, Ardern might have been expected to use the opportunity to push Trump hard on the issue of climate change.
Does Edwards really expect the PM to trade in her dignity, authority, diplomacy skills and self-respect by having a slanging match with a Trump, who lacks all three of those qualities. The Guardian should engage better commentators.
Mike Hosking's latest effort "Hyperbole and hot air – Greta Thunberg's the new Jacinda" was a bit much, even for him. It read as though he was trying to comfort himself with nonsense instead of fact – exactly what he's accusing Greta of doing, ironically enough.
…
I won't mince words; you are on the wrong side of history and you are wrong.
"Twyford says the claim the Government was missing $3.8 billion of new transport projects had "no factual basis"
It seems that Treasury was writing reports based on wishful thinking from NZ National
"Treasury has been left with egg on its face for the second time this year after Transport Minister Phil Twyford slammed the ministry for missing out billions of dollars from its calculations.
Based on wishful thinking from the Infrastructure Council, I read somewhere. Can just imagine the neolibs in Treasury giving it a free pass cos not govt.
In part it's Twyford's own fault. He failed to clear out NZTA's Board or refresh its objectives as a Board. Instead he presumed that tilting the NLTP would be sufficient.
Also he forgot to clean out Ministry of Transport, who have guided him about as poorly as it's possible for a Ministry to do so. This is one of the results. Another is the entire regulatory debacle. Another is the light rail strategy disaster and light rail procurement mess.
But the suspicion I have is that Robertson decided to kick Twyford while he was down – ready to be reshuffled – and get another of Robertson's wieners replacing him in Cabinet.
Maybe the entire transport portfolio needs clear felling. OIA suggests that there are problems in Wellington with the LGWM ,the mayors recollection of what he told councillors,and did JAG threaten to hold her breath.
"Justin's advice to us was that this was the best he could do. There was also talk about the Green's/JAG [Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter] influence on the package," the documents say.
ACC chair Dame Paula Rebstock said the record deficit was an accounting measure, and in its day to day dealings the corporation had a cash surplus of $570 million.
"The cash operating surplus demonstrates ACC's robust funding structure that enables the scheme to withstand volatility, including falling interest rates."
She said the deficit would not affect ACC's ability to pay claims and it's too early to say what effect it might have on levies, which would be set by the middle of next year….
However, Dame Paula said in the medium term levies would have to rise to cover increasing costs such as medical treatments and rehabilitation.
ACC had a record 2 million claims in the past year, which adds to the financial demands on its funds.
The value of its outstanding claims liability (OCL) rose by $10.8b because of the fall in interest rates to $53b. ACC operates on the basis of having to cover the lifetime cost of all claims already made, and extends that out 100 years to 2119. (Should that be 3119? And why ahead so long, pay as we go plus have some reserves, would be practical but not pure enough for Treasury no doubt.)
ACC operates on the basis of having to cover the lifetime cost of all claims already made, and extends that out 100 years to 2119. (Should that be 3119?
Next year is 2020, so 100 yrs later is 2119. No need add another 1000 yrs.
Seems to me to be silly to go out 100 yrs , 50 yrs should be fine for almost all claimants and the few after that are inconsequential in terms of their reserves of $43.8 bill.
An increase of $5 bill this year alone- not sure why thay should highlight the 'balance sheet future costs'
Labour kept ACC on its full pre-funding trajectory after 1999 partly to build a handy nest egg they could plunder just like the Nats have, but the main reason Shipley et al made the shift in the first place was to prepare for privatisation. Sadly for English, Joyce and chums the Aussie insurance industry were not keen enough in 2009.
Returning the scheme to annual pay-as-you-go instead would remove the prospect.
I'm looking forward to Air New Zealand being regulated by the Commerce Commission as a monopoly on most New Zealand domestic routes, now that Jetstar is pulling out.
It needs a lot more that Shane Jones to actually regulate price from a company that totally dominates one entire sector of the country. It's akin to every New Zealand motorway being tolled with no alternative route, and no one to hold them to legally hold them to account for the price they charge or how often you're allowed to drive on it.
Or maybe the government can provide stronger scrutiny as the major shareholder.
Government as usual hasn't the guts to run it's commercial businesses for the advantage of the whole country. There will be an opportunity to charge more for the main flights and subsidise to some extent the regions. And Jetstar shouldn't get the red carpet if they want to come here and get some of the cream.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said it was a shame to lose airline competition in the regions, but the government won't be telling Air New Zealand not to raise its prices.
Mr Robertson was hopeful another airline would emerge.
"We've had times in the past in New Zealand where we haven't had other operators on those regional routes and we'll have to see whether another one emerges but those decisions are entirely for Air New Zealand to make," he said.
"Clearly there's an expectation from New Zealanders that there are fair prices paid, and we'll keep an eye on that."
62 year old man abducts and sexually violates a 16 year old girl. There is a frame around his face from a CCTV picturte. Would that be for facial recognition tech?
I haven't heard lately of any 62 year old woman abducting a teenage boy and sexually violating him. Seems that it is time we had a better approach to enable people to sort out their sex urges without invading someone else's self and respect. There have been some teachers however, so it's not quite black and white.
Thought you might have some ideas seeing as you were the one who bought it up like you knew what you were talking about, so apart from precogs and precrime units like in Minority report, or chemical castration for all men and mandatory bromide in our tea just in case, unless you're on a sex offender list where you can be monitored and directed accordingly, there's not really much else you can do for individuals apart from keep pushing the message not to do it and punish those who do, is there?
there's not really much else you can do for individuals apart from keep pushing the message not to do it and punish those who do, is there?
and in the 'punish those who do' is where we fail utterly . We do not treat this particular crime as the crime it is. 'their sex urges' – heck of an urge there.
is that when i steal a car i have uncontrolled 'drive urges'?
I agree, Sabine. When I saw Al1en's comment, I thought it askew with that standard punishment bit. Punishment (known as negative reinforcement in the 60s when I was training to be a teacher) works (in my experience) only in the shallowest way for activities to which people are NOT emotionally inclined at a deep level, in which case punishment does next to nothing.
I always liked the film 'A Clockwork Orange' because it deals with this issue.. but gives no solution.
throw the darn law book at them, lock em up – no matter how bright their future – and keep them locked up until time served.
or else lets stop with the pretense that we are a nation of laws and simply abolish all laws as there will always be offenders and really what can be done?
Isocrates in Areopagiticus, (some 25 centuries ago) suggested that excess laws was a sign of poor government.
Written laws do not increase virtue, but quotidian customs. Most men tend to take up the customs as moral of the place in which they were brought up. More so, it is evident that where there is a large number of defined laws, it is a signal that the state is badly governed. There are cases in which men try to build barriers against delinquency decreeing large numbers of norms. But well-governed men do not need to fill the porticos with written laws, but simply fix justice in the spirits, and those poorly educated will try to break the laws accurately produced. By contrast, well-educated men will be in good disposition to respect even the simplest codes.
You are so wet Allen always spoiling for an argument. I show example, express concern and say something should be done. And that starts you off with a demand that I delineate a policy to deal with it. Are you becoming an ambush troll I hope not? Well I have given you something to bother about – I have spelt your pseudo wrongly. What's your cunning plan?
To be honest, the way you write leaves me bemused, and often I'm left thinking wtf is that all about, not to mention thoughts about quality over quantity. Tell you what, if you're responding to me in future, I'd consider it a courtesy if you'd make your arguments and points in plain English and help me out a bit. Though it has to be said, to completely shoot it down, in the exchange here you haven’t once given examples of how to deal with the issue you yourself raised, in fact you answered “Don’t know at present”. If you’re going to lie, at least look at the previous posts first.
As for not using my chosen login name correctly, well, that's just a failing on your part you wilfully advertise to the membership here. I don't mind that at all. 😉
Check We are stuffing there future so Our Rangatahi deserve to vote to protect their future but I say move the goal post a bit closer and go for 17 years old to vote.
That is a great discription of Aotearoa Prime Minister she is genuine and is using her Mana to make other tangata lives better.
More putea being invested into our Rangatahi sports programme is great I hope some of that putea get to the Regions.
Tutai shonkys only minute on the Papatuanuku stage was the golf game.
Our change to a green future will boost our Papatuanuku economy and leave Our futures A Clean and Green environment we all know that's a bit had for unintelligent people to Grasp?????????.
Great interview Rangatahi don't worry about the neanderthal they will be rolled into our history books.
The idea of Rangatahi being able to vote has just started. Opinions will change I have seen polls change quite rapidly on some subjects
Yes our farmers are putting them selves under a lot pressure they are isolated with no one to talk to. I tau toko this big barbecue initiative to help farmers who are on a low at the minute Ma Te Wa thing will get better that's the way of life ups and downs tangata just have to stay look for the positive side of every situation Ka kaha.
That's is a huge Strike for Our Climate in Aotearoa Ka pai Ka kaha keep up the good mahi
Shaun Eco Maori won't be flying any time soon not until air travel has cleaned up there act.
Wow that's a big drop for NZ post yes online shopping is takeing off for them it's replaceing posted letters.
The Takia promise of our Aotearoa quest leaving behind only foot prints and not rubbish is great everyone knows they have to get on the Clean and Green WAKA or they will sink.
Our Strikes for Our Climate makes Eco Maori so proud. It is a emergency Our way of living has to change we are only on Papatuanuku for a very small finite time it's not on that our generation is making such a big mess that it will make living in the future extremely hard for the common poor tangata to live a healthy life. The climate change deniers are making out that mitergateing Global warming will make Tawhirimate fall on Our heads YEA RIGHT mitergateing global warming will be the best thing for us all.
I….Eco Maori tipuna new this Phenomenon people power is stronger than people in power he made a Haka
Te tangata Te tangata its the people that count in Te Papatuanuku
Climate crisis: 6 million people join latest wave of global protests
Week of strikes and demonstrations is ‘only the beginning’, say organisers
Six million people have taken to the streets over the past week, uniting across timezones, cultures and generations to demand urgent action on the escalating ecological emergency
“This week was a demonstration of the power of our movement,” said a spokesperson for the FridaysForFuture group which has helped coordinate the demonstrations. “People power is more powerful than the people in power. It was the biggest ever climate mobilisation, and it’s only the beginning. The momentum is on our side and we are not going anywhere
The day of protests began in New Zealand, where an open letter was delivered to parliament on Friday morning calling on the government to declare a climate emergency – following the lead of numerous councils around the country
On Friday there were huge protests in Italy – where more than 1 million people were reported to have taken part – Spain, the Netherlands and New Zealand, where more than 3.5% of the country’s population joined the demonstrations.
Organisers said they were expecting more people to join as the day progressed. High turnouts were expected in Canada, where Greta Thunberg – who kickstarted the school strike movement with a solo protest in Sweden 12 months ago – was due to join demonstrators in Montreal.
May Boeve from 350.org, which has helped organise the demonstrations, said: “We will keep fighting until the politicians stop ignoring the science, and the fossil fuel companies are held responsible for their crimes against our future, as they should have been decades ago.”
Condolences to Careys whanau for their loss of their mother.
There you go people not respecting Tangaroa mokopuna by driving heavy machinery over them to gather mussels spat
FOMA is a awesome initiative way to encourage Maori tangata to get into business It takes a lot of courage to make the leap into business in Aotearoa for tangata whenua as some will try and put us off our mission of building a moanga for Te mokopuna.
Ngāti pikiao culture is looking strong that is great for mokopuna to carry on with their culturel identity kia kaha.
Ka pai to the Papatuanuku waka free day that is what everyone can do to easily drop our Carbon footprint walk and ride a bike for smaller journeys. I don't burn nowhere as much carbon as I use to. I have plans to lower my carbon footprint even more Ma Te Wa.
Pollutionwatch: how does World Car-free Day affect emissions?
Though air quality appeared to improve, measuring the precise impact of car-less days is difficult
Last Sunday peace and tranquillity descended on city centres across the world as many went car-free for the day.
This annual event started in the UK, in Bath, in 1994 with a road closure and street party for the Environmental Transport Association’s Green Transport Week. In 1997 it spread to France with En Ville Sans Ma Voiture (In Town Without My Car) in La Rochelle, and by 2007 it spanned 2,000 cities in 35 countries Ka kite Ano link below.
Ka pai to the people who are backing Wahine and giving them opportunity to have clean and green energy in their own whare. Mana Wahine. I have also read that whaine are making sure that there retirement savings is invest in companies that care for our future generations environment Wahine toa
Jaipur, India (CNN Business)India is trying to bring electricity to hundreds of millions of its citizens who live off the grid. And it's trying to ensure that the power comes from clean and renewable sources.
Frontier Markets is helping to achieve both those goals in the Western desert state of Rajasthan, selling solar-powered products to hundreds of villages. The company is thriving by turning its customers into salespeople.
The company employs women to sell products like lamps, stoves, and even TVs that run on solar power through a program called Solar Sahelis (Solar Friends). Each woman is in charge of selling products to hundreds of rural households
We learned that while the customer — the person paying for the product — was a man, the person using the product was a woman," Frontier Markets CEO Ajaita Shah said in an interview with CNN Business. "In fact, 70% of our users were women and that is when we realized that in order to properly serve the right households needs, women had to be at the center of that value chain," she added.
Shah founded Frontier Markets in 2011, with the goal of providing clean energy to millions of rural Indians while also giving women a source of employment and income. The goals encapsulate some of India's most urgent issues.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made rural electrification a big priority, announcing last year that 100% of the country's villages now have access to power. But the government considers a village electrified if just 10% of its houses are on the grid, meaning over 200 million people still don't have access to electricity.
The Modi government has also set aggressive targets to increase solar energy capacity, and it has succeeded in going from less than four gigawatts in 2015 to nearly 30 gigawatts — about 8% of India's total energy capability. The government wants to increase that to 100 gigawatts by 2022.
The 3,000 women that Shah employs have helped to provide energy to more than half a million village houses in Rajasthan, she said. The women communicate the benefits of clean energy to rural households, but also help Frontier Markets understand the kind of innovations that those households need most, she added.
Another pressing need that Frontier Markets is helping to solve is getting more women into work. Only 22% of India's workforce is female, according to the latest data from the World Bank, one of the lowest rates in the world. India lags behind countries such as Sudan, El Salvador and Afghanistan.
"As India starts growing and moving and changing and evolving, especially with the digital revolution, women are still being left behind," Shah said. "It's really important for us to continuously invest in our women's skills and their education to be able to catch up."
Te atea college is a great organisation that has helped tangata whenua get greater education its sad that they are facing problems I hope they can sort it out and keep the school open.
Kamo school is having problems to we need to taonga all our Maori based education centres.
Te tangata whenua of Alask are going to get a ap to help keep their culture going strong its a great way to use social media to help keep their historical culture Mana Ka kaha.
Yes there was a big celebration in Japan this Rugby World Cup is quite exciting
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
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Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
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Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
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Here we go again: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116055224/jacinda-ardern-feted-abroad-but-emissions-trading-scheme-extension-in-trouble-at-home. The PM is trying to sell NZ agricultural products to the world by praising the progressive element of the farming sector who are working to reduce GH gasses in the production chain. Meanwhile, she is being stymied by naysayers, intransigents, vote grabbers and a media and opposition that depict her as a proxy sexual abuser.
All good in defending Ardern, but are those commentators actually wrong?
[lprent: Of course they’re wrong. While there are a lot of dimwits who subscribe to the great all-seeing dictator theory of management, I’ve never ever seen anyone ever managing it. You’d have to be a complete and utter fool to even think that.. This is probably about as close as you’re going to get to it.
Now lets go back and actually hear your ‘opinion’ perhaps you could explain your theory on it so I can explain why I think that you’re wrong, query the source you parroted it from and spit on your intellect in robust debate.
However that will be a week away. Banned for a week so you can figure out the following.
I see you try this standard troll tactic again, I will boot you off the site permanently. This site is here for your opinions, not for you to play dumbarse debating team / trolling tactical games on it.
I don’t like trolls ]
this whole Inquiry is like the shit they are investigating – so sad they are getting it wrong on such an important area. Time to walk the walk minister
The gang member chosen is I understand someone who has faced up to his own misdeeds and understands the dynamic so is good value. Pity that many politicians who are guilty of bad actions of all sorts don't own up to them, and turn round and try to improve the situation for the people ane the country. People who declare themselves pure of all stain, have never moved from their easy chair.
It's pretty basic stuff imo – you don't get it.
I am not sure that you do either. You are just so sure that you know it all there is no room for any other thought to circulate.
The problem here is the connection between gangs and sexual assault. It's not simply about whether the gang member has made amends, it's about whether the survivors feel safe. This should be the priority.
In this case, complaints have been made about his current behaviour, so his 'good value' is undermined by that.
Edit:
Uh-huh. Sounds as if his presence may be disturbing at present, and if a young woman has been attacked she isn't going to feel comfortable seeing a similar guy to the attacker in the panel or even in the room.
However he would be useful in later discussions after the victims have given evidence and got some comfort from that. He would be invaluable to give background about the sexual behaviour that he has observed, and why and how it happens that way, and his opinions on improving the situation.
I think NZ is embarrassed about sex and there should be discussions about it on a medical and social discussion level to try and get a balanced view about sexual matters. We need to think about it and progress, it is a public health thing, and we owe it to each other and our children to have clear guidelines that fit our modern world which seems to have past rigid attitudes and prudishness lingering. We need to respectfully treat the matter, as important to all for relationship health, and to mental health and understanding of our drives as humans.
Do people generally know about the way that young people go about their first sexual experience? Is there open discussion about sexual matters, so basic to us all? What do girls think about it, what do boys? There should be discussions as part of sexual education at school, or run by Primary Health nurses, and should be in a mixed group with appropriate professionals or community leaders leading the discussion. There might be a model discussion videoed that parents could watch to see and understand the value of this.
Guidelines for behaviour formed by agreement between the participants after discussion, would go a long way to preventing feelings of being pushed to participate and talking about the misunderstandings that could lead either gender to believe that it was okay to push ahead because it would be enjoyable in the end, or some such reason.
I apologise to anyone who thinks that the whole matter should be screened off and the less said the better. I think that has led us to where we are now, just as I think that being obsessed with sex and talking about it a lot, casually, is also in appropriate. It should be a special personal thing, 'Not Given Lightly'. Balance is all.
Don't know what you are trying to say there, but the inquiry is about the state's responsibility for children in its care who were abused (sexually, physically, emotionally). This isn't about sex and sexuality, it's about abuse. That you conflate the two renders your opinion on what is appropriate in the inquiry irrelevant.
There is a concept of trauma-informed or clinically-informed process. It exists because when put into practice it gives the best wellbeing outcomes for people who have been harmed. The inquiry has failed on that in a number of ways. The complaints against the gang member are about his behaviour and how that has affected the inquiry in a number of roles. His expertise can't trump that.
With regard to the issue of women not trusting a gang member, the inquiry should have managed that so he wasn't in a role where that would be an issue. Again, trauma-informed process matters and creates better outcomes.
I saw your comment and have thought about since it was made.
Try and listen to Insight this Sunday just after 8am on RNZ. Part of the reason is cyber abuse and predatory tourists.
Parents /grandparents needs to be educated on how to keep a child safe and a child needs to known what is grooming and what is unsafe contact from an adult.
Governments need to take sexual exploitation seriously both online and tourism.
I have not commented on the safety of adults.
A complex subject.
Could not save changes.
I think you need to have a think about why this Inquiry is being set up in the first place – it is about the innocent victims abused and treated like shit – which apparently continues, in the form of the way this Inquiry is going, to date imo
Sorry marty mars – I do understand that I had suggested something inappropriate at the first. It seems the heariang should be divided into two – first the victims and then better approaches to ensure respect of both genders for each other's emotional nature. I have tried to explain how I feel that things could be done afterwards to lead to less of this sort of trauma happening in the future.
I'm sorry too – I know you are engaging with comments and working hard to put stuff up and debate it – I can be a bit 'shoot first ask questions later' type which is irritating I know.
The purpose of the Royal Commission is to give a voice to the now adults who were children in social welfare care and in faith based care. To exclude anyone who is entitled to be there is to do them a disservice, example a convicted pedophile who was sexually assaulted while in social welfare care.
The Royal Commission needs to establish what the outcome/impact is from an individual's experience of being mistreated and harmed.
Everyone appearing before the Royal Commission need to feel secure about the process.
There are some gaps in the Royal Commission which require immediate action.
From the link above
I was not being specific.
Did your hear what Sonja Cooper said on Morning Report?
Read my last paragraph 2.2
no I haven't
I just wish the focus was REALLY on the victims and their trauma and not some process which may or may not be – but certainly will be traumatic.
This abuse and terror is happening today in this country – it has to fucken stop.
Many many people are going to feel the affects of the Royal Commission.
Being accountable to a person (especially a child) for behaviour which was condoned and should never have been, is a starting point.
british labour party conference has just pledged to 'de-carbonise' britain by 2030..
which makes that local carbon neutral by 2050 ambition – look kinda underwhelming..eh..?
Too soon
"The hope is that Labour will adopt it as official party policy and add the Green New Deal proposal to its next manifesto"
The problem is however as Greta said
“….saying that you’re doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight…”
hmmmm ..solutions are nowhere is sight.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/24/labour-set-to-commit-to-net-zero-
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/23/greta-thunberg-vows-that-if-un-doesnt-tackle-climate-change-we-will-never-forgive-you/emissions-by-2030
Hey, just a repeat post from last night…if anyone else knows of a group of people pushing for the WEAG recommendations to be implemented can you pls let us know.
I think for now we have given up on AAAP
What we would all like to know is what WEAG and AAAP mean. Some of us do, and many don't. Will people stop talking in acronyms because you are not going to reach your potential audience to make your point if they don't know what you are talking about?
WEAG = welfare working group
AAAP = Auckland action against poverty
ta – the outer world needs to know, and join in with you to help so need to know these things.
Who is 'we'?
A has been trying to contact them I think.
Ah, we as in I.
a small group https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-24-09-2019/#comment-1657157
You know even one person can make a difference 🙂
But yes, more than one of us and we recognised we need bigger national networks to push for change.
I do 🙂
Thanks. How come your gravatar is different?
My gravitar? Idk.
Weka's.
different IP does it I think. Or different email address.
So Hoskins and Garner think Greta is “hot air and the new Jacinda" and "over played her hand at the un" well that's all okay then 🙄
Garner says if climate change is so bad, why aren't adults doing anything about it? Well wasn't that the point the kid was making?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12270668
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/09/duncan-garner-dramatic-greta-thunberg-sends-counterproductive-message.html
What arseharts, the pair of them.
Horeskin and Garner are Natzi paid shrills trying to destroy Jacinda's reputation by making these types of comparisons, the problem is the RWNJ's will start believing these guys as most New Zealanders are sheep who can not think for themselves and believe MSM ?
Horeskin and Garner are not adults IMHO ?
You can add Sean Plunkett to your list of backside bowler-hats.
Greta says she is a very happy young girl,looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.
She will be when climate change deniers don't run the White house
She updated her profile to say she was now.
https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg
I know, I read the papers. Turned Trump's dig into a quality reverse troll.
What deadbeats – beating up on a kid! No doubt they are put out because all their ranting and raving hasn't had a scratch of the influence of a 15 year old who quietly and respectfully sat outside the Swedish Parliament with a placard on Fridays.
yep they disgrace themselves so effortlessly – their behaviour shows why they need to go – bullythickshakes with the emphasis on thick
What's new? Not worth the effort to write criticising the 'boys'.
I suggest any outrage you feel uses energy that is precious that could be applied elsewhere. Wallowing in outrage is so satisfying but getting into the support works and the promotion of new ways and the thinking of who and what is being hurt by climate change and political maltreatment is ongoing hard labour.
Thanks for your concern, but no thanks.
RNZ are reporting the US Congress leader Nancy Pelosis have announced a formal investigation with a view to impeach the president.
Apparently it is based on an anonymous whistleblower allegations, that link Trump personally gaining political favour, by having investigations in the Ukraine linking Biden to the baddies.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/399542/trump-ukraine-row-democrats-launch-trump-impeachment-inquiry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4kTnP5VJ1k
My very amateur hunch is that if this goes ahead, rather than sink trump, it will embolden him and strengthen his voter support. The Dems will think they have their trump card (boom boom!) and Trump can continue to Fake News!, obfuscate and fib.
Yeah, it's quite the conundrum for the Dems.
On one hand, Don of the Deadbrains has been in impeachable violation of his constitutional obligations from the moment of of his inauguration, and has been vigorously adding to his rap sheet ever since. He has made it abundantly clear he's quite happy to betray his country if he thinks there's personal benefit to be had. So if the Dems don't impeach him, they're basically surrendering their oversight and accountability obligations and the power of impeachment becomes meaningless. Also, there may be political benefit in publicising the wrongdoing that's been done and forcing Repugs into a yes or no vote.
On the other hand, removing the Mango Mugabe from office via impeachment simply ain't gonna happen. There's an absolute minimum of 20 Repug senators that would have to vote for conviction. But watching what happened to Mark Sanford, Jeff Flake and the very few other elected Repugs that spoke against the mandarin manutang has dissolved whatever vestigial spines and principles they may have once possessed.
Hell, even after a successful impeachment in the House, Moscow Mitch might just Garland the trial in the Senate and thereby spare Repug senators from having to even cast an uncomfortable vote. I certainly haven't yet seen any language in the constitution compelling the Senate to hold the trial, whereas the language requiring the Senate to consider Merrick Garland's nomination was quite clear, yet Moscow Mitch got away with just blowing off that constitutional obligation.
So yeah, there's the risk that impeaching Hair Furor in the House without a conviction and removal from office by the Senate might be viewed by enough of the electorate as stupid partisan political games and backfire on the Dems.
Andre
That was beautifully written – a triumph of good political analysis in popular slang and malapropisms?
Great analysis, Adrian. My reckons have a small % following this with enthusiasm, some thinking this will sink the Hysterical Hairdo and for the majority, it will barely register.
BTW do you have a Trump name generator app? The Mango Mugabe caused an involuntary snort.
Sorry Andre, got yr name wrong…
Great comment; informative and entertaining – particularly liked this, which might be more widely applicable:
It looks like the Dems may have evidence yet to be released:
Oops: I can’t find the link address. It was a Guardian news item which appears to have disappeared or been incorporated into another story. Sorry.
yep – I can't imagine they have gone this way without some big gotchas – I don't think the teflon turnipturd will be bothered though – he just turns it around by lying
Hi Marty, Anne, things like modern politics have less and less to do with evidence and truth. Witness the British Prime Minister illegally and unlawfully dissolving parliament.
I don't doubt that there is damning evidence but that doesn't matter if the perception of the great unwashed differs from the narrative.
eg CC is no problem because we have 'clean coal', I heard the president say so a few times.
Equally, I have little faith in the Dems making hay from this.
Akin to Hilary being a sure bet, she will win because she is experienced, it's her turn, she is a woman….
Yes.
Within 24 hrs of the "wonderful" (Trump's words) meeting with Ardern he has:
1) Ruled out any tightening of gun laws in the US.
2) Refused to sign the US up to the Christchurch Call and has made a speech at the UN denouncing the attempt by technological companies to curtail free speech.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/399543/donald-trump-warns-about-social-media-platforms-acquiring-immense-power
Maybe not, a yougov poll has 55% in favour of impeachment over this, if true.
Even among republicans it's 38%. The tide could well be changing.
https://mobile.twitter.com/YouGovUS/status/1176597972659970048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1176602161750450177&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flive%2Fworld-us-canada-49819346
Worst case: the terms of the investigation are too narrow, charges go to Senate, and the repugs exonerate him. Re-election 2020.
Best case: he gets investigated, it takes until november 2020 but the dirt getting exposed is so overwhelming that it scuppers his re-election bid. And then federal and state charges are laid January 2021. He spends the last years of his life shafting his lawyers' attempts to have him ruled incompetent to stand trial.
Middle-worst case: senate convicts him, president pence gets elected as a spiritual cleanser.
Middle case: whether or not he gets convicted or re-elected, New York State does him for tax fraud.
I cant figure out what the dems think will happen here
They cant seriously think impeachment will fly so it must be a set up for the next election. its just crazy,, this will solidify Trumps support
The only rational explanation is that they are completely irrational
It still hasn't occurred to them that they could use a democratic process to get the best candidate and then actually win on merit!…
or is that idea just too radical
So after flailing round for 3 years the Dems think they've finally got their man by saying he's obstructing aid. Oh the irony! Let's see if this has opened the door for Iran, Venuezuela and N Korea to launch their own impeachment proceedings too lol.
Giuliani seems to know what this is all about…
No. It's about tRump allegedly using public money in an attempt to coerce a foreign power into investigating a political opponent.
That is diplomacy – we will withhold money until you do this for us in return.
A touch cynical, but often correct. The operative word there is "us", though. The national interest, not the personal interest of the officials making the decisions.
The essential difference between realpolitik and personal corruption.
Using public money to stitch up a a political rival isn't diplomacy.
edit:
https://twitter.com/tomwatson/status/1176578447134613506
Political rival.. hehe.. "tui". Man, that letter is a barrel of lol's.
There's just so much irony in the Dems carry on. Years have been spent on investigating Trump, and when he recipricates they completely lose it.
The call is only one red flag. A whistle blower went to the IG with evidence of other wrongdoing, too.
btw, the Senate has unanimously agreed to Schumer's resolution calling for the whistle blower complaint to be turned over to the intelligence committees
Essentially more innuendo…
https://twitter.com/aaronjmate/status/1176930298124107776
Aaron should stick to what he's good at; defending war criminals.
You'll like this one then Joe… from another one you called a "war criminal defender"…
https://twitter.com/henryrodgersdc/status/1176957062959521795
It’s not about the transcript of a call. It’s about his ongoing abuse of the powers of the presidency.
And Gabbard? She's a Republican so of course she's going to defend the yam.
Mate is pretending to be too stupid to understand the obvious threat being made. So he can pivot to his one true love, perpetual whining about Dems.
edit: Also interesting is how closely Mate is parroting Repug talking points:
“McConnell also indicated that he hasn’t backed off even an inch from his cover-up for Trump’s criminal behavior, releasing a statement claiming that Democrats have held “a two-and-a-half-year impeachment parade in search of a rationale.” ”
https://www.salon.com/2019/09/25/will-republicans-dump-trump-nope-theyll-cover-up-for-him-until-the-bitter-end/
wonderful stuff thank you maui – must be time for a guestpost from you – be great to read all your ideas on this in one post – that will create a forum for debate no doubt
Thank you marty. I have been sort of waiting for someone like Bill to step in though, he's much better at analysing and writing than moi.
You have a view, shared by many, that tbh I don't agree with AND it would be good to have that difference outlined to see the logic and arguments – I want to really understand why people think the way they think.
Horeskin and Garner are not adults IMHO ?
A lot of Maori men are in prison, but while a lot is made of the percentage to population, they are still a minority to pakeha and tauiwi extremely unpleasant criminals. Have a look at the s.itheads in this nasty murder case. Should these men when babies have been taken from their parents? What sort of parental methods result in adult outcomes who will never realise their potential to be a great, happy, admirable person? Would parental classes for both young people which would come connected to a fortnightly child assistance payment to them, get them on a positive line of child rearing and understanding how to cope and manage through stresses, and be co-operative.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/399497/murderers-told-victim-to-dig-his-own-grave
Those who have worked in the criminal justice system are well aware that there is a massively high probability that the sorts of people you refer to were taken from their parents.
Are you thinking of pakeha who I was referring to?
Yes.
Well lets hope neither of these two ever get out of jail as it's hard to imagine them reforming and becoming valuable members of society.
From the "I am not a believer in conspiracy" files.
On Sunday I visited another town in my EV. While having it recharged at a public facility. I went for a walk with my wife for a block a way and went through a car yard I had visited two years ago while searching for an EV to buy. There were no staff as the yard was closed.
Today on Facebook there is a specific ad on my Facebook Home page from the very car yard that I visited.
Coincidence? It's a startling thing.
Is there a possibility that facial recognition technology from a security camera is at play here? That my very basic cell phone is being tracked? That my car rego was noted when I drove past twenty minutes later? That my EV's electronic key in my pocket was somehow 'discovered'?
Or is it just coincidence and some very targeted advertising based on my facebook activity and previous purchase? As the saying goes, coincidence occurs only when we can't see the levers and pulleys.
I guess I am really asking for comment from wiser technology-savvy heads about how deep intrusion in our lives is based on tracking our personal information?
assuming you are in NZ I would guess it's either a semi-coincidence (based on targeted advertising from other activity), or it's your phone or credit card usage.
If your phone is a smart phone you can turn location services off.
FB will be using your IP address to target advertising, so if you have FB on your phone it will know your general area by how you connect to the internet.
I don't know what happens with EVs, but it's worth checking if it's the EV's GPS. You could ask the manufacturer for details on what the tech is in your car and if it's connected to online services.
I would be very surprised if this was facial recognition, we're not there yet in NZ afaik.
According to David Spiegelhalter in The Art Of Statistics there is no such thing as coincidence, its just a matter of mathematics. "Connected "people, the sort who talk to others a lot, and I know you are one mate, find more coincidences simply because they have a lot more information and contacts. Yes, it looks suspicious but as you say you have been online looking at EV sites, also you were in this specific town using cards etc which ramps up the coincidence possibilities. If you had not gone there would the pop up have happened the next day. Who knows ? . It may simply be the act of paying for the charge up in the vicinity and the webby thing did the rest.
Its disturbing this bullshit which is why I have stared paying for everything with pebbles.
So Mac1 if I don''t come back from the bar with my round on Friday night its because I've been thrown out on my arse.
Thanks, Weka and Adrian. The EV's GPS still thinks it's in Japan. I’m in NZ as Adrian knows.
My cell has a FB icon but I've never used it or set it up.
I did get e-mail acknowledgements immediately of my use of public chargers but would FB know that? That charger also accessed my bank account and was my only credit card use on that trip.
So as you say, Adrian, it might be a webby thing……. perhaps I should adopt your payment method using the asparagus coming out of my ears at the moment.
When I return to work after 3 days off, I am often prompted to offer a review of my hospitality place of work. I have put it down to the location tracker jobbie in my Whoarewe phone.
This in no way makes me think we are under-survielled and spied upon excessively.
you dont use google maps?
you can delete FB off your phone.
"I did get e-mail acknowledgements immediately of my use of public chargers but would FB know that?"
Was that a gmail account?
Might want to check the TOS for the charger.
Location services and the apple equivalent is a generic facility on your cell phone. I haven't looked at it too recently, but it uses GPS, wifi, cell towers, and even near field or blue tooth to try to increase the accuracy of its fix – especially when you are indoors and the GPS signal sucks.
It is also something that quite a lot of apps access, everything from google maps to various other systems that read location information and sell it directly or indirectly to advertisers.
If it's capable a 3g net connection google will be following you around. Need to turn that off, also downloaded any apps? Plenty of them capture location data and sell it back for advertising purposes.
Hi there,
Yep they use all of the things you mentioned. Sometimes car yards/shops use beacons which push messages to your phone (if you have this enabled and didn't realise you could turn it off it would freak you out).
who is using face recognition that they sell to FB?
I'll be watching you
Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/14/opinion/bluetooth-wireless-tracking-privacy.html
paywalled out for this month. Are the beacons the bluetooth tracking or something separate?
Alternative link to the article.
http://archive.li/6sbMl
The beacons connect with your phone to gather data.
The Guardian Firewall team has discovered that a growing number of iOS apps have been used to covertly collect precise location histories from tens of millions of mobile devices, using packaged code provided by data monetization firms. In many cases, the packaged tracking code may run at all times, constantly sending user GPS coordinates and other information.
In order to gain initial access to precise data from the mobile device’s GPS sensors, the apps usually present a plausible justification relevant to the app in the Location Services permission dialog, often with little or no mention of the fact that location data will be shared with third-party entities for purposes unrelated to app operation.
All location data monetization firms listed on this page collect one or more of the following data points:
In addition, some firms also collect the following types of less sensitive device information:
https://guardianapp.com/research/ios-app-location-report-sep2018/
"The beacons connect with your phone to gather data."
Wasn't sure the beacon was bluetooth only, or using a range of tech (bluetooth, wifi, mobile network).
I have location services turned off, usually bluetooth is off, but wifi is often on when I am in town.
not sure how relevant the beacons are to NZ. Yet.
Those free apps you install on your phone?
Well, if its free, you're the product.
edit: they’re here alright
https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/87241219/beacons-making-a-comeback
that's about the US?
If I have bluetooth turned off, how do the apps send data?
It's used by one of the biggest retailers in the country.
When customers use mobile applications developed by Scentre, or logon to Wi-Fi provided in Westfield shopping centres or third party applications utilising Scentre’s infrastructure (including Bluetooth beacon networks), customers provide Scentre with certain information including their contact details.
https://www.westfield.co.nz/privacy-policy
I saw a tweet recently about how Uber and others can use that information to jack up their prices when you're desperate. Joy.
as in the car driver has a device that reads the customer's phone data?
The phone app communicates it to Uber's platform directly. Driver not involved.
Uber determines price rather than teh driver?
Correct. Drivers basically underpaid slaves.
Most likely to be location services on your cellphone is turned on.
The Australian government, along with the RW of Australians, will steal the gold fillings from our teeth if they find they need them.
At present we are defending the manuka honey business that we have been working to build.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/399537/millions-poured-to-ensure-manuka-honey-is-a-nz-only-product
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/399398/tractor-protest-farmers-concerned-by-rush-of-reforms
The protest took place in the township of Ruawai, at the northern end of Kaipara Harbour.
Between 120 and 150 farmers turned up, most of them by tractor.
They said a suite of measures, zero carbon legislation, the latest water plan and the Billion Trees Programme could force some of them off their land.
The Mayor of Kaipara, Jason Smith, said it was a quiet protest but with a strong message.
"They weren't tooting horns, there was no loud noise, people were standing around in solidarity, just being concerned (about the future)," Dr Smith said.
Another Dr Smith!
The Kaipara Harbour is NZ's largest by area. There are many acres of farmland surrounding it and it's tributaries. As more pressure comes to bear against farmers adjacent to waterways, I think the Kaipara region will become a hotbed of discontent.
I think the strongest protest they could mount would revolve around showcasing farmers that are going the extra enviro mile. We all support those guys.
Edit
We do indeed, and should be helping others up by their bootstraps. All is not won though as i have heard of farmers watching their stock eat down the greenery, flaxes, and then stepping past it to get to the stream. So vigilance is required for effectiveness even once measures to remediate pollution are taken.
I understand that Kaipara has had a lot of run off into the estuary? So it is in farmers interest to keep their top soil, and also to keep the estuary water in good health, because I think it is a place for growing spat as a business? Isn't that also where they had the great sewerage fixing bill? It seems there is a lot to do, so just getting together to protest would be not being real men. Getting together to form working groups helping each other for the good of the whole, as well as to meet the government requirements that have been needed for probably two decades or longer. The problems have not shown up suddenly, out of the blue.
And not to be overlooked is the effect of sea rise. I think that it is flat around Kaipara, so the farmers can huddle around a map showing projections of where the sea will rise and how it will affect them. Perhaps dredging and building up sand and mud dunes on which they could plant mangrove or such that would be good fish spawning cover for young fish. That would help to take some of the brunt of waves in storms.
They might get help on their streams from the Environment River Patrol Aotearoa NZ which Milan Ruka has been behind. He has been doing more stuff than the farmers about water and environment health and might have some tips.
I've thought of a word to describe some of the regular commenters here – CAN'T (Carpers and Negative Controllers) and they attempt to shut down discussion, either deliberately or in the nit-picking way they treat others comments.
While it may not be ad hominem comment, it is slanted to give the commenter the feeling that their comment from their mind has nothing to say of relevance and therefore the person is mindless, ignorant, and for many people this is the same as an ad hominem in its effect. Obsessed people may continue to arise despite, but for those concerned for a wider discussion covering all topics it is greatly disheartening.
The reply to the comment will not build on it adding more background, it will not simply correct a mistake. The comment will be dumped on as wrongly quoted, the syntax is wrong, some figures wrong and so the whole comment is useless to consider, and it shows a mind uninformed and with nothing to add to the superior understanding of the person who responds. Wrong, wrong, wrong, so buzz off you inferior person. That's the message and the end result to many, while the lords, mainly I think, of the internet roll on flattening the poppies who might otherwise have got tall before they were attacked.
In other words the message is 'You 'Can't' say anything of importance or helpful – why bother.'
I try to put my comments to the table test before clicking Submit Comment.
'Would I use the same words if I was sitting across the table from the person I'm responding to?'
I wonder if people that feel the need to dominate and seed confrontation in a discussion on an anon message board lead somewhat different lives in the real world.
I wonder. But I get concerned at the lack of participation in this blog from lefties. I wonder if they lose heart. Times are tough and work hours or making do is demanding. But learning while you are going is not wasted time and just raising a query and some ideas and getting response is heartening. If the response is a sneer not. If it is a little query about meaning or the need to put source, or show opinion one way and quote okay. But encouragement is primary rather than scholastic lessons or entrenched opinion coming down on you.
There are some great people out there so those who seem to want to dominate, go schtum. Let it pass, ask for more info. Try to love other people's reaching up for understanding, communication, togetherness. There are some people who I am very wary of, anyone who tries to love and trust all others is unwise, but let's try to find How to get There…?
I replied to your question about comment formatting here https://thestandard.org.nz/the-climate-action-momentum/#comment-1656997
Thanks weka I have copied that and rushed off with it to my lair to study.
"There are some people who I am very wary of, anyone who tries to love and trust all others is unwise,…"
I am curious, why do you think it is unwise to try and love all?
So often I find, first needing to understand the other before I can hope to be understood by them.
Since i read about the Exclusive Brethren leader who commented that a young man who was suicidal over the split between the cult and his family, would be better off dead, should take rat poison, I thought that I can't trust these people. And there were other features of their behaviour which when understood showed they can never be trusted and that applies to a number of cults.
Going round being kind to all without wariness, is being naive sorry gsays – and over time you will find they often understand you very well and prefer to remain obscure themselves.
You are starting to sound like a flower child from hippy times. I think loving all is OTT, trying to have goodwill to all with wariness is good, and helping where you can be kind and being friendly. When you find who to trust, and know the small number that you will ever understand the heart of, then love them. Just don't throw it away like tissues or easy tears, it is precious, there isn't a lot of the real thing around.
ahh.. conditional love.
Love for those who deserve it, good will for those who deserve it, patient tolerance, disdain or disgust for those gone off track or beyond redemption. That says it I think. No need to hang social dictionary tags on it.
That's some pretty pecksniffian stuff there grayzy.
Not usually, however that is mostly because I tend to avoid arguing with people outside of online. It is obvious when you look at what happens on these kinds of forums.
Arguing or even discussing things with other people often means that you need to be somewhat on a level playing field to get anything out of it. But conversations are usually one to few in real-life.
Now I’m an extreme case. I have always had a really capacious memory, lots of CPU cycles, and a habit of thinking a lot about everything. Plus I have been continuously on the ‘social’ nets in some form or another since the mid-1980s BBSes and 90s usenet and have no interest in TV, sport, gossip and anything else that is essentially repetitive. And I never bother to compete or dominate with anyone – it is too easy to just leave them holding a some sinking island while I move on to something that is of interest to me. Plus I’m too damn arrogant to be concerned about what anyone else thinks of me.
Which makes it rare for me to find someone who has anything that interesting or new to me. Which also means that there isn’t that much to argue about except work.
But social networks and especially ones like this, you’re effectively talking to thousands of people at once with a bit of a lag. Yesterday on this site with a quiet day there were 2,784 distinct humans visited and read various posts and comments. 9,978 over the last 7 days**.
That gives a much larger selection of people who can provide the grist for interesting disagreements. It is also self-selecting for people who can argue.
So on here, even if I wasn’t having to moderate, my behaviour would change compared to IRL and has ever since I joined argument forums. I learn a hell of a lot just reading these forums. It is also why I’m also willing to expend time stomping on people who try to dilute the good arguments of a robust debate. The returns make it worthwhile.
//————
** there will be some inaccuracy in that due to people not using cookies or having different ‘identities’ on different systems. However when I analysed it a while ago, the maximum inaccuracy on users was less than 10%. Some of them are single reads from search engines. However that is well less than 30% of all of the users. Something like 40% of users read the site multiple times per week.
Is the 40% return users over the long term, or just the period you are looking at (eg a week)?
"2,784 distinct humans visited and read various posts"
Is the Unique Views, Users, Page Views, or something else?
That is the long-term average for a week.
humans == Unique Users (at least as far as google can see).
You can see this in the analytics summary in the dashboard. But reminds me that I'm on holiday for 5 days starting tonight. Google analytics coming your way.
Sweet!
The graph I'm looking at has Unique Views or Users (not Unique Users). Which one are you looking at?
hmm, ok, it's the Users then I think. Unique views might be some Users looking more than once.
Yep. You have to look at how google collects the information about users.
If you look in the cookies on your system, you'll find tracking cookies from google and others. These come in if you're on gmail or logged in on chrome or any number of other things.
What they also do is to allow google analytics to track user patterns. They do this by allocating a analytics number to everyone.
You should have access to analytics now. If you look under Audience / User Explorer you can see the anonymised data looking at individual user stats. That gives a better idea of how it is done.
😎 That should keep me busy.
That is just play… 🙂
Just don't let it interfere with the serious business of writing posts. 🙁
lol, ok.
So many posts up today!
Yep. That happens.
I’m having a 5 day weekend to do some outstanding work at home. Procrastinating on working on web code rather than my favoured hard-core code inevitably results in me becoming more blog-active…
Oh well the weekend boss is dragging me off to lunch, so I’d expect that there will be an expectation of less blog and more work on her site.
You're a strange man, lprent. Though magisterial about computer shit. For which I thank you.
I'd agree and I have known this for many years.
Hope you're well. I just aren't for the Labour Party. Since you know when. When they combined with the strong. When I logically knew them to be in the wrong. In my young age.
Ghandi a racist? Wouldn't he actually be a nationalist or a patriot/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018714782/racist-gandhi-should-not-be-honoured-at-un-event-researcher
I fleetingly heard it and it sounded like the guy was saying that gandhi didn't like a group of people because of the colour of their skin – in other words he said and acted like black people were inferior because they were black. If so then that is racism in my book.
His own words condemn him.
https://atlantablackstar.com/2015/03/31/not-all-peaceful-13-racist-quotes-gandhi-said-about-black-people/
This academic gets his points across well and is interesting on Brit and the unlawful decision against Boorish's pro-rogueing.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018714767/supreme-court-biggest-constitutional-mic-drop-in-50-yrs
The British Supreme Court has ruled that the decision by the British prime minister Boris Johnson to prorogue or suspend parliament for five-weeks was unlawful. Dr Dean Knight is the co-director of the New Zealand Centre of Public Law at Victoria University and spoke to Corin Dann about the case from London.
A good read and nuance regarding trudeau. Worth noting for our progressives here I'd say
This comment on Mahdawi's opinion article offers an interesting point of view. As I read it I found myself thinking about the political and public reaction to Metiria Turei's 2017 admission of benefit fraud some 25 years earlier at ~22 years of age – NZ lost an excellent MP over that.
I'm not comparing Trudeau to Turei (there are so many differences), but the effects of self-destructive tendencies in the progressive left are worth reflecting on before going full tilt, IMHO.
I found this paragraph in the article to be telling
For me the left reflexive defensive cos someone is a 'good' person or done 'good things' is the real problem. Own it, accept it, try to change it and then get on with it. Defend it or blame the others for being worse and other tactics really do feed the right. They don't need feeding – they need starving and you do that by sorting shit out fast and you do that imo by owning it, being a grown up and doing something about it and then moving on.
"Own it, accept it, try to change it and then get on with it." – good advice, and I wonder what more Trudeau could do now to address the hurt and allay concerns about the choices he made some years before becoming a politician.
Could Canada do better than Trudeau as PM – yes (IMHO). But will they?
Hats off to Simon Bridges. I admire the consistency with which he depicts himself as the village idiot and the certainty he has that the rest of us are too.
The news just had him as saying Tracey Martin should have been more hands on in the Royal Commission into historical abuse in state care.
I must admit my disappointment that he hasn't called for the resignation of Jacinda Ardern over the situation which has arisen with the Commission. Oh well, maybe tomorrow or when she gets back in the country he'll be singing that tune.
The whipping Bridges has been receiving from all quarters must be taking a toll. The most confident of battlers eventually gets driven to stepping aside.
Bridges' repeated deadpan delivery of the same answered question in the house yesterday was the work of a broken man.
Martin answered his 'What are you doing about a pedo on the board?' question straight out of the gate.
"You're a lawyer, you know it's illegal for an MP to have any influence over a Royal Commission."
On and on Bridges went with his prepared supps. I thought Martin was masterful…mistressful?? The temptation to say "I've already answered that." must of been strong. She went into the rare circumstances under which an MP could influence the Royal Enquiry. She had obviously studied the situation closely.
Still Bridges ground on with questions she had answered in finite detail.
I guess they're stuck with him for the 2020 election but crikey.
One of his Bridges' bridge promises has come true. The new Taipa bridge will be open in the next month or so and it's looking great. They have also hopefully solved issues with the largest school in the district flooding. The guys that built it will move onto the Kaeo bridge, that was always their intention. I see Robertson has begun calling the Kaeo job a Labour party win. Gosh they're amusing the way they all try to pin their brand on the wins, anyone's win.
https://www.dealsonwheels.co.nz/trucks/news/1908/new-bridge-brings-benefits-to-taipa
So true. I remember the Nats making a big deal out of the completion of the Waterview tunnel when it was the previous Labour govt, who did all the hard yards.
At least one of Bridges promised bridges has come to fruition.
Yet the troubled waters remain?
Bugger – Simon 'No' Bridges has a ring to it. Simon 'One' Bridges won't work.
Roll on Simon 'Two' Bridges, right up there with Arthur 'Two Sheds' Jackson I reckon. https://vimeo.com/338144148
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2019/09/24/iconic-feminists-to-speak-at-new-zealand-event/
Canadian feminist Meghan Murphy is coming to New Zealand and will be speaking at the Feminism2020 event in Wellington on November 13th along with Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, Dr Melissa Derby, and SUFW spokeswoman Ani O’Brien. These are the feminists they don’t want you to hear. Banned, deplatformed, censored, and harassed, nonetheless these are women on the frontline of feminism.
Sanders won New Hampshire in 2016.
https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1176526908235878400
Seems like she's building that movement she was on about at her 20,000 attended rally.
PM Jacinda Ardern speaking at the UN.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/399573/jacinda-arden-tells-un-words-and-actions-have-immeasurable-consequences
Ta. She really understood the role of the UN well, compared with the buffoon who spoke earlier.
We have always been at war with Eurasia..
Naturally his Bryceness cannot resist fluffing a strawman based on his superior knowing of the NZ public's wishes:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/25/ardern-was-supposed-to-be-the-anti-trump-but-she-failed-to-speak-truth-to-power
Does Edwards really expect the PM to trade in her dignity, authority, diplomacy skills and self-respect by having a slanging match with a Trump, who lacks all three of those qualities. The Guardian should engage better commentators.
And Victoria University should employ smarter lecturers.
Talking of "the buffoon"… he's reached out to Nancy Pelosi wanting to… wait for it… negotiate a settlement with her over the impeachment:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/116088298/donald-trump-tried-to-negotiate-his-way-out-when-he-heard-of-impeachment-inquiry
Unbelievable.
To head off a flood of Press Council complaints about bias, The Harold rushes out a response by one of its travel writers to another's most recent silly rantings: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12270749
Media Council doesnt review bias in Opinion columns. They are .. well opinions but rely on a 'foundation of fact' which means no easily provable lies.
Neither are they expected to provide balance for opinions
Twyford has torn strips off the bumblers in Treasury who botched the financial numbers in a report on Road infrastructure spending
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/116076628/phil-twyford-hits-back-at-treasury-for-misleading-wrong-briefings-that-leave-out-billions-of-spending
"Twyford says the claim the Government was missing $3.8 billion of new transport projects had "no factual basis"
It seems that Treasury was writing reports based on wishful thinking from NZ National
"Treasury has been left with egg on its face for the second time this year after Transport Minister Phil Twyford slammed the ministry for missing out billions of dollars from its calculations.
Based on wishful thinking from the Infrastructure Council, I read somewhere. Can just imagine the neolibs in Treasury giving it a free pass cos not govt.
In part it's Twyford's own fault. He failed to clear out NZTA's Board or refresh its objectives as a Board. Instead he presumed that tilting the NLTP would be sufficient.
Also he forgot to clean out Ministry of Transport, who have guided him about as poorly as it's possible for a Ministry to do so. This is one of the results. Another is the entire regulatory debacle. Another is the light rail strategy disaster and light rail procurement mess.
But the suspicion I have is that Robertson decided to kick Twyford while he was down – ready to be reshuffled – and get another of Robertson's wieners replacing him in Cabinet.
Maybe the entire transport portfolio needs clear felling. OIA suggests that there are problems in Wellington with the LGWM ,the mayors recollection of what he told councillors,and did JAG threaten to hold her breath.
"Justin's advice to us was that this was the best he could do. There was also talk about the Green's/JAG [Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter] influence on the package," the documents say.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/116084129/documents-reveal-claims-green-party-agreement-used-by-mayor-as-leverage-for-transport-deal-in-wellington
ACC posts 8.7$ billion deficit.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/399579/acc-posts-8-point-7-billion-deficit
ACC chair Dame Paula Rebstock said the record deficit was an accounting measure, and in its day to day dealings the corporation had a cash surplus of $570 million.
"The cash operating surplus demonstrates ACC's robust funding structure that enables the scheme to withstand volatility, including falling interest rates."
She said the deficit would not affect ACC's ability to pay claims and it's too early to say what effect it might have on levies, which would be set by the middle of next year….
However, Dame Paula said in the medium term levies would have to rise to cover increasing costs such as medical treatments and rehabilitation.
ACC had a record 2 million claims in the past year, which adds to the financial demands on its funds.
The value of its outstanding claims liability (OCL) rose by $10.8b because of the fall in interest rates to $53b. ACC operates on the basis of having to cover the lifetime cost of all claims already made, and extends that out 100 years to 2119. (Should that be 3119? And why ahead so long, pay as we go plus have some reserves, would be practical but not pure enough for Treasury no doubt.)
No
Next year is 2020, so 100 yrs later is 2119. No need add another 1000 yrs.
Seems to me to be silly to go out 100 yrs , 50 yrs should be fine for almost all claimants and the few after that are inconsequential in terms of their reserves of $43.8 bill.
An increase of $5 bill this year alone- not sure why thay should highlight the 'balance sheet future costs'
Crikey, 100 years?
Labour kept ACC on its full pre-funding trajectory after 1999 partly to build a handy nest egg they could plunder just like the Nats have, but the main reason Shipley et al made the shift in the first place was to prepare for privatisation. Sadly for English, Joyce and chums the Aussie insurance industry were not keen enough in 2009.
Returning the scheme to annual pay-as-you-go instead would remove the prospect.
I'm looking forward to Air New Zealand being regulated by the Commerce Commission as a monopoly on most New Zealand domestic routes, now that Jetstar is pulling out.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12270903
It needs a lot more that Shane Jones to actually regulate price from a company that totally dominates one entire sector of the country. It's akin to every New Zealand motorway being tolled with no alternative route, and no one to hold them to legally hold them to account for the price they charge or how often you're allowed to drive on it.
Or maybe the government can provide stronger scrutiny as the major shareholder.
Or something.
+100
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/399566/jetstar-to-pull-out-of-regional-flying-in-nz-at-end-of-november
Government as usual hasn't the guts to run it's commercial businesses for the advantage of the whole country. There will be an opportunity to charge more for the main flights and subsidise to some extent the regions. And Jetstar shouldn't get the red carpet if they want to come here and get some of the cream.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said it was a shame to lose airline competition in the regions, but the government won't be telling Air New Zealand not to raise its prices.
Mr Robertson was hopeful another airline would emerge.
"We've had times in the past in New Zealand where we haven't had other operators on those regional routes and we'll have to see whether another one emerges but those decisions are entirely for Air New Zealand to make," he said.
"Clearly there's an expectation from New Zealanders that there are fair prices paid, and we'll keep an eye on that."
62 year old man abducts and sexually violates a 16 year old girl. There is a frame around his face from a CCTV picturte. Would that be for facial recognition tech?
I haven't heard lately of any 62 year old woman abducting a teenage boy and sexually violating him. Seems that it is time we had a better approach to enable people to sort out their sex urges without invading someone else's self and respect. There have been some teachers however, so it's not quite black and white.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/399589/police-hunt-man-after-teenager-abducted-and-sexually-violated
” Seems that it is time we had a better approach to enable people to sort out their sex urges without invading someone else’s self and respect.”
What do you suggest?
Don't know at present what do you suggest.
Thought you might have some ideas seeing as you were the one who bought it up like you knew what you were talking about, so apart from precogs and precrime units like in Minority report, or chemical castration for all men and mandatory bromide in our tea just in case, unless you're on a sex offender list where you can be monitored and directed accordingly, there's not really much else you can do for individuals apart from keep pushing the message not to do it and punish those who do, is there?
and in the 'punish those who do' is where we fail utterly . We do not treat this particular crime as the crime it is. 'their sex urges' – heck of an urge there.
is that when i steal a car i have uncontrolled 'drive urges'?
I agree, Sabine. When I saw Al1en's comment, I thought it askew with that standard punishment bit. Punishment (known as negative reinforcement in the 60s when I was training to be a teacher) works (in my experience) only in the shallowest way for activities to which people are NOT emotionally inclined at a deep level, in which case punishment does next to nothing.
I always liked the film 'A Clockwork Orange' because it deals with this issue.. but gives no solution.
So what are the options if punishment fails?
a truly novel approach.
throw the darn law book at them, lock em up – no matter how bright their future – and keep them locked up until time served.
or else lets stop with the pretense that we are a nation of laws and simply abolish all laws as there will always be offenders and really what can be done?
Isocrates in Areopagiticus, (some 25 centuries ago) suggested that excess laws was a sign of poor government.
Written laws do not increase virtue, but quotidian customs. Most men tend to take up the customs as moral of the place in which they were brought up. More so, it is evident that where there is a large number of defined laws, it is a signal that the state is badly governed. There are cases in which men try to build barriers against delinquency decreeing large numbers of norms. But well-governed men do not need to fill the porticos with written laws, but simply fix justice in the spirits, and those poorly educated will try to break the laws accurately produced. By contrast, well-educated men will be in good disposition to respect even the simplest codes.
yes dear.
and thus we get raped.
He didn't have 2500 years of documented government to put paid to that wishful thinking. Doesn't stop business cabals demanding deregulation, though.
You are so wet Allen always spoiling for an argument. I show example, express concern and say something should be done. And that starts you off with a demand that I delineate a policy to deal with it. Are you becoming an ambush troll I hope not? Well I have given you something to bother about – I have spelt your pseudo wrongly. What's your cunning plan?
To be honest, the way you write leaves me bemused, and often I'm left thinking wtf is that all about, not to mention thoughts about quality over quantity. Tell you what, if you're responding to me in future, I'd consider it a courtesy if you'd make your arguments and points in plain English and help me out a bit. Though it has to be said, to completely shoot it down, in the exchange here you haven’t once given examples of how to deal with the issue you yourself raised, in fact you answered “Don’t know at present”. If you’re going to lie, at least look at the previous posts first.
As for not using my chosen login name correctly, well, that's just a failing on your part you wilfully advertise to the membership here. I don't mind that at all. 😉
The UK bookies on Johnson and Brexit.
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/09/24/bookies-slash-odds-boris-johnson-leaving-office-year-10799358/?ito=cbshare
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Check We are stuffing there future so Our Rangatahi deserve to vote to protect their future but I say move the goal post a bit closer and go for 17 years old to vote.
That is a great discription of Aotearoa Prime Minister she is genuine and is using her Mana to make other tangata lives better.
More putea being invested into our Rangatahi sports programme is great I hope some of that putea get to the Regions.
Tutai shonkys only minute on the Papatuanuku stage was the golf game.
Our change to a green future will boost our Papatuanuku economy and leave Our futures A Clean and Green environment we all know that's a bit had for unintelligent people to Grasp?????????.
Great interview Rangatahi don't worry about the neanderthal they will be rolled into our history books.
The idea of Rangatahi being able to vote has just started. Opinions will change I have seen polls change quite rapidly on some subjects
Yes our farmers are putting them selves under a lot pressure they are isolated with no one to talk to. I tau toko this big barbecue initiative to help farmers who are on a low at the minute Ma Te Wa thing will get better that's the way of life ups and downs tangata just have to stay look for the positive side of every situation Ka kaha.
Ka kite Ano
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
https://youtu.be/Z0lufcRgZlA
Kia Ora Newshub.
That's is a huge Strike for Our Climate in Aotearoa Ka pai Ka kaha keep up the good mahi
Shaun Eco Maori won't be flying any time soon not until air travel has cleaned up there act.
Wow that's a big drop for NZ post yes online shopping is takeing off for them it's replaceing posted letters.
The Takia promise of our Aotearoa quest leaving behind only foot prints and not rubbish is great everyone knows they have to get on the Clean and Green WAKA or they will sink.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Our Strikes for Our Climate makes Eco Maori so proud. It is a emergency Our way of living has to change we are only on Papatuanuku for a very small finite time it's not on that our generation is making such a big mess that it will make living in the future extremely hard for the common poor tangata to live a healthy life. The climate change deniers are making out that mitergateing Global warming will make Tawhirimate fall on Our heads YEA RIGHT mitergateing global warming will be the best thing for us all.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/QAB6aXOfUmU
Ma Te Wa
I….Eco Maori tipuna new this Phenomenon people power is stronger than people in power he made a Haka
Te tangata Te tangata its the people that count in Te Papatuanuku
Climate crisis: 6 million people join latest wave of global protests
Week of strikes and demonstrations is ‘only the beginning’, say organisers
Six million people have taken to the streets over the past week, uniting across timezones, cultures and generations to demand urgent action on the escalating ecological emergency
“This week was a demonstration of the power of our movement,” said a spokesperson for the FridaysForFuture group which has helped coordinate the demonstrations. “People power is more powerful than the people in power. It was the biggest ever climate mobilisation, and it’s only the beginning. The momentum is on our side and we are not going anywhere
The day of protests began in New Zealand, where an open letter was delivered to parliament on Friday morning calling on the government to declare a climate emergency – following the lead of numerous councils around the country
On Friday there were huge protests in Italy – where more than 1 million people were reported to have taken part – Spain, the Netherlands and New Zealand, where more than 3.5% of the country’s population joined the demonstrations.
Organisers said they were expecting more people to join as the day progressed. High turnouts were expected in Canada, where Greta Thunberg – who kickstarted the school strike movement with a solo protest in Sweden 12 months ago – was due to join demonstrators in Montreal.
May Boeve from 350.org, which has helped organise the demonstrations, said: “We will keep fighting until the politicians stop ignoring the science, and the fossil fuel companies are held responsible for their crimes against our future, as they should have been decades ago.”
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/27/climate-crisis-6-million-people-join-latest-wave-of-worldwide-protests
Kia Ora Newshub
Condolences to the whanau who lost their pepi to a idiot on a dirt bike in Palmerston North. Dirt bike should be only riden on farms or tracks.
A big scrub fire near Queens Town let's hope they can get it under control before to much damage is caused.
That's good that the girl has been found whom got swept out to Tangaroa while white baiting.
Cool Aotearoa first Tamariki building academy that's innovation at its best from Our Government Ka pai.
War is for idiots.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Condolences to Careys whanau for their loss of their mother.
There you go people not respecting Tangaroa mokopuna by driving heavy machinery over them to gather mussels spat
FOMA is a awesome initiative way to encourage Maori tangata to get into business It takes a lot of courage to make the leap into business in Aotearoa for tangata whenua as some will try and put us off our mission of building a moanga for Te mokopuna.
Ngāti pikiao culture is looking strong that is great for mokopuna to carry on with their culturel identity kia kaha.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Ka pai to the Papatuanuku waka free day that is what everyone can do to easily drop our Carbon footprint walk and ride a bike for smaller journeys. I don't burn nowhere as much carbon as I use to. I have plans to lower my carbon footprint even more Ma Te Wa.
Pollutionwatch: how does World Car-free Day affect emissions?
Though air quality appeared to improve, measuring the precise impact of car-less days is difficult
Last Sunday peace and tranquillity descended on city centres across the world as many went car-free for the day.
This annual event started in the UK, in Bath, in 1994 with a road closure and street party for the Environmental Transport Association’s Green Transport Week. In 1997 it spread to France with En Ville Sans Ma Voiture (In Town Without My Car) in La Rochelle, and by 2007 it spanned 2,000 cities in 35 countries Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/26/pollutionwatch-how-does-world-car-free-day-affect-emissions
Ka pai to the people who are backing Wahine and giving them opportunity to have clean and green energy in their own whare. Mana Wahine. I have also read that whaine are making sure that there retirement savings is invest in companies that care for our future generations environment Wahine toa
Jaipur, India (CNN Business)India is trying to bring electricity to hundreds of millions of its citizens who live off the grid. And it's trying to ensure that the power comes from clean and renewable sources.
Frontier Markets is helping to achieve both those goals in the Western desert state of Rajasthan, selling solar-powered products to hundreds of villages. The company is thriving by turning its customers into salespeople.
The company employs women to sell products like lamps, stoves, and even TVs that run on solar power through a program called Solar Sahelis (Solar Friends). Each woman is in charge of selling products to hundreds of rural households
We learned that while the customer — the person paying for the product — was a man, the person using the product was a woman," Frontier Markets CEO Ajaita Shah said in an interview with CNN Business. "In fact, 70% of our users were women and that is when we realized that in order to properly serve the right households needs, women had to be at the center of that value chain," she added.
Shah founded Frontier Markets in 2011, with the goal of providing clean energy to millions of rural Indians while also giving women a source of employment and income. The goals encapsulate some of India's most urgent issues.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made rural electrification a big priority, announcing last year that 100% of the country's villages now have access to power. But the government considers a village electrified if just 10% of its houses are on the grid, meaning over 200 million people still don't have access to electricity.
The Modi government has also set aggressive targets to increase solar energy capacity, and it has succeeded in going from less than four gigawatts in 2015 to nearly 30 gigawatts — about 8% of India's total energy capability. The government wants to increase that to 100 gigawatts by 2022.
The 3,000 women that Shah employs have helped to provide energy to more than half a million village houses in Rajasthan, she said. The women communicate the benefits of clean energy to rural households, but also help Frontier Markets understand the kind of innovations that those households need most, she added.
Another pressing need that Frontier Markets is helping to solve is getting more women into work. Only 22% of India's workforce is female, according to the latest data from the World Bank, one of the lowest rates in the world. India lags behind countries such as Sudan, El Salvador and Afghanistan.
"As India starts growing and moving and changing and evolving, especially with the digital revolution, women are still being left behind," Shah said. "It's really important for us to continuously invest in our women's skills and their education to be able to catch up."
ka kite Ano link below.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/01/business/india-solar-frontier-markets/index.html
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Te atea college is a great organisation that has helped tangata whenua get greater education its sad that they are facing problems I hope they can sort it out and keep the school open.
Kamo school is having problems to we need to taonga all our Maori based education centres.
Te tangata whenua of Alask are going to get a ap to help keep their culture going strong its a great way to use social media to help keep their historical culture Mana Ka kaha.
Yes there was a big celebration in Japan this Rugby World Cup is quite exciting
Ka kite Ano