I was thinking of all the 'mad man' types the world has had to deal with since WW2–Hitler,Stalin,Mao,Pol Pot,Saddam,Gadaffi,Bin Laden,Chavez,Milosovic,Ceaucescu,Castro,various Kims and now Putin.
The common characteristic was that NONE of them spoke English.
Blazer you left Winston Churchill off your list of imperialist tyrants. He spoke English.
Arch imperialist Churchill muses on how the declining fortunes of the British Empire after WWII could be tied to US global interests.
THE FIRE OF LIFE – CHURCHILL AS IMPERIALIST
The International Churchill Society
Reading Time: 8 minutes
What changes are to be made in the political, economic, and defence structure of the British Commonwealth and Empire? In what way will an ever more closely knotted British Commonwealth and Empire become also, at the same time, more closely associated with the United States?….
…..should we concentrate upon our own Imperial and Commonwealth organisation, or upon our fraternal association with the United States, and put our trust in the English Channel, in air power, and in sea power?
Did anyone say 5 Eyes?
Churchill's musings, pretty much describe the current present world order, dominated as it is by the Western imperialism’ A world Order now being challenged in the 21st Century by arising neo-imperialist nations China and Russia, and their allies. Who want to achieve their new imperialist 'multilateral' world order on the globe. (By force if necessary).
Imperialism is an ancient habit going back at 3,000 years. There is no nation, no peoples, no leaders in history who did not indulge in some form. Like it's economic cousin slavery – both were virtually universal because they were thermodynamically necessary to survive in a pre-industrial world.
This modern habit of presentism, ''A magic moral time machine' where you always win as Bill Maher described it – is little more than speaking ill of those no longer able to defend themselves. Cheap, selective and above all – manipulative.
The empire of Akkad-Sumer was over 4000 years ago.
We have fallen upon evil times, the world has waxed old and wicked. Politics are very corrupt. Children are no longer respectful to their elders. Each man wants to write a book and the end of the world is evidently approaching
Yes you are correct I missed a word – I meant to say 'at least 3000 years ago'.
Empire was in my view an inevitable stage of human social evolution, a consequence of growing populations totally dependent on photosynthesis for energy and requiring more land and resources to enable more complex societies to expand.
And as with all things human there were tradeoffs – both positive and negative but over time the benefits have hugely dominated. We must of course understand our deep past, acknowledge it's often brutal realities – and yet recognise that each one of us is the result of an unbroken chain of smart, tough ancestors who sacrificed and suffered much that we might live. I for one am very grateful and respectful of them.
It is after all how we arrived at modernity, typing our thoughts on our magical computers on a fantasmagoric network that connects the entire planet in milliseconds.
And yes that is a very droll quote – every man wants to write a book indeed!
“Who want to achieve their new imperialist 'multilateral' world order on the globe. (By force if necessary).”
I don't think think this is true. Russia and China are really trying to defend themselves from being engulfed by Western imperialism. Both the PRC and Taiwan support the notion that that together they make up a single country, but the latter regard China's Communist Party regime as illegitimate. The party disagrees, and claims Taiwan as its own, but is not able to take control of it at present. Russia wants to defend its hold on Crimea, which has been Russian territory for 300 years, and which seems essential for Russia's defense.
The common characterisitic of those leaders that didn't slaughter their own people is a strong democracy. How far do you think the apparently English-speaking Trump would have gone if the US democratic process was any weaker than it is?
However, democracy hasn't stopped English-as-a-first language leaders madly slaughtering people in other countries.
The thing that makes me go hmmm is your thinking behind the comment.
The realist school of thought, simply put, is the belief that world politics is always and necessarily a field of conflict among actors pursuing wealth and power. That can explain almost most actions by nations and individual leaders in this thread, plus many others.
Cooperative ideals in international relations are unfortunately just a dream.
Who is rebuilding Dunedin Hospital? Who is fixing Middlemore Hospital? Who is working on Light Rail for Auckland? Who is building State houses all over the country, but especially in Auckland where whole suburbs are being rebuilt in a mix of public and private developments? Who is rebuilding Owairaka Primary school?
In the case of Dunedin hospital, I suppose better late than never. Ardern made a campaign promise that it would be built in her first term. It did not happen (and I doubt that Peters would have been a road-block on this issue – building capacity in the regions was a policy plank for him)
Clark was health minister in 2017 when the new hospital was announced. At the time he said construction would begin in 2020.When asked if the 2022 ceremony meant he had broken his promise, Little said “a promise kept late is a promise still kept”
Its amazing how many people criticise the government for not maintaining promises/predictions previously made about the completion of certain projects.
There is a new epidemic of national proportions befalling the nation – Amnesia. For the past 2 or so years we have been in the grip of a world wide pandemic and projects started 5 or more years ago are only just getting up and running again. 🙄
Ah….No. This was a promise about completion of a hospital during the first term 2017-20. Given that they hadn't even completed the designs by late 2019 – there was zero chance (even without a pandemic) that there would be a completed hospital by the 2020 election date. This was not a project delayed by Covid in 2020, it was a project which had not yet even begun.
It was an off-the-cuff promise by the PM on the campaign trail – when politicians are prone to over-promise what they don't have the capacity to deliver.
This was a promise about completion of a hospital during the first term 2017-20. [my italics]
Nope, you are contradicting your own comment @ 2.1.2. There’s no way a new hospital build can be completed from start to finish in a period of 3 years.
One of their first big moves in their first term was to scope and decide on an appropriate site and then purchasing the Cadbury site, which they completed 1 June 2018.
Mr Hodgson says negotiations with Mondelez have now successfully concluded and the Ministry of Health will take over the Cadbury site in November this year. The purchase price remains commercially sensitive.
"This means over half the land required for the new Dunedin Hospital has now been purchased. Negotiations are continuing with the eight owners of land in the so-called "Wilsons' block."
The first phase of the Detailed Business Case for the new billion dollar hospital is due to be completed in the middle of this year. [my italics]
The official start of the actual construction phase was much later, i.e., in Labour’s second term in government on 3 June 2022.
“In the five years we’ve been in Government, we’ve committed $6.9 billion to rebuilding infrastructure, including new hospitals for Dunedin, Nelson and Whangarei, with more to come.
“These are major projects, requiring a great deal of planning and preparation, and it is a real pleasure to be in Dunedin today to see work on the new hospital under way,” Andrew Little said.
Dunedin’s new $1.47 billion hospital is being built on the site of the old Cadbury chocolate factory. It will have 421 beds, 16 theatres and 30 high-dependency beds.
I suspect, that it wasn't until they were actually in Government that they realized the lag times involved in getting major projects actually underway.
Which brings me to the interesting article by Andrew Kirton – advocating for a 4 year parliamentary term, and suggesting that Labour give it to National first (I'm not sure how tongue-in-cheek that is)
Your assumptions don't make it fact Belladonna. The govt have been dealing with a one in one hundred year pandemic since 2020 when the govt anticipated construction would begin.
Yes. He said that in 2017. In late 2019 (immediately pre-pandemic) they still didn't have plans complete, let alone business case and costings. There was no chance that building would ever have commenced in 2020 (even if there were no pandemic)
The agreed design was approved by Government in Sept 2020.
I think that it is fair to say that they responded to the information that they obtained after they were elected and formed their first-term Government and during the various early phases of the overall project, e.g., they changed it to a 2-stage project with the first stage fast-tracked in order to finish 3 years earlier. I also like to think that this is a much more prudent approach than sticking to an election promise in an absolute and literal manner.
A bit like the 100,000 houses, then. Or Auckland light rail.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that there was significant information that they didn’t have when making the promise (there weren’t any hidden fish hooks – or at least none I’ve seen in the media). It does just seem to have been that they didn’t understand just how long major government projects take.
Election promises have a way of coming back and biting you – which Clark knew well, she was a master in under-promising and over-delivering.
This kind of thing feeds into the narrative that Labour is bad at delivery. And will be pulled out and dusted off by the opposition every time the progress on the Dunedin Hospital (a worthy achievement in itself) is in the media.
Sums it up nicely… although I'd love to know who if anyone told them that Kiwibuild target was even remotely achievable. Everyone I spoke to in construction basically knew it was a pipe dream. Purely based very easy to see constraints on capacity within the industry.
"Fletcher Building chairman's praise for KiwiBuild
KiwiBuild may have failed to hit its targets, but it has brought about a culture change in the building industry, according to Fletcher Building's chairman. "It has focused the industry around affordable housing,"
As I said, they badly underestimated the lag time for major projects.
"Badly", did you say? That's news to me, whichmakes one think, given delays caused by our pretty good pandemic response (2020 – 2022).
Indicative Business Case for Dunedin Hospital Rebuild
[29 June 2017; PDF] New hospital new site
Commentary on timing: This option assumes design, consenting, demolition and site preparation work being undertaken from 2019 to 2022. Actual construction of the new hospital and energy centre is assumed to take four years, with a further six months commissioning work.
Dunedin hospital rebuild [26 August 2017]
“The Ministry of Health is working to secure an appropriate site for the new hospital, with a strong preference for a central city location. Depending on the location the new hospital will be opened in 7 – 10 years." – Dr Coleman
No site prep work done in 2019.
Therefore impossible (even without the pandemic) for building work to have commenced in 2020.
And, as I said above, plans not completed until late 2020.
In order for them to meet their 2019 beginning-site-works target, they would have needed the plans to have been completed early 2018 – to allow 6 months or so for the business case to be done, and contracts to be issued for work to start in 2019.
They were well behind their timeline before the pandemic hit.
You really can't blame the pandemic for *every* failure to deliver.
Incognito's argument that they discovered the complexity once in government, and adjusted their time-table is a lot more convincing than just shouting 'Covid!'
Design for Dunedin and other hospitals was altered by COVID itself.
Hospitals weren't on the "shovel ready" list, and there were also hard overrun lessons to learn from Canterbury and Middlemore. Designed and fucked up under National.
It's a 1-in-100 year project that needs generous design time and simply doesn't matter who's in government.
Scope arguments will likely continue into ECI phase.
I agree that buildings of significance benefit from a cross-party approach, allowing significant time for planning and scheduling – it's a pity that neither of the main parties appear to agree with us.
As a member on the hospital bid team, it beggars belief anyone with half a braincell thinks putting a hospital on a "shovel ready" list would ever work.
"When Labour took office in 2017, we immediately committed to building the new Dunedin hospital. Fast forward to 2020 and we have secured funding , purchased a central city site and despite COVID-19 disruptions, continue making progress. the construction phase is well underway with demolition taking place, ground works progressing and more funding released for ongoing contracts."
"Commentary on timing: This option [New hospital new site] assumes design, consenting, demolition [2021] and site preparation work being undertaken from 2019 to 2022."
They were well behind their timeline before the pandemic hit.
Far be it from me to dispute the opinion of a self-declared respectful centrist vis-à-vis ignorant Labour's "failure to deliver" – remind me again about Ardern's 'off-the-cuff over-promise' MO, and just how "badly" Labour failed in this instance, whereas the Nats were "right on target". TBH it beggars belief – see "100,000 houses" or "light rail."
You really can't blame the pandemic for *every* failure to deliver.
Seems some have almost forgotten about the pandemic – reckon that has a bit to do with the relatively small number of dead Kiwis. Still, Labour delivering a new hospital for Dunedin according to the Nats pre-pandemic timeline can't be all bad – can it?
Incognito's argument that they discovered the complexity once in government, and adjusted their time-table is a lot more convincing than just shouting 'Covid!'
Shouting? The wedge is in. Misrepresentation comes in many guises – as transparent as a transparent thing
Please link to evidence of site work being done in 2019.
It really doesn't matter how hard you spin this – it's a failed promise (in terms of timing) by Labour.
And, has nothing to do with the pandemic – i.e. the failure was evident pre-pandemic.
Of course, if you can link to evidence that site works had begun, or even finalized plans or a business case were complete and ready for action in 2020 – only to be derailed by Covid, then I will certainly withdraw and apologize.
Given that I've provided links that show that the planning wasn't complete until 2021 and the business case until 2022 – I don't think you'll have much luck.
"Commentary on timing: This option [New hospital new site] assumes design, consenting, demolition and site preparation work being undertaken from 2019 to 2022."
Here's another link (to a May 2021 ODT article) on demolition and site preparation work. “Nothing to do with the pandemic.”
Given that I've provided links that show that the planning wasn't complete until 2021 and the business case until 2022 – I don't think you'll have much luck.
"It really doesn't matter how hard you spin this", imho Labour delivering a new hospital for Dunedin according to National’s pre-pandemic timeline is a good thing.
As you put it (grudgingly @2.1.2): "I suppose better late than never."
Anne, I suspect these same people expect govt projects to happen in line with fast food production times and search engine results on Google. The opposition and lazy media just serve to amplify these expectations. It is plainly obvious that a fair number of people have no idea how govt functions and the realities of planning and the carrying out of public works, even in the best of times. Sadly this ignorance is becoming alarmingly more apparent in today's society.
Oh look……here is the national director of brain spin, mud throwing and meanness herself, a classic example in todays Herald………….
It’s time Govt listened to people
Herald on Sunday
25 Sep 2022
Paula Bennett
Photo / Mark Mitchell
Is Grant Robertson shielding the Prime Minister from the public?
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson has stated this week that he believes that threats and abuse towards politicians has increased. I’m not out there anymore so I don’t have first-hand knowledge, but have been talking to a few journalists and other MPs who say it does seem a bit more organised and that there are some people who really want to disrupt and are abusive.
I had more than my fair share during my 15 years in Parliament. I could be a bit controversial and, as Minister of Social Development, I made the most significant changes to welfare that the country had seen in decades. When you make changes in a portfolio that directly affects some of our most vulnerable, people can be scared of change and that can manifest to anger.
I didn’t enjoy it, but I understood it.
I in no way support abuse and threats of violence. I had a few scary times. One where a guy chased me and I got into my car and locked the door just in time. He then kicked the side of my car and started to punch the windscreen — I got out of there quickly. Another protest in Whanganui that was blocking my exit. I was in the car with my mate Chester Burrows and one of the protesters said her foot was run over.
On the whole I found listening to people and understanding where they were coming from was part of the job and actually made me better at it. Hiding from the public and hearing only the good stuff is ignorant and dangerous.
Threats and abuse are not new — but they might seem that way to the current Government. For the first few years of a new Labour Government the country went through what was called “Jacindamania”. No one would dare criticise her, including the media. I once criticised her in an ill-thought-out tweet and was hounded by outrage for weeks.
Then we had Covid and the Prime Minister was held up as some kind of saint who was saving our lives. Again, no one dared criticise her, we turned into a nation of followers overnight as messages were sent through every medium, led by the PM to “be kind”. Simon Bridges dared to criticise our response to Covid — proven right with time — but we all know how that went. It was the beginning of the end of his leadership.
The blinkers have now come off for many. They feel lied-to. They feel cheated. All the promises, all the words about improving everything from child poverty, to housing, to crime, to the cost of living have come to nothing. In fact, we are substantially worse off. Yes, people are angry and they don’t feel they are being listened to.
The thing I feel most cynical about is Grant Robertson saying this week that they would have to look at how they campaign next year. That is because in the past two elections they have had very staged appearances by the Prime Minister — her facing an angry mob doesn’t suit their agenda. They want you to see her in front of a planned crowd, all hanging on her every word and looking at her adoringly. Think about her announcement standing on the train platform promising to build light rail from downtown Auckland to the airport. Carefully staged — oh and of course, another broken promise.
His coming out now was planned and will be used as an excuse for her not to be out campaigning in public. Perhaps the Government should listen to some of those angry people. Understand where they are coming from.
Perhaps they should stop with false promises and actually deliver something and then people might happily get on with their lives.
Perhaps the Government should listen to some of those angry people. Understand where they are coming from.
Paula Bennett is a former Deputy Prime Minister and National Party politician who now works at Bayleys Real Estate as national director customer engagement.
The blinkers have now come off for many. They feel lied-to. They feel cheated. All the promises, all the words about improving everything from child poverty, to housing, to crime, to the cost of living have come to nothing. In fact, we are substantially worse off. Yes, people are angry and they don’t feel they are being listened to. [my italics]
This was a tell-tale sign of manipulative spin and counter propaganda.
This is the National party maitre de who used to hand out lollies and lead 'sing along songs' on the blue bus, who infamously once said that Jacinda Ardern doesn't have the brain to be a leader, that Jacinda stole her sunshine, that is now selling real estate, penning cheap shot commentary in the Herald and staring in charades and mind game shows on TV.
I challenge anyone to give an example of anything of real worth that this now very very bitter ex politician left as a positive legacy of her time in govt and parliament.
"Sadly this ignorance is becoming alarmingly more apparent in today's society."
And when it hits members of your own family who you originally thought were intelligent and astute enough to see through the DP, then it brings home just how serious this age of mis and dis-information has become.
So because some of your family members think differently to you, you believe the causal affect for their opinions is misinformation they have swallowed hook, line and sinker?
Has it crossed your mind you may be wrong? That your perceptions of the current state of affairs is ideologically driven misinformation?
Always – although that's never stopped me having an opinion
When evaluating information, misinformation and disinformation, I let consensus expert opinion be my guide – usually sees me right. Anne’s opinion about her family members may wrong (as you posit), but she’s certainly better placed than most to form her opinion, don’t you think?
No denying the appeal of contrarian views in these uncertain times, but consider the possibility that views at odds with expert consenseses are motivated by something other than a search for truth.
Has it occurred to you that you are an ignoramus and have absolutely no knowledge of my family or their beliefs or disbeliefs. Does it occur to you that you have no right to pass disrespectful judgement about something you know nothing about?
Does it occur to you that you may be the one swallowing mis and dis information gathered from less than reputable sources.
''Has it occurred to you that you are an ignoramus and have absolutely no knowledge of my family or their beliefs or disbeliefs.''
Well, when you write the following, naturally the reader will make assumptions given the topic under discussion and what members of your family have obviously opined contrary to beliefs you hold:
''And when it hits members of your own family who you originally thought were intelligent and astute.''
What about this? :
''Does it occur to you that you have no right to pass disrespectful judgement about something you know nothing about?''
I wasn't passing judgement on your family. I was posing a question to you.
''Does it occur to you that you may be the one swallowing mis and dis information gathered from less than reputable sources.''
Yes, I worry about disinformation all the time. Hence I pay little attention to social media for starters. That leaves serious publications and articles to wade through. And even then bias must be taken into consideration.
You called me a ignoramus with a a knee jerk-like response, without understanding what I wrote, or answering the question I posed. That tells me your mentation has the consistency of kapok. Ironically DMK provided me with the answer you should have.
There has been a lot going on that you are obviously not aware of Belladonna.
"When Labour took office in 2017, we immediately committed to building the new Dunedin hospital. Fast forward to 2020 and we have secured funding , purchased a central city site and despite COVID-19 disruptions, continue making progress. the construction phase is well underway with demolition taking place, ground works progressing and more funding released for ongoing contracts."
In the case of Dunedin hospital, I suppose better late than never.
I suppose similarly – a new hospital for Dunedin, promised by both Labour and National in 2017, built by Labour according to National's timetable. Neither party would have factored a pandemic into their original completion date estimates.
Construction Sector COVID-19 Recovery Study [January 2021; PDF] COVID-19 impacts thus far
The impact of COVID-19 has made 2020 the most turbulent year in recent history for the Sector. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant public health and economic policy responses centred on addressing the human impacts of the health crisis. Yet, measures aimed to slow the spread of the virus resulted in an unprecedented decline in construction activity.
Comparisons with previous administrations are not always easy; I am aware that there was hospital building during the time of the National Government; in Wellington a new Block was built at Bowen Hospital, and I think there was substantial work done at Wakefield. I don't know when it happened but the firm that now does taking samples for medical tests seems to be everywhere, although I was surprised they did not seem to be involved in the Covid injections; Dental firms seem to be going corporate as well – perhaps new Dentists cannot afford the equipment needed these days, so a corporate structure puts the profits with the supplier of capital – and now Warehouse Chemists are setting up bigger stores and may squeeze out local chemists through not charging for prescriptions – they may provide the same sort of competitive market that results in such low prices for groceries at our supermarkets . . . Meantime there are still trucks from three different companies going down my street to pick up rubbish – its got to be good to have the competition – for both profits and of course private companies are automatically more efficient . . . but thank goodness someone else pays for the road repairs from those extra trucks . . .
Twitter going nuts at the moment about a rumoured coup in China. Apparently flights cancelled all over the place, military vehicles seen heading to Beijing, and Xi being under house arrest. Seems to be mainly coming from India, and nothing confirmed at the moment. But would be huge if true.
I read somewhere about Indian websites spoofing legitimate news outlets and stealing whatever content they can get their hands on to repackage as their own.
Pretty sure coup 101 is stop the movement of people.
But anyhoo, I've had a look around and there's not much apart from the supposed prognostications of assorted seers and baseless reckons by anonymous interweb randos.
Regardless of the truth (or, as it now seems more likely, otherwise) – it's a lesson in how 'information' (or misinformation or disinformation) can be so easily spread and become mainstream (i.e. reported on by news sources) so quickly. Twitter is a force for both good and evil.
Kantar poll seems to be showing Brown as a clear front-runner over Collins for the Auckland mayoralty in the latest poll – conducted after Viv Beck pulled out.
She hopes no-one speaks to HADP's kid the way HADP spoke to hers. I suspect people will speak to HADP's kid that way and those people will be HADP herself, and her grandfather husband.
Oh dear, MoH has corrected one of its many webpages.
Last week, the ministry amended information on its webpage about transgender children and young people, removing the words “safe and fully reversible” from a section about puberty blockers.
AFAIK, despite lack of clinical evidence for use in "affirming healthcare", and increasing evidence of harm, the MoE website changes do not reflect a change in prescribing protocols – as they should.
Those who have asked the Ministry to justify use, also keep an eye on messaging.
You can groan and sigh all you like Incognito. But when the cases of detransitioners start rolling in, it will be those of us who spoke up and pushed back against this harmful ideology that will be off the hook.
The rest of you. Well you will have to admit you were wrong and defended the medical transitioning of children who are left with irreversible damage.
Given that I have neither treated nor suggested a child to undergo or not undergo transitioning treatment I can assure that my conscience is as clear as yours. FWIW, I’ll leave the moral judgement of the specialists involved in such treatments to those who are better equipped to do so and who have all the facts of each individual case.
Yes, Ad. He went there. Briefly, pointlessly and with little intention other than to… what?
How much time have you spent on looking for the background to New Zealand's current approach to the treatment of minors? I'm assuming it's very little, because you would not be so casual.
But, hey ho. Return to your usual discussion. (Which bores me to tears, but I have the self-control to not assume that my boredom should stop others being interested in it, and pass judgement.)
Do you know the latest Standards of Care from the WPATH guidelines that we base on health care on, removed any minimum ages from medical intervention, and included a section on eunuchs as a gender identity, complete with reference to child eunuchs?
to me it looks like MoH passed the buck. When the court cases arrive, it will be individual doctors not the MoH being held accountable. Clever, having a bob both ways.
I would assume so, but the chances of a detransitioner (or more than one) wanting to take a case to court increases with time and because the numbers of prescriptions has been increasing.
AFAIK this surreptitious website edit does not indicate a change of care, which will become increasingly inexcusable as the evidence of harm continues to grow.
ACC may argue that side effects from transition treatments were ordinary consequences.
Then there is complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner, which has to first go to the relevant service or professional body. This isn't a court case either, but does have a high enough profile that a complaint going back to the Commissioner to investigate would be high profile. Would be interesting to see what the Commissioner did with this, given the pressures from both sides. Afaik, the Commissioner can't make legal binding requirements. But it's the public coverage that would be key.
Don't know if the Minister of Health can be taken to court.
In the UK Judicial Reviews are being used. In NZ,
Going to the courts (“Judicial review”) – Any decision made by a government agency or individual official under a power given by an Act can be challenged in the courts if the decision-maker went outside their legal powers in making the decision. This is called “judicial review”. To do this, you’ll have to go to the High Court. Usually the judge will focus on whether the decision-maker followed the process the law sets down for making the decision. (See, in this chapter, “Going to the courts: ‘Judicial review’”.)
That’s a rather cynical view, IMO. It is and always has been to the treating specialist(s). MoH has finally seen the light of day to amend the info on their website, which was overdue.
Yup, uncertainty on behalf of MoH, balancing between providing accurate information & advice on a controversial topic/issue and a rapidly changing space of medical, legal, and social-public opinions, mostly overseas.
Oh, and quite possibly lack of suitably qualified staff to take responsibility.
The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, was forceful this Thursday in pointing out that the Latin American left cannot have a double standard when it comes to human rights, and expressed that he is angry that there are sectors that do not condemn the abuses committed in Venezuela or Nicaragua. "It really bothers me when you're on the left and then you condemn the violation of human rights in Yemen or El Salvador, but you can't talk about Venezuela or Nicaragua," he assured during a conversation at Columbia University. Boric stated that “it does not matter if you are from the extreme right or extreme left. They are civilizing mandates. Respect for human rights cannot have a double standard” The Chilean president recalled that when the human rights abuses began in Venezuela during the government of Hugo Chávez, sectors of the left avoided condemning him.
I hadn't realised that the recent flow of insightful media coverage of the justice system, and the problems and inequities therein, were the result of a specific project.
Journalists are shining a light on our legal system, revealing some important cases and systemic problems. They're doing so in the face of impediments inside the courts and uncertainty about where the money to pay for the reporting will come from.
project Open Justice Te Pātiti, which is funded to employ 15 specialist journalists to cover everything from the Supreme Court to the Tenancy Tribunal.
The project has increased coverage of our courts across the country, including several in smaller towns and regions that have not seen regular scrutiny in some time.
I would definitely support continued funding for Open Justice. The more light we shine on justice and injustice the better.
Open Justice's future is far from guaranteed. Its funding runs out in September next year, though NZME can apply for further funds in either of the two final PIJF rounds.
I love the flexibility inherent in this design of modular tiny houses.
Yes, of course there are fish hooks in terms of consenting, etc – not to mention site coverage rules – but the whole concept of a house that grows and/or shrinks as your family circumstances change is awesome.
TBH – I don't think lobbying them is going to achieve much. Action needs to happen at a national level.
Councils are running scared (terrified more likely) over the whole leaky buildings saga which is still grinding its way through the court system (apparently new leaky buildings – including relatively recent builds – are still popping up). So often Council is the 'last man standing' and wears the cost for reparations of faults in building design, materials and workmanship (all other parties having wound up their business) – because they signed off on them at the time.
Until NZ finds a way to decouple Council responsibility from liability – Councils will be highly motivated to be as conservative as they possibly can be in terms of design approval. They also have issues around infrastructure – given the way the rates-based funding is tied to value of the property/land. A sewerage/stormwater connection (for example) costs just as much for a tiny house, as it does for a property worth 3x the price – and the family occupying the tiny house are equally likely to use Council services like pools or libraries – but the higher valued property pays a lot more in rates. Hence Councils are motivated to sign-off on high-value builds, rather than cheaper tiny houses.
My solution would be for the developer/builder/architect to be required to take out insurance against flaws in development/construction/design which impact on the habitability of the house. A one-off cost paid at the completion of the build (Switzerland does this). If there is a leaky building scenario (or any other build quality issue) – then the insurance companies fight it out. [I'd also legislate that they have to pay for repair/remediation up-front – while they're carrying on their legal battles over who pays in the background] And, developers/builders/architects who have ongoing issues, will be unable to get insurance, and will go out of business.
Such an insurance scheme could not happen in New Zealand.
It would immediately be framed as 'another tax' by ZB/ Herald arm of the National party – adding further to construction costs – stealing money from hard working Kiwis…
Depends on how it’s framed.
I think that many, many homeowners would like to see an effective scheme, rather than being forced (as they currently are) to go through the Courts in the hope of gaining redress.
We have experience in this area – from some years back admittedly – and I totally agree with you. Our building industry has struggled for decades with numerous problems and what you have described is absolutely one of the more significant ones.
I rather like your solution – although it would be good to have some carveouts to allow quality owner builder work to be permitted.
I don't have a problem with owner building work, so long as the owner wears the long term cost if problems eventuate. Insurance could cover this, as well.
"Until NZ finds a way to decouple Council responsibility from liability"
The LBP mechanism does decouple the councils from liability.
A consequence has also been that there is no one agency responsible for ensuring projects are built to plan, and to N Z Building Standards. That is now distributed amongst the local authorities and the associated Licensed Building Practitioners.
Master build guarantee supposedly does…and the consenting authority is ultimately liable.
As we have discovered having 'insurance' is no guarantee all loses will be made good….at best insurance may provide partial recompense in some situations.
The question is at what level of additional cost/risk is it viable?
The consenting authority ultimately being liable is part of the problem. What that actually means is that the cost/risk is spread across the ratepayers. And strongly incentivises high compliance fees and low risk consents (you want to do something 'different' be prepared to pay multiple tens of thousands up front)
Masterbuild guarantees spreads the cost/risk across a small number of builder members. It has always seemed to me to be a marketing tool, rather than an insurance protection.
Insurance, which is then re-insured off-shore, spreads the risk much more widely.
ATM developers routinely wind up their company at the end of each build – to ensure they are not liable for any downstream build-quality consequences. Insurance would be one mechanism to ensure that they couldn't opt out of their responsibilities.
It's affordable and effective in Switzerland (had a long discussion a couple of years ago with a Swiss/Kiwi friend renovating a house in NZ who was horrified at the apparent immunity of builders/developers here).
All insurance whether private or public is ultimately borne by the populous and reinsurance /insurance only remains so long as it is viable for the party(its) underwriting it. LLC ability to wind up is not altered by the presence of insurance and ICs can themselves 'wind up' (a la AMI)…the ultimate 'last man standing' will always be the Gov, both state and local….and any dispute is determined by the courts, whether it be with developer, IC or even the government.
We can demand all sorts of conditions on doing business here should we so desire….provided we are prepared for the possibility that no one will deem it worth the cost/risk to do so (and also that one way or another 'we' pay for it anyway)
And, wouldn't it be great if Council's mandated this kind of movable house as the only allowable build in flood-prone areas (looking at you North Shore beach-front) – every time a multi-millionaire wants to replace the house (happens amazingly regularly – looking at the building works every time we go to the beach) – they'd have to use modular housing….
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
I was thinking of all the 'mad man' types the world has had to deal with since WW2–Hitler,Stalin,Mao,Pol Pot,Saddam,Gadaffi,Bin Laden,Chavez,Milosovic,Ceaucescu,Castro,various Kims and now Putin.
The common characteristic was that NONE of them spoke English.
Things that make you go….hmmmm.
Except for—- those that did.
Correction as their first language.
That was not my meaning.
Blazer you left Winston Churchill off your list of imperialist tyrants. He spoke English.
Arch imperialist Churchill muses on how the declining fortunes of the British Empire after WWII could be tied to US global interests.
Did anyone say 5 Eyes?
Churchill's musings, pretty much describe the current present world order, dominated as it is by the Western imperialism’ A world Order now being challenged in the 21st Century by arising neo-imperialist nations China and Russia, and their allies. Who want to achieve their new imperialist 'multilateral' world order on the globe. (By force if necessary).
I don't know that you could accuse Churchill of mass-murder against his own citizens – as practised by most of the initial list.
If you want to denounce imperialism – then you'll need to add leaders of China, the US and France to the list.
Imperialism is an ancient habit going back at 3,000 years. There is no nation, no peoples, no leaders in history who did not indulge in some form. Like it's economic cousin slavery – both were virtually universal because they were thermodynamically necessary to survive in a pre-industrial world.
This modern habit of presentism, ''A magic moral time machine' where you always win as Bill Maher described it – is little more than speaking ill of those no longer able to defend themselves. Cheap, selective and above all – manipulative.
The empire of Akkad-Sumer was over 4000 years ago.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/10/22/world-end/
Attributed to Naram-Sin ruler of Akkad-Sumer
Yes you are correct I missed a word – I meant to say 'at least 3000 years ago'.
Empire was in my view an inevitable stage of human social evolution, a consequence of growing populations totally dependent on photosynthesis for energy and requiring more land and resources to enable more complex societies to expand.
And as with all things human there were tradeoffs – both positive and negative but over time the benefits have hugely dominated. We must of course understand our deep past, acknowledge it's often brutal realities – and yet recognise that each one of us is the result of an unbroken chain of smart, tough ancestors who sacrificed and suffered much that we might live. I for one am very grateful and respectful of them.
It is after all how we arrived at modernity, typing our thoughts on our magical computers on a fantasmagoric network that connects the entire planet in milliseconds.
And yes that is a very droll quote – every man wants to write a book indeed!
“Who want to achieve their new imperialist 'multilateral' world order on the globe. (By force if necessary).”
I don't think think this is true. Russia and China are really trying to defend themselves from being engulfed by Western imperialism. Both the PRC and Taiwan support the notion that that together they make up a single country, but the latter regard China's Communist Party regime as illegitimate. The party disagrees, and claims Taiwan as its own, but is not able to take control of it at present. Russia wants to defend its hold on Crimea, which has been Russian territory for 300 years, and which seems essential for Russia's defense.
And they needed to invade their sovereign neighbour to do so, right?
Right. It would have been hard to defend if the only access for them is by sea.
And they had to go via Kyiv, didn't they.
/
The common characterisitic of those leaders that didn't slaughter their own people is a strong democracy. How far do you think the apparently English-speaking Trump would have gone if the US democratic process was any weaker than it is?
However, democracy hasn't stopped English-as-a-first language leaders madly slaughtering people in other countries.
The thing that makes me go hmmm is your thinking behind the comment.
The realist school of thought, simply put, is the belief that world politics is always and necessarily a field of conflict among actors pursuing wealth and power. That can explain almost most actions by nations and individual leaders in this thread, plus many others.
Cooperative ideals in international relations are unfortunately just a dream.
“Previous Labour governments built schools, hospitals, public transportation networks, entire suburbs. Why can’t they?”
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2022/09/24/the-power-and-privilege-of-the-professional-managerial-class/
Why indeed.
Who is rebuilding Dunedin Hospital? Who is fixing Middlemore Hospital? Who is working on Light Rail for Auckland? Who is building State houses all over the country, but especially in Auckland where whole suburbs are being rebuilt in a mix of public and private developments? Who is rebuilding Owairaka Primary school?
And Onehunga Primary School
In the case of Dunedin hospital, I suppose better late than never. Ardern made a campaign promise that it would be built in her first term. It did not happen (and I doubt that Peters would have been a road-block on this issue – building capacity in the regions was a policy plank for him)
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/labour-promises-new-dunedin-hospital.html
"Ms Ardern believed that the hospital would be finished sooner than within the seven to ten years that National had set out."
Given that it's taken nearly 5 years to break the ground on it (June this year) – it seems as though the 7-10 years is right on target,
https://www.newdunedinhospital.nz/latest-news/start-of-major-infrastructure-work/
"The first stage of the project, the outpatients building, is on schedule to open in 2025. The inpatient building will open in 2028."
'A promise kept late is a promise kept'
Clark was health minister in 2017 when the new hospital was announced. At the time he said construction would begin in 2020.When asked if the 2022 ceremony meant he had broken his promise, Little said “a promise kept late is a promise still kept”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/128852478/a-promise-kept-late-is-a-promise-kept-one-of-nzs-biggest-infrastructure-projects-finally-under-way
Its amazing how many people criticise the government for not maintaining promises/predictions previously made about the completion of certain projects.
There is a new epidemic of national proportions befalling the nation – Amnesia. For the past 2 or so years we have been in the grip of a world wide pandemic and projects started 5 or more years ago are only just getting up and running again. 🙄
Ah….No. This was a promise about completion of a hospital during the first term 2017-20. Given that they hadn't even completed the designs by late 2019 – there was zero chance (even without a pandemic) that there would be a completed hospital by the 2020 election date. This was not a project delayed by Covid in 2020, it was a project which had not yet even begun.
It was an off-the-cuff promise by the PM on the campaign trail – when politicians are prone to over-promise what they don't have the capacity to deliver.
Nope, you are contradicting your own comment @ 2.1.2. There’s no way a new hospital build can be completed from start to finish in a period of 3 years.
My apologies – you are quite correct. Labour committed to beginning the build within its first term in Government, and failed to do so.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/labour-promises-new-dunedin-hospital.html
No worries.
One of their first big moves in their first term was to scope and decide on an appropriate site and then purchasing the Cadbury site, which they completed 1 June 2018.
https://www.newdunedinhospital.nz/latest-news/cadbury-site-signed-and-sealed/
The official start of the actual construction phase was much later, i.e., in Labour’s second term in government on 3 June 2022.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dunedin-hospital-construction-signals-start-major-health-infrastructure-work#:~:text=The%20first%20stage%20of%20the,million%20to%20the%20local%20economy.
I suspect, that it wasn't until they were actually in Government that they realized the lag times involved in getting major projects actually underway.
Which brings me to the interesting article by Andrew Kirton – advocating for a 4 year parliamentary term, and suggesting that Labour give it to National first (I'm not sure how tongue-in-cheek that is)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/andrew-kirton-length-of-parliamentary-term-voting-age-back-on-the-agenda/NXSRNFNA7ZRTZMOHNRTBV4KTA4/
Your assumptions don't make it fact Belladonna. The govt have been dealing with a one in one hundred year pandemic since 2020 when the govt anticipated construction would begin.
"At the time he said construction would begin in 2020" Then the pandemic struck.
Yes. He said that in 2017. In late 2019 (immediately pre-pandemic) they still didn't have plans complete, let alone business case and costings. There was no chance that building would ever have commenced in 2020 (even if there were no pandemic)
The agreed design was approved by Government in Sept 2020.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-confirms-new-dunedin-hospital-design
The final business case wasn't completed until May 2021.
https://www.newdunedinhospital.nz/latest-news/final-detailed-business-case-approved-for-new-dunedin-hospital/
As I said, they badly underestimated the lag time for major projects.
I think that it is fair to say that they responded to the information that they obtained after they were elected and formed their first-term Government and during the various early phases of the overall project, e.g., they changed it to a 2-stage project with the first stage fast-tracked in order to finish 3 years earlier. I also like to think that this is a much more prudent approach than sticking to an election promise in an absolute and literal manner.
A bit like the 100,000 houses, then. Or Auckland light rail.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that there was significant information that they didn’t have when making the promise (there weren’t any hidden fish hooks – or at least none I’ve seen in the media). It does just seem to have been that they didn’t understand just how long major government projects take.
Election promises have a way of coming back and biting you – which Clark knew well, she was a master in under-promising and over-delivering.
This kind of thing feeds into the narrative that Labour is bad at delivery. And will be pulled out and dusted off by the opposition every time the progress on the Dunedin Hospital (a worthy achievement in itself) is in the media.
Politicians are about .0005% of a major infrastructure project.
About 30% of time and cost is design.
About 10% consenting.
About 55% construction, variations, overruns, inflation
And maybe 6% profit. If it goes well.
Agree Labour have been writing cheques with their mouth their asses couldn't cash. Young and dumb and hadn't so much adrun a bath.
Thankfully they are almost nothing to do with it.
Sums it up nicely… although I'd love to know who if anyone told them that Kiwibuild target was even remotely achievable. Everyone I spoke to in construction basically knew it was a pipe dream. Purely based very easy to see constraints on capacity within the industry.
sigh
@Belladonna.
Although there has been a Kiwibuild reset in 2019, this govt have outdone themselves on State and transitional housing
"A major milestone of 10,037 additional public homes has been achieved since Labour came into office"
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/10000-more-permanent-public-homes-added-under-labour-government
"The Government is announcing new initiatives to help more New Zealanders into homeownership through its KiwiBuild reset"
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-resets-kiwibuild-help-more-new-zealanders-home-ownership
"Fletcher Building chairman's praise for KiwiBuild
KiwiBuild may have failed to hit its targets, but it has brought about a culture change in the building industry, according to Fletcher Building's chairman. "It has focused the industry around affordable housing,"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117846966/fletcher-building-chairmans-praise-for-kiwibuild
"Simon Wilson: In praise of Government's KiwiBuild housing scheme"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/simon-wilson-in-praise-of-governments-kiwibuild-housing-scheme/SP5U4XGB4OAAFXEA6MAZ56I2OM/
National left a 71,000 housing shortage
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mbie-figures-show-nationwide-housing-shortage-of-71000/55NUUYNFWZA3OJTTDCHF7W3T4I/
Fast forward to 2022
"NZ will have a housing surplus in 12 months – Kiwibank"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/nz-will-have-a-housing-surplus-in-12-months-kiwibank/6ABPUEGRN4I4ZTVYDST2B7MTCI/
https://infrastructurepipeline.org/project/new-dunedin-hospital
"Badly", did you say? That's news to me, which makes one think, given delays caused by our pretty good pandemic response (2020 – 2022).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/99678845/war-of-words-over-dunedin-hospital-rebuild
No site prep work done in 2019.
Therefore impossible (even without the pandemic) for building work to have commenced in 2020.
And, as I said above, plans not completed until late 2020.
In order for them to meet their 2019 beginning-site-works target, they would have needed the plans to have been completed early 2018 – to allow 6 months or so for the business case to be done, and contracts to be issued for work to start in 2019.
They were well behind their timeline before the pandemic hit.
You really can't blame the pandemic for *every* failure to deliver.
Incognito's argument that they discovered the complexity once in government, and adjusted their time-table is a lot more convincing than just shouting 'Covid!'
They redesigned piling for example after more Geotechnical study.
Design for Dunedin and other hospitals was altered by COVID itself.
Hospitals weren't on the "shovel ready" list, and there were also hard overrun lessons to learn from Canterbury and Middlemore. Designed and fucked up under National.
It's a 1-in-100 year project that needs generous design time and simply doesn't matter who's in government.
Scope arguments will likely continue into ECI phase.
Wellington childrens not affected so much,when the donors maintained project control.
Wellington health is committing no extra services to current baseline for that hospital.
Dumb donor agreement, opening doors to fuck all.
TBH it beggars belief that hospitals weren't on the shovel-ready list in a pandemic.
I don't know a lot about Canterbury – but the Middlemore issues appear to be in the buildings designed and built during the 5th Labour Government.
Although, I think that it has more to do with building standards, than with failures of Government design and management.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/356056/architects-defend-work-on-middlemore-hospital
I agree that buildings of significance benefit from a cross-party approach, allowing significant time for planning and scheduling – it's a pity that neither of the main parties appear to agree with us.
As a member on the hospital bid team, it beggars belief anyone with half a braincell thinks putting a hospital on a "shovel ready" list would ever work.
"When Labour took office in 2017, we immediately committed to building the new Dunedin hospital. Fast forward to 2020 and we have secured funding , purchased a central city site and despite COVID-19 disruptions, continue making progress. the construction phase is well underway with demolition taking place, ground works progressing and more funding released for ongoing contracts."
https://m.facebook.com/DavidClarkMP/photos/a.128562733877834/3443915332342541/?type=3&source=57&locale2=sw_KE&__tn__=EH-R
@Belladonna (5:57 pm)
"Commentary on timing: This option [New hospital new site] assumes design, consenting, demolition [2021] and site preparation work being undertaken from 2019 to 2022."
Far be it from me to dispute the opinion of a self-declared respectful centrist vis-à-vis ignorant Labour's "failure to deliver" – remind me again about Ardern's 'off-the-cuff over-promise' MO, and just how "badly" Labour failed in this instance, whereas the Nats were "right on target". TBH it beggars belief – see "100,000 houses" or "light rail."
Seems some have almost forgotten about the pandemic – reckon that has a bit to do with the relatively small number of dead Kiwis. Still, Labour delivering a new hospital for Dunedin according to the Nats pre-pandemic timeline can't be all bad – can it?
Shouting? The wedge is in. Misrepresentation comes in many guises – as transparent as a transparent thing
Please link to evidence of site work being done in 2019.
It really doesn't matter how hard you spin this – it's a failed promise (in terms of timing) by Labour.
And, has nothing to do with the pandemic – i.e. the failure was evident pre-pandemic.
Of course, if you can link to evidence that site works had begun, or even finalized plans or a business case were complete and ready for action in 2020 – only to be derailed by Covid, then I will certainly withdraw and apologize.
Given that I've provided links that show that the planning wasn't complete until 2021 and the business case until 2022 – I don't think you'll have much luck.
It is not a failed promise Belladonna, when the promise is being kept.
Who made such an unsupportable assertion? Let me at 'em.
From the MoH-commissioned Indicative Business Case for Dunedin Hospital Rebuild [Final 29 June 2017]:
Here's another link (to a May 2021 ODT article) on demolition and site preparation work. “Nothing to do with the pandemic.”
https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/information-release/1-cabinet-paper-final-detailed-business-case.pdf
"It really doesn't matter how hard you spin this", imho Labour delivering a new hospital for Dunedin according to National’s pre-pandemic timeline is a good thing.
As you put it (grudgingly @2.1.2): "I suppose better late than never."
P.S. Not a Labour voter.
And there was only 1 competent NZ bidder with the qualities to build the no 2 hospital in NZ. Which is what Dunedin is.
They didn’t go with the locals so they have to wait for all the specialists to arrive in from overseas.
Anne, I suspect these same people expect govt projects to happen in line with fast food production times and search engine results on Google. The opposition and lazy media just serve to amplify these expectations. It is plainly obvious that a fair number of people have no idea how govt functions and the realities of planning and the carrying out of public works, even in the best of times. Sadly this ignorance is becoming alarmingly more apparent in today's society.
Oh look……here is the national director of brain spin, mud throwing and meanness herself, a classic example in todays Herald………….
It’s time Govt listened to people
Photo / Mark Mitchell
Is Grant Robertson shielding the Prime Minister from the public?
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson has stated this week that he believes that threats and abuse towards politicians has increased. I’m not out there anymore so I don’t have first-hand knowledge, but have been talking to a few journalists and other MPs who say it does seem a bit more organised and that there are some people who really want to disrupt and are abusive.
I had more than my fair share during my 15 years in Parliament. I could be a bit controversial and, as Minister of Social Development, I made the most significant changes to welfare that the country had seen in decades. When you make changes in a portfolio that directly affects some of our most vulnerable, people can be scared of change and that can manifest to anger.
I didn’t enjoy it, but I understood it.
I in no way support abuse and threats of violence. I had a few scary times. One where a guy chased me and I got into my car and locked the door just in time. He then kicked the side of my car and started to punch the windscreen — I got out of there quickly. Another protest in Whanganui that was blocking my exit. I was in the car with my mate Chester Burrows and one of the protesters said her foot was run over.
On the whole I found listening to people and understanding where they were coming from was part of the job and actually made me better at it. Hiding from the public and hearing only the good stuff is ignorant and dangerous.
Threats and abuse are not new — but they might seem that way to the current Government. For the first few years of a new Labour Government the country went through what was called “Jacindamania”. No one would dare criticise her, including the media. I once criticised her in an ill-thought-out tweet and was hounded by outrage for weeks.
Then we had Covid and the Prime Minister was held up as some kind of saint who was saving our lives. Again, no one dared criticise her, we turned into a nation of followers overnight as messages were sent through every medium, led by the PM to “be kind”. Simon Bridges dared to criticise our response to Covid — proven right with time — but we all know how that went. It was the beginning of the end of his leadership.
The blinkers have now come off for many. They feel lied-to. They feel cheated. All the promises, all the words about improving everything from child poverty, to housing, to crime, to the cost of living have come to nothing. In fact, we are substantially worse off. Yes, people are angry and they don’t feel they are being listened to.
The thing I feel most cynical about is Grant Robertson saying this week that they would have to look at how they campaign next year. That is because in the past two elections they have had very staged appearances by the Prime Minister — her facing an angry mob doesn’t suit their agenda. They want you to see her in front of a planned crowd, all hanging on her every word and looking at her adoringly. Think about her announcement standing on the train platform promising to build light rail from downtown Auckland to the airport. Carefully staged — oh and of course, another broken promise.
His coming out now was planned and will be used as an excuse for her not to be out campaigning in public. Perhaps the Government should listen to some of those angry people. Understand where they are coming from.
Perhaps they should stop with false promises and actually deliver something and then people might happily get on with their lives.
Perhaps the Government should listen to some of those angry people. Understand where they are coming from.
Paula Bennett is a former Deputy Prime Minister and National Party politician who now works at Bayleys Real Estate as national director customer engagement.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/paula-bennett-its-time-the-government-listened-to-the-people/OOP2S4U3Q6RSXFWAHBPGVWI2LE/
This was a tell-tale sign of manipulative spin and counter propaganda.
This is the National party maitre de who used to hand out lollies and lead 'sing along songs' on the blue bus, who infamously once said that Jacinda Ardern doesn't have the brain to be a leader, that Jacinda stole her sunshine, that is now selling real estate, penning cheap shot commentary in the Herald and staring in charades and mind game shows on TV.
I challenge anyone to give an example of anything of real worth that this now very very bitter ex politician left as a positive legacy of her time in govt and parliament.
"Sadly this ignorance is becoming alarmingly more apparent in today's society."
And when it hits members of your own family who you originally thought were intelligent and astute enough to see through the DP, then it brings home just how serious this age of mis and dis-information has become.
So because some of your family members think differently to you, you believe the causal affect for their opinions is misinformation they have swallowed hook, line and sinker?
Has it crossed your mind you may be wrong? That your perceptions of the current state of affairs is ideologically driven misinformation?
Always – although that's never stopped me having an opinion
When evaluating information, misinformation and disinformation, I let consensus expert opinion be my guide – usually sees me right. Anne’s opinion about her family members may wrong (as you posit), but she’s certainly better placed than most to form her opinion, don’t you think?
No denying the appeal of contrarian views in these uncertain times, but consider the possibility that views at odds with expert consenseses are motivated by something other than a search for truth.
https://thinkingispower.com/how-to-inoculate-yourself-against-misinformation/
Has it occurred to you that you are an ignoramus and have absolutely no knowledge of my family or their beliefs or disbeliefs. Does it occur to you that you have no right to pass disrespectful judgement about something you know nothing about?
Does it occur to you that you may be the one swallowing mis and dis information gathered from less than reputable sources.
What a jerk-like response!
''Has it occurred to you that you are an ignoramus and have absolutely no knowledge of my family or their beliefs or disbeliefs.''
Well, when you write the following, naturally the reader will make assumptions given the topic under discussion and what members of your family have obviously opined contrary to beliefs you hold:
''And when it hits members of your own family who you originally thought were intelligent and astute.''
What about this? :
''Does it occur to you that you have no right to pass disrespectful judgement about something you know nothing about?''
I wasn't passing judgement on your family. I was posing a question to you.
''Does it occur to you that you may be the one swallowing mis and dis information gathered from less than reputable sources.''
Yes, I worry about disinformation all the time. Hence I pay little attention to social media for starters. That leaves serious publications and articles to wade through. And even then bias must be taken into consideration.
You called me a ignoramus with a a knee jerk-like response, without understanding what I wrote, or answering the question I posed. That tells me your mentation has the consistency of kapok. Ironically DMK provided me with the answer you should have.
Clark is right.
They are hard deals to get through government because they are big fucking deals.
Neither do your assumptions (that the pandemic intervened) make it fact.
I've provided evidence that they were well off track on their timeline in 2019.
Where is your evidence that they were all poised to start building in 2020 and were derailed by the pandemic?
There has been a lot going on that you are obviously not aware of Belladonna.
"When Labour took office in 2017, we immediately committed to building the new Dunedin hospital. Fast forward to 2020 and we have secured funding , purchased a central city site and despite COVID-19 disruptions, continue making progress. the construction phase is well underway with demolition taking place, ground works progressing and more funding released for ongoing contracts."
https://m.facebook.com/DavidClarkMP/photos/a.128562733877834/3443915332342541/?type=3&source=57&locale2=sw_KE&__tn__=EH-R
"The turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will delay but not deter the Government from building a new Dunedin Hospital"
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/hospital-still-being-built-clark-says
"The things that will cause delay and may still cause delay are the supply chain problems, which do arise from Covid"
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/little-warns-rising-costs-new-hospital
So no evidence that building was poised to commence at the end of 2019 – and was only halted by Covid.
"At the time he said construction would begin in 2020"
You have already conceded you were wrong with your false claim that "it would be built in her first term"
I suppose similarly – a new hospital for Dunedin, promised by both Labour and National in 2017, built by Labour according to National's timetable. Neither party would have factored a pandemic into their original completion date estimates.
Comparisons with previous administrations are not always easy; I am aware that there was hospital building during the time of the National Government; in Wellington a new Block was built at Bowen Hospital, and I think there was substantial work done at Wakefield. I don't know when it happened but the firm that now does taking samples for medical tests seems to be everywhere, although I was surprised they did not seem to be involved in the Covid injections; Dental firms seem to be going corporate as well – perhaps new Dentists cannot afford the equipment needed these days, so a corporate structure puts the profits with the supplier of capital – and now Warehouse Chemists are setting up bigger stores and may squeeze out local chemists through not charging for prescriptions – they may provide the same sort of competitive market that results in such low prices for groceries at our supermarkets . . . Meantime there are still trucks from three different companies going down my street to pick up rubbish – its got to be good to have the competition – for both profits and of course private companies are automatically more efficient . . . but thank goodness someone else pays for the road repairs from those extra trucks . . .
And Nelson Hospital.
Twitter going nuts at the moment about a rumoured coup in China. Apparently flights cancelled all over the place, military vehicles seen heading to Beijing, and Xi being under house arrest. Seems to be mainly coming from India, and nothing confirmed at the moment. But would be huge if true.
https://twitter.com/indiatvnews/status/1573632942701584384
The interesting thing is that the article is very specific in its detail, and as far as I know, no denial from China yet.
Eh?
Lots of air traffic.
https://www.flightradar24.com/CSN5031/2d9884de
I am not trying to say that it is true, but certainly a bit weird. If anyone else can find anything I would be interested.
This is a summary of the 'news' to date – nothing confirmed, lots of gossip, lots of people foretelling the future based on straws in the wind.
Specific (i.e. named) commentators, in a position to make more informed guesses – are saying 'no'
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/fact-check-is-china-having-a-coup-and-is-xi-jinping-under-house-arrest-here-is-what-we-know-news-225623
Just a case of wait and see. Most of the reports seem to be coming from India from some reason.
There’s one ‘report’ coming from New Zealand by someone by the name of tsmithfield for some reason. Very weird, indeed.
I read somewhere about Indian websites spoofing legitimate news outlets and stealing whatever content they can get their hands on to repackage as their own.
Uh Oh! Who's next
https://twitter.com/Karl_Was_Right/status/1573712375798120450?s=20&t=LtyyFRWfIbt8_WvH0BAehA
Pretty sure coup 101 is stop the movement of people.
But anyhoo, I've had a look around and there's not much apart from the supposed prognostications of assorted seers and baseless reckons by anonymous interweb randos.
And there doesn't seen to be anything about it in Hong Kong media so pretty doubtful.
Probably the most interesting thing is was there any motivation for this rumour being put about, and what initiated it.
…and who spread it!…not Carlson..was it.
Regardless of the truth (or, as it now seems more likely, otherwise) – it's a lesson in how 'information' (or misinformation or disinformation) can be so easily spread and become mainstream (i.e. reported on by news sources) so quickly. Twitter is a force for both good and evil.
Kantar poll seems to be showing Brown as a clear front-runner over Collins for the Auckland mayoralty in the latest poll – conducted after Viv Beck pulled out.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-mayoralty-brown-leapfrogs-collins-to-take-handy-lead-in-latest-poll/UQ32Y6NXAOODBS3BMMT3C6IAPA/?c_id=1&objectid=12554019&ref=rss
And they're off.
https://twitter.com/lrozen/status/1573744537335480322
POS.
https://twitter.com/MorganGodfery/status/1573786471957307392
Izzy's mother responds.
Izzy is a [deleted] Her mother is an [deleted]
[see if you can make an argument. read the site Policy, we’re here for the robust debate, not casual slurs – weka]
mod note for you above.
Brutal, that is one angry mum.
She hopes no-one speaks to HADP's kid the way HADP spoke to hers. I suspect people will speak to HADP's kid that way and those people will be HADP herself, and her
grandfatherhusband.Doesn’t nitrate give water that earthy taste?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/475451/hundreds-of-rural-cantabrians-to-go-months-without-safe-drinking-water
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/475457/more-than-80-percent-of-new-zealand-s-low-lying-lakes-and-rivers-surveyed-poor-or-very-poor
Yup, the metaphorical but also literal shit always travels down.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300697359/murmurs-of-discontent-grow-in-china-as-xi-jinping-poised-for-third-term
Darn, and I didn’t win Lotto either because I didn’t buy a ticket
Oh dear, MoH has corrected one of its many webpages.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/129962797/puberty-blockers-still-considered-safe-and-reversible-health-ministry-says
What's your point here?
AFAIK, despite lack of clinical evidence for use in "affirming healthcare", and increasing evidence of harm, the MoE website changes do not reflect a change in prescribing protocols – as they should.
Those who have asked the Ministry to justify use, also keep an eye on messaging.
sigh
That's less than expected from you, Incognito.
The Ministry of Health (and Education) has taken advice from advocates, and website edits are the least of it.
Do you approve of current protocols for minors and consider this a storm in a teacup?
Or do you just want to critique those who noticed the change? Because?
Phone edit funky.
"Taken advice from advocates" should have added "without scientific basis or evidence regarding next positive outcomes"
You went there dummy
groan
You can groan and sigh all you like Incognito. But when the cases of detransitioners start rolling in, it will be those of us who spoke up and pushed back against this harmful ideology that will be off the hook.
The rest of you. Well you will have to admit you were wrong and defended the medical transitioning of children who are left with irreversible damage.
My conscious will be clear
Given that I have neither treated nor suggested a child to undergo or not undergo transitioning treatment I can assure that my conscience is as clear as yours. FWIW, I’ll leave the moral judgement of the specialists involved in such treatments to those who are better equipped to do so and who have all the facts of each individual case.
It was nice talking to you again.
Yep.
Remember TS is not for asking if medicating NZ children without clinical evidence is a problem.
It’s for swapping insights into the Ukranian war…
lol.
Yes, Ad. He went there. Briefly, pointlessly and with little intention other than to… what?
How much time have you spent on looking for the background to New Zealand's current approach to the treatment of minors? I'm assuming it's very little, because you would not be so casual.
But, hey ho. Return to your usual discussion. (Which bores me to tears, but I have the self-control to not assume that my boredom should stop others being interested in it, and pass judgement.)
Do you know the latest Standards of Care from the WPATH guidelines that we base on health care on, removed any minimum ages from medical intervention, and included a section on eunuchs as a gender identity, complete with reference to child eunuchs?
For those who – unlike Incognito and Ad – might consider there are aspects about healthcare for minors that they are unaware of:
The link to the recent WPATH release on the Standards of Care for eunuchs:
https://wesleyyang.substack.com/p/of-eunuchs-and-wannabes?r=u0nm&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
The link to background of one of the authors of the chapter:
https://reduxx.info/top-trans-medical-association-collaborated-with-castration-child-abuse-fetishists/
The M of H can't have it both ways.
Either puberty blockers are safe and fully reversible or they are not.
Yes, they can, because your premise is an absolute, and you can't have it that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp40vVMWPmY
A British psychiatrist on puberty blockers. He ran a specialist clinic for gender dysphoric people in the UK.
Watch and learn
to me it looks like MoH passed the buck. When the court cases arrive, it will be individual doctors not the MoH being held accountable. Clever, having a bob both ways.
They should / could still be held responsible for anything that was done before the edit on the web page which a few days ago?
I am sure more then one person has screenshotted etc.
I would assume so, but the chances of a detransitioner (or more than one) wanting to take a case to court increases with time and because the numbers of prescriptions has been increasing.
Haven't read this yet,
https://twitter.com/fundypost/status/1573257019657801729
Bernard Lane article is really good.
Well worth the time.
Held responsible by what process?
AFAIK this surreptitious website edit does not indicate a change of care, which will become increasingly inexcusable as the evidence of harm continues to grow.
Do we have such court cases here? See the ACC legislation.
ACC will cover harm from medical treatment, but this presumes they accept a claim. eg,
https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-19-accident-compensation-acc/when-youre-covered-by-acc-and-when-youre-not/injuries-caused-by-medical-treatment-treatment-injuries/
ACC may argue that side effects from transition treatments were ordinary consequences.
Then there is complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner, which has to first go to the relevant service or professional body. This isn't a court case either, but does have a high enough profile that a complaint going back to the Commissioner to investigate would be high profile. Would be interesting to see what the Commissioner did with this, given the pressures from both sides. Afaik, the Commissioner can't make legal binding requirements. But it's the public coverage that would be key.
Don't know if the Minister of Health can be taken to court.
In the UK Judicial Reviews are being used. In NZ,
https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-3-dealing-with-government-agencies/challenging-decisions-and-conduct-of-government-agencies/
Keira Bell in the UK started with a Judicial Review, and it went through the High Court and then the Court of Appeal. Don't know how this works in NZ.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_v_Tavistock
That’s a rather cynical view, IMO. It is and always has been to the treating specialist(s). MoH has finally seen the light of day to amend the info on their website, which was overdue.
I expect it's for a range of reasons.
Given what's happening internationally, I won't rule out them having had legal advice.
A number of people have been emailing the MoH asking them about that webpage, so there's that pressure too.
It has taken them 2 years to update that page: https://thestandard.org.nz/why-is-the-uks-only-youth-gender-identity-clinic-closing-and-what-does-this-mean-for-new-zealand/#comment-1903905.
I know. Is there some significance you see in that?
Yup, uncertainty on behalf of MoH, balancing between providing accurate information & advice on a controversial topic/issue and a rapidly changing space of medical, legal, and social-public opinions, mostly overseas.
Oh, and quite possibly lack of suitably qualified staff to take responsibility.
He's not wrong.
Gabriel Boric: "It makes me angry that the left condemns the violation of human rights in Yemen or El Salvador, but not Venezuela or Nicaragua"
https://twitter.com/monitoreamos/status/1573101755935739905
The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, was forceful this Thursday in pointing out that the Latin American left cannot have a double standard when it comes to human rights, and expressed that he is angry that there are sectors that do not condemn the abuses committed in Venezuela or Nicaragua. "It really bothers me when you're on the left and then you condemn the violation of human rights in Yemen or El Salvador, but you can't talk about Venezuela or Nicaragua," he assured during a conversation at Columbia University. Boric stated that “it does not matter if you are from the extreme right or extreme left. They are civilizing mandates. Respect for human rights cannot have a double standard” The Chilean president recalled that when the human rights abuses began in Venezuela during the government of Hugo Chávez, sectors of the left avoided condemning him.
https://monitoreamos.com/destacado/boric-me-enoja-que-la-izquierda-no-condene-la-violacion-de-ddhh-en-venezuela-o-nicaragua
google translate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Boric
I hadn't realised that the recent flow of insightful media coverage of the justice system, and the problems and inequities therein, were the result of a specific project.
I would definitely support continued funding for Open Justice. The more light we shine on justice and injustice the better.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-zealand-justice-system-the-push-for-open-justice/WLC6MJMD4CO2DWU64YDVZEXNPY/?c_id=1&objectid=12554501&ref=rss
I love the flexibility inherent in this design of modular tiny houses.
Yes, of course there are fish hooks in terms of consenting, etc – not to mention site coverage rules – but the whole concept of a house that grows and/or shrinks as your family circumstances change is awesome.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300691572/plug-and-play-a-fresh-take-on-tiny-houses-allows-for-big-or-small-dwellings
We just need more flexible thinking in Councils. A big ask as they don't do that!!
So we need to lobby them.
TBH – I don't think lobbying them is going to achieve much. Action needs to happen at a national level.
Councils are running scared (terrified more likely) over the whole leaky buildings saga which is still grinding its way through the court system (apparently new leaky buildings – including relatively recent builds – are still popping up). So often Council is the 'last man standing' and wears the cost for reparations of faults in building design, materials and workmanship (all other parties having wound up their business) – because they signed off on them at the time.
Until NZ finds a way to decouple Council responsibility from liability – Councils will be highly motivated to be as conservative as they possibly can be in terms of design approval. They also have issues around infrastructure – given the way the rates-based funding is tied to value of the property/land. A sewerage/stormwater connection (for example) costs just as much for a tiny house, as it does for a property worth 3x the price – and the family occupying the tiny house are equally likely to use Council services like pools or libraries – but the higher valued property pays a lot more in rates. Hence Councils are motivated to sign-off on high-value builds, rather than cheaper tiny houses.
My solution would be for the developer/builder/architect to be required to take out insurance against flaws in development/construction/design which impact on the habitability of the house. A one-off cost paid at the completion of the build (Switzerland does this). If there is a leaky building scenario (or any other build quality issue) – then the insurance companies fight it out. [I'd also legislate that they have to pay for repair/remediation up-front – while they're carrying on their legal battles over who pays in the background] And, developers/builders/architects who have ongoing issues, will be unable to get insurance, and will go out of business.
Such an insurance scheme could not happen in New Zealand.
It would immediately be framed as 'another tax' by ZB/ Herald arm of the National party – adding further to construction costs – stealing money from hard working Kiwis…
Depends on how it’s framed.
I think that many, many homeowners would like to see an effective scheme, rather than being forced (as they currently are) to go through the Courts in the hope of gaining redress.
We have experience in this area – from some years back admittedly – and I totally agree with you. Our building industry has struggled for decades with numerous problems and what you have described is absolutely one of the more significant ones.
I rather like your solution – although it would be good to have some carveouts to allow quality owner builder work to be permitted.
I don't have a problem with owner building work, so long as the owner wears the long term cost if problems eventuate. Insurance could cover this, as well.
"Until NZ finds a way to decouple Council responsibility from liability"
The LBP mechanism does decouple the councils from liability.
A consequence has also been that there is no one agency responsible for ensuring projects are built to plan, and to N Z Building Standards. That is now distributed amongst the local authorities and the associated Licensed Building Practitioners.
We have such a scheme and did have at the time of 'leaky building'….insurance, either public or private is not a panacea.
No. Your general house insurance does not usually cover defects in workmanship or design (AKA leaky buildings).
Master build guarantee supposedly does…and the consenting authority is ultimately liable.
As we have discovered having 'insurance' is no guarantee all loses will be made good….at best insurance may provide partial recompense in some situations.
The question is at what level of additional cost/risk is it viable?
The consenting authority ultimately being liable is part of the problem. What that actually means is that the cost/risk is spread across the ratepayers. And strongly incentivises high compliance fees and low risk consents (you want to do something 'different' be prepared to pay multiple tens of thousands up front)
Masterbuild guarantees spreads the cost/risk across a small number of builder members. It has always seemed to me to be a marketing tool, rather than an insurance protection.
Insurance, which is then re-insured off-shore, spreads the risk much more widely.
ATM developers routinely wind up their company at the end of each build – to ensure they are not liable for any downstream build-quality consequences. Insurance would be one mechanism to ensure that they couldn't opt out of their responsibilities.
It's affordable and effective in Switzerland (had a long discussion a couple of years ago with a Swiss/Kiwi friend renovating a house in NZ who was horrified at the apparent immunity of builders/developers here).
All insurance whether private or public is ultimately borne by the populous and reinsurance /insurance only remains so long as it is viable for the party(its) underwriting it. LLC ability to wind up is not altered by the presence of insurance and ICs can themselves 'wind up' (a la AMI)…the ultimate 'last man standing' will always be the Gov, both state and local….and any dispute is determined by the courts, whether it be with developer, IC or even the government.
We can demand all sorts of conditions on doing business here should we so desire….provided we are prepared for the possibility that no one will deem it worth the cost/risk to do so (and also that one way or another 'we' pay for it anyway)
And, wouldn't it be great if Council's mandated this kind of movable house as the only allowable build in flood-prone areas (looking at you North Shore beach-front) – every time a multi-millionaire wants to replace the house (happens amazingly regularly – looking at the building works every time we go to the beach) – they'd have to use modular housing….