I don't know what Chris Finlayson's been up to since he left Parliament but it hasn't killed his smarminess or his view that people other than he and his mates are stupid.
It was said on RNZ this morning that he was going back to contribute to getting the rules around the use of video from Parliament changed .
According to him the world has moved on and the rules need to be updated for the social media of today. We all know times move quickly and things move quickly.
We also know that the world didn't move that quickly in less than two years from when certain restrictions were included in the rules, to where they are no longer necessary.
Finlayson and his worthy leader no doubt had a part in formulating those rules. He is saying this brief time later that after the intellectual rigour they applied to constructing them the essence of part of them no longer applies?
What changed, what moved quickly is that they were no longer in power. What would have been argued on grounds of principle from high and mighty positions of power suddenly are being argued in a diametrically opposite way, ostensibly on grounds of principle.
The high and mighty are well suited to the worm holes. Finlayson should crawl back there.
Prior to becoming a politician Finlayson had a law practice which, as far as I know, continues to exist. I recall him saying on leaving politics that he was planning to resume his legal career.
That being the case then it is likely National hired him to represent them at the select committee hearing. That being the case then he would be representing his client (the Nats) and not himself.
As someone who seems to have specialised in copyright, contractural interpretation and other similar legal matters prior to entering parliament, then it seems probable Finlayson was hired in his capacity as a high flying barrister to represent them.
After all, they have lots of Chinese money at their disposal. You know… this "quid pro quo" thing which appears fashionable among some of the world's political elite these days.
I studied Latin for some years and while I came across many fine phrases (and use them occasionally,) sometimes English is great for being succinct and accurate.
Nice enough guy overtly @Anne…….shame about the sense of Tory entitlement and bitchiness he's adopted. Kind of a 'Dontcha know who I am?" – in an "I've paid my dues", sophisticated sort of way .
Better to just give him a knighthood and wish him a happy life in retirement. Maybe even a brass plaque on a front row seat in some remote venue where the NZSO plays.
Give him a bloody subscription for life even, or the keys to Miramar Penninsula, or even a guest column on Granny Herald
An interesting question for our times: why are so few Repugs willing to lift even their smallest finger to try to tame the turd tornado spattering up the walls of the Oval Office? After all, Pence would sign off on any judges the Heritage Foundation puts in front of him, and any tax cuts or other reactionary legislation, so it's not as if they would lose any ability to actually do anything.
I do hope that people in the USA are reading your comments Andre and that of other wise heads here. One can only hope that all the close attention we give to the USA here actually penetrates the outer stratosphere of the USA consciousness.
As for Brexit, it is also very interesting in all its manifestations as Halloween draws close.
One columnist spreads her interest wide to take in the Remainers.
Clever incompetents in Parliament have catastrophically overplayed their hand
The trouble with the Remainers is not their arrogant inability to grasp when they have lost, but their blindness to when they have won. So when Boris Johnson triumphantly returned from Brussels clutching the best bad deal possible, the eyes of MPs gunged up so quickly with spiteful, green anger that they failed to spot their finest chance to wreck Brexit.
Fatuous Remainer MPs have just become the useful idiots of the Leave cause – Sherelle Jacobs Daily Telegraph Columnist
Her image shows a 20-30 year old looking pleased with herself for getting a piece into the paper which comes from a different viewpoint – though a doubtfully valid one.
What a blast hearing Dogal Stevenson talking to John Campbell at this morning on TVNZ one ‘Breakfast’ show at 7.40am today when John asked Dogal; “what would you advise todays newreaders to do”?
Dogal said very carefully after deep reflection “well I would say to him; (from memory- my words)
“just loosen up, – you don’t want to be a slave to a BBC as an adjunct; – talk to your listeners audience as they are your own people, and you will receive far more empathy and respect for speaking the truth.”
Then from memory I recall Dogal said, he still searches for the truth as a newsreader, and mostly listens to RNZ as our public broadcaster, in the hope that that he is hearing the truth, and others are to biased today.
Yes we need to get that free to air public TV channel we were promised by Labour started soon as the election process is now in full swing putting out so much fake media hype now that is is often difficult to know what is the truth any more.
Yes public TV on a reasonable budget and no highly priced front people. Let's get able people who earn a reasonable screw and go for ugly ones – it's time we had our day in the sun.
"Yes we need to get that free to air public TV channel we were promised by Labour started soon as the election process is now in full swing "
As I replied to you @ Cleangreen once before (not sure if it was here or on TDB.)
Please don't hold your breath. You are probably already down as some disgruntled old coot whose vote won't make a difference in your twilight years anyway
Ideologically, the foxes are in charge of the chicken coup and the chickens are busy convincing their partners how dainty the taste of a Chardonnay is. So its better to just smile and watch them all jump off a cliff, and watch the onlookers clutch their pearls afterwards
chanting “Oooh! I say!”
Yes we are petty much stuffed now, like the movies always portray the masses as idiots when a huge disaster comes our way such as in the movie "The day after tomorrow
The hearing was mostly cordial, barring a stern rebuke from Mr Mallard to Massey University Professor Claire Robinson after her criticism of Labour's position.
The review was initiated after Labour complained that the Opposition had used official footage of Labour backbencher Deborah Russell without her permission in breach of one of Parliament's rarely enforced rules.
"But to be a vote for change Labour would have had to get more votes than National. In fact National got 20,574 more votes in 2017 than it did in 2014."
hello MMP is calling Claire…the left has multiple choice of parties.
And she lies by omission as National got less votes as a % of the total vote a whopping -2.59%. Saying they 'won' by getting more votes by number and by party was the National partys constant claim.
I keep getting good, hopeful feelings that problems are being dealt with in a timely, not time-wasting fashion, now that the Labour Coalition is in. Please God let this political do-wonders group stay in and we can have hope for the future. It can't please us all, all the time, but it is trying for most of the time. The others are gungy ghastly greedy and bottom-feeders.
They're trying @grey. But there's a lot of shit to push uphill and they've been slow to start, and slow to even recognise where many of the roadblocks are/have been.
Their worst enema comes from quite a few in the senior ranks of the public service. Now that I've come of age, I'm privy to the conversations and opinions of a bunch of retired senior public servants. I hadn't quite realised how much they're in agreement with what I've noticed quite independently of what they'd seen and experieinced. Kind of like a blatent display of a Master of the Universe culture, previously limited to the private sector.
Whereas once it was all a matter of self preservation through obfuscation, spin et al (as in "Yes Minister" fashion), NOW those same traits come with outright political partisanship in so many cases.
Not sure if it was in here or TDB that I was reminded of the word 'spiv' which reminded me of grifters, but its become a bit sad that many of the coalition MPs have taken this long (2 years in) to appreciate the level of 'pushback' that's occurred, and many still don't appear to have noticed how many of their 'officials' have the skills of the best used car salesman.
Some Ministers and MPs in the coalition are/have been simply too 'nice', and the used car salesmen are, and have taken advantage of it.
Pushing back, to the extent they're trying to show just who is boss; 'working to rule' on policies they dislike or don't agree with, slowing it all down; and crying victim if and when anyone even attempts to call them to account.
I'm glad you have confidence because what worries me most is that this government COULD be teetering on a loss come 2020, given a senior public service that's by and large its enemy and almost completely unaccountable for its many failures (a matter of record that could rival a bLip list, an almost non-existent 4th Estate, and an electorate that's becoming increasingly disinterested and feeling alienated.
If you’ve got one or two crystals I could clutch, I could return the favour, maybe as a tour guide to the new home of the Dalai Lama
The government is under fire for not going far enough with its Emissions Trading Scheme. Farmers won't have to start paying for their emissions until 2025, as long as they make progress in finding ways to measure and price emissions at the farm level. Greenpeace says the government's Emissions Trading Scheme shows pleas from tens-of-thousands of students for climate action have fallen on deaf ears. Corin speaks to the Climate Change Minister James Shaw in our Wellington studio.
and – Good work that engineer
8:15 am today
Engineer reveals dozens of building mistakes
From Morning Report, 8:15 am today 3.24m A structural engineer who helped trigger investigations into seismically-flawed building designs has revealed dozens of common but serious mistakes he is finding during reviews. The consequences of design faults include a 60-metre high transmission tower that snapped in half. Phil Pennington reports.
The way that builders go broke and don't pay their subbies is a shock to me, filled with the belief of building being one of our strong industries that was flourishing, blah blah. My relations just had a very nice house built and watched over it all the time, I think similar to a civil engineer as he is a retired builder. The supposed builder confessed that it was beyond him before the job was done, he was running a ponzi, paying off past debts from the current job, and it caught up with him. And he and his family were known to my relation, not fly-by-nights. In the end he was paid for the job, but didn't pay all his subbies, and my relation had to bargain with them to get them to sign off their work so the Council would issue a 'pass-notice' or whatever it's called. He had to pay some in full, so double for that part. Shocking! The house is pretty good but he had to finish off some parts himself. His knees are a bit shot, but he managed.
It should be a steady job and with good tradesmen getting good pay. But SNAFU is our codesign in NZ since neoliberalbloodyeconomics and the bloody Labourtroika/Treasury takeover. Can we pull ourselves out of the smelly bog – I hope.
Well I have heard queries about whether they are reliable but don't know. Why is the Master Builder crowd not being used more – don't know. My builder relation would have thought that knowing the person and his family, he would be okay.
People can look into the eyes of an assured bloke and form an opinion that their job knowledge and outcome will be okay. Silly but in law when you hold yourself out to be something then you should stand behind it and I guess that prompts people to accept others who seem to know what they are doing.
And on my 'namesake' day we received the word that an Iwi is challenging OMV CEO in an international court .
A good move there, – we all need to support them not leave them in solitude;.
We we wrote this in support today too.
CEAC support Iwi Leaders Group lawsuit against OMV CEO
25th October 2019.
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre.
CEAC support Climate change Iwi Leaders Group lawsuit against OMV CEO
On this ‘St Crispin’s day 25th October’, (a day that the English celebrate annually their victory against the French during the Agincourt 100yr war.)
We fully support the Iwi legal challenge against another polluter and ‘climate spoiler’ such as OMV is.
QUOTE;
“ An iwi leader has announced the initiation of a lawsuit to be filed at the International Criminal Court against Rainer Seele, the CEO of Austrian oil giant OMV”.
This was another very good Iwi policy that has considered the health ,safety and wellbeing of all citizens, and we commend the Iwi for making a bold stand against those corporate interests who wish harm upon our NZ citizens and we stand together with them in support and solitude.
No Right Turn nails it – shaw knows this stuff better than most and this is what he managed to sort – pathetic and disgraceful – if this is the big moment it fizzed worse than Dot-idiot and the big nothing.
Against this background, saying that agriculture, our biggest polluter, doesn't have to do anything until 2025 is committing to failure. And if we are to meet the emissions reduction targets necessary for human survival, it forces us towards policy paths that are extreme, like an actual cow-cull, rather than being able to reduce cow numbers by efficiency gains through the business cycle. We could afford to piss around like that in 2000, and maybe in 2008 (if we'd actually followed-through, rather than giving them a free ride). But now, we are out of time. You cannot compromise with physics, and anyone who thinks you can is trying to kill us. http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/10/climate-change-you-cannot-compromise.html
Well, I think take a tender for the jobs of running the country – and have each person with watchers who answer to the people for the performance of their lad or lass. . All coming from the citizens and having first done a public, civic management diploma and social anthropology one also, and also a farming and horticulture course – those being our main positive products. (Less emphasis on rockets and space, and more on food and maintaining the planet in a livable condition.)
They will be responsible for ensuring that the administration does what has been agreed upon in an appropriately professional way, getting the best out of staff while treating them with respect. We will save on paying wannabe celebrities with good hair and good teeth, who put in an appearance and say the things that suit their Party, performing when the key at their back is turned – for older; or the touch button is pressed – that's the younger ones.
I agree – imo disrespecting all of the climate action marchers, the school strikers, the people that WANT real change, disrespecting Greta and our children will only lead to misery for everyone
Picture this. Jacinda Ardern standing in the middle of Queen St on the bonnet of a tractor with her middle finger raised as ten of thousands of climate strikers stream by.
The Waitangi Tribunal has decided to hold an urgent inquiry into Oranga Tamariki's practices in taking Māori children from their mothers.
Chief Judge Wilson Isaac rejected Crown arguments that the issues should be examined in the current internal Oranga Tamariki inquiry or two others by the Children's Commissioner and Chief Ombudsman.
He said: "I conclude there are sufficient grounds for an urgent inquiry into a specific contemporary issue concerning a risk of significant and irreversible prejudice to Māori arising from current Oranga Tamariki policy and practice."
…Judge Isaac said the Tribunal would focus on two things:
"Having regard to the rising and disproportionately high number of tamariki Māori taken into state care under the auspices of Oranga Tamariki, is Crown legislation, policy and practice inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty and the Crown's Treaty duties to Māori? "
And:
"If so, what changes to Crown legislation, policy and practice are required to ensure Treaty compliance."
Revealed: how the FBI targeted environmental activists in domestic terror investigations
This article is more than 1 month old
Protesters were characterized as a threat to national security in what one calls an attempt to criminalize their actions.
Helen Yost, a 62-year-old environmental educator, has been a committed activist for nearly a decade. She says she spends 60 to 80 hours a week as a community organizer for Wild Idaho Rising Tide. She’s been arrested twice for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience.
Yost may not fit the profile of a domestic terrorist, but in 2014 the FBI classified her as a potential threat to national security. According to hundreds of pages of FBI files obtained by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) lawsuit, and interviews with activists, Yost and more than a dozen other people campaigning against fossil fuel extraction in North America have been identified indomestic terrorism-related investigations.
The investigations, which targeted individual activists and some environmental organizations, were opened in 2013-2014, at the height of opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the expansion of fossil fuel production in North America.
The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.
The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.
However, in the file closing the case, it appears that Yost has been watchlisted, which is standard for named subjects of FBI domestic terrorism investigations, according to Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice. Being watchlisted can lead to heightened scrutiny from law enforcement and delays or additional screenings when traveling. Yost said she had not traveled overseas since the FBI investigation.
Yost, who was contacted by an FBI agent when the case was still active, said she was not surprised by the agency’s actions. Surveillance was a form of suppression, she said, and this was another attempt to criminalize the actions of “normal people” working to protect natural resources. But she remains undeterred.
The Wealthier countries need to step up and donate putea to help the poor country's of Te Papatuanuku. They have the lowest carbon footprint and will be suffering the most from Global warming that's a fact.
Almost $US10 billion pledged to help tackle climate change
Wealthier countries on Friday have promised nearly $US9.8 billion over the next four years to an international fund to help poorer nations develop cleanly and adapt to climate stresses.
Most of the donors making fresh contributions came from Europe, though New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and Canada also committed funds, with New Zealand and South Korea pledging to double previous donations.
However, the United States will not contribute, because president Donald Trump decided to stop paying into the fund.
The funding is still a drop in the ocean compared with the estimated $3 trillion to $7 trillion a year needed to shift the world's economy onto a more sustainable and climate-friendly path, Mr Glemarec said
The fund so far has allocated about $5.2 billion to 111 projects in 99 countries.
They range from green, low-cost housing in Mongolia's polluted capital and a methane-fuelled rapid-transit bus system in Karachi to restoring climate-threatened ecosystems in Namibia
Time are changing fast our realities opinions can change just as fast now is the time to make sure that the information we are receiving is not being distorted by Wealthier people $$$$$$$$$$. In reality the best phenomenon for all is the best for Te Papatuanuku= equality for all equal income distribution and being caretaker of Papatuanuku and her creations for the next generations our mokopuna. Our society needs to learn respect our Tipuna and our mokopuna future respect for the past and future over our greed.
Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more?
It’s not about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news. Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access to the ‘real’ facts – and now we can’t stop fighting about it.
We live in a time of political fury and hardening cultural divides. But if there is one thing on which virtually everyone is agreed, it is that the news and information we receive is biased. Every second of every day, someone is complaining about bias, in everything from the latest movie reviews to sports commentary to the BBC’s coverage of Brexit. These complaints and controversies take up a growing share of public discussion.
Much of the outrage that floods social media, occasionally leaking into opinion columns and broadcast interviews, is not simply a reaction to events themselves, but to the way in which they are reported and framed. The “mainstream media” is the principal focal point for this anger. Journalists and broadcasters who purport to be neutral are a constant object of scrutiny and derision, whenever they appear to let their personal views slip. The work of journalists involves an increasing amount of unscripted, real-time discussion, which provides an occasionally troubling window into their.
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Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more? – podcast
This mentality now spans the entire political spectrum and pervades societies around the world. A recent survey found that the majority of people globally believe their society is broken and their economy is rigged. Both the left and the right feel misrepresented and misunderstood by political institutions and the media, but the anger is shared by many in the liberal centre, who believe that populists have gamed the system to harvest more attention than they deserve. Outrage with “mainstream” institutions has become a mass.
Public life has become like a play whose audience is unwilling to suspend disbelief. Any utterance by a public figure can be unpicked in search of its ulterior motive. As cynicism grows, even judges, the supposedly neutral upholders of the law, are publicly accused of personal bias. Once doubt descends on public life, people become increasingly dependent on their own experiences and their own beliefs about how the world really works. One effect of this is that facts no longer seem to matter (the phenomenon misleadingly dubbed “post-truth”). But the crisis of democracy and of truth are one and the same: individuals are increasingly suspicious of the “official” stories they are being told, and expect to witness things for themselves.
Reasons we cannot agree on what’s true |
On one level, heightened scepticism towards the establishment is a welcome development. A more media-literate and critical citizenry ought to be less easy for the
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Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
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A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
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The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassy Dittman, Senior Lecturer/Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology), Research Fellow, Manna Institute, CQUniversity Australia With winter sports swinging into action, adults around the country have volunteered or been volunteered by others (humorously known as being “volun-told”) to coach junior sports teams. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University richardernestyap/Shutterstock Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feeding them. Some people think burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent discomfort crying, or to ...
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Sneeky
I don't know what Chris Finlayson's been up to since he left Parliament but it hasn't killed his smarminess or his view that people other than he and his mates are stupid.
It was said on RNZ this morning that he was going back to contribute to getting the rules around the use of video from Parliament changed .
According to him the world has moved on and the rules need to be updated for the social media of today. We all know times move quickly and things move quickly.
We also know that the world didn't move that quickly in less than two years from when certain restrictions were included in the rules, to where they are no longer necessary.
Finlayson and his worthy leader no doubt had a part in formulating those rules. He is saying this brief time later that after the intellectual rigour they applied to constructing them the essence of part of them no longer applies?
What changed, what moved quickly is that they were no longer in power. What would have been argued on grounds of principle from high and mighty positions of power suddenly are being argued in a diametrically opposite way, ostensibly on grounds of principle.
The high and mighty are well suited to the worm holes. Finlayson should crawl back there.
Prior to becoming a politician Finlayson had a law practice which, as far as I know, continues to exist. I recall him saying on leaving politics that he was planning to resume his legal career.
That being the case then it is likely National hired him to represent them at the select committee hearing. That being the case then he would be representing his client (the Nats) and not himself.
No . he hasnt 'resumed his' previous legal practice. He has moved to Auckland ( where the money is) to work as an high end arbitrator and barrister
https://www.bankside.co.nz/barrister/hon-christopher-finlayson-qc/
That's interesting. Thanks Dukeofurl.
As someone who seems to have specialised in copyright, contractural interpretation and other similar legal matters prior to entering parliament, then it seems probable Finlayson was hired in his capacity as a high flying barrister to represent them.
After all, they have lots of Chinese money at their disposal. You know… this "quid pro quo" thing which appears fashionable among some of the world's political elite these days.
The legal fraternity love their Latin phrases so here’s one that’s quite fitting IMO: cui bono?
I studied Latin for some years and while I came across many fine phrases (and use them occasionally,) sometimes English is great for being succinct and accurate.
Like "the man is an arsehole."
Nice enough guy overtly @Anne…….shame about the sense of Tory entitlement and bitchiness he's adopted. Kind of a 'Dontcha know who I am?" – in an "I've paid my dues", sophisticated sort of way .
Better to just give him a knighthood and wish him a happy life in retirement. Maybe even a brass plaque on a front row seat in some remote venue where the NZSO plays.
Give him a bloody subscription for life even, or the keys to Miramar Penninsula, or even a guest column on Granny Herald
ouch!!!!!
Well said peter.; – "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
but we must not allow our own photo images to be used for political gain without our consent.
An interesting question for our times: why are so few Repugs willing to lift even their smallest finger to try to tame the turd tornado spattering up the walls of the Oval Office? After all, Pence would sign off on any judges the Heritage Foundation puts in front of him, and any tax cuts or other reactionary legislation, so it's not as if they would lose any ability to actually do anything.
Is it simple partisan loyalty?
https://fortune.com/2019/10/21/republican-senators-impeachment/
Are modern day Repugs entirely driven by 'triggering the libs' and Pence just won't do that as effectively as the flambee'd freakshow?
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/8/20903433/pence-trump-impeachment-conservatives
Personally, I'm still going with they're too busy quivering in fear that Darth Hater would open a can of Whoopass on their spineless husks.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/10/24/the-fantasy-of-republicans-ditching-trump-229879
I do hope that people in the USA are reading your comments Andre and that of other wise heads here. One can only hope that all the close attention we give to the USA here actually penetrates the outer stratosphere of the USA consciousness.
As for Brexit, it is also very interesting in all its manifestations as Halloween draws close.
One columnist spreads her interest wide to take in the Remainers.
The trouble with the Remainers is not their arrogant inability to grasp when they have lost, but their blindness to when they have won. So when Boris Johnson triumphantly returned from Brussels clutching the best bad deal possible, the eyes of MPs gunged up so quickly with spiteful, green anger that they failed to spot their finest chance to wreck Brexit.
Fatuous Remainer MPs have just become the useful idiots of the Leave cause – Sherelle Jacobs Daily Telegraph Columnist
Her image shows a 20-30 year old looking pleased with herself for getting a piece into the paper which comes from a different viewpoint – though a doubtfully valid one.
" One can only hope that all the close attention we give to the USA here actually penetrates.."
Do really believe that ? the Guardian especially has far better writers and columnists, a world wide syndication and yet no one takes any notice
Did anyone watch the interview between John Campbell with Dogal Stevenson (the famous 1960’s news reporter)on TVNZ one Breakfast show today?
What a gem, here's my memory of it.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/10/25/special-report-to-save-democracy-we-must-make-the-media-our-own/#comment-479698
Todays blog.
What a blast hearing Dogal Stevenson talking to John Campbell at this morning on TVNZ one ‘Breakfast’ show at 7.40am today when John asked Dogal; “what would you advise todays newreaders to do”?
Dogal said very carefully after deep reflection “well I would say to him; (from memory- my words)
“just loosen up, – you don’t want to be a slave to a BBC as an adjunct; – talk to your listeners audience as they are your own people, and you will receive far more empathy and respect for speaking the truth.”
Then from memory I recall Dogal said, he still searches for the truth as a newsreader, and mostly listens to RNZ as our public broadcaster, in the hope that that he is hearing the truth, and others are to biased today.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96745495/labour-promises-freetoair-rnz-tv-channel
Yes we need to get that free to air public TV channel we were promised by Labour started soon as the election process is now in full swing putting out so much fake media hype now that is is often difficult to know what is the truth any more.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96745495/labour-promises-freetoair-rnz-tv-channel?rm=a
.
Yes public TV on a reasonable budget and no highly priced front people. Let's get able people who earn a reasonable screw and go for ugly ones – it's time we had our day in the sun.
"Yes we need to get that free to air public TV channel we were promised by Labour started soon as the election process is now in full swing "
As I replied to you @ Cleangreen once before (not sure if it was here or on TDB.)
Please don't hold your breath. You are probably already down as some disgruntled old coot whose vote won't make a difference in your twilight years anyway
Ideologically, the foxes are in charge of the chicken coup and the chickens are busy convincing their partners how dainty the taste of a Chardonnay is. So its better to just smile and watch them all jump off a cliff, and watch the onlookers clutch their pearls afterwards
chanting “Oooh! I say!”
OncewasTim.
Yes we are petty much stuffed now, like the movies always portray the masses as idiots when a huge disaster comes our way such as in the movie "The day after tomorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnvqsWVluCE
It correctly makes us all look quite stupid like chickens for sure. .
Can I sing 'Rule Britannia" one last time ?
Bond, James Bond .. no relation to Boris.
I wondered about this. What is the reasonable position on it?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/401733/parliament-tv-attack-ads-speaker-reprimands-academic-over-comments
The hearing was mostly cordial, barring a stern rebuke from Mr Mallard to Massey University Professor Claire Robinson after her criticism of Labour's position.
The review was initiated after Labour complained that the Opposition had used official footage of Labour backbencher Deborah Russell without her permission in breach of one of Parliament's rarely enforced rules.
This is the only audio I can find. https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018719271
Claire Robinson…. always finds way to twist the narrative to favour national
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-10-2017/election-2017-a-vote-for-the-status-quo/
"But to be a vote for change Labour would have had to get more votes than National. In fact National got 20,574 more votes in 2017 than it did in 2014."
hello MMP is calling Claire…the left has multiple choice of parties.
And she lies by omission as National got less votes as a % of the total vote a whopping -2.59%. Saying they 'won' by getting more votes by number and by party was the National partys constant claim.
Good one Dukeofurl. National use the system; "the more we repeat the lie the closer to the truth it becomes."
I keep getting good, hopeful feelings that problems are being dealt with in a timely, not time-wasting fashion, now that the Labour Coalition is in. Please God let this political do-wonders group stay in and we can have hope for the future. It can't please us all, all the time, but it is trying for most of the time. The others are gungy ghastly greedy and bottom-feeders.
They're trying @grey. But there's a lot of shit to push uphill and they've been slow to start, and slow to even recognise where many of the roadblocks are/have been.
Their worst enema comes from quite a few in the senior ranks of the public service. Now that I've come of age, I'm privy to the conversations and opinions of a bunch of retired senior public servants. I hadn't quite realised how much they're in agreement with what I've noticed quite independently of what they'd seen and experieinced. Kind of like a blatent display of a Master of the Universe culture, previously limited to the private sector.
Whereas once it was all a matter of self preservation through obfuscation, spin et al (as in "Yes Minister" fashion), NOW those same traits come with outright political partisanship in so many cases.
Not sure if it was in here or TDB that I was reminded of the word 'spiv' which reminded me of grifters, but its become a bit sad that many of the coalition MPs have taken this long (2 years in) to appreciate the level of 'pushback' that's occurred, and many still don't appear to have noticed how many of their 'officials' have the skills of the best used car salesman.
Some Ministers and MPs in the coalition are/have been simply too 'nice', and the used car salesmen are, and have taken advantage of it.
Pushing back, to the extent they're trying to show just who is boss; 'working to rule' on policies they dislike or don't agree with, slowing it all down; and crying victim if and when anyone even attempts to call them to account.
I'm glad you have confidence because what worries me most is that this government COULD be teetering on a loss come 2020, given a senior public service that's by and large its enemy and almost completely unaccountable for its many failures (a matter of record that could rival a bLip list, an almost non-existent 4th Estate, and an electorate that's becoming increasingly disinterested and feeling alienated.
If you’ve got one or two crystals I could clutch, I could return the favour, maybe as a tour guide to the new home of the Dalai Lama
Edit
James Shaw gave an excellent interview.
environment Emissions trading scheme under fire
From Morning Report, 8:24 am today Listen duration 5′ :50″
The government is under fire for not going far enough with its Emissions Trading Scheme. Farmers won't have to start paying for their emissions until 2025, as long as they make progress in finding ways to measure and price emissions at the farm level. Greenpeace says the government's Emissions Trading Scheme shows pleas from tens-of-thousands of students for climate action have fallen on deaf ears. Corin speaks to the Climate Change Minister James Shaw in our Wellington studio.
and – Good work that engineer
8:15 am today
Engineer reveals dozens of building mistakes
From Morning Report, 8:15 am today 3.24m
A structural engineer who helped trigger investigations into seismically-flawed building designs has revealed dozens of common but serious mistakes he is finding during reviews. The consequences of design faults include a 60-metre high transmission tower that snapped in half. Phil Pennington reports.
I have relatives in the building industry. 'Cowboys' would be a polite description.
The way that builders go broke and don't pay their subbies is a shock to me, filled with the belief of building being one of our strong industries that was flourishing, blah blah. My relations just had a very nice house built and watched over it all the time, I think similar to a civil engineer as he is a retired builder. The supposed builder confessed that it was beyond him before the job was done, he was running a ponzi, paying off past debts from the current job, and it caught up with him. And he and his family were known to my relation, not fly-by-nights. In the end he was paid for the job, but didn't pay all his subbies, and my relation had to bargain with them to get them to sign off their work so the Council would issue a 'pass-notice' or whatever it's called. He had to pay some in full, so double for that part. Shocking! The house is pretty good but he had to finish off some parts himself. His knees are a bit shot, but he managed.
It should be a steady job and with good tradesmen getting good pay. But SNAFU is our codesign in NZ since neoliberalbloodyeconomics and the bloody Labourtroika/Treasury takeover. Can we pull ourselves out of the smelly bog – I hope.
The Master Builders still exist and they guarantee their work, do they not?
https://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/RMBA/Master_Build_Guarantee/RMBA/MB_Guarantee/GuaranteeHome.aspx
Well I have heard queries about whether they are reliable but don't know. Why is the Master Builder crowd not being used more – don't know. My builder relation would have thought that knowing the person and his family, he would be okay.
People can look into the eyes of an assured bloke and form an opinion that their job knowledge and outcome will be okay. Silly but in law when you hold yourself out to be something then you should stand behind it and I guess that prompts people to accept others who seem to know what they are doing.
One of the characteristics of the criminally inclined is that they can appear honest.
Another human chararacteristic is that family members will kill other family members on contract, as we learn today from a trial in Nelson.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116818971/pair-sentenced-for-murder-of-nelson-woman
Spammers, ponzi schemes, crooked employers, employees, companies evading reponsibilities, cowboys, fly by nighters, human traffickers, exploiters everywhere.
And that's on a good day……………….
@ mac1. Why not find out yourself then tell us all if you are right.
yes greywarshark;
And on my 'namesake' day we received the word that an Iwi is challenging OMV CEO in an international court .
A good move there, – we all need to support them not leave them in solitude;.
We we wrote this in support today too.
CEAC support Iwi Leaders Group lawsuit against OMV CEO
25th October 2019.
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre.
CEAC support Climate change Iwi Leaders Group lawsuit against OMV CEO
On this ‘St Crispin’s day 25th October’, (a day that the English celebrate annually their victory against the French during the Agincourt 100yr war.)
• It was fitting that we were sent this important press release on this day.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1910/S00504/iwi-leader-launches-criminal-lawsuit-against-omv-ceo.htm
We fully support the Iwi legal challenge against another polluter and ‘climate spoiler’ such as OMV is.
QUOTE;
“ An iwi leader has announced the initiation of a lawsuit to be filed at the International Criminal Court against Rainer Seele, the CEO of Austrian oil giant OMV”.
This was another very good Iwi policy that has considered the health ,safety and wellbeing of all citizens, and we commend the Iwi for making a bold stand against those corporate interests who wish harm upon our NZ citizens and we stand together with them in support and solitude.
END
No Right Turn nails it – shaw knows this stuff better than most and this is what he managed to sort – pathetic and disgraceful – if this is the big moment it fizzed worse than Dot-idiot and the big nothing.
Would it be possible to replace Westminster with with an algorithm run by .. oh, Zuckerberg ?
Think of the cost savings, efficiencies, and 'improvements' in democratic process.
Well, I think take a tender for the jobs of running the country – and have each person with watchers who answer to the people for the performance of their lad or lass. . All coming from the citizens and having first done a public, civic management diploma and social anthropology one also, and also a farming and horticulture course – those being our main positive products. (Less emphasis on rockets and space, and more on food and maintaining the planet in a livable condition.)
They will be responsible for ensuring that the administration does what has been agreed upon in an appropriately professional way, getting the best out of staff while treating them with respect. We will save on paying wannabe celebrities with good hair and good teeth, who put in an appearance and say the things that suit their Party, performing when the key at their back is turned – for older; or the touch button is pressed – that's the younger ones.
I agree – imo disrespecting all of the climate action marchers, the school strikers, the people that WANT real change, disrespecting Greta and our children will only lead to misery for everyone
Ethnic cleansing seems to be all good with the No 2 Repug in the Senate:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-cornyn-defends-trump-kurds_n_5db1a0f3e4b0131fa99a9fba
well as the orange hostage taker once said
"He (they) knew what he (they) signed up for.
and besides He – the orange hostage taker – is also known for stiffing his contractors. so really they knew what they signed up for, right?
https://www.snopes.com/ap/2017/10/18/trump-says-fallen-soldier-knew-signed/
Here is the UK House of Commons with Q&A. How do we compare – I know I should listen and watch our Parliament but I am remiss about this.
Our QA starts with a Question. Theirs starts with background then the question.
And the initial question is a single question then next one on a different topic.
I can't keep track of UK Q&A!
This is brave, comedian Kelly Bachman telling Harvey Weinstein 'Fuck you' when he's in the audience at an event for young actors,
(cheers from the women, boos from the men).
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-0I45JgSw/
Good job, those women!
Good on her.
and fuck him for having the gall to attend.
Good this is happening.
Revealed: how the FBI targeted environmental activists in domestic terror investigations
This article is more than 1 month old
Protesters were characterized as a threat to national security in what one calls an attempt to criminalize their actions.
Helen Yost, a 62-year-old environmental educator, has been a committed activist for nearly a decade. She says she spends 60 to 80 hours a week as a community organizer for Wild Idaho Rising Tide. She’s been arrested twice for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience.
Yost may not fit the profile of a domestic terrorist, but in 2014 the FBI classified her as a potential threat to national security. According to hundreds of pages of FBI files obtained by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) lawsuit, and interviews with activists, Yost and more than a dozen other people campaigning against fossil fuel extraction in North America have been identified in domestic terrorism-related investigations.
The investigations, which targeted individual activists and some environmental organizations, were opened in 2013-2014, at the height of opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the expansion of fossil fuel production in North America.
The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.
The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.
However, in the file closing the case, it appears that Yost has been watchlisted, which is standard for named subjects of FBI domestic terrorism investigations, according to Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice. Being watchlisted can lead to heightened scrutiny from law enforcement and delays or additional screenings when traveling. Yost said she had not traveled overseas since the FBI investigation.
Yost, who was contacted by an FBI agent when the case was still active, said she was not surprised by the agency’s actions. Surveillance was a form of suppression, she said, and this was another attempt to criminalize the actions of “normal people” working to protect natural resources. But she remains undeterred.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/23/revealed-how-the-fbi-targeted-environmental-activists-in-domestic-terror-investigations
Kia Ora 1 News.
That's is cool the school still having a calf day.
Te Uluru is a Tangata Whenua of Australia taonga all Australians need to learn some of the Tangata whenua great culture.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Yes I will be a great game of Rugby tonight.
Ma Te Wa for the League.
Armogedon will be great this year. The is heaps of potential for our Rangatahi to make plenty of putea from playing and developing video games.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
The Wealthier countries need to step up and donate putea to help the poor country's of Te Papatuanuku. They have the lowest carbon footprint and will be suffering the most from Global warming that's a fact.
Almost $US10 billion pledged to help tackle climate change
Wealthier countries on Friday have promised nearly $US9.8 billion over the next four years to an international fund to help poorer nations develop cleanly and adapt to climate stresses.
Most of the donors making fresh contributions came from Europe, though New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and Canada also committed funds, with New Zealand and South Korea pledging to double previous donations.
However, the United States will not contribute, because president Donald Trump decided to stop paying into the fund.
The funding is still a drop in the ocean compared with the estimated $3 trillion to $7 trillion a year needed to shift the world's economy onto a more sustainable and climate-friendly path, Mr Glemarec said
The fund so far has allocated about $5.2 billion to 111 projects in 99 countries.
They range from green, low-cost housing in Mongolia's polluted capital and a methane-fuelled rapid-transit bus system in Karachi to restoring climate-threatened ecosystems in Namibia
Ka kite Ano link below.
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4
Time are changing fast our realities opinions can change just as fast now is the time to make sure that the information we are receiving is not being distorted by Wealthier people $$$$$$$$$$. In reality the best phenomenon for all is the best for Te Papatuanuku= equality for all equal income distribution and being caretaker of Papatuanuku and her creations for the next generations our mokopuna. Our society needs to learn respect our Tipuna and our mokopuna future respect for the past and future over our greed.
Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more?
It’s not about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news. Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access to the ‘real’ facts – and now we can’t stop fighting about it.
We live in a time of political fury and hardening cultural divides. But if there is one thing on which virtually everyone is agreed, it is that the news and information we receive is biased. Every second of every day, someone is complaining about bias, in everything from the latest movie reviews to sports commentary to the BBC’s coverage of Brexit. These complaints and controversies take up a growing share of public discussion.
Much of the outrage that floods social media, occasionally leaking into opinion columns and broadcast interviews, is not simply a reaction to events themselves, but to the way in which they are reported and framed. The “mainstream media” is the principal focal point for this anger. Journalists and broadcasters who purport to be neutral are a constant object of scrutiny and derision, whenever they appear to let their personal views slip. The work of journalists involves an increasing amount of unscripted, real-time discussion, which provides an occasionally troubling window into their.
.
Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more? – podcast
This mentality now spans the entire political spectrum and pervades societies around the world. A recent survey found that the majority of people globally believe their society is broken and their economy is rigged. Both the left and the right feel misrepresented and misunderstood by political institutions and the media, but the anger is shared by many in the liberal centre, who believe that populists have gamed the system to harvest more attention than they deserve. Outrage with “mainstream” institutions has become a mass.
Public life has become like a play whose audience is unwilling to suspend disbelief. Any utterance by a public figure can be unpicked in search of its ulterior motive. As cynicism grows, even judges, the supposedly neutral upholders of the law, are publicly accused of personal bias. Once doubt descends on public life, people become increasingly dependent on their own experiences and their own beliefs about how the world really works. One effect of this is that facts no longer seem to matter (the phenomenon misleadingly dubbed “post-truth”). But the crisis of democracy and of truth are one and the same: individuals are increasingly suspicious of the “official” stories they are being told, and expect to witness things for themselves.
Reasons we cannot agree on what’s true |
On one level, heightened scepticism towards the establishment is a welcome development. A more media-literate and critical citizenry ought to be less easy for the
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/sep/19/why-cant-we-agree-on-whats-true-anymore
Kia Ora 1 News.
The Korowai Trust is doing a good job housing the homeless.
I'm trying to get A lawyer to.
That's awesome a commeration of the New Zealand land wars.
I agree we should not let go of the pass.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's a good Haka and waiata at Waitara Marae for the commeration of the New Zealand Wars.
It was good luck that Hine won the draw.
Its awesome to see tangata whenua getting council seats.
Ka kite Ano