Wow Cactus Kate is seeking to stand for the ACT party. She would actually bring something to the party, the ability to argue coherently.
It would be a shame though if she replaced Hillary Calvert. That particular combination of blind prejudice, sense of superiority and lack of empathy would be difficult to recreate.
Perhaps Heather Roy feels that Don Brash has more chauvinistic attitudes to women than the previous leader, Alasdair Thompson’s recent sweeping generalisation being a final warning.
Now let’s see, why was 9 years such a wonderful cut-off point? That’s it, she will qualify for all the travel perks but even better whe will get that gilt edged pension while the rest of us will see our GSF and similar schemes tampered with and reduced. Makes you sick.
(Now how can the rest of us get our noses into that trough?)
All we need is the Queen of Thorns standing for Mana, and Imperator fish for Labour, for some brilliant debates and a much more interesting election campaign this year.
disclaimer
Not claiming QoT actually supports Mana.
>Brash should then seek three top drawer candidates for ACT to make a strong team of six first rate potential MP’s.
Here is where I will differ from I suspect his viewpoint and state this does NOT under ANY circumstances include John Banks. Brash needs three list candidates without the baggage Banks brings. Banks is just awful. He makes you want to consider voting Len Brown. Two time losing Mayoral candidate Banks is political desperation at its finest. He’s horrible and awkward, moreso around women. I am extremely tolerant of male idiosyncrasy and even I find Banks the pits. His political philosophy isn’t even close to ACT’s. He’s toyed once with ACT and didn’t have the metal. Banks would be a Shakespearian re-run of the return of Douglas.
Plenty more in there, like how the list needs to avoid giving loud mouthed political shit stirrers high placings just because they fill some gender or ethnic demographic niche.
Global finance and tax haven huge use by UK and USA. Look for book called ‘Treasure Island’ from Nicholas Shaxson. On Radionz on Replay Sat 25/6 bit after 8am in dense and probing discussion with Kim.
Says Ireland has been and still is a tax haven and that caused the conditions resulting in the name of Celtic Tiger for them, which have now spiralled into them being one of the PIGS group. He says that tax havens have led the move to compete by states to have lower company taxes.
Confirms with details what thinking and worried people on this blog realise and argue about.
Our own financiers Fay and Richwhite and others tried out the Cook Islands as a tax haven. I remember that a Cook Island politicians meeting was said to have been paused while some document connected with the foreign financiers was signed. Joky Hen has suggested some such role for us. I am sure that his financial background would fit him to introduce this.
Shaxson says that the havens are servile entities to the tax avoiders/evaders so allowing them to virtually write enabling legislation. At home these would meet democratic procedures, some debate, so better to go where the entity is Free to do what they like. ‘Freedom is another word, for nothing left to lose’? (Me and Bobby McGee)
An emailer to the radio pointed out that in the 90’s here the government decided to drop taxation for overseas companies, but not nz ones. Others would know how this works and the arguments for it. Probably one is that we need investment cash. But what do we get from that cash? A number of poorly paid jobs for the locals in the main?
The next speaker is Irishman Philip Lane on economic vulnerability – so listen on for another facet to this hard flawed diamond of world financial practice.
Oh oh I put gummint and got into moderation – have corrected but hope this comes out before the radio interview with Lane is over.
Others would know how this works and the arguments for it. Probably one is that we need investment cash. But what do we get from that cash? A number of poorly paid jobs for the locals in the main?
Actually, we don’t even get poorly paid jobs – foreign investment usually results in employment going down as the foreign rentiers seek more profit.
Things are going to be very ugly when this happens. All I can see coming from this policy is more homelessness, and more mothers and babies crammed into seedy boarding houses. One of the reasons why the ’35-’49 Labour government introduced state housing was because of the state of the slums in Auckland. Now a National government with no memory of what life was like pre 1935 is hell bent on bringing the back.
Housing NZ has been a landlord with variable concern for its tenants for some time. The government has been unwilling to invest in more state housing but opened the rental market for low income prospective tenants by providing accommodation allowances which provide a reliable subsidy to the property owner, and that has helped fuel the housing bubble. The government providing state housing at an affordable rate for a beneficiary at a top of one/third of
the benefit would have acted as a price floor for private owners, but government brought its own rentals up to market levels some years back.
If housing start accounts were set up whereby government meets in some proportion, the amount that savers put in, and then gives an extended, say ten year, period of set affordable interest rates say 5% on a low-price house or apartment mortgage to those savers, there would be less people wasting overseas exchange by buying imported consumer stuff, but putting that money into things for their house and their own betterment.
The inability to get rid of tenants who create a noisy, unsafe or negative environment is probably fuel to Housing NZ changes. The women with Mongrel Mob connections have cost the country considerable money because Housing NZ wants them out because they are not good tenants with their circle of friends and family presumably making the neighbourhood unpleasant and unsafe. Perhaps the Mongrel Mob can get community money to put up its own houses to cater for its polygamous-like culture.
I live in an old part of Auckland that could be described as up-market. In amongst the privately owned homes are pockets of state housing that were probably built between the 1950s and 70s in the main. I have noticed in the past 12 months that many of them have been sitting empty for a long time now. They are in good condition and seem to have been freshly painted but no sign of any tenants. I’ve come to the conclusion the NAct govt. is planning to sell them after the election.
First they take away peoples’ jobs, and now they plan to take away the chance of a decent roof over their heads.
Re the NACT government’s lack of investments and support to generate a more diverse economy for jobs:
– this also means that the government is pushing out our friends, newly made redundant work mates, siblings to Australia and overseas countries.
Our children will be pushed out next.
At this rate with this government, don’t even think of having your next two generations in this country.
I think that the govenment need to be very clear on what they are proposing to do with the accommodation supplement before the election. If anything the amount needs to be increased, there is no way that a person on a low income can afford a mortgage.
Ironically it was the previous National Gov. that replaced the 4% housing corp mortgages (one of which Paula Bennett got) with the accomodation supplement. It effectively replaced a programme which was designed to be a genuine hand up to help people to independence (and which was successful at it to boot), and replaced it with a state handout.
Concise critique of the rhetorical phrase “politics of envy” from the blog of the UK protest group Art Uncut:
Why is the phrase ‘politics of envy’ deemed acceptable?
14th March
Quick blog to register hatred of the regressive phrase ‘politics of envy’. If an individual realises that those in the socio-economic group they were born into die a decade younger on average, or that their children’s life chances are significantly less than the children of those who can afford private education, or that the wages of those in ‘higher’ socio-economic groups have risen many, many times faster in the last thirty years than the wages of those in their own, and as a result of this realisation gets a bit angry, I think that we should call this ‘legitimate grievance’ rather than ‘petty jealousy’. The phrase ‘politics of envy’ is very ugly indeed. I hope in the future this phrase is deemed unacceptable in the way that racist or homophobic terms are now deemed unacceptable.
Sick? Then you don’t need food? How about you dance for your food?
Welcome to NZ. Future Focus policy means the sick will be threaten
with the reduction and cessation of money to by food, health care, pay
rents. Zeit Heil.
Doctors may if patients don’t take their medicine stop feeding
them hospital food, if they are too poor to have relatives bring
them food, how is that the Doctors problem?
What happens if a country defaults on its financial obligations? Iceland though having only 330,000 population did so and fed up with the mainstream parties elected some Bob and Ben likeness instead.
What would happen if Greece or Portugal or Ireland took the same stand? What would happen if Bill English dealt with NZ needs rather than that of the Credit Agencies.
Iceland bears watching. (And they promised a polar bear in their zoo.) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10734332
the main threat is that NZ would no longer be able to access borrowed hard foreign currency for which to pay for critical overseas imports incl. fuel, drugs, machine parts, information technology.
Travel overseas would become near on impossible as the value of the NZ dollar collapses. A simple Big Mac in Sydney would end up costing NZ$30 or NZ$40, if you could get anyone to change your NZD to begin with.
In this capitalist international game it is always better to be a net lender rather than a net borrower.
As long as you don’t lend to basket case countries of course. French and Germany banks who were lending ginourmous sums of money into Greece would have known looking at Greece’s national income, that those loans could not be paid back in any kind of commercially acceptable timeframe.
There was a country that tried this policy of Autarky and look what happened to Albania, they regressed more so than any other East European country. Turkey may yet have to follow this policy just to keep the $$ flowing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autarky
As some have commented regarding petro-chemicals – for this group of products the policy could become a reality by default. Hate to see all our earnings being spent on debt servicing and oil !!
Iceland unilaterally told their creditors where to go and for the moment, it seems to be working better as an approach than what Spain and Greece have done.
Iceland did display boldness that has ben lacking elsewhere. But when you live in a country that has everything now going its way (Once Global Warming really takes off, and we see a replay of the early 2nd millenium) and that it has eyjafjallajokull that can stop Europe in its tracks whenever it so desires !!
I cannot see how Greece can solve its financial issues, like America all that happens is a build up of pressure until it finally blows up (with a few growing excedingly wealthy at the expense of the masses). That is the problem with what Greece gave us, democracy. We the voter will not vote for pain (Turkeys and Christmas) and the pollys have no idea or fortitude re the (painful) cure.
On a side issue Icelands demise resulted in my team relagated to the 1st division, so there was some paid experienced 🙂
Question is, is the pain proposed being evenly shared?
How is it for instance that in the case of Greece, none of the bondholders/big investment banks are being asked to share the pain, say by taking 25% haircuts?
It seems that it’s only ordinary Greek citizens and Greek workers being asked to suffer.
This to me seems like a replay of Muldoonism or a poorly semi managed Economy. Where our living stds are propped up by borrowings, we (in this case Greece) has been very generous to its citizens given what it was able to earn. We, as most 1st world countries are in various forms are in the same boat, one day we will come to reality and have to accept dramatic decrease in living stds. Just as well as the filthy rich (many faceless individuals and families that the popularis has no idea who they are ) have their nest egg to “Go Private” when the crap hits the spinning thingy.
This also displays the weakness of the EU in that here are the rules e.g deficits, current accs and who followed them and who policed them? Now we have G.B. being asked to assist in the bailout and they are not even part of the Eurozone. http://www.businessinsider.com/greece-uk-bail-out-2011-6
Greece has had a massive problem with tax evasion and corruption for years. No doubt about that.
Question remains, are ordinary Greeks and Greek workers going to be the only ones who suffer for the foolishness of their elites consorting with the investment banking and international finance types.
one day we will come to reality and have to accept dramatic decrease in living stds.
And to repeat the question again in a different way: who is this “WE” you are talking about who is going to have to “accept dramatic decreases in living standards”?
Is it just the ordinary workers and people again? How about the richest 2% of NZ society, are they going to accept dramatic decreases in THEIR living standards?
Or are they, as the pattern is emerging, just going to use the rest of us as a buffer to keep the status quo for themselves.
Note that National did not cut MP’s own super schemes when they cut KiwiSaver. Another example of the pain not being evenly shared.
My referring to “We” are all those who do not have enough to not care less because most 90%+ require the benefit of the collective not to live off our”success”.
And re Greece there was from my reading a wide acceptance of tax evasion, yet again we see who benefits from all this speculation and not paying their social contributions for all. AND WE STILL BAIL THEM OUT !!! http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/20/greece-promises-crack-down-on-tax-evasion
Yes re Nat agreed yet Lab were the same in power remember the 2-4% pay rises we all got (most years behind inflation and further behind the real cost of living increases) and the PM and MPs being in double digit pay rises and blaming the detached, impartial system (that they set up)?And they increased their tax free allowances to over $13k no basis for it just another (elephant in the room )perk. At least in old NZ it was far more egalitarian when blue/white/Mp’s/City councilors and the chiefs of industry did intermingle at baches, sports and schools. Now (technically NZ is not a class society yet by acedamic definition) we are progressing into a well divided society, with all the infighting and positioning from those groups who are all losing out and going backwards, bar the top 2-5% of the pop. and very few can see it.
ianmac and c.v.
I just wonder if those big producer economies would actually let New Zealand become a basket case. They would also have too much to lose. We are a good and reliable market. New Zealand has always been a first world country. I cannot believe that forces within the producer industries would let their governments let NZ go down the plug. They might force austerity measures on us, but the minions might also demand a re-dividing of the cake. I think the likes of the absentee investors in our economy are the ones who have the most to lose. We are an energy rich nation, and we would be able to take back ownership of our resources… begins to sound better all the time… yep let’s default and take our nation back.
Blithering old Alisdair Thompson is not the only powerful bully confronted by Helen Kelly in the last twelve months. Please enjoy this blast from the recent past…
Helen Kelly: “Peter Jackson is a spoilt brat.”
October 20th, 2010 by Altaira
Ataahua, one of our Kiwi connections, just posted on our Hobbit discussion board that Helen Kelly, president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) has just been interviewed on Newstalk ZB. Highlights:
The move offshore is financially-driven, not actor-driven
“The issue is that countries are offering double the tax breaks (of New Zealand). Warners are in the process of doing as much damage as they can (to the NZ film industry) to get what they want. “New Zealand can compete on films if the tax system is right. We have to have the right financial conditions to compete.” She said New Zealand competes on talent and skills and we shouldn’t have to accept lower overseas conditions to be competitive.
A resolution was close
“We’re working with SPADA. Warners is fully aware that we’re within an inch of resolving this but they’re deciding to go this way. “The union is the way to unionise the film industry, and what is the problem with this? We have manufacturing and call centres going offshore, and are you suggesting that our actors shouldn’t be unionised?”
PJ’s role in the dispute
“Peter Jackson is a spoilt brat, and saying that in this country I know is sacriligious. He organised a meeting last night through Weta Workshop and wound those technicians up with false information. They were played like a fiddle and took the bait. He shared information that we’re forbidden from sharing and said it’s the performers’ request to meet that has hurt The Hobbit. It is the fault of Three Foot Seven to move the movie to film The Hobbit.”
Well now you come to mention it Murray, I have to say that I recall Alisdair’s behavior towards Helen Kelly during one TV interview as especially sneering and demeaning to her as a woman. It stuck in my memory as an interesting moment, revealing the man’s inner convictions in all their retro-ugliness.
So yes Murray.. it’s transpired an arse got kicked alright.. and it hasn’t been Helen Kelly’s.
It was Peter Jackson that looked and sounded utterly out of his depth through that fiasco. He usually sat glumly and pathetically, while his terrifying minder and spokeswoman Philippa Boyens did all the talking.
In stark and telling contrast to Jackson, Helen Kelly was articulate and strong throughout that unpleasant confrontation.
“the main threat is that NZ would no longer be able to access borrowed hard foreign currency for which to pay for critical overseas imports incl. fuel, drugs, machine parts, information technology.
Travel overseas would become near on impossible as the value of the NZ dollar collapses. A simple Big Mac in Sydney would end up costing NZ$30 or NZ$40, if you could get anyone to change your NZD to begin with.”
This assumes of course that other countries will no longer wish to buy our products. This seems unlikely given that food shortages seem to be looming. In fact a slight drop in the dollar would probably be beneficial. And, let’s face it, default on our part would probably lead to a large reduction in payments for “invisibles”.
– Yes we will still sell a lot overseas, but when you look at the balance of payments you can see that we will be shortages of hard foreign currency fairly fast.
– A slight drop in the dollar to say 70c would be hugely beneficial for NZ industry. I was really talking of say a 90% (or larger) drop, which would occur after a loan default.
None of this is unmanageable of course, Iceland and Argentina are still around, and those are only a few recent examples.
Yes KJT… it’s astounding how many folk have no idea about this fundamental structural imbalance in our economy. The root cause is simple:
Far too much of the NZ economy has been sold to overseas owners
Now there is nothing wrong with some direct foreign investment as long as it meets two conditions:
1. It actually creates new wealth and opportunity, as distinct to merely capturing existing assets to rent back to us.
2. It is balanced by a similar level of FDI by New Zealand overseas; in other words the investment flows in and out of the country roughly balance each other over the medium term.
NZ has categorially failed on both counts. As a result something in the order of 7-9% of our GDP dissapears offshore EVERY year. This is one of the most important reasons why NZ has failed to meet it’s potential in the last 30 years or so, and why the extreme neo-liberal, free market experiment inflicted on this country was completely wrong.
Fear and insecurity for state servants, fear and insecurity for solo mums, fear and insecurity for earthquake victims. The National Party do fear and insecurity very well, choose a group within society and pick on that group. Provides distractions for their real business which goes on in back-rooms and involves shady deals.
A private consultant awarded a $54,135 contract for two months’ work says he was given the job because of “staffing gaps” at the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry.
Found this in the on-line comments of NZH and a follow-up reply from Josh – thank you Josh.
Just Me (North Shore City)
09:05 AM Friday, 27 May 2011
No, no change in my vote.
At least National will make some money off the sales, unlike Labour who sold Tranz Rail to Toll for $1. Yes, not a typo, One Dollar. And then they bought it back for $665 million minus the profitable road transport division.
35 likes
Josh (New Zealand)
10:31 AM Friday, 27 May 2011
Uhh, actually Toll sold the tracks to the Government for a dollar. New Zealand Rail Ltd was sold in 1993 to Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation and two other investment groups who proceeded to strip it of valuable assets in order to pay down debt and lease costs that were unaffordable. TheGovernment then purchased the company back in 2008 for $665 million dollars to avoid the complete destruction of NZ’s railway system, and to prevent the continued degradation of services.
31 Likes
Just more Crosby and Textor John Key clones peddling their lies on national media. Surely the Herald picked up on it. If they did and left it in the comments then that makes liars of them and their foreign owners too. We had enough nasty lying against Labour in the 2008 election. This year NActMU will do whatever it takes. Labour, Progressive, Greens don’t turn your backs on anyone remotely like a NActMU MP or party follower. They are patently dangerous to New Zealanders wanting to retain what is left of an egalitarian society.
What a joke, toll were even less constructive than Tranz Rail. David Richwhite gave rail a Chance, they tried and tested whether the freight system was any use, invested in a lot of new track and fast wagons in 1993-8, ran the freight trains at maximum speed, even tried to make the long distance passenger trains which labour under Kirk, Freer, Douglas and Prebble would never spend any real money or new investment on, work. Clark and Ron Donald just scrapped them. Eay Richwhite brought the second hand Brit rail carriages and the Perth units that gave passenger rail a chance in this country.
The toll trains cruised around this counry in Australain national war bonnet colors. They were basically Australain corporate mafia who never invested a cent of real money in NZ. Jum get back to Sth London and Cameron and Borris will treat slum dwellers like you in the appropriate manner
Robert M said “Jum get back to Sth London and Cameron and Borris will treat slum dwellers like you in the appropriate manner”
And why would you think I would be needing to go back to South London? I’d much rather stay here and highlight your idiocy, you nasty little creature.
Public transport is a public good for the use of New Zealanders who need to get from A to B without a car. You bxstards are so selfish and greedy that you have no empathy for those people.
The issue is never about making a profit; your idiot Key/Joyce government is deliberately under-resourcing rail in favour of road. Fay/Richwhite were two of the criminal class that ripped all New Zealanders off; Bolger’s government sold Rail in 93 and we lost a useful apprenticeship scheme.
The best result that occurred was Cullen buying it back; it made no difference in the end what we paid for it because whatever money was left was given by your idiot Key/English government to rich pricks.
“Thousands to come off housing list” By Simon Collins Saturday Jun 25, 2011
________________________________________________________________
“With the continuation of Auckland’s serious housing crisis and families still languishing in sheds, garages and overcrowded and sub-standard accommodation, including those left homeless in Christchurch – the last thing any decent Government should be doing is privatising the state housing stock, using charities such as the Salvation Army and ‘trusts’ in a mixed economy to do it,” says Sue Henry, Spokesperson for the Housing Lobby.
“It is totally unacceptable to have Government policies in the 21st century that create instability, transience and homelessness.
There are several other aspects that are very concerning:
The ‘housing crisis’ will not be fixed by taking people off the waiting list.
Prime Minister John Key promised that there would be no asset sales in this first term of government. This is what John Key promised on 14 April 2008:
“Transcript: Agenda IV’s John Key
Monday, 14 April 2008, 10:57 am
Article: Agenda
GUYON Alright you rightly point out it was sold by the National government in 1998 now that brings us to this position. What is your position now as a National Party on state asset sales?
JOHN Well National’s had some time to reflect on that and the position that we’ve decided to have is the following one. That in the first term of the National government there will be no state assets that will be sold either partially or fully.
GUYON So no state assets, you’re completely firm on that?
JOHN That’s right.”
________________________________________________________________
“But Housing Minister Phil Heatley has said ‘some iwi groups wanted to take over managing state houses rather than buying them, but the Government wanted to sell them.’
Prime Minister John Key is breaking this promise.
The proposed sale of any state housing stock must cease forthwith.”
Housing Lobby Spokesperson Sue Henry drew attention to what Prime Minister John Key had stated on 12 March 2007 – that he didn’t ‘ favour a move back to market-related rents.’
Before the 2008 election, National’s stated policy on housing, as declared by Phil Heatley on 22 July 2008, included the following:
National Party promised to keep at least the existing number of state houses if it wins this year’s election.
National would not sell state houses to outside investors, as it did in the 1990s, and would use the proceeds of sales to tenants to buy or lease new state houses.
“We won’t be running down the state housing stock. We acknowledge that we need it.”
Mr Heatley said the party would now keep Labour’s policy of fixing state house rents at only 25 per cent of the tenants’ incomes except for tenants on high incomes.
“This will be yet another broken promise,” says Ms Henry.
“Why then would the ‘social housing unit’ (which should also be scrapped forthwith because it has no public mandate), be asked to ‘propose a new system of subsidising housing costs to replace the income-related rent subsidy for state houses?,” she continued.
[He [Housing Minister Phil Heatley] told the Weekend Herald that the new social housing unit, due to start in the Department of Building and Housing on July 1, would be asked to propose a new system of subsidising housing costs to replace the current income-related rents for state houses and accommodation supplement for the private sector within the next six to 12 months.’]
“This is ludicrous.
The Income Related Rent Subsidy (IRRS) works extremely well for tenants trying to manage on a low income.
The system is not broken.
It doesn’t need to be tampered with by vested interests,” concluded Ms Henry.
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Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President respectively for the US 2020 Election, may have dispensed with the erstwhile nemesis, Trump the candidate – but there are numerous critical openings through which much, much worse many out there may yet see fit to ...
I don’t know Taupō well. Even though I stop off there from time to time, I’m always on the way to somewhere else. Usually Taupō means making a hot water puddle in the gritty sand followed by a swim in the lake, noticing with bemusement and resignation the traffic, the ...
Frances Williams, King’s College LondonFor most people, infection with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – leads to mild, short-term symptoms, acute respiratory illness, or possibly no symptoms at all. But some people have long-lasting symptoms after their infection – this has been dubbed “long COVID”. Scientists are ...
Last night, a British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US. Unfortunately, its not because all he is "guilty" of is journalism, or because the offence the US wants to charge him with - espionage - is of an inherently political nature; instead the judge accepted ...
Is the Gender Identity Movement a movement for human liberation, or is it a regressive movement which undermines women’s liberation and promotes sexist stereotypes? Should biological males be allowed to play in women’s sport, use women-only spaces (public toilets, changing rooms, other facilities), be able to have access to everything ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her warm congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the New Year 2021 Honours List. “The past year has been one that few of us could have imagined. In spite of all the things that ...
Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment David Parker has congratulated two retired judges who have had their contributions to the country and their communities recognised in the New Year 2021 Honours list. The Hon Tony Randerson QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the New Year’s Honours List 2021 highlights again the outstanding contribution made by Pacific people across Aotearoa. “We are acknowledging the work of 13 Pacific leaders in the New Year’s Honours, representing a number of sectors including health, education, community, sports, the ...
The Government’s investment in digital literacy training for seniors has led to more than 250 people participating so far, helping them stay connected. “COVID-19 has meant older New Zealanders are showing more interest in learning how to use technology like Zoom and Skype so they can to keep in touch ...
ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni must confirm whether the Government supports ACC’s apparent policy to make payouts for illegal overstayers , says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “Since when was it ACC policy to ...
By RNZ News An independent panel says Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial covid-19 outbreak, and criticised the World Health Organisation (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until 30 January. The experts reviewing the global handling of the pandemic, ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Fiji’s NGO Coalition on Human Rights has called for stronger accountability and commitment to human rights at home in response to the country taking the world stage as the head of a UN body. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) elected Fiji’s ambassador Nazhat Shameem as ...
Danyl McLauchlan reviews Stuart Ritchie’s Science Fictions, which outlines the staggering systemic flaws in the funding and publication of scientific papers. Back in August of 2006 a number of New Zealand scientists were caught up in a media controversy about whether Māori had a genetic predisposition towards violent crime. It kicked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago America is currently experiencing its worst political and constitutional crisis since the civil war when the very survival of Abraham Lincoln’s government “of, by and for the people” was at stake. On ...
Manaaki Rangatahi report that young people experiencing homelessness are being further traumatized within the emergency accommodation where they have sought safety. Often these environments are unsafe, and unsuitable for young people to live in, and rangatahi ...
Can you figure out which of the above is the real Jacinda Ardern? Probably! But one day, that might not be true.There are many reasons to believe the internet shouldn’t exist. Social media empires exerting, intentionally or not, their control over sovereign governments. Baby Shark. Your aunt on Facebook.It pains ...
The Point of Order Ministers on a Mission Monitor has flickered only fleetingly for much of the month. More than once, the minister to trigger it has been David Parker, who set it off again yesterday with an announcement that shows how he has been spending our money. He welcomed ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
Why are New Zealand’s 2 Minute Noodles called 3 Minute Noodles in the UK? It’s a puzzle that has taken hold of Dylan Reeve and refuses to let go.I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. I watched a lot of TV and was a big fan of aggressively marketed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonatan A Lassa, Senior Lecturer, Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management, College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University News of storms battering parts of Queensland and the threat posed by Cyclone Kimi reminded me of a recent experience I’d had. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the use of force to effect the arrest of a wanted offender in Auckland was justified and proportionate to the risk he posed. A man, who was well known to Police, was wanted by Police for an aggravated ...
A distinctly colonial institution, banking has long ignored te ao Māori. Teaho Pihama believes investment in tikanga Māori at Kiwibank can have significant, positive outcomes for Māori.In early 90s Tāmaki Makaurau, when Teahooterangi (Teaho) Pihama was growing up riding his bike around the streets of Kingsland until the streetlights came ...
Donald Trump’s awful presidency expires at midday on Wednesday [US time] when Air Force One will have deposited him in Florida. He retreats to his Mar-a-Lago resort and Joseph R Biden Junior takes command of the White House. Trump’s has been an unpleasant presidency, brought about largely by his own ...
The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has elected its National President for 2021. The election took place last Friday at an NZUSA Special General Meeting (SGM) in Wellington. Andrew Lessells, 22, was elected to serve as the National ...
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz.It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my ...
Unlike the US, there is very little NZ precedent for politicians to issue discretionary pardons – creating a challenge for those like Prof Sean Davison who might have a humanitarian claim to mercy. ...
Schools have told the Education Review Office that some children lost 10 weeks of learning in last year's lockdowns, but the overall impact of the pandemic is still unclear. In a report based on surveys of thousand of students, teachers and principals during and after last year's national and Auckland ...
The government seems to still be in holiday mode when in the past two weeks alone we have had six homicides, countless firearms incidents, and police needing to arm themselves against gangs almost every second day," says Sensible Sentencing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Crawford, Associate Professor in Construction and Environmental Assessment, University of Melbourne Over the past few years, Australians have embraced online food delivery services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog. But home-delivered food comes with a climate cost, and single-use packaging is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland When the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia in March 2020, the Morrison government took bold and imaginative action. The most notable examples were its income support programs – JobKeeper, paying a A$750 weekly ...
Ocean Ute, which arrived at Port Taranaki yesterday, is the second live export ship to arrive in New Zealand this year. Taranaki Animal Rights Group has two demonstrations planned for today. A protest at midday and a vigil at 6.30pm tonight . The number ...
The Department of Corrections is well within its rights to refuse Jared Savage’s “Gangland” book from being read by inmates and it is outrageous that resources and time are now potentially going to be wasted in court about it, says Sensible ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Cowling, Associate Professor – Information & Communication Technology (ICT), CQUniversity Australia We’ve probably all been there. We buy some new smart gadget and when we plug it in for the first time it requires an update to work. So we end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Vice-chancellor’s fellow, La Trobe University The new trade minister, Dan Tehan, has been handed one of the Morrison government’s most demanding roles. Despite a lot of chest-thumping in government circles about the need to stand up to “Chinese bullying”, Tehan’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Weinstein, Professorial Research Fellow, University of Adelaide There’s no question the rising rate of unemployment is one of the worst consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of Australians seeking work is heading towards 10%, almost double the pre-pandemic Australian average ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Munro, Professor, Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University Research during the first phase of remote teaching in Victoria reported some students found the workload “too high”, missed interactions with peers, felt their thinking ability was impaired, and reported a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Keating, Visiting Fellow, College of Business & Economics, Australian National University It is tempting to think the Australian government’s decision to spend big – bigger than ever before, an unprecedented 33% of GDP this financial year according to the budget update ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Maguire-Rosier, Honorary Associate, Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, School of Literature, Art, and Media, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney Review: Humans 2.0, directed by Yaron Lifschitz, Circa at Sydney Festival The black circular stage is lit ...
Summer reissue: Greens MP Chlöe Swarbrick joins Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire to pick over the remains of election night in a special Sunday edition of Gone By Lunchtime.First published October 18, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded ...
Summer reissue: Our feminist webseries On the Rag returns to dissect representation in the media and who is still being left behind when you turn on the telly. First published July 22, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members ...
Applaud the social media silencing of Donald Trump if you must, but be careful what you wish for, writes Matt Bartlett of the University of Auckland. The sighs of relief from all around the world were almost palpable when Donald Trump’s Twitter account was permanently banned this month. Twitter, Facebook, ...
Matteo Di Maio investigates what MPs have been filling their heads with over the summer holidays What have our lords and masters been reading on the beach during the summer holidays? What books have filled their heads, given them ideas, expanded their horizons? Eight prominent politicians have revealed their choice ...
From white-collar crims to famous rappers, President Trump is to issue about 100 pardons on his final full day in office, buying protection from incriminating revelations. ...
Are the continent’s coronavirus statistics as good as they appear? Felix Geiringer looks at the numbers, and why whether they reflect the reality matters. Living in Africa during Covid times, one of the questions I am asked most often is this: how has Africa done so well?At the start of September, ...
With new strains of Covid-19 bearing down on our shores, Pattrick Smellie of BusinessDesk looks at the challenges 2021 has in store, and what can be done to prepare.In the three weeks that New Zealanders have been at the beach and ignoring Covid tracer app sign-ins, the threat of Covid-19 ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised the Indonesian government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for its weak health response to covid-19 which has brought Indonesia to its knees since March 2020, reports CNN Indonesia. The assessment is based on Indonesia’s poor rates of testing and tracing ...
By The National in Port Moresby An expatriate who tested positive for the covid-19 coronavirus last week has been admitted to a private hospital in the Papua New Guinea capital of Port Moresby, an official has confirmed. Pacific International Hospital (PIH) chief executive officer Colonel Sandeep Shaligram toldThe National the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Bartlett, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle Reports of about 30 deaths among elderly nursing home residents who received the Pfizer vaccine have made international headlines. With Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) expected to approve the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Culum Brown, Professor, Macquarie University How do gills work? Tully, aged 7 Great question, Tully! Animals on land breathe air, which is made up of different gasses. Oxygen is one of these gases, and is made by plants (hug ...
Dairy prices increased by 3.9% across the board at the latest Fonterra global auction. The lift followed rises of 1.3% and 4.3% in the December auctions which took dairy prices to their highest level in 11 months, defying those analysts who believed Covid-19 had disrupted dairy markets. In the latest ...
America's Cup team American Magic has spoken publicly after their boat Patriot capsized when on its way to their first win of the Challenger Selection Series yesterday. Patriot dramatically capsized yesterday, becoming temporarily airborne before crashing back into the water and tipping. The boat, helmed by New Zealander Dean Barker, could not be ...
It’s a seemingly age old question: why do Auckland’s beaches become unswimmable after every single downpour? Stewart Sowman-Lund investigates.Ah, the beach. A staple of the New Zealand summer. Unless, of course, you’re based in Auckland and it’s raining. The start of 2021 has been a lot like every other New ...
We have opened a book, among members of the Point of Order team, on how long it will be before the PM offers to sort out the land dispute at Wellington’s Shelly Bay and (to win the double) how much the settlement will cost taxpayers. Just a few weeks ago ...
Breakfast TV news is back for 2021, and Tara Ward got up early to watch. “Thank god it’s almost Christmas,” John Campbell said during the opening minutes of Breakfast’s premiere episode of the year. “2021’s been rough so far. I’m buggered”. We’re all buggered, to be fair, but I’m worried that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Pearson, Professor of Journalism and Social Media, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Griffith University The blame for the recent assault on the US Capitol and President Donald Trump’s broader dismantling of democratic institutions and norms can be ...
Despite a popular and unifying leader of the governing party, divisions both in policy and culture will test the progressive movement, writes Peter McKenzie.‘I think we’re confused.” Marlon Drake is an organiser for the Living Wage Movement. His job takes him all over Wellington, trying to convince businesses to increase ...
Covid-19 Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins says vaccinations should be available to the public by the middle of the year, but other countries are prioritised. ...
It’s as true now as it ever has been: nowhere else offers an education experience like that of Dunedin. But rather than resting on their laurels, the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic have plans to make the city an even more inspiring place for students.From high in the summit ...
Haggis, neeps and tatties and whisky may not be a traditional spread for a summer gathering in NZ, but trust Auckland city councillor and Kiwi-Scot Cathy Casey on this one. Gie it laldy! Rule one: Hold it on (or near) January 25Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759. Since the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University It could be argued artificial intelligence (AI) is already the indispensable tool of the 21st century. From helping doctors diagnose and treat patients to rapidly advancing new drug discoveries, it’s our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University Through recent natural disasters, global upheavals and a pandemic, Australia’s political centre has largely held. Australians may have disagreed at times, but they have also kept faith with governmental norms, eschewing the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Seale, Associate professor, UNSW Health workers are at higher risk of COVID infection and illness. They can also act as extremely efficient transmitters of viruses to others in medical and aged care facilities. That’s why health workers have been prioritised to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Orchard, Adjunct Lecturer, Monash University Last week, somewhat overshadowed by the events in Washington, the Democrats took control of the US Senate. The Democrats now hold a small majority in both the House and the Senate until 2022, giving President-elect Joe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mittul Vahanvati, Lecturer, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University Heatwaves, floods, bushfires: disaster season is upon us again. We can’t prevent hazards or climate change-related extreme weather events but we can prepare for them — not just as individuals ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University Starting school is an important event for children and a positive experience can set the tone for the rest of their school experience. Some children are excited to attend school for the first ...
Some families in emergency housing are reporting their children are becoming emotionally distressed because of their living conditions. Demand for emergency accommodation has escalated this past year with the number of emergency housing grants increasing by half. Data showed nearly 10,000 people were given an Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant between ...
Summer reissue: Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden are back for a second season of On the Rag, and where better to start than with the mysterious, exhausting world of wellness?First published June 23, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
With few Covid-19 infections and negiligible natural immunity, New Zealand faces being a victim of its own success when it is left till last to get the vaccines, argues Dr Parmjeet Parmar. ...
Steve Braunias reports on a literary cancelling. The Corrections department has refused to allow Jared Savage's best-selling book Gangland inside prison on the grounds that it "promotes violence and drug use". An inmate at Otago Corrections Facility in Dunedin was sent a copy of the book – but it was ...
New data from the CTU’s annual work life survey shows a snapshot of working people’s experiences and outlook heading out of 2020 and into the new year. Concerningly 42% of respondents cite workplace bullying as an issue in their workplace - a number ...
An international player, selector and self-confessed cricket stats nerd, Penny Kinsella has now played a hand in recording the rich history of the women's game in New Zealand. Penny Kinsella’s cricketing career was perched on the cusp of change for the White Ferns. “My first tour to Australia, we ...
The dramatic capsize of American Magic brought out the best in the America's Cup sailing fraternity. But, Suzanne McFadden asks, what does it mean to the crippled New York Yacht Club campaign and to the Prada Cup? It was a scene as unreal as it was calamitous. Right at the moment the ...
The current number of members of parliament is starting to get too low for the job we expect them to do, argues Alex Braae. As a general rule, with the possible exception of their families, nobody likes backbench MPs. But it’s nevertheless time we accepted that parliament should have more of ...
The experience in the Brazilian city of Manaus reveals how mistaken, and dangerous, the herd-immunity-by-infection theory really is. As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop ...
As New Zealand gears up to fight climate change, experts warn that we need to actually reduce emissions, not just plant trees to offset our greenhouse gases. ...
A nationwide poll has found majority support for the government to continue to closely monitor abortions in New Zealand and the reasons for it, despite the Ministry of Health recently suggesting that there is not a use for collecting much of this information. ...
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Wow Cactus Kate is seeking to stand for the ACT party. She would actually bring something to the party, the ability to argue coherently.
It would be a shame though if she replaced Hillary Calvert. That particular combination of blind prejudice, sense of superiority and lack of empathy would be difficult to recreate.
Heather Roy IS standing down.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5191845/Roy-to-quit-on-her-own-terms
Perhaps Heather Roy feels that Don Brash has more chauvinistic attitudes to women than the previous leader, Alasdair Thompson’s recent sweeping generalisation being a final warning.
Now let’s see, why was 9 years such a wonderful cut-off point? That’s it, she will qualify for all the travel perks but even better whe will get that gilt edged pension while the rest of us will see our GSF and similar schemes tampered with and reduced. Makes you sick.
(Now how can the rest of us get our noses into that trough?)
All we need is the Queen of Thorns standing for Mana, and Imperator fish for Labour, for some brilliant debates and a much more interesting election campaign this year.
disclaimer
Not claiming QoT actually supports Mana.
http://asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com/2011/04/act-sequel.html
Plenty more in there, like how the list needs to avoid giving loud mouthed political shit stirrers high placings just because they fill some gender or ethnic demographic niche.
Bit of a problem there. No sane or honest person can work with Brash or his policies..
Global finance and tax haven huge use by UK and USA. Look for book called ‘Treasure Island’ from Nicholas Shaxson. On Radionz on Replay Sat 25/6 bit after 8am in dense and probing discussion with Kim.
Says Ireland has been and still is a tax haven and that caused the conditions resulting in the name of Celtic Tiger for them, which have now spiralled into them being one of the PIGS group. He says that tax havens have led the move to compete by states to have lower company taxes.
Confirms with details what thinking and worried people on this blog realise and argue about.
Our own financiers Fay and Richwhite and others tried out the Cook Islands as a tax haven. I remember that a Cook Island politicians meeting was said to have been paused while some document connected with the foreign financiers was signed. Joky Hen has suggested some such role for us. I am sure that his financial background would fit him to introduce this.
Shaxson says that the havens are servile entities to the tax avoiders/evaders so allowing them to virtually write enabling legislation. At home these would meet democratic procedures, some debate, so better to go where the entity is Free to do what they like. ‘Freedom is another word, for nothing left to lose’? (Me and Bobby McGee)
An emailer to the radio pointed out that in the 90’s here the government decided to drop taxation for overseas companies, but not nz ones. Others would know how this works and the arguments for it. Probably one is that we need investment cash. But what do we get from that cash? A number of poorly paid jobs for the locals in the main?
The next speaker is Irishman Philip Lane on economic vulnerability – so listen on for another facet to this hard flawed diamond of world financial practice.
Oh oh I put gummint and got into moderation – have corrected but hope this comes out before the radio interview with Lane is over.
Actually, we don’t even get poorly paid jobs – foreign investment usually results in employment going down as the foreign rentiers seek more profit.
I find this article about Housing NZ very disturbing
Things are going to be very ugly when this happens. All I can see coming from this policy is more homelessness, and more mothers and babies crammed into seedy boarding houses. One of the reasons why the ’35-’49 Labour government introduced state housing was because of the state of the slums in Auckland. Now a National government with no memory of what life was like pre 1935 is hell bent on bringing the back.
And Vicky32 – start worrying,
Housing NZ has been a landlord with variable concern for its tenants for some time. The government has been unwilling to invest in more state housing but opened the rental market for low income prospective tenants by providing accommodation allowances which provide a reliable subsidy to the property owner, and that has helped fuel the housing bubble. The government providing state housing at an affordable rate for a beneficiary at a top of one/third of
the benefit would have acted as a price floor for private owners, but government brought its own rentals up to market levels some years back.
If housing start accounts were set up whereby government meets in some proportion, the amount that savers put in, and then gives an extended, say ten year, period of set affordable interest rates say 5% on a low-price house or apartment mortgage to those savers, there would be less people wasting overseas exchange by buying imported consumer stuff, but putting that money into things for their house and their own betterment.
The inability to get rid of tenants who create a noisy, unsafe or negative environment is probably fuel to Housing NZ changes. The women with Mongrel Mob connections have cost the country considerable money because Housing NZ wants them out because they are not good tenants with their circle of friends and family presumably making the neighbourhood unpleasant and unsafe. Perhaps the Mongrel Mob can get community money to put up its own houses to cater for its polygamous-like culture.
Very interesting millsy.
I live in an old part of Auckland that could be described as up-market. In amongst the privately owned homes are pockets of state housing that were probably built between the 1950s and 70s in the main. I have noticed in the past 12 months that many of them have been sitting empty for a long time now. They are in good condition and seem to have been freshly painted but no sign of any tenants. I’ve come to the conclusion the NAct govt. is planning to sell them after the election.
First they take away peoples’ jobs, and now they plan to take away the chance of a decent roof over their heads.
Your conclusion is correct Anne.
Come the 28th of November, we are going to see the biggest mass evictions in this country’s history.
Re the NACT government’s lack of investments and support to generate a more diverse economy for jobs:
– this also means that the government is pushing out our friends, newly made redundant work mates, siblings to Australia and overseas countries.
Our children will be pushed out next.
At this rate with this government, don’t even think of having your next two generations in this country.
I think that the govenment need to be very clear on what they are proposing to do with the accommodation supplement before the election. If anything the amount needs to be increased, there is no way that a person on a low income can afford a mortgage.
Ironically it was the previous National Gov. that replaced the 4% housing corp mortgages (one of which Paula Bennett got) with the accomodation supplement. It effectively replaced a programme which was designed to be a genuine hand up to help people to independence (and which was successful at it to boot), and replaced it with a state handout.
What you say is important and people need to know this.
Oh look they are doing to the housing lists that they did for surgical waiting lists. You not urgent or dying then your off the list.
Actually, it was Labour that did that to the surgical waiting lists. National complained about it at the time.
.
—NASTY—
Kathleen Mcbride · Little Silver, New Jersey
THIS IS SOME REALLY SCARY STUFF….
· Reply · June 20 at 10:29pm
Sheri Arbit Harris
I do not like the looks of that!
· Reply · Tuesday at 12:08pm
Michelle Lipman Jeskie
Me neither.
· Reply · Tuesday at 6:29pm
Paige Harris Klein · Administrative Assistant at Paladin Academy
Not good…
· Reply · Wednesday at 5:35pm
Concise critique of the rhetorical phrase “politics of envy” from the blog of the UK protest group Art Uncut:
14th March
Quick blog to register hatred of the regressive phrase ‘politics of envy’. If an individual realises that those in the socio-economic group they were born into die a decade younger on average, or that their children’s life chances are significantly less than the children of those who can afford private education, or that the wages of those in ‘higher’ socio-economic groups have risen many, many times faster in the last thirty years than the wages of those in their own, and as a result of this realisation gets a bit angry, I think that we should call this ‘legitimate grievance’ rather than ‘petty jealousy’. The phrase ‘politics of envy’ is very ugly indeed. I hope in the future this phrase is deemed unacceptable in the way that racist or homophobic terms are now deemed unacceptable.
Like lawyers, you can always find a scientist who will disagree with you, and here’s one…….
And William, don’t you love the last sentence:
“The prime minister does not share the view of Mike Joy, and has no further comment to make.”
images of John in the office, fingers waggling above his head going nyah nyah nanaanyah
Sick? Then you don’t need food? How about you dance for your food?
Welcome to NZ. Future Focus policy means the sick will be threaten
with the reduction and cessation of money to by food, health care, pay
rents. Zeit Heil.
Doctors may if patients don’t take their medicine stop feeding
them hospital food, if they are too poor to have relatives bring
them food, how is that the Doctors problem?
What happens if a country defaults on its financial obligations? Iceland though having only 330,000 population did so and fed up with the mainstream parties elected some Bob and Ben likeness instead.
What would happen if Greece or Portugal or Ireland took the same stand? What would happen if Bill English dealt with NZ needs rather than that of the Credit Agencies.
Iceland bears watching. (And they promised a polar bear in their zoo.)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10734332
the main threat is that NZ would no longer be able to access borrowed hard foreign currency for which to pay for critical overseas imports incl. fuel, drugs, machine parts, information technology.
Travel overseas would become near on impossible as the value of the NZ dollar collapses. A simple Big Mac in Sydney would end up costing NZ$30 or NZ$40, if you could get anyone to change your NZD to begin with.
In this capitalist international game it is always better to be a net lender rather than a net borrower.
As long as you don’t lend to basket case countries of course. French and Germany banks who were lending ginourmous sums of money into Greece would have known looking at Greece’s national income, that those loans could not be paid back in any kind of commercially acceptable timeframe.
There was a country that tried this policy of Autarky and look what happened to Albania, they regressed more so than any other East European country. Turkey may yet have to follow this policy just to keep the $$ flowing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autarky
As some have commented regarding petro-chemicals – for this group of products the policy could become a reality by default. Hate to see all our earnings being spent on debt servicing and oil !!
Iceland unilaterally told their creditors where to go and for the moment, it seems to be working better as an approach than what Spain and Greece have done.
Iceland did display boldness that has ben lacking elsewhere. But when you live in a country that has everything now going its way (Once Global Warming really takes off, and we see a replay of the early 2nd millenium) and that it has eyjafjallajokull that can stop Europe in its tracks whenever it so desires !!
I cannot see how Greece can solve its financial issues, like America all that happens is a build up of pressure until it finally blows up (with a few growing excedingly wealthy at the expense of the masses). That is the problem with what Greece gave us, democracy. We the voter will not vote for pain (Turkeys and Christmas) and the pollys have no idea or fortitude re the (painful) cure.
On a side issue Icelands demise resulted in my team relagated to the 1st division, so there was some paid experienced 🙂
Question is, is the pain proposed being evenly shared?
How is it for instance that in the case of Greece, none of the bondholders/big investment banks are being asked to share the pain, say by taking 25% haircuts?
It seems that it’s only ordinary Greek citizens and Greek workers being asked to suffer.
This to me seems like a replay of Muldoonism or a poorly semi managed Economy. Where our living stds are propped up by borrowings, we (in this case Greece) has been very generous to its citizens given what it was able to earn. We, as most 1st world countries are in various forms are in the same boat, one day we will come to reality and have to accept dramatic decrease in living stds. Just as well as the filthy rich (many faceless individuals and families that the popularis has no idea who they are ) have their nest egg to “Go Private” when the crap hits the spinning thingy.
This also displays the weakness of the EU in that here are the rules e.g deficits, current accs and who followed them and who policed them? Now we have G.B. being asked to assist in the bailout and they are not even part of the Eurozone.
http://www.businessinsider.com/greece-uk-bail-out-2011-6
Greece has had a massive problem with tax evasion and corruption for years. No doubt about that.
Question remains, are ordinary Greeks and Greek workers going to be the only ones who suffer for the foolishness of their elites consorting with the investment banking and international finance types.
And to repeat the question again in a different way: who is this “WE” you are talking about who is going to have to “accept dramatic decreases in living standards”?
Is it just the ordinary workers and people again? How about the richest 2% of NZ society, are they going to accept dramatic decreases in THEIR living standards?
Or are they, as the pattern is emerging, just going to use the rest of us as a buffer to keep the status quo for themselves.
Note that National did not cut MP’s own super schemes when they cut KiwiSaver. Another example of the pain not being evenly shared.
My referring to “We” are all those who do not have enough to not care less because most 90%+ require the benefit of the collective not to live off our”success”.
And re Greece there was from my reading a wide acceptance of tax evasion, yet again we see who benefits from all this speculation and not paying their social contributions for all. AND WE STILL BAIL THEM OUT !!!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/20/greece-promises-crack-down-on-tax-evasion
Yes re Nat agreed yet Lab were the same in power remember the 2-4% pay rises we all got (most years behind inflation and further behind the real cost of living increases) and the PM and MPs being in double digit pay rises and blaming the detached, impartial system (that they set up)?And they increased their tax free allowances to over $13k no basis for it just another (elephant in the room )perk. At least in old NZ it was far more egalitarian when blue/white/Mp’s/City councilors and the chiefs of industry did intermingle at baches, sports and schools. Now (technically NZ is not a class society yet by acedamic definition) we are progressing into a well divided society, with all the infighting and positioning from those groups who are all losing out and going backwards, bar the top 2-5% of the pop. and very few can see it.
ianmac and c.v.
I just wonder if those big producer economies would actually let New Zealand become a basket case. They would also have too much to lose. We are a good and reliable market. New Zealand has always been a first world country. I cannot believe that forces within the producer industries would let their governments let NZ go down the plug. They might force austerity measures on us, but the minions might also demand a re-dividing of the cake. I think the likes of the absentee investors in our economy are the ones who have the most to lose. We are an energy rich nation, and we would be able to take back ownership of our resources… begins to sound better all the time… yep let’s default and take our nation back.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10/20/39350-ccu-spokesperson-helen-kelly-peter-jackson-is-a-spoilt-brat/
Blithering old Alisdair Thompson is not the only powerful bully confronted by Helen Kelly in the last twelve months. Please enjoy this blast from the recent past…
Helen Kelly: “Peter Jackson is a spoilt brat.”
October 20th, 2010 by Altaira
Ataahua, one of our Kiwi connections, just posted on our Hobbit discussion board that Helen Kelly, president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) has just been interviewed on Newstalk ZB. Highlights:
The move offshore is financially-driven, not actor-driven
“The issue is that countries are offering double the tax breaks (of New Zealand). Warners are in the process of doing as much damage as they can (to the NZ film industry) to get what they want. “New Zealand can compete on films if the tax system is right. We have to have the right financial conditions to compete.” She said New Zealand competes on talent and skills and we shouldn’t have to accept lower overseas conditions to be competitive.
A resolution was close
“We’re working with SPADA. Warners is fully aware that we’re within an inch of resolving this but they’re deciding to go this way. “The union is the way to unionise the film industry, and what is the problem with this? We have manufacturing and call centres going offshore, and are you suggesting that our actors shouldn’t be unionised?”
PJ’s role in the dispute
“Peter Jackson is a spoilt brat, and saying that in this country I know is sacriligious. He organised a meeting last night through Weta Workshop and wound those technicians up with false information. They were played like a fiddle and took the bait. He shared information that we’re forbidden from sharing and said it’s the performers’ request to meet that has hurt The Hobbit. It is the fault of Three Foot Seven to move the movie to film The Hobbit.”
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10/20/39350-ccu-spokesperson-helen-kelly-peter-jackson-is-a-spoilt-brat/
Didn’t she get her arse kicked over that.
Well now you come to mention it Murray, I have to say that I recall Alisdair’s behavior towards Helen Kelly during one TV interview as especially sneering and demeaning to her as a woman. It stuck in my memory as an interesting moment, revealing the man’s inner convictions in all their retro-ugliness.
So yes Murray.. it’s transpired an arse got kicked alright.. and it hasn’t been Helen Kelly’s.
It was Peter Jackson that looked and sounded utterly out of his depth through that fiasco. He usually sat glumly and pathetically, while his terrifying minder and spokeswoman Philippa Boyens did all the talking.
In stark and telling contrast to Jackson, Helen Kelly was articulate and strong throughout that unpleasant confrontation.
I see the TTT byelection thread has disappeared. Hopefully it will be back after 7pm.
“the main threat is that NZ would no longer be able to access borrowed hard foreign currency for which to pay for critical overseas imports incl. fuel, drugs, machine parts, information technology.
Travel overseas would become near on impossible as the value of the NZ dollar collapses. A simple Big Mac in Sydney would end up costing NZ$30 or NZ$40, if you could get anyone to change your NZD to begin with.”
This assumes of course that other countries will no longer wish to buy our products. This seems unlikely given that food shortages seem to be looming. In fact a slight drop in the dollar would probably be beneficial. And, let’s face it, default on our part would probably lead to a large reduction in payments for “invisibles”.
– Yes we will still sell a lot overseas, but when you look at the balance of payments you can see that we will be shortages of hard foreign currency fairly fast.
– A slight drop in the dollar to say 70c would be hugely beneficial for NZ industry. I was really talking of say a 90% (or larger) drop, which would occur after a loan default.
None of this is unmanageable of course, Iceland and Argentina are still around, and those are only a few recent examples.
Mostly our real tradeables sector is in credit.
It is invisibles, mostly interest and profit repatriation which keep us in deficit.
A drop in the value of the dollar would help of course.
Thanks for the pointer. Nationalisation of a few banks might be handy too.
Yes KJT… it’s astounding how many folk have no idea about this fundamental structural imbalance in our economy. The root cause is simple:
Far too much of the NZ economy has been sold to overseas owners
Now there is nothing wrong with some direct foreign investment as long as it meets two conditions:
1. It actually creates new wealth and opportunity, as distinct to merely capturing existing assets to rent back to us.
2. It is balanced by a similar level of FDI by New Zealand overseas; in other words the investment flows in and out of the country roughly balance each other over the medium term.
NZ has categorially failed on both counts. As a result something in the order of 7-9% of our GDP dissapears offshore EVERY year. This is one of the most important reasons why NZ has failed to meet it’s potential in the last 30 years or so, and why the extreme neo-liberal, free market experiment inflicted on this country was completely wrong.
+1
Try and tell the politicians that though.
RL, I’d add a third condition which is really making part of 1. that you have already listed more explicit.
3. It brings new scientific, technological or process capabilities to New Zealand which add value to our economy and which we did not have before.
The public service is feeling the pain of all Bill’s cuts…
Ministry of fear and insecurity as state servants wait for axe
Fear and insecurity for state servants, fear and insecurity for solo mums, fear and insecurity for earthquake victims. The National Party do fear and insecurity very well, choose a group within society and pick on that group. Provides distractions for their real business which goes on in back-rooms and involves shady deals.
And at the same time there is work to be done. With staff gone, the jobs go to the friends of NAct . More money for those who already have plenty.
Found this in the on-line comments of NZH and a follow-up reply from Josh – thank you Josh.
Just Me (North Shore City)
09:05 AM Friday, 27 May 2011
No, no change in my vote.
At least National will make some money off the sales, unlike Labour who sold Tranz Rail to Toll for $1. Yes, not a typo, One Dollar. And then they bought it back for $665 million minus the profitable road transport division.
35 likes
Josh (New Zealand)
10:31 AM Friday, 27 May 2011
Uhh, actually Toll sold the tracks to the Government for a dollar. New Zealand Rail Ltd was sold in 1993 to Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation and two other investment groups who proceeded to strip it of valuable assets in order to pay down debt and lease costs that were unaffordable. TheGovernment then purchased the company back in 2008 for $665 million dollars to avoid the complete destruction of NZ’s railway system, and to prevent the continued degradation of services.
31 Likes
Just more Crosby and Textor John Key clones peddling their lies on national media. Surely the Herald picked up on it. If they did and left it in the comments then that makes liars of them and their foreign owners too. We had enough nasty lying against Labour in the 2008 election. This year NActMU will do whatever it takes. Labour, Progressive, Greens don’t turn your backs on anyone remotely like a NActMU MP or party follower. They are patently dangerous to New Zealanders wanting to retain what is left of an egalitarian society.
What a joke, toll were even less constructive than Tranz Rail. David Richwhite gave rail a Chance, they tried and tested whether the freight system was any use, invested in a lot of new track and fast wagons in 1993-8, ran the freight trains at maximum speed, even tried to make the long distance passenger trains which labour under Kirk, Freer, Douglas and Prebble would never spend any real money or new investment on, work. Clark and Ron Donald just scrapped them. Eay Richwhite brought the second hand Brit rail carriages and the Perth units that gave passenger rail a chance in this country.
The toll trains cruised around this counry in Australain national war bonnet colors. They were basically Australain corporate mafia who never invested a cent of real money in NZ. Jum get back to Sth London and Cameron and Borris will treat slum dwellers like you in the appropriate manner
Robert M.
Robert M said “Jum get back to Sth London and Cameron and Borris will treat slum dwellers like you in the appropriate manner”
And why would you think I would be needing to go back to South London? I’d much rather stay here and highlight your idiocy, you nasty little creature.
Public transport is a public good for the use of New Zealanders who need to get from A to B without a car. You bxstards are so selfish and greedy that you have no empathy for those people.
The issue is never about making a profit; your idiot Key/Joyce government is deliberately under-resourcing rail in favour of road. Fay/Richwhite were two of the criminal class that ripped all New Zealanders off; Bolger’s government sold Rail in 93 and we lost a useful apprenticeship scheme.
The best result that occurred was Cullen buying it back; it made no difference in the end what we paid for it because whatever money was left was given by your idiot Key/English government to rich pricks.
Lowkey: Our Taxes Are in the Bullets Being Fired at People
This guy is an entertainer with a heart, a conscience and a brain. Respect!
Men struation or Men cold:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/5192746/Its-true-Mens-colds-are-worse
Something to flu mmox Alasdair Tamponson
FYI folks – forwarded on behalf of Sue Henry (who doesn’t have a computer)
25 June 2011
PRESS RELEASE: Response from Sue Henry Spokesperson Housing Lobby:
“STOP PRIVATISATION OF STATE HOUSING ASSETS!”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10734409
“Thousands to come off housing list” By Simon Collins Saturday Jun 25, 2011
________________________________________________________________
“With the continuation of Auckland’s serious housing crisis and families still languishing in sheds, garages and overcrowded and sub-standard accommodation, including those left homeless in Christchurch – the last thing any decent Government should be doing is privatising the state housing stock, using charities such as the Salvation Army and ‘trusts’ in a mixed economy to do it,” says Sue Henry, Spokesperson for the Housing Lobby.
“It is totally unacceptable to have Government policies in the 21st century that create instability, transience and homelessness.
There are several other aspects that are very concerning:
The ‘housing crisis’ will not be fixed by taking people off the waiting list.
Prime Minister John Key promised that there would be no asset sales in this first term of government. This is what John Key promised on 14 April 2008:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00195.htm
“Transcript: Agenda IV’s John Key
Monday, 14 April 2008, 10:57 am
Article: Agenda
GUYON Alright you rightly point out it was sold by the National government in 1998 now that brings us to this position. What is your position now as a National Party on state asset sales?
JOHN Well National’s had some time to reflect on that and the position that we’ve decided to have is the following one. That in the first term of the National government there will be no state assets that will be sold either partially or fully.
GUYON So no state assets, you’re completely firm on that?
JOHN That’s right.”
________________________________________________________________
“But Housing Minister Phil Heatley has said ‘some iwi groups wanted to take over managing state houses rather than buying them, but the Government wanted to sell them.’
Prime Minister John Key is breaking this promise.
The proposed sale of any state housing stock must cease forthwith.”
Housing Lobby Spokesperson Sue Henry drew attention to what Prime Minister John Key had stated on 12 March 2007 – that he didn’t ‘ favour a move back to market-related rents.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10428292
Before the 2008 election, National’s stated policy on housing, as declared by Phil Heatley on 22 July 2008, included the following:
National Party promised to keep at least the existing number of state houses if it wins this year’s election.
National would not sell state houses to outside investors, as it did in the 1990s, and would use the proceeds of sales to tenants to buy or lease new state houses.
“We won’t be running down the state housing stock. We acknowledge that we need it.”
Mr Heatley said the party would now keep Labour’s policy of fixing state house rents at only 25 per cent of the tenants’ incomes except for tenants on high incomes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10522930
“This will be yet another broken promise,” says Ms Henry.
“Why then would the ‘social housing unit’ (which should also be scrapped forthwith because it has no public mandate), be asked to ‘propose a new system of subsidising housing costs to replace the income-related rent subsidy for state houses?,” she continued.
[He [Housing Minister Phil Heatley] told the Weekend Herald that the new social housing unit, due to start in the Department of Building and Housing on July 1, would be asked to propose a new system of subsidising housing costs to replace the current income-related rents for state houses and accommodation supplement for the private sector within the next six to 12 months.’]
“This is ludicrous.
The Income Related Rent Subsidy (IRRS) works extremely well for tenants trying to manage on a low income.
The system is not broken.
It doesn’t need to be tampered with by vested interests,” concluded Ms Henry.
Sue Henry
Spokesperson
Housing Lobby
Ph (09) 575 6344
__________________________________________________________________________