Would as many people have voted for National if they knew the MOM Bill would pass? It was clearly campaigned on by National and prominently opposed by Labour and voters should have been clear about the chances of it proceeding, so it would be odd if there are defections of support from National because the part asset sales are going ahead.
If you assume that most people pay attention to the issues being discussed in election campaigns and don’t just vote for “more of the same” or “time for someone new”, then yep.
“… so it would be odd if there are defections of support from National because the part asset sales are going ahead.”
And yet all those polls say people are going off your Tory masters. The waffle ain’t working for some reason. Could it be that the voters of your NZ just aren’t copping your wisdom, Pete, and are making their own minds up?
amo6: “I voted for them thinking it would happen-not that I wanted it but that’s what I had to accept voting for them”
bligh: “I knew, before i voted.”
merrijg:
So you are asking people who voted national if they would have voted for them if they were going to partially privatise.
Didn’t they make it clear that this is what they were going to do?
So now they are saying National should have been clear that they were going to partially privatise.
How thick are these people.
dezzie: “I knew about it before I voted for them, I think you’d have to be living under a rock to have not known.”
rasman_nz:
Given the mixed ownsership model was a, if not the, major platform to which National sought re-election anyone who voted for them hoping that the legislation may not pass should not have been allowed to vote, last year or ever again…
Sheesh the stupidity of some to think a major platform policy could possibly be defeated therefore it is safe to vote for the party as they might not be able to do it….
Nats said it was policy I fully expect them to carry out their policies…
mp3539: “people werent thick…there was no one else to vote for……..”
lana92: “We had a fantastic choice, bankruptcy under Labour or selling the family silver under National … great choices … not.”
charles.j: “National campaigned on it and received a lot of votes. In fact, it was one of the highest ever recorded under MMP. Labour shot themselves in the foot multiple times, and Asset sales are now set to pass”
Congratulations. You now have nine people who might sign a greeting card stating anything about anything. What you do with it is up to you. Isn’t democracy great?
I didn’t know your plans for improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of the CIR system were so, umm, advanced. “I asked some randoms on trademe”
A lot of kiwis on /b/. You should ask around over there too.
That was nothing to do with CIR. But I woukld check out views there, or anywhere peoplewere interested in commenting.
For your sort of democracy who would you exclude from having a say, apart from peop,e using Trade Me forums? Anyone else you don’t think is up to your standard?
I imagine those who voted for National but may now be thinking again over giving that party their support over asset sales may be doing so because information that has come to light since the election casts doubt on either the competence or veracity of National’s claims about the ownership and economic consequences of implementing the MOM.
There are now significant doubts about the economic benefits of selling (and selling now) and also doubts about whether 51% control is manageable or that NZ ownership of shares can be guaranteed to the extent that National reassured people that it could.
I remember that before 2008, supporters of John Key were quick to claim the virtues of him ‘changing his mind’ over various policies. They claimed this showed he was responsive to new information or some such, and his changing his mind showed just how reasonable he was.
Maybe people thinking of removing their support for National over asset sales, despite voting for them in 2011, are similarly just being responsive to new information and showing that they are reasonable people.
PG if the election result had been different you would be groveling to a different master.
Labour were going to raise taxes on the well off and make those who are paying no tax capital gaingters.
Your a really Pathetic Grovelar
Would anyone have voted for National if truth in advertising applied to politicians.
National’s real manifesto. If they told the truth..
“We will cut incomes across the board except for a few at the top.
We will remove your civil rights, privacy, freedom from unreasonable search, surveillance and seizure, rights to withdraw your Labour and rights to protest even more.
We will respond to police breaking the law by changing it.
We will deliberately put the Government in deficit with unaffordable tax cuts.
We will steal more income earning assets to make our funders rich at your expense.
We will happily continue to kill NZ productive industries to chase illusory trade advantages for cow cockies.
We will leave strategic planning, to, “the market”. (Something for which we would sack any business manager).””
We will leave most New Zealanders noticeably poorer, after three years.
Notice how shifty Key looked in the “show me the money” debate. He knew his costings were a lot more dodgy than Labour’s.
Puerile git Tremains cartoon in the ODT on saturday explains everthing.
The media were all on Conmankeys side before the Election.
Now they are Questioning everything poor we johnny and his yes men don,t like it.
after the next election you will be bagging ever body on the right as your laeder will be in govt with any body so long as he gets his boubles!
ACC’S policy of ridding itself of thousands of long-term clients is laid bare in agreements the corporation signed with the Government revealing that a far tougher quota system was adopted two years ago.
Senior ACC managers have since spoken of their success at cutting long-term clients from the books at a conference in Australia, saying the “low-hanging fruit” was gone but the job would get harder.
[…]
In June 2010, then ACC minister Nick Smith and outgoing ACC chairman John Judge signed a three-year agreement that stated as a “priority” that the corporation would get rid of 1150 long-term clients a year. It had 13,157 such clients when the service and purchase agreement was signed.
[…]
Ms Cosgrove told the group of insurers and actuaries in Brisbane that ACC had “an absolute strategy … and we’re not reporting it as a public measure yet”. Its focus was now on high-cost claims because the “actuarial release” would be stronger.
So glad this government is very concerned about injured Kiwis, and is doing everything they can to help, care for, rehabilitate and support them/us!/sarc.
From a young age I never really understood the mania for everyone owning their own home.
As I’ve got older I got to understand the logic in the current economic environment, as home ownership can boost your financial value in the long term (if you can afford the long term mortgage), and keep you out of the control of ruthless landlords/ladies.
But it still seems to me a bit of a con to push for as many people as possible owning their own homes. It benefits those at the top of the housing hierarchy and leaves those at the bottom struggling in insecure circumstances. It also feeds property bubbles that are damaging to the whole society.
I’ve been happy as a lifetime renter, and have found most landlord/ladies to be OK (the worst are estate agent managers, usually managing property for an unknown landlord). Now there is evidence that owning your own home probably won’t make you happier. It’s usually the reverse, that happier and healthier people are more likely theycan afford to buy:
The study was led by the University of Adelaide and involved more than 10,000 people over a six-year period.
Baker cautioned against government policies that might encourage people to buy houses they could not afford.
[…]
“Renting your home doesn’t seem to affect your happiness, whereas owning a home that you can’t afford clearly does.'”
Baker said renting was far more common in Europe so there was less stigma attached to renting there. She said the socio-economic mix of renters there was more diverse.
“A professor or business person can be living next door to a student or shop worker, whereas that is not as common in Australia.”
Well, for myself, I also have some money in pension schemes and some savings. The pensions were largely the default position when I was working in London and Sydney, so payments were automatically taken out of my pay without me really paying much attention to it. I also pay into Kiwisaver.
But needing to own your own home and/or pension investments beyond super, are all based on the dominant economic assumptions that have been in place for decades. And these investments all have knock-on impacts on society and future generations.
Housing should be cheap, affordable to all, and shouldn’t be part of a market economy. Savings should be savings, and shouldn’t keep diminishing in value over time if not invested somewhere.
I am afraid that the whole concept of interest on savings is the other side of the financial ponzi scheme that makes unsustainable growth an economic necessity.
Savings are likely to disappear into the insatiable maw of the finance industry. When they next stuff up.
For all the West’s private pension schemes to keep paying out compounding interest means a hockey stick growth in money supply is required.
Without a corresponding increase in productivity, which the earth is not big enough to sustain, all these financial products must fail at some stage.
We are better of investing in things that the banks cannot take away.
Investing taxes in 100% sustainable energy, for example, would do more to ensure we can afford to support our old, and young, in future than any investment in financial speculation.
New Zealanders subconsciously know that, hence the over investment in land. Though I wonder how many mortgages, like mine, were investment in a business. A mortgage is the only way normal people can get any financial leverage.
Investing taxes in 100% sustainable energy, for example, would do more to ensure we can afford to support our old, and young, in future than any investment in financial speculation.
QFT
A mortgage is the only way normal people can get any financial leverage.
Yep, the only way to to truly participate in our society is to beg the bank manager and, of course, to pay.
Labour (Cosgrove) and Greens (Norman) have said that Winston Peters’ asset buy back suggestions are fiscally irresponsible.
That could make for interesting coalition negotiations, unless Peters changes from YES to NO by then. Or if Labour and Greens change to YES.
Peters suggests Kiwisaver funds and the Super Fund should buy back the shares, but that’s bizarre. What if they already own many of the shares? They would end up having them taken off them so that they could be given them back.
Three parties who may or may not be in a position to form a govt in two-and-a-half-years and who happen to agree on the most desirable outcome of a particular given situation also disagree on the details of the best way to achieve it.
If only Peter Dunne were in the mix. At least he knows how to do as he’s told.
Indeed, felix. Whats the point in MMP, and shifting fro m2 party dominance of government, if the smaller parties always agree with the other parties with policies closest to theirs? If several parties agreed on everything, they might as well just amalgamate into one party.
MMP…. sets up the system for on-going consultation, discussion and negotiation.
There’s strong points for small parties to retain independence, they add diversity of MP and policies, and they break up the party whipped voting.
Otherwise why don’t Labour and National amalgamate? Most of what they do is very similar anyway, far more overlap than differences. But it would not be good for our democracy if we had a single party government.
“why don’t Labour and National amalgamate?” well, some people like red more than blue, while others think it’s time for a change every now and then…. which is your favourite colour? red or blue? samaris or venezilos? Blair or Thatcher? Obama or Obama? Key or that other guy from labour, I think it’s Goff or have they changed?
Oh how sad of me not to already know that it wouldn’t be good for our democracy to have a one party government. I feel quite embarrassed that I didn’t already know that. Thanks for letting me know that Pete George.
Tell me what planet you’re on you facile, boring, boring, boring old tory. I’ll make sure I avoid it in my astral travel.
That doesn’t mean Labour and the Greens won’t buy them back, just that they think Winston’s model won’t work in the way Winston thinks it will. There are no obstacles to coalition forming, as all 3 parties are committed to looking at the possibility of a buy back once National and it’s limpets are defeated. The big question is how buggered you and your mates will have left our economy and whether a buy back is immediately affordable.
Sorry to let you down, Pete, but there’s no escape route there for UF or National.
The big question is how buggered you and your mates will have left our economy
Norman said something similar – ” the books are getting into a terrible mess because of National”.
But in fact National probably won the election – despite opposition to assets sales – because voters thought they were the most fiscally responsible option, and Labour/Green spending would have been too risky in the current economic climate.
That’s right, Pete. The voters were lied to, or even worse, not told the truth, and now we all have to wait for Labour to bring back the good times. Again. Oh, for the days of balanced budgets, eh? Just think, it was only 4 years ago we had a fiscally responsible Government and only two years till the next one.
I love this fiscally irresponsible meme, from those who left a big hole in our accounts, by borrowing for tax cuts, for Hawaii holidays, for them and their mates.
In fact real fiscal responsibility would be tax and spend, now, on stimulus, with spending on sustainable energy, local production, housing and education, to keep the country viable in future. When AGW, peak oil and peak water start to hit.
Peters suggests Kiwisaver funds and the Super Fund should buy back the shares, but that’s bizarre. What if they already own many of the shares? They would end up having them taken off them so that they could be given them back.
What is Bizarre is selling the shares to those that own them already!
Taken = buy
given = sold
fiscally irresponsible ‘= selling the share is the first place
@ BillODrees
It wasn’t a prepared speech as such. He had no notes. He was speaking largely to the converted – members/supporters. It was part of the… getting to meet the locals and giving them a chance to get to know him campaign. After all he hasn’t been on the NZ political scene very long and he’s going to need their full support.
@ ad.
That’s an unfair description. He was ‘chatting’ about his vision for NZ society and where he thinks it should be going and how a Labour-led govt. would get it there. He made no apologies for being short on detail because the actual policies are still being hammered out. But he gave a more than adequate outline of the general direction. In my opinion, most of the ‘flabby shit’ came from a few people in the audience who saw fit to make full blown speeches of their own during the question time.
That’s excelent Anne and delighted to hear others were wrong – Shearer is definitely growing on me, particilarly with polls so heartwarming in a cold winter.
God I can’t stand speechifying from “questioners” – it’s boorish.
On asset sales I see Steven Joyce has come out and said “the most important thing is strengthening the capital markets”.
So lets examine this — the capital markets in NZ consist primarily of the NZX. The NZX is privately owned. The NZX has consistently failed to provide sufficient capital markets. Even Joyce himself states clearly that the NZX has failed.
The NZX is the peak of many capitalists dreams. Get a business, grow it, list on the exchange and voila – captain of industry.
Except that businesses don’t want to list. I have come across many perfect candidates in my times and they consistently do not want to list. The reasons are immaterial but they basically turn on the fact that the NZX is not worth the money or effort and does not assist their business.
The NZX has failed over the last century and decades. And that is just those listing. What about investors? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, poll mums and dads about the trustworthiness of the stock exchange and its participants. I don’t think much more needs to be said.
So if the NZX has failed, as Joyce states, then why is he giving them welfare? Why is he pouring more money down a proven failed system?
And if the captains of industry are so magnificent at creating business, as they always claim, then why has it failed? Why don’t the masters of private enterprise create their own businesses to list on the NZX?
Because they can’t that’s why. The masters of capitalism cannot create their own businesses. They have to take ones that the taxpayers have built and paid for over the decades. For yet further evidence of this, check out some of the largest companies on the NZX – high proportion of businesses created by the taxpayer, not businessmen.
Failures.
Bludging off the taxpayer tit.
Joyce and Key need to be questioned in detail over this. It would also be worth finding out what NZX is willing to pay to have our assets listed in their directory. And how much more revenue the NZX will receive.
they and others certainly need ot be questioned, and questioned in a simple single part methodology. I am sick to my back teeth of important subjects being raised in the House and no suitable answer supplied because the question has three parts is covered in similie and toasted under the 20w grill of self protection. Politicians need to remember why they are (supposedly) sitting in the House in the first place.
Ask a direct single question, get a direct answer. Of late, even the Speaker appears to be tiring of the banality and the well orchestrated auto-rhetoric from the opposition.
Not sure if Key or Joyce would have the answers to any exhaustive questioning because they are merely henchmen for the funders of the National and Act parties.
The spurious concept presented of needing more market capitalisation ion NZ lays bare the whole edifice of investment in NZ. I contend that the NZX cannot grow because there is nothing left we can turn production which we can “capitalise” that has not already been capitalised. The logic of “globalization” is that you send capital to places where the costs are minimised, and the major factor here is wage costs. Because we wont “allow” sweat shops a la Nike in Honduras etc we cannot attract capital…so instead we attempt to create markets in existing infrastructure and sell them off. Sick really.
Of all the Nats justifications for selling the SOEs this is the only one that adds up to me; that it’s a taxpayer bailout of the NZX. Weldon of the NZX was far too close to the Nats, seemed to have the key to the back door of the beehive in the Nats first term his name was always cropping up. The NZX will clip the ticket on every share sold, it must profit from the SOE floats over the longer term and it will be interesting to watch its share price which I expect to perform better than the SOE shares.
I agree on the NZX being a dog. I don’t buy shares and I know how to read a balance sheet. Look at any business listed on the NZX and it’s loaded up with debt with shareholder capital all pledged as security to the banks, small shareholders are treated with contempt. The SOEs will go down the same track; borrow up large to pay big dividends & push the share price up while hollowing them out from the inside.
It is the worse reason to sell of a strategic rare asset like Hydro Dams.
The absence of Capital Gains Tax and some weaknesses in Taxion legislative/administrative regimes encourages some to remain in the unlisted sector. There are other reasons the NZX has been unsuccessful!
And Joyce is agreeing that the NZX is unsuccessful. And Joyce is telling mum and pops to invest through that unsuccessful medium! Did Joyce list his business on the NZX?
Greece, Spain, Portugal , Ireland……watching Keiser and some other commentaries over the week since the Greek election points at one conclusion: default is inevitable! Merely delayed by how long?
The big picture is somewhat worrying in terms of how the default is presented to the rank and file taxpayers worldwide who have had their “leaders” conveniently underwrite bank debt. The basic theme is, “Wow we bankers took punts that were too risky, bundled up the losses as derivatives, sold them to generate more interest, became insolvent and then demanded the taxpayer world wide bail us out as too big to fail, and you MUST do as we say or you are roadkill.”. And because the bankers “own” the politicians (along with their 1%er mates) we the rank and file do as they demand. We should be asking who is roadkill?
Amongst that gloomy prognosis is a real ray of hope: economic contagion will result in bank failures if the taxpayer does not allow more “bail outs”…if the bail outs happen there will be defaults anyway. The financial status quo will become an emperor without clothes, illegitimate. The hope bit is that nature abhors a vacuum, real power and control can be sized via the democratic process. Which is why Labour need to grow some balls and be prepared to tell the bankster regimes to fuck off. What hope of that?
Which is why Labour need to grow some balls and be prepared to tell the bankster regimes to fuck off. What hope of that?
Implement a super profit tax on any entity making over $100M pa.
Implement an asset tax and FTT.
Greatly strengthen the community and small business presence of Kiwibank.
Arm the Reserve Bank with a broad range of capital and currency control tools, and task it with putting in place settings to support employment and the tradeable sector.
And crucially, take charge of the issuance of debt free, interest free money into the economy.
“Which is why Labour need to grow some balls and be prepared to tell the bankster regimes to fuck off. What hope of that”
–Nada!
Bored, people underestimate the power of the banking industry, and what else it controls, because they like to use names such as “conspiracy theorists”, to hide behind. Most are unable to accept the real conspiracy which is happening in front of them, is not happening in isolation!
The out of control situation around contagion, is interesting, as it will expose the corruption more and more, as long as the attempts to keep the status quo on life support continue.
If it collapses, how will NZ fear….
I suspect not very well, with all those off balance sheet derivitives, waiting to show their worth!
You may be right that hope is slim: banks and finance are best dealt with when they are weak (and insolvent which requires the letter of the law to be imposed i.e the Commerce Acts insolvency clauses). We need to get them when they cant pay their tame politicians and media (and after that it is a case of keeping the genie in the bottle) otherwise they will win.
“This is the first in a series of posts that address the phenomenon seen over the past few years of the proliferation of articles arguing that peak oil is dead and that we are in a new era of liquid fuel abundance. I have already addressed this issue in general with my previous post Seven Myths Deniers Use To ‘Debunk’ Peak Oil, Debunked. But with more articles coming out like this weekly I have decided to take on the authors of these overly optimistic puff pieces and explain paragraph by paragraph exactly why these people are so wrong.
First up in this series is Roger Harrabin. Harrabin is certainly no slouch broadcasting on environmental and energy issues since the 1980s and winning a number of broadcasting awards. He currently works as the BBC’s environmental analyst and is one of their senior journalists on environmental and energy issues. So it came as a surprise when I came across Harrabin’s article this week entitled Shortages: Is ‘peak oil’ idea dead?. He managed to invoke a number of straw man arguments and bizzare claims and concludes that the end of the Oil Age is so far off that it’s not worth worrying about. Let’s take a look at the specifics below.”
Being absolutely no expert in this field I found your conclusion helpful and provoking, because I can stop waiting for a single eschatological moment:
“We are not going to run out of oil cold turkey. Instead we are facing a long descent that will see times of relative prosperity followed by depressions and recessions as the world economy adjusts to its new low energy diet.”
Would love to hear more on this. Seems a little more nuanced than that big show from Rick Boven which seemed to portend the end of the world.
“The Long Descent examines the basis of such fear through three core themes:
– Industrial society is following the same well-worn path that has led other civilizations into decline, a path involving a much slower and more complex transformation than the sudden catastrophes imagined by so many social critics today.
– The roots of the crisis lie in the cultural stories that shape the way we understand the world. Since problems cannot be solved with the same thinking that created thyem, these ways of thinking need to be replaced with others better suited to the needs of our time.
– It is too late for massive programs for top-down change; the change must come from individuals.
Hope exists in actions that range from taking up a handicraft or adopting an “obsolete” technology, through planting an organic vegetable garden, taking charge of your own health care or spirituality, and building community.
Focusing eloquently on constructive adaptation to massive change, this book will have wide appeal.”
“John Michael Greer has officially established himself as an institution within the peak oil community. Truly one of the finest minds working on the predicament of modern-day industrial civilization, he is so well-read in so many fields that he regularly gains access to insights that utterly elude his contemporaries. For this he is treasured by a growing number of loyal readers—and, I suspect, hated by equally many fellow bloggers who wish that they could be half as good.
Greer is also perhaps peak oil’s most cherishable contrarian, always pointing out the various ways in which people on all sides of the debate are woefully off-base. For example, his previous book on peak oil, The Long Descent, showed how believers in perpetual progress and prophets of imminent doom alike are sadly off the mark in their notions about the future. That book’s central thesis is that while our modern “developed” world can’t possibly be sustained into the indefinite future, we’re hardly in for the sort of sudden, utter collapse of civilization that typically forms the basis of a Roland Emmerich movie. Instead, our society will likely decline slowly and unevenly over many decades, the way that the Maya, the Roman Empire and other past civilizations have done before ours. The take-home point is that it’s a waste of time to start preparing now for either a survivalist future of mass death and marauding hordes, or whatever sustainable utopia happens to be your particular ideal, because neither one of these reflects the future that we’re actually liable to end up with—and, in any case, no one living today will still be around to see what that future might resemble.”
There are ideas of getting together and supporting each other when other systems have broken down. Paul Krugman explains some economic problems that crop up in his piece on the Babysitting Club.
SL These links point up some interesting problems. You may have come across this babysitting club example before – I hadn’t. But I have been in Green Dollars trading and found its path developed potholes, into which we fell and the local one is I think defunct.
I came to the conclusion that no organisation, community or not, can be run effectively by a group of opinionated ignorant idealistic amateurs (at running groups and systems), and particularly weakening is the situation when one committee stands down and new people come in . The end of the organisation can be when they immediately bring in new bright ideas and throw out old practices, ignoring all the decisions, and not reading the reasons for them, as recorded in the notes taken at numerous meetings and discussions of past committees.
And there is always some utopian system somewhere to aim for, without any understanding of the particular problems and positives of the circumstances of that one.. Even Rod Donald I found to be so idealistic and set in his beliefs that when I stated that green dollars weren’t as good as real money he immediately negated my statement, which was based on experience. So it’s not easy doing things communally and when trying to run a parallel ‘tokens’ system.
The babysitting example was new to me and I’ve never read Krugman’s actual work before, only seen him mentioned so thanks for that.
I think the moral to take from you experience and one that I try to live by is avoid dogma at all costs. That’s why I find it bizarre when people are lifetime Labour or National supporters and say they’ll never change. For me it’s about what’s said, not who’s saying it.
Also try reading what Nicole Foss says on TheAutomaticEarth.com She makes the solid point that finance and capital availability makes the downside very rocky (because demand requires capital investment that may not be available), with lots of ups and downs.
Today it was announced that soldiers coming back from Afghanistan would have to undergo a test to see if they had been exposed to Depleted Uranium. The test was mad with a urine sample but the same article states that the Army is unwilling to pay for a more comprehensive test. This indicates to me that they are using a similar test as the US army.
One that will guarantee that nothing will show up as it is a test which is designed to pick up radioactivity emitted during Nuclear accidents or bomb explosions and not the low radiation emitting nano particles which lodge themselves in vulnerable areas causing damage over a long period of time.
Here is a video called Beyond Treason. It is an excellent Documentary which features amongst others Doug Rokke. He is the guy who wrote the book on DU for the US army and now that he is dying of cancer caused by DU the most ardent anti DU activist I have had the privilege of speaking with on the subject.
The politics of pop! I learned a fair bit about socialism, anarchy and post modernism from the late seventies/early eighties NME. Parsons, Burchill, Kent, Morley, Penman, SWells et al. The Clash, Gang of Four, Redskins, Slits. Mint! The tide turned a bit when corporate music companies co-opted punk and new wave (The Knack, anyone?) and the death of one particular singer in 1980 really ended that chapter for me, but there is no denying the brilliance of those 5 or 6 shining years.
The legacy lives on, however, and its nice to see that the NME is still classy after all these years, putting the greatest song ever written at the top of their list of er, the greatest songs ever written. Debuted at No 1 in NZ, fact fans.
Well, for other odd conversion routes to the progressive cause, mine was reading Gustavo Gutierrez’ Liberation theology when I was 16.
Back when post-Vatican II South and Middle Americans were full of Base Communities and all that hopey-changey stuff. And of course the death of Archbishop Romero while saying mass, by military assassins, together with Cardinal Ratzinger’s witch-hunts, kind of put a bracket around that for me.
The Skids, Public Image, Joes Garage album by Frank Zappa, The Clash (Sandinista gave me a new area to explore), Paul Weller whether in The Jam or The Style Council, The Ramones, Buzzcocks, Nina Hagen, Lena Lovich, Steve Harley and somewhere in amongst that with a touch of humour Jilted John.
Those were great times and particularly as I was being bullied at school at the time resonated and no doubt helped develop my inclination to speak out against violence and oppression. I’m sure not popular in some of my circles at present for speaking out.
David Cameron is to set out plans to scrap housing benefit for the under-25s, in a speech that will make clear pensioners are to be protected from a second wave of welfare reform.
Here’s one for Vicky 32, who I’m sure will join me in a hearty laugh at a particularly stoopid mangling of the English language on the Stuff website:
“Karen Klein, the 68-year-old bus monitor who was verbally abused by a group of 12-to-15-year-old students, has received more than US$630,000 (NZ$800,000) for a well-earned vacation from internet users”
“Karen Klein, the 68-year-old bus monitor who was verbally abused by a group of 12-to-15-year-old students, has received more than US$630,000 (NZ$800,000) for a well-earned vacation from internet users”
Doctors and Nurses anyone???, from the Herald today is a call from various groups of Doctors and Nurses for the Government to cut another 2 percentage points from it’s 2014 election total by (a) abolishing travelers ability to buy duty free tobacco products claiming that such duty free items are fueling the ‘tobacco black-market’,
The view here is that the rack-raising of excise taxes on tobacco products is what is fueling a growing tobacco black market where any ‘cost’ to the Government of tobacco products use has been more than met by the present tax regime and Government is now reliant on at least 1 billion dollars of over-taxation of tobacco products to pay for other budget items other than the costs related to the products usage,
The Doctors and Nurses have taken the opportunity to call for a harsher regime of revenue gathering from those addicted to tobacco perhaps seeing in this the only means of getting a pay rise in the next few years,
SAVING LIVES do you think, tobacco product usage has fallen an un-remarkable 6% over the course of the last 2 rack-raisings of tobacco taxes and such means in no way that 6% of addicts have quit,
The 6% drop in usage simply means that the addicted have managed to cut down slightly on their daily use and/or 6% of tobacco use in New Zealand is now being supplied via one means of black-market supply or another,
I am a firm favorite of this National Government taking to the users of tobacco via the rack-raising of taxation if only for the inherent laughter generated by those in the Health Sector believing that such tax raising is in aid of saving lives where-as the imperative for Government doing so is obviously, as the Treasury pointed out in its briefing to the Government, a simple exercise in revenue gathering from a section of the community demonized by society and in no way able to avoid the tax as they are ADDICTED to the product being taxed,
If they havn’t already the 600,000 or so who do use and are addicted to tobacco products will turn upon any Government rack-raising the taxes to fill holes in its general budgetary requirements and vote against any Government or it’s support party’s who favor such taxation,
Any Government serious about stopping the use of tobacco products in this country would simply make the product a prescription poison allow the present generation of addicts its use via Doctors prescription and not allow anyone presently 16 or 17 the products use at all….
I am sure the tax rate on tobacco will shortly get to the point where the enforcement cost comparison to cannabis will make them think “Oh wait tobacco tax was so good, let’s legalise marijuana as well”.
Meanwhile I treat myself to just one cigar per year, at Christmas, from the Havana Shop downtown, probably out of some sad implanted gangster fantasy or more probably Wylie Coyote’s opposition or indeed Daffy Duck’s ones.
Pretty hard to prize the programming out, even at one a year.
Surprisingly there has yet to be a move by the users of tobacco products to form an association that will advance their ‘right’ to use a legal product without fear of being unduly discriminated against by overt Government policy,
With 600,000+ users of tobacco products, many of whom reside electorally in the ‘registered but didn’t vote’ such a voting bloc would give any Government pause to consider it’s agenda where taxes from the users of tobacco are funding the general spending of Government…
Ah getting a flogging over asset sales,education, and, ACC all at the same time, seeing the internal polling tumbling like a rock and yes it’s time for Slippery to get all ‘aspirational’ again,
The Prime Minister has announced plans to give the Bene’s a kicking or in the ‘new speak’ of the political discourse get them OFF benefits,
Slippery didn’t mention actually creating some EMPLOYMENT so the assumption can only be that bonus’s will again be offered to WINZ staff who find creative ways of giving the most vulnerable in society the kick…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10815417
The NZ Herald National Party Press Office swings into action to declare the Prime Minister wants something to happen, somewhere, sometime and then goes on to explain how Mr Key really really believes in the quantum affectation of positive thinking. Perhaps he also believes he can fly if he clicks his heels hard 3 times and wriggles his nose.
Slippery must have detected a little intransigence within the corridors of WINZ offices to His ‘aspirational ideals’,
The Prime Minister is now saying that not only will His Government offer bonus’s to WINZ staff who fill their quota as far as kicking Bene’s off of the dole and various other benefits,
The Slippery one is also threatening to cut the pay of those WINZ staffers who aint quite ruthless enough to fulfill such quota requirements…
Brilliant Key/Bennett/National Party logic……..you “can” work and therefore by certain date you and 19,999 others who “can” work will no longer be on WINZ books……..because you “can” work.
Ummmmmh…….just the small question of 20,000 jobs which those who “can” work need in order “to” work.
This grossness, this redefinition of benefit entitlement, will be disguised with a vile, calculated demonisation of beneficiaries as an underclass. The underclass at its extremities will commit crime………lo, we have the raw material for the new private prisons. There is cynical evilness here.
There’s a photograph I saw on the net somewhere which defines “News” in these terms something like this – “News…….rich people telling middle class people to blame poor people” – I may have paraphrased somewhat but that’s the thrust.
That’s gonna be our news sadly. Would you blame the underclass for rising up ? And that ponce still smiles and waves.
This along with the announcement that if the Public Service dont achieve the targets in this and other areas they will suffer paycuts….quite possibly the stupidest policy announcement ever by the stupidest government ever….the $60 million man again shows his complete contempt for everybody else.
TV3 reports on the latest brainwave from the government which gives the public service (itself having already lost 2500 jobs) 10 targets, one of which includes slashing the number of long term beneficieries by 2017or their pay will be docked.
Bill English says a leaner service could find these targets more difficult, but ever cheerful, loopy Key said and I quote:
“A highly efficient public service, one that is performing well for New Zealand isn’t a question of head count it’s about results.” (Obviously one charismatic dictator called Slash will do.)
In my world, no brains (which are in heads Mr. Key) no results.
The reporter said these are aspirational targets, but the government still expects the targets met!
No wonder Chris Hipkins said this is all just nonsense to distract from asset sales tomorrow. But what nonsense. Key seems to be totally unaware of the crass, idiotic utterances he contaminates our airspace with. He is so embarrassing; too embarassing to lead a great country like New Zealand, a country thet he seems to be intent on destroying.
What’s going on here? Why is it that Conservatives are so good at winning and Progressives produce a lackluster resistance at best? The answer comes from a fundamental insight from evolutionary biology. Stated simply, it goes like this:
When two groups compete, the one with the most social cohesion wins in the long run.
This insight arises from research on group selection that reveals how social animals capable of working as a team readily out compete those individuals who must struggle on their own. The astute observer will already note the profound irony here — a political group whose ideology elevates the individual over the group (Conservatives) has managed to cultivate more group cohesion than the political group whose ideology blends community well-being with that of the individual.
/rant/ This was mentioned the other day, but it really is a shocker.
All governments give cronies jobs. Every single one. Some governments are worse than others though, and I reckon this lot are fucking shockers.
It’s not just that they are giving jobs to mates, or that the process, (as I?S has demonstrated in numerous OIA based postings) has been bloody woeful; it’s the flat out inapropriateness of some of the gigs for the people they give them to.
That Neeson bugger on the Human Rights Review Tribunal*; never gave a damn about human rights as far as I can tell. And there was some other little nobody thrown on to that one as well. Interestingly enough, if you look at how they fared in National Party candidate selection dust ups, and who they lost to. Well, yeah. Understood.
But this one from the other day. How is this in any way justifiable?
She is going to be, at the same time, a lobbyist for an industry sector, and sitting in a govt gig that will be promoting issues within that sector, and spending money trying to convince people how to behave in that sector.
How is that not flat out fucked up?
/rant/
* how are they getting on with that Bennett case BTW, it’s been coming on what 3 years? 4 years? Doesn’t seem to be that complicated a case. The Minister defended her actions on an “implied consent” to disclose the data. There is no such thing in the Privacy Act. It’s just something she made up, and I’m not a lawyer, but I reckon there’s a pretty good chance that legislation trumps shit you just make up. I’m sure enough of that that I reckon I’d rule on that basis and take me chances with judicial review.
It’s seriously bizarre, from a health promotion perspective. How do these people get these jobs? Do they just go ‘Hey John, that’s for me. Make it happen.’ She’s CEO and on the board of the agency that has a massive conflict with the organisation she’s lobbying for!
We’re going to see lots of voluntary agreements (that never work) and increasing obesity rates, and don’t expect to see any cuts on selling alcohol in supermarket. 5+ per day, because supermarkets can profit from sales of fruit & veg, will go to 7+ and MPs can rattle on about personal responsibility when parents can’t pay for it. School tuck-shops coming to your area courtesy of Progressive Enterprises.
The rumor is vis a vis Paula Benefit and privacy breaches is that Paula coughed a middling sized pile of used twenty’s to the aggrieved,
On the understanding that all and sundry will keep ALL the details strictly private including what is said to be a private withdrawal of the breach of privacy complaint to the Commissioner,
Keep being the operative word here, Benefit gets to keep Her portfolio, the complainant gets to keep her benefit, and, the Commissioner gets to keep being just that,
That is all conjecture and un-proven rumor and i am being naughty for repeating it…
Well, it seems that family wasn’t such an important factor in her stepping aside after all. She was one of the few people in National who actually seemed to have a conscience and didn’t fit with the way that National have gone.
Key’s response is certainly interesting…
“I’m comfortable that she’ll be able to manage any conflict….
He obviously recognises that there is conflict there and yet he’s still putting her in place.
Katherine Rich is completely inappropriate for a position on the HPA board, given the HPA has taken over the functions of ALAC, and she is also the CE of the Food and Grocery Council, representing commercial operations who rely on selling alcohol for their profitability. It astounds me that National did not find someone else; we are not that short of talent in NZ.
Sheesh, often when staying up late working and other things, and it is quiet and still, I hear feel gigantic deep and muffled booms from deep down below and I think again that the Great Earth Monster below Otautahi is turning once more in its recently disturbed slumber, not yet ready to settle into another long 15,000 year stretch of deep sleep …….
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
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Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
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Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
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By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
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Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
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Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
Would they have voted National if they knew this?
Would as many people have voted for National if they knew the MOM Bill would pass? It was clearly campaigned on by National and prominently opposed by Labour and voters should have been clear about the chances of it proceeding, so it would be odd if there are defections of support from National because the part asset sales are going ahead.
If you assume that most people pay attention to the issues being discussed in election campaigns and don’t just vote for “more of the same” or “time for someone new”, then yep.
So no.
“… so it would be odd if there are defections of support from National because the part asset sales are going ahead.”
And yet all those polls say people are going off your Tory masters. The waffle ain’t working for some reason. Could it be that the voters of your NZ just aren’t copping your wisdom, Pete, and are making their own minds up?
Hey Pete, I’ve got an idea: Let’s ASK them.
I did. Some of them are SAYING:
amo6: “I voted for them thinking it would happen-not that I wanted it but that’s what I had to accept voting for them”
bligh: “I knew, before i voted.”
merrijg:
dezzie: “I knew about it before I voted for them, I think you’d have to be living under a rock to have not known.”
rasman_nz:
mp3539: “people werent thick…there was no one else to vote for……..”
lana92: “We had a fantastic choice, bankruptcy under Labour or selling the family silver under National … great choices … not.”
charles.j: “National campaigned on it and received a lot of votes. In fact, it was one of the highest ever recorded under MMP. Labour shot themselves in the foot multiple times, and Asset sales are now set to pass”
I see your imaginary friends have been at it again, one for each of your personalities.
Congratulations. You now have nine people who might sign a greeting card stating anything about anything. What you do with it is up to you. Isn’t democracy great?
Trade Me forums.
hahahaha.
I didn’t know your plans for improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of the CIR system were so, umm, advanced. “I asked some randoms on trademe”
A lot of kiwis on /b/. You should ask around over there too.
That was nothing to do with CIR. But I woukld check out views there, or anywhere peoplewere interested in commenting.
For your sort of democracy who would you exclude from having a say, apart from peop,e using Trade Me forums? Anyone else you don’t think is up to your standard?
No one Pete. And I never said otherwise. You really are a dishonest and hypocrtical sack of shit aren’t you?
I just don’t think Trade me forums are any sort of useful tool for working out what the people think. Call me unserious if you like.
Hi Pete George,
I imagine those who voted for National but may now be thinking again over giving that party their support over asset sales may be doing so because information that has come to light since the election casts doubt on either the competence or veracity of National’s claims about the ownership and economic consequences of implementing the MOM.
There are now significant doubts about the economic benefits of selling (and selling now) and also doubts about whether 51% control is manageable or that NZ ownership of shares can be guaranteed to the extent that National reassured people that it could.
I remember that before 2008, supporters of John Key were quick to claim the virtues of him ‘changing his mind’ over various policies. They claimed this showed he was responsive to new information or some such, and his changing his mind showed just how reasonable he was.
Maybe people thinking of removing their support for National over asset sales, despite voting for them in 2011, are similarly just being responsive to new information and showing that they are reasonable people.
Your totally unscientific asking is totally irrelevant – just like you and your Hair God.
PG if the election result had been different you would be groveling to a different master.
Labour were going to raise taxes on the well off and make those who are paying no tax capital gaingters.
Your a really Pathetic Grovelar
I think Nats kept pretty quiet about asset sales during the election campaign.
I am pretty sure that they did, yes.
People who voted for them voted on other grounds, and were pretty oblivious to asset sales as far as I know…
Would anyone have voted for National if truth in advertising applied to politicians.
National’s real manifesto. If they told the truth..
“We will cut incomes across the board except for a few at the top.
We will remove your civil rights, privacy, freedom from unreasonable search, surveillance and seizure, rights to withdraw your Labour and rights to protest even more.
We will respond to police breaking the law by changing it.
We will deliberately put the Government in deficit with unaffordable tax cuts.
We will steal more income earning assets to make our funders rich at your expense.
We will happily continue to kill NZ productive industries to chase illusory trade advantages for cow cockies.
We will leave strategic planning, to, “the market”. (Something for which we would sack any business manager).””
We will leave most New Zealanders noticeably poorer, after three years.
Notice how shifty Key looked in the “show me the money” debate. He knew his costings were a lot more dodgy than Labour’s.
Puerile git Tremains cartoon in the ODT on saturday explains everthing.
The media were all on Conmankeys side before the Election.
Now they are Questioning everything poor we johnny and his yes men don,t like it.
after the next election you will be bagging ever body on the right as your laeder will be in govt with any body so long as he gets his boubles!
And there you have it….!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7162536/ACCs-quota-deal-with-Smith-revealed
So glad this government is very concerned about injured Kiwis, and is doing everything they can to help, care for, rehabilitate and support them/us!/sarc.
Oh dear, it’s almost as if there were a “secret agenda” all along.
If only someone had said so at the time! /more_sarc
From a young age I never really understood the mania for everyone owning their own home.
As I’ve got older I got to understand the logic in the current economic environment, as home ownership can boost your financial value in the long term (if you can afford the long term mortgage), and keep you out of the control of ruthless landlords/ladies.
But it still seems to me a bit of a con to push for as many people as possible owning their own homes. It benefits those at the top of the housing hierarchy and leaves those at the bottom struggling in insecure circumstances. It also feeds property bubbles that are damaging to the whole society.
I’ve been happy as a lifetime renter, and have found most landlord/ladies to be OK (the worst are estate agent managers, usually managing property for an unknown landlord). Now there is evidence that owning your own home probably won’t make you happier. It’s usually the reverse, that happier and healthier people are more likely theycan afford to buy:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7147916/Home-ownership-not-best-for-everyone
Unfortunately super is not enough to live on unless you own a home mortgage free.
As for affordability. I am researching an article on that now to follow up from my previous one on housing costs.
The obvious short answer is sufficient state housing. Preferably rent to buy at affordable rates.
Well, for myself, I also have some money in pension schemes and some savings. The pensions were largely the default position when I was working in London and Sydney, so payments were automatically taken out of my pay without me really paying much attention to it. I also pay into Kiwisaver.
But needing to own your own home and/or pension investments beyond super, are all based on the dominant economic assumptions that have been in place for decades. And these investments all have knock-on impacts on society and future generations.
Housing should be cheap, affordable to all, and shouldn’t be part of a market economy. Savings should be savings, and shouldn’t keep diminishing in value over time if not invested somewhere.
I am afraid that the whole concept of interest on savings is the other side of the financial ponzi scheme that makes unsustainable growth an economic necessity.
Savings are likely to disappear into the insatiable maw of the finance industry. When they next stuff up.
For all the West’s private pension schemes to keep paying out compounding interest means a hockey stick growth in money supply is required.
Without a corresponding increase in productivity, which the earth is not big enough to sustain, all these financial products must fail at some stage.
We are better of investing in things that the banks cannot take away.
Investing taxes in 100% sustainable energy, for example, would do more to ensure we can afford to support our old, and young, in future than any investment in financial speculation.
New Zealanders subconsciously know that, hence the over investment in land. Though I wonder how many mortgages, like mine, were investment in a business. A mortgage is the only way normal people can get any financial leverage.
Indeed. But I was thinking to get beyond they way savings are treated now, so that if you have savings, they don’t rely on interest to maintain value.
Why should your savings retain value? The work done to receive that money doesn’t retain value – it depreciates over time.
You want chapter two of this book but the whole thing is worth reading. It’s not what I’m thinking of above but it embodies the same idea.
QFT
Yep, the only way to to truly participate in our society is to beg the bank manager and, of course, to pay.
Labour (Cosgrove) and Greens (Norman) have said that Winston Peters’ asset buy back suggestions are fiscally irresponsible.
That could make for interesting coalition negotiations, unless Peters changes from YES to NO by then. Or if Labour and Greens change to YES.
Peters suggests Kiwisaver funds and the Super Fund should buy back the shares, but that’s bizarre. What if they already own many of the shares? They would end up having them taken off them so that they could be given them back.
Oh my lord.
Three parties who may or may not be in a position to form a govt in two-and-a-half-years and who happen to agree on the most desirable outcome of a particular given situation also disagree on the details of the best way to achieve it.
If only Peter Dunne were in the mix. At least he knows how to do as he’s told.
Indeed, felix. Whats the point in MMP, and shifting fro m2 party dominance of government, if the smaller parties always agree with the other parties with policies closest to theirs? If several parties agreed on everything, they might as well just amalgamate into one party.
MMP…. sets up the system for on-going consultation, discussion and negotiation.
There’s strong points for small parties to retain independence, they add diversity of MP and policies, and they break up the party whipped voting.
Otherwise why don’t Labour and National amalgamate? Most of what they do is very similar anyway, far more overlap than differences. But it would not be good for our democracy if we had a single party government.
“why don’t Labour and National amalgamate?”
well, some people like red more than blue, while others think it’s time for a change every now and then…. which is your favourite colour? red or blue? samaris or venezilos? Blair or Thatcher? Obama or Obama? Key or that other guy from labour, I think it’s Goff or have they changed?
Oh how sad of me not to already know that it wouldn’t be good for our democracy to have a one party government. I feel quite embarrassed that I didn’t already know that. Thanks for letting me know that Pete George.
Tell me what planet you’re on you facile, boring, boring, boring old tory. I’ll make sure I avoid it in my astral travel.
That doesn’t mean Labour and the Greens won’t buy them back, just that they think Winston’s model won’t work in the way Winston thinks it will. There are no obstacles to coalition forming, as all 3 parties are committed to looking at the possibility of a buy back once National and it’s limpets are defeated. The big question is how buggered you and your mates will have left our economy and whether a buy back is immediately affordable.
Sorry to let you down, Pete, but there’s no escape route there for UF or National.
Disagreeing with WinstonFirst is a good start
The big question is how buggered you and your mates will have left our economy
Norman said something similar – ” the books are getting into a terrible mess because of National”.
But in fact National probably won the election – despite opposition to assets sales – because voters thought they were the most fiscally responsible option, and Labour/Green spending would have been too risky in the current economic climate.
That’s right, Pete. The voters were lied to, or even worse, not told the truth, and now we all have to wait for Labour to bring back the good times. Again. Oh, for the days of balanced budgets, eh? Just think, it was only 4 years ago we had a fiscally responsible Government and only two years till the next one.
I love this fiscally irresponsible meme, from those who left a big hole in our accounts, by borrowing for tax cuts, for Hawaii holidays, for them and their mates.
In fact real fiscal responsibility would be tax and spend, now, on stimulus, with spending on sustainable energy, local production, housing and education, to keep the country viable in future. When AGW, peak oil and peak water start to hit.
National are squandering our future.
Peters suggests Kiwisaver funds and the Super Fund should buy back the shares, but that’s bizarre. What if they already own many of the shares? They would end up having them taken off them so that they could be given them back.
What is Bizarre is selling the shares to those that own them already!
Taken = buy
given = sold
fiscally irresponsible ‘= selling the share is the first place
Is that the new lexicon
Pg that is a BIZARRE response.
I heard that David Shearer made a good speech in the North Shore on Saturday. Can anyone point me to a web site where I can read it?
I heard from guys who went that it was the usual flabby shit. Love to be corrected.
@ BillODrees
It wasn’t a prepared speech as such. He had no notes. He was speaking largely to the converted – members/supporters. It was part of the… getting to meet the locals and giving them a chance to get to know him campaign. After all he hasn’t been on the NZ political scene very long and he’s going to need their full support.
@ ad.
That’s an unfair description. He was ‘chatting’ about his vision for NZ society and where he thinks it should be going and how a Labour-led govt. would get it there. He made no apologies for being short on detail because the actual policies are still being hammered out. But he gave a more than adequate outline of the general direction. In my opinion, most of the ‘flabby shit’ came from a few people in the audience who saw fit to make full blown speeches of their own during the question time.
That’s excelent Anne and delighted to hear others were wrong – Shearer is definitely growing on me, particilarly with polls so heartwarming in a cold winter.
God I can’t stand speechifying from “questioners” – it’s boorish.
On asset sales I see Steven Joyce has come out and said “the most important thing is strengthening the capital markets”.
So lets examine this — the capital markets in NZ consist primarily of the NZX. The NZX is privately owned. The NZX has consistently failed to provide sufficient capital markets. Even Joyce himself states clearly that the NZX has failed.
The NZX is the peak of many capitalists dreams. Get a business, grow it, list on the exchange and voila – captain of industry.
Except that businesses don’t want to list. I have come across many perfect candidates in my times and they consistently do not want to list. The reasons are immaterial but they basically turn on the fact that the NZX is not worth the money or effort and does not assist their business.
The NZX has failed over the last century and decades. And that is just those listing. What about investors? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, poll mums and dads about the trustworthiness of the stock exchange and its participants. I don’t think much more needs to be said.
So if the NZX has failed, as Joyce states, then why is he giving them welfare? Why is he pouring more money down a proven failed system?
And if the captains of industry are so magnificent at creating business, as they always claim, then why has it failed? Why don’t the masters of private enterprise create their own businesses to list on the NZX?
Because they can’t that’s why. The masters of capitalism cannot create their own businesses. They have to take ones that the taxpayers have built and paid for over the decades. For yet further evidence of this, check out some of the largest companies on the NZX – high proportion of businesses created by the taxpayer, not businessmen.
Failures.
Bludging off the taxpayer tit.
Joyce and Key need to be questioned in detail over this. It would also be worth finding out what NZX is willing to pay to have our assets listed in their directory. And how much more revenue the NZX will receive.
they and others certainly need ot be questioned, and questioned in a simple single part methodology. I am sick to my back teeth of important subjects being raised in the House and no suitable answer supplied because the question has three parts is covered in similie and toasted under the 20w grill of self protection. Politicians need to remember why they are (supposedly) sitting in the House in the first place.
Ask a direct single question, get a direct answer. Of late, even the Speaker appears to be tiring of the banality and the well orchestrated auto-rhetoric from the opposition.
+1
Not sure if Key or Joyce would have the answers to any exhaustive questioning because they are merely henchmen for the funders of the National and Act parties.
The spurious concept presented of needing more market capitalisation ion NZ lays bare the whole edifice of investment in NZ. I contend that the NZX cannot grow because there is nothing left we can turn production which we can “capitalise” that has not already been capitalised. The logic of “globalization” is that you send capital to places where the costs are minimised, and the major factor here is wage costs. Because we wont “allow” sweat shops a la Nike in Honduras etc we cannot attract capital…so instead we attempt to create markets in existing infrastructure and sell them off. Sick really.
Of all the Nats justifications for selling the SOEs this is the only one that adds up to me; that it’s a taxpayer bailout of the NZX. Weldon of the NZX was far too close to the Nats, seemed to have the key to the back door of the beehive in the Nats first term his name was always cropping up. The NZX will clip the ticket on every share sold, it must profit from the SOE floats over the longer term and it will be interesting to watch its share price which I expect to perform better than the SOE shares.
I agree on the NZX being a dog. I don’t buy shares and I know how to read a balance sheet. Look at any business listed on the NZX and it’s loaded up with debt with shareholder capital all pledged as security to the banks, small shareholders are treated with contempt. The SOEs will go down the same track; borrow up large to pay big dividends & push the share price up while hollowing them out from the inside.
+1. Vto
It is the worse reason to sell of a strategic rare asset like Hydro Dams.
The absence of Capital Gains Tax and some weaknesses in Taxion legislative/administrative regimes encourages some to remain in the unlisted sector. There are other reasons the NZX has been unsuccessful!
And Joyce is agreeing that the NZX is unsuccessful. And Joyce is telling mum and pops to invest through that unsuccessful medium! Did Joyce list his business on the NZX?
Greece, Spain, Portugal , Ireland……watching Keiser and some other commentaries over the week since the Greek election points at one conclusion: default is inevitable! Merely delayed by how long?
The big picture is somewhat worrying in terms of how the default is presented to the rank and file taxpayers worldwide who have had their “leaders” conveniently underwrite bank debt. The basic theme is, “Wow we bankers took punts that were too risky, bundled up the losses as derivatives, sold them to generate more interest, became insolvent and then demanded the taxpayer world wide bail us out as too big to fail, and you MUST do as we say or you are roadkill.”. And because the bankers “own” the politicians (along with their 1%er mates) we the rank and file do as they demand. We should be asking who is roadkill?
Amongst that gloomy prognosis is a real ray of hope: economic contagion will result in bank failures if the taxpayer does not allow more “bail outs”…if the bail outs happen there will be defaults anyway. The financial status quo will become an emperor without clothes, illegitimate. The hope bit is that nature abhors a vacuum, real power and control can be sized via the democratic process. Which is why Labour need to grow some balls and be prepared to tell the bankster regimes to fuck off. What hope of that?
The PIGS will fly no doubt about it. The big question is if they leave the monetary union will they also leave the free trade union?
Implement a super profit tax on any entity making over $100M pa.
Implement an asset tax and FTT.
Greatly strengthen the community and small business presence of Kiwibank.
Arm the Reserve Bank with a broad range of capital and currency control tools, and task it with putting in place settings to support employment and the tradeable sector.
And crucially, take charge of the issuance of debt free, interest free money into the economy.
“Which is why Labour need to grow some balls and be prepared to tell the bankster regimes to fuck off. What hope of that”
–Nada!
Bored, people underestimate the power of the banking industry, and what else it controls, because they like to use names such as “conspiracy theorists”, to hide behind. Most are unable to accept the real conspiracy which is happening in front of them, is not happening in isolation!
The out of control situation around contagion, is interesting, as it will expose the corruption more and more, as long as the attempts to keep the status quo on life support continue.
If it collapses, how will NZ fear….
I suspect not very well, with all those off balance sheet derivitives, waiting to show their worth!
You may be right that hope is slim: banks and finance are best dealt with when they are weak (and insolvent which requires the letter of the law to be imposed i.e the Commerce Acts insolvency clauses). We need to get them when they cant pay their tame politicians and media (and after that it is a case of keeping the genie in the bottle) otherwise they will win.
Those of you interested in energy issues and peak oil may be interested in my latest blog post here: http://www.southernlimitsnz.com/2012/06/myth-busting-polyannas-1-roger-harrabin.html
“This is the first in a series of posts that address the phenomenon seen over the past few years of the proliferation of articles arguing that peak oil is dead and that we are in a new era of liquid fuel abundance. I have already addressed this issue in general with my previous post Seven Myths Deniers Use To ‘Debunk’ Peak Oil, Debunked. But with more articles coming out like this weekly I have decided to take on the authors of these overly optimistic puff pieces and explain paragraph by paragraph exactly why these people are so wrong.
First up in this series is Roger Harrabin. Harrabin is certainly no slouch broadcasting on environmental and energy issues since the 1980s and winning a number of broadcasting awards. He currently works as the BBC’s environmental analyst and is one of their senior journalists on environmental and energy issues. So it came as a surprise when I came across Harrabin’s article this week entitled Shortages: Is ‘peak oil’ idea dead?. He managed to invoke a number of straw man arguments and bizzare claims and concludes that the end of the Oil Age is so far off that it’s not worth worrying about. Let’s take a look at the specifics below.”
Being absolutely no expert in this field I found your conclusion helpful and provoking, because I can stop waiting for a single eschatological moment:
“We are not going to run out of oil cold turkey. Instead we are facing a long descent that will see times of relative prosperity followed by depressions and recessions as the world economy adjusts to its new low energy diet.”
Would love to hear more on this. Seems a little more nuanced than that big show from Rick Boven which seemed to portend the end of the world.
I can do no better than point you towards John Michael Greer who coined the term ‘the long descent’ in his book of the same name. http://www.newsociety.com/Books/L/The-Long-Descent
“The Long Descent examines the basis of such fear through three core themes:
– Industrial society is following the same well-worn path that has led other civilizations into decline, a path involving a much slower and more complex transformation than the sudden catastrophes imagined by so many social critics today.
– The roots of the crisis lie in the cultural stories that shape the way we understand the world. Since problems cannot be solved with the same thinking that created thyem, these ways of thinking need to be replaced with others better suited to the needs of our time.
– It is too late for massive programs for top-down change; the change must come from individuals.
Hope exists in actions that range from taking up a handicraft or adopting an “obsolete” technology, through planting an organic vegetable garden, taking charge of your own health care or spirituality, and building community.
Focusing eloquently on constructive adaptation to massive change, this book will have wide appeal.”
Also check out JMGs essays here for more in depth discussion: http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=long+descent
This gives a really good overview of JMGs work: http://www.energybulletin.net/50751
“John Michael Greer has officially established himself as an institution within the peak oil community. Truly one of the finest minds working on the predicament of modern-day industrial civilization, he is so well-read in so many fields that he regularly gains access to insights that utterly elude his contemporaries. For this he is treasured by a growing number of loyal readers—and, I suspect, hated by equally many fellow bloggers who wish that they could be half as good.
Greer is also perhaps peak oil’s most cherishable contrarian, always pointing out the various ways in which people on all sides of the debate are woefully off-base. For example, his previous book on peak oil, The Long Descent, showed how believers in perpetual progress and prophets of imminent doom alike are sadly off the mark in their notions about the future. That book’s central thesis is that while our modern “developed” world can’t possibly be sustained into the indefinite future, we’re hardly in for the sort of sudden, utter collapse of civilization that typically forms the basis of a Roland Emmerich movie. Instead, our society will likely decline slowly and unevenly over many decades, the way that the Maya, the Roman Empire and other past civilizations have done before ours. The take-home point is that it’s a waste of time to start preparing now for either a survivalist future of mass death and marauding hordes, or whatever sustainable utopia happens to be your particular ideal, because neither one of these reflects the future that we’re actually liable to end up with—and, in any case, no one living today will still be around to see what that future might resemble.”
There are ideas of getting together and supporting each other when other systems have broken down. Paul Krugman explains some economic problems that crop up in his piece on the Babysitting Club.
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/1998/08/babysitting_the_economy.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timothylee/2011/09/07/money-and-paul-krugmans-babysitters/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Hill_Babysitting_Co-op
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/279-82/11772-paul-krugman-im-sick-of-being-cassandra
Thanks Prism
SL These links point up some interesting problems. You may have come across this babysitting club example before – I hadn’t. But I have been in Green Dollars trading and found its path developed potholes, into which we fell and the local one is I think defunct.
I came to the conclusion that no organisation, community or not, can be run effectively by a group of opinionated ignorant idealistic amateurs (at running groups and systems), and particularly weakening is the situation when one committee stands down and new people come in . The end of the organisation can be when they immediately bring in new bright ideas and throw out old practices, ignoring all the decisions, and not reading the reasons for them, as recorded in the notes taken at numerous meetings and discussions of past committees.
And there is always some utopian system somewhere to aim for, without any understanding of the particular problems and positives of the circumstances of that one.. Even Rod Donald I found to be so idealistic and set in his beliefs that when I stated that green dollars weren’t as good as real money he immediately negated my statement, which was based on experience. So it’s not easy doing things communally and when trying to run a parallel ‘tokens’ system.
The babysitting example was new to me and I’ve never read Krugman’s actual work before, only seen him mentioned so thanks for that.
I think the moral to take from you experience and one that I try to live by is avoid dogma at all costs. That’s why I find it bizarre when people are lifetime Labour or National supporters and say they’ll never change. For me it’s about what’s said, not who’s saying it.
Don’t forget Greer’s Catabolic Collapse which is a good article explaining it.
Also try reading what Nicole Foss says on TheAutomaticEarth.com She makes the solid point that finance and capital availability makes the downside very rocky (because demand requires capital investment that may not be available), with lots of ups and downs.
Or go to Youtube and search Richard Heinberg.
Yup all worthwhile reading/viewing.
Ad , Thanks for expanding my vocab!
The Oxford English Dictionary defines eschatology as “The department of theological science concerned with ‘the four last things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell’.
I was sure James Joyce would have been well familiar.
Ah well.
Today it was announced that soldiers coming back from Afghanistan would have to undergo a test to see if they had been exposed to Depleted Uranium. The test was mad with a urine sample but the same article states that the Army is unwilling to pay for a more comprehensive test. This indicates to me that they are using a similar test as the US army.
One that will guarantee that nothing will show up as it is a test which is designed to pick up radioactivity emitted during Nuclear accidents or bomb explosions and not the low radiation emitting nano particles which lodge themselves in vulnerable areas causing damage over a long period of time.
Here is a video called Beyond Treason. It is an excellent Documentary which features amongst others Doug Rokke. He is the guy who wrote the book on DU for the US army and now that he is dying of cancer caused by DU the most ardent anti DU activist I have had the privilege of speaking with on the subject.
I wonder if Afghan villagers and farmers are being offered the test as well.
“Collateral damage”
Neh, Little brown people with a funny religion? Who cares!
About as much chance as Iraqi citizens being offered cancer screening or the US cleaning up uranium contamination throughout Iraq.
Crisis in Local Govt and ACC? Both crises invented by Nick Smith. He really must keep taking those pills.
TEDx: David Roberts – Climate Change is Simple
Also, David Roberts: The brutal logic of climate change.
The politics of pop! I learned a fair bit about socialism, anarchy and post modernism from the late seventies/early eighties NME. Parsons, Burchill, Kent, Morley, Penman, SWells et al. The Clash, Gang of Four, Redskins, Slits. Mint! The tide turned a bit when corporate music companies co-opted punk and new wave (The Knack, anyone?) and the death of one particular singer in 1980 really ended that chapter for me, but there is no denying the brilliance of those 5 or 6 shining years.
The legacy lives on, however, and its nice to see that the NME is still classy after all these years, putting the greatest song ever written at the top of their list of er, the greatest songs ever written. Debuted at No 1 in NZ, fact fans.
Well, for other odd conversion routes to the progressive cause, mine was reading Gustavo Gutierrez’ Liberation theology when I was 16.
Back when post-Vatican II South and Middle Americans were full of Base Communities and all that hopey-changey stuff. And of course the death of Archbishop Romero while saying mass, by military assassins, together with Cardinal Ratzinger’s witch-hunts, kind of put a bracket around that for me.
Odd list overall to my mind.
The Skids, Public Image, Joes Garage album by Frank Zappa, The Clash (Sandinista gave me a new area to explore), Paul Weller whether in The Jam or The Style Council, The Ramones, Buzzcocks, Nina Hagen, Lena Lovich, Steve Harley and somewhere in amongst that with a touch of humour Jilted John.
Those were great times and particularly as I was being bullied at school at the time resonated and no doubt helped develop my inclination to speak out against violence and oppression. I’m sure not popular in some of my circles at present for speaking out.
Singing from the same song sheet?.
David Cameron is to set out plans to scrap housing benefit for the under-25s, in a speech that will make clear pensioners are to be protected from a second wave of welfare reform.
And on a related matter:
“Key policy ‘comes across as waffle’, says archbishop of Canterbury in valedictory bombshell”
No, not that Key. He’s ripping David Cameron a new one for promoting aspirational piffle.
Here’s one for Vicky 32, who I’m sure will join me in a hearty laugh at a particularly stoopid mangling of the English language on the Stuff website:
“Karen Klein, the 68-year-old bus monitor who was verbally abused by a group of 12-to-15-year-old students, has received more than US$630,000 (NZ$800,000) for a well-earned vacation from internet users”
Yes indeed! 🙂 It’s a good one, all right!
Doctors and Nurses anyone???, from the Herald today is a call from various groups of Doctors and Nurses for the Government to cut another 2 percentage points from it’s 2014 election total by (a) abolishing travelers ability to buy duty free tobacco products claiming that such duty free items are fueling the ‘tobacco black-market’,
The view here is that the rack-raising of excise taxes on tobacco products is what is fueling a growing tobacco black market where any ‘cost’ to the Government of tobacco products use has been more than met by the present tax regime and Government is now reliant on at least 1 billion dollars of over-taxation of tobacco products to pay for other budget items other than the costs related to the products usage,
The Doctors and Nurses have taken the opportunity to call for a harsher regime of revenue gathering from those addicted to tobacco perhaps seeing in this the only means of getting a pay rise in the next few years,
SAVING LIVES do you think, tobacco product usage has fallen an un-remarkable 6% over the course of the last 2 rack-raisings of tobacco taxes and such means in no way that 6% of addicts have quit,
The 6% drop in usage simply means that the addicted have managed to cut down slightly on their daily use and/or 6% of tobacco use in New Zealand is now being supplied via one means of black-market supply or another,
I am a firm favorite of this National Government taking to the users of tobacco via the rack-raising of taxation if only for the inherent laughter generated by those in the Health Sector believing that such tax raising is in aid of saving lives where-as the imperative for Government doing so is obviously, as the Treasury pointed out in its briefing to the Government, a simple exercise in revenue gathering from a section of the community demonized by society and in no way able to avoid the tax as they are ADDICTED to the product being taxed,
If they havn’t already the 600,000 or so who do use and are addicted to tobacco products will turn upon any Government rack-raising the taxes to fill holes in its general budgetary requirements and vote against any Government or it’s support party’s who favor such taxation,
Any Government serious about stopping the use of tobacco products in this country would simply make the product a prescription poison allow the present generation of addicts its use via Doctors prescription and not allow anyone presently 16 or 17 the products use at all….
I am sure the tax rate on tobacco will shortly get to the point where the enforcement cost comparison to cannabis will make them think “Oh wait tobacco tax was so good, let’s legalise marijuana as well”.
Meanwhile I treat myself to just one cigar per year, at Christmas, from the Havana Shop downtown, probably out of some sad implanted gangster fantasy or more probably Wylie Coyote’s opposition or indeed Daffy Duck’s ones.
Pretty hard to prize the programming out, even at one a year.
Surprisingly there has yet to be a move by the users of tobacco products to form an association that will advance their ‘right’ to use a legal product without fear of being unduly discriminated against by overt Government policy,
With 600,000+ users of tobacco products, many of whom reside electorally in the ‘registered but didn’t vote’ such a voting bloc would give any Government pause to consider it’s agenda where taxes from the users of tobacco are funding the general spending of Government…
Ah getting a flogging over asset sales,education, and, ACC all at the same time, seeing the internal polling tumbling like a rock and yes it’s time for Slippery to get all ‘aspirational’ again,
The Prime Minister has announced plans to give the Bene’s a kicking or in the ‘new speak’ of the political discourse get them OFF benefits,
Slippery didn’t mention actually creating some EMPLOYMENT so the assumption can only be that bonus’s will again be offered to WINZ staff who find creative ways of giving the most vulnerable in society the kick…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10815417
The NZ Herald National Party Press Office swings into action to declare the Prime Minister wants something to happen, somewhere, sometime and then goes on to explain how Mr Key really really believes in the quantum affectation of positive thinking. Perhaps he also believes he can fly if he clicks his heels hard 3 times and wriggles his nose.
Slippery must have detected a little intransigence within the corridors of WINZ offices to His ‘aspirational ideals’,
The Prime Minister is now saying that not only will His Government offer bonus’s to WINZ staff who fill their quota as far as kicking Bene’s off of the dole and various other benefits,
The Slippery one is also threatening to cut the pay of those WINZ staffers who aint quite ruthless enough to fulfill such quota requirements…
New Zealand signs NATO partnership deal
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jun2012/nzna-j22.shtml
wsws seems to be down, here is a cache copy of the article
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:j109Zru-viwJ:www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jun2012/nzna-j22.shtml+www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jun2012/nzna-j22.shtml&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=ubuntu
Brilliant Key/Bennett/National Party logic……..you “can” work and therefore by certain date you and 19,999 others who “can” work will no longer be on WINZ books……..because you “can” work.
Ummmmmh…….just the small question of 20,000 jobs which those who “can” work need in order “to” work.
This grossness, this redefinition of benefit entitlement, will be disguised with a vile, calculated demonisation of beneficiaries as an underclass. The underclass at its extremities will commit crime………lo, we have the raw material for the new private prisons. There is cynical evilness here.
There’s a photograph I saw on the net somewhere which defines “News” in these terms something like this – “News…….rich people telling middle class people to blame poor people” – I may have paraphrased somewhat but that’s the thrust.
That’s gonna be our news sadly. Would you blame the underclass for rising up ? And that ponce still smiles and waves.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7167235/Govt-targets-unemployed
This along with the announcement that if the Public Service dont achieve the targets in this and other areas they will suffer paycuts….quite possibly the stupidest policy announcement ever by the stupidest government ever….the $60 million man again shows his complete contempt for everybody else.
Scumbags, liars, cheats.
TV3 reports on the latest brainwave from the government which gives the public service (itself having already lost 2500 jobs) 10 targets, one of which includes slashing the number of long term beneficieries by 2017or their pay will be docked.
Bill English says a leaner service could find these targets more difficult, but ever cheerful, loopy Key said and I quote:
“A highly efficient public service, one that is performing well for New Zealand isn’t a question of head count it’s about results.” (Obviously one charismatic dictator called Slash will do.)
In my world, no brains (which are in heads Mr. Key) no results.
The reporter said these are aspirational targets, but the government still expects the targets met!
No wonder Chris Hipkins said this is all just nonsense to distract from asset sales tomorrow. But what nonsense. Key seems to be totally unaware of the crass, idiotic utterances he contaminates our airspace with. He is so embarrassing; too embarassing to lead a great country like New Zealand, a country thet he seems to be intent on destroying.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary:
asp – a small viper with an upturned snout – a large predatory fish of the carp family
irrational – not logical or reasonable
???
Why Conservatives always beat Progressives
Read and weep, ladies and gentlemen.
http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-06-24/real-reason-conservatives-always-win
/rant/ This was mentioned the other day, but it really is a shocker.
All governments give cronies jobs. Every single one. Some governments are worse than others though, and I reckon this lot are fucking shockers.
It’s not just that they are giving jobs to mates, or that the process, (as I?S has demonstrated in numerous OIA based postings) has been bloody woeful; it’s the flat out inapropriateness of some of the gigs for the people they give them to.
That Neeson bugger on the Human Rights Review Tribunal*; never gave a damn about human rights as far as I can tell. And there was some other little nobody thrown on to that one as well. Interestingly enough, if you look at how they fared in National Party candidate selection dust ups, and who they lost to. Well, yeah. Understood.
But this one from the other day. How is this in any way justifiable?
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10815422&ref=rss
She is going to be, at the same time, a lobbyist for an industry sector, and sitting in a govt gig that will be promoting issues within that sector, and spending money trying to convince people how to behave in that sector.
How is that not flat out fucked up?
/rant/
* how are they getting on with that Bennett case BTW, it’s been coming on what 3 years? 4 years? Doesn’t seem to be that complicated a case. The Minister defended her actions on an “implied consent” to disclose the data. There is no such thing in the Privacy Act. It’s just something she made up, and I’m not a lawyer, but I reckon there’s a pretty good chance that legislation trumps shit you just make up. I’m sure enough of that that I reckon I’d rule on that basis and take me chances with judicial review.
It’s seriously bizarre, from a health promotion perspective. How do these people get these jobs? Do they just go ‘Hey John, that’s for me. Make it happen.’ She’s CEO and on the board of the agency that has a massive conflict with the organisation she’s lobbying for!
We’re going to see lots of voluntary agreements (that never work) and increasing obesity rates, and don’t expect to see any cuts on selling alcohol in supermarket. 5+ per day, because supermarkets can profit from sales of fruit & veg, will go to 7+ and MPs can rattle on about personal responsibility when parents can’t pay for it. School tuck-shops coming to your area courtesy of Progressive Enterprises.
The rumor is vis a vis Paula Benefit and privacy breaches is that Paula coughed a middling sized pile of used twenty’s to the aggrieved,
On the understanding that all and sundry will keep ALL the details strictly private including what is said to be a private withdrawal of the breach of privacy complaint to the Commissioner,
Keep being the operative word here, Benefit gets to keep Her portfolio, the complainant gets to keep her benefit, and, the Commissioner gets to keep being just that,
That is all conjecture and un-proven rumor and i am being naughty for repeating it…
Well, it seems that family wasn’t such an important factor in her stepping aside after all. She was one of the few people in National who actually seemed to have a conscience and didn’t fit with the way that National have gone.
Key’s response is certainly interesting…
He obviously recognises that there is conflict there and yet he’s still putting her in place.
Katherine Rich is completely inappropriate for a position on the HPA board, given the HPA has taken over the functions of ALAC, and she is also the CE of the Food and Grocery Council, representing commercial operations who rely on selling alcohol for their profitability. It astounds me that National did not find someone else; we are not that short of talent in NZ.
“any conflict”? the conflict, more like. And no, it can’t be ‘managed’ away.
Sheesh, often when staying up late working and other things, and it is quiet and still, I hear feel gigantic deep and muffled booms from deep down below and I think again that the Great Earth Monster below Otautahi is turning once more in its recently disturbed slumber, not yet ready to settle into another long 15,000 year stretch of deep sleep …….