Recently lprent posted Climate of Deception at Fox News. Fox News can be worth watching, it isn’t all bad, but the network has obvious political agendas.
It may be a case of pot and kettle. Is there also a Climate of deception at The Standard?
The inevitable “attack the messenger” campaign will probably avoid addressing the self deception.
What any blog does is it’s own choice, but if posters obviously represent the ambitions if not the views of a political party the integrity of both are interwoven. It’s your call people, but Labour’s credibility is on the line.
PeteG apart from most of the commentators being of a similar ilk if you were to post this sort of spin at the sewer or kiwi blog you’d be ravaged and not in the nice way you’d get here.
Mind you looking at the history of your attack lines it wouldn’t be out of the question for you to get that here.
I’ve been ravaged at KB a damn sight more than here. Obviously people and blogs don’t like being confronted, I don’t either, but sometimes it’s necessary to stand up and point out crap to promote positive change.
PeteG’s cunning plan is to increase the number of hits on his website to give it credibility. He does this by posting a confrontational comment and a link early on in the general debate posts. Today he posted the above and this on the sewer early on:
The Zetetic/Mallard? thing raises wider question about anonymous political blogging. The Internet could be used to promote openness and honesty, the transparency but entrenched party practices can instead allow deception and dishonesty to overcome sensibility.
No party is immune, but most in the spotlight is the Climate of deception at The Standard.”
Can I urge everyone to avoid the temptation and not click through.
I figured that out from day one when he was ‘link whoring’. I am sorry I didn’t bring that to the attention of others here previously.
I have never visited his site and don’t intend to. The tonnes of rubbish he spouts on here give enough indication of how much more garbage he has. I don’t even bother to read his comments on TS and just scroll past them.
There are many other better things to do. Watching grass grow would give more insight into life, even if not eating it (it = grass).
[lprent: Link-whoring with appropriate comment isn’t something that we moderate for (we’ll moderate out anyone that does it inappropriately – because they are trying to use this site for spamming). ]
Same thing happened before the last election. This time we are somewhat more prepared when we get the bloody irritating trolls who just try to disrupt the site. They tend not to like my anti troll tactics.
But we see minor spates of it every time that Labour or the left starts making headway. Nice to see it happen again. Now let’s just hope that none of the Labour MPs (or their servers) disrupt the flow this time.
Yes Mickey, I had figured that this was what Pete G (aka as the Secret Squirrel) is up to.
Unfortunately I did visit his website a couple of times before this realisation. All I found was long-form badly thought out drivel. Needless to say I won’t be going there again, but if that’s the content you want Pete’s site’s the perfect place to be.
You keep having your arse handed to you on a plate by the likes of Felix et al. You destroy threads. Your comments vary between the banal and the stupid.
Posting here is a privilege. IMHO the Standard is one of the most open and has the most robust debate of any I have seen.
The only entity with credibility problems is yourself. Time to try and get some.
I wish there was a ‘Block Pete G’ application on this site that turns his comments blank as I’m totally fed up with seeing his tedious drivel everywhere, even inadvertently out of the corner of my eye.
What a load of pretentious drivel delivered in a sonorous portentous style, but it’s still drivel and merely gives Pete G filler for his pages. Why not set up a wood-whittling circle Pete G? You might end up with something worth viewing.
Here is a the full video: Core of corruption Part 1: In the shadows, which explores the connection between the alleged hijackers and the ruling elite. Very interesting is the operation Able danger which was sabotaged by elements in the US government. Anthony Schaffer, the officer involved in the operation wrote a book about it and while he still hangs on to he idea that is was al Qaeda who did the dirty on 911 his book is of huge value in it;s contribution to the search for truth.
Anthony has a facebook page and is linked to mine which has the same name as my moniker here.
In fact quite a few names from the 911 truth movement are connected to my page so have a visit and get closer to the people who actually do the hard slog.
I had a dig around for what Hilary Butler, the expert Sunday interviewed on vaccine risks, was involved with and lo behold found she’s firmly in the anti-vaccinations vaccines-cause-autism* loony camp. And couldn’t science to save her life judging by a most on polio on her blog where she failed utterly to understand that there are other things besides polio that can cause paralysis aka aetiology.
Though I’m a bit too lazy to go fully into cluebat mode and examine the full extent of her stupidity, I can say “wtf?” in relation to Sunday thinking it was a good idea to treat her as any form of expert. Then there that fact they didn’t bother to interview the likes of Sid Offit and David Gorski over in the USA, who have a long and excellent history of explaining vaccination and dealing with anti-vaccination bullshit. And explaining relative risks, i.e.
btw, “vaccine damage” (or “vaccine injury” in N-Am) is very much a non-diagnostic tool in the hands of people like Butler as they’ll link just about anything with vaccinations without even critically examining causation. In fact there were only two examples last night that were solid, and without access to ACC’s case files on the serious cases, it’s impossible to say with any certainty the causation of those cases…
Scientists have for a long time regarded autism as being 90% plus genetically caused.
Guess what, they were wrong. A recent large scale study looking at over 1000 children determined that actually more than 50% of the risk for autism comes from environmental factors.
So don’t be too quick to rule things out especially as chemical exposures are likely to play a significant role in that. (In fact I believe the study specifically implicated anti-depressants. Hundreds of thousands of NZ’ers take these drugs every day. Wonder what that is doing for our autism incidence).
…without even critically examining causation.
You know and I know that it is extremely difficult to definitively show causation unless the power of a study is very large, or the effect is very large.
In many cases association is the best one can hope for, and by the time causation can be undeniably demonstrated, thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people are likely to have been harmed.
Except of course, it looks strongly like ASD has many possible causations, so without pinning down specific neurological features and setting up tighter definitions and thus sample groups to turn genetics analysis tools on, the 50% narrow sense hereditary found to date makes a lot of sense. Also, if you were more informed about neurological development (and biochem/genetics) you’d know that there’s a massive knot of potential causations during development in the womb that lay down future brain growth and set up gene regulation in the brain. Thus from my perspective and from my understanding of brain development and ASD I see any attempt to pin ASD causation post birth as somewhat flawed….
Now the fact that SSRI’s are potentially linked* is actually interesting given the role serotonin in the brain in terms of fixing new neural connections, and I can definitely see that as far more potentially plausible. And I have no issues with that, barring that fact that the rise in ASD diagnoses was explained primarily by better awareness (public, GP’s, etc) + changes in diagnostic criteria that included those on the borderlines and the previously misdiagnosed. So thus I’d argue that SSRI’s might not be playing a role, but that’s what well designed ANCOVA GLM studies are for 😛
You know and I know that it is extremely difficult to definitively show causation unless the power of a study is very large, or the effect is very large.
In many cases association is the best one can hope for, and by the time causation can be undeniably demonstrated, thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people are likely to have been harmed.
Aetiology not difficult except when dealing with the likes of ASD where there are multiple potential causations, and in the rest of science it’s down to the design of the study and evidence quality, quantity and the plausibility of causation mechanisms. So as a general statement of truth, you’re wrong. At least for publishable claims of causation. Medical diagnostic’s is where you right, and I should have made what I meant by “critically examining causation” a bit more indepth. Such as mentioning the role of statistical evidence + having plausible mechanisms. which in the case of Butler etc are either absent, or seriously flawed, and Butler provides a very clear example of this with her claims about polio….
In the case of public health risks from pharmaceuticals, pesticides etc, yes there are serious implications concerning their potential causative links to diseases etc, which is why animal testing + glasshouse and field tests are incredibly important. As is long term population/environment monitoring, and robust research funding…
There’s also the other implication of the causation certainty issue in that we can’t likewise show with any total certainty that any drug/vaccine etc is 100% safe, so we’re left with balancing relative risk estimates. And given how utterly non intuitive that is, even for the moderately statistically literate, it makes it very easy for the anti-vaccination crowd to over inflate potentially risk, creating what is very much a moral hazard on the basis of the rather well known outcomes of low vaccination rates.
Anyhow, this slightly tangential to the issue of why Sunday bothered with someone who’s very much a crank, rather than talking with medical professionals/researchers. Especially for a lead piece, in light of the anti-vaccination bullshit and the negative public outcomes of it already seen here in NZ with the measles outbreaks we keep having.
Now I think you could possibly owe me a beer for this, given I could have been sitting nice a warm in the lounge reading Ben Goldacre’s “Bad Science”, instead of in my freezing bedroom 😛
_______________________________________________________
*I can has source plz?
Totally recommend Ben Goldacre’s book ‘Bad Science’ and also his blog Bad Science. A must for beginning to sort the riff from the raff in health research. He’s happy to treat the quacks and the made up trials and marketing tricks of drugs companies with equal disdain.
As someone who nearly lost a 3 week old child thanks to an un-immunized child in my 6 y.o class at school I have nothing but contempt for those loonies.
In any medical scenario there is a very small risk of an untoward event; however, the risks of permanent harm to the masses of population from people not immunizing their children is far greater.
Re. the SSRI – if you check the weird and whacky ‘Flouride is poison’ (sic) group on Facebook you will find all the crazed anti Fluoride and anti-immunisation brigade quoting all manner of junk.
One example is that Fluoride is being added to water to sedate the masses and that is why it is the active ingredient in SSRI’s
I’ll strongly second Ian’s sentiments having spent part of the day cleaning up the chaos after a potential measles contact was brought onto a ward with immunosuppressed patients.
Anyone who doesn’t immunise their children, unless there is a very good reason not to, needs a bloody good kick up the arse.
Hadn’t heard the flouride one before ……….. there’s nowt as odd as folk.
Sunday and Hilary Butler stated in the programme that she was not a scientist. I think she had collated much information on vaccines as well cases of nasty outcomes from vaccinations.
My son had one such outcome as well as my friend whose child was permanently damaged from a whooping cough jab and recived damages(in the UK). Fortunately my doctor asked me if there had been any seizures in our family before he gave my son the whooping cough vaccine; there had and this meant it was not a good idea for my son to have it, as he too could become damaged. We were not warned about MMR though!!!!
My heart went out to the lad who had been damaged by the whooping cough vaccine and his mother. He was a similar age to my son. Both had been beautiful healthy babies.
I think he was right in saying that some people are able to take vaccinations some are not. Information should be given to parents about the pros and cons-especially the MMR, which I think is a bit too much for such young babies.
Well driving to work this morning was an adventure. Never really driven in snow before, and this is pretty deep – about 10cm deep in most places with some drifts deeper. Had the car skid around a little and crunched into the curb where I couldn’t see it, but no major issues.
Looking out my window I can see a line of trees just past the motorway, and then it’s completely grey-white beyond, can’t see the port hills at all. Seems like the world has shrunk.
Very heavy snow now, can just barely see the motorway and a few ghostly silhouets of cars going past, many of them very very close together so if any of them stop they’ll get rear-ended. Idiots.
It seems John Key is at it again. He claims he did tell Phil Goff about the Israeli spy affair. Anyone who saw the TV clip of Goff last week would know he was not lying. Anyone who has ever known Phil Goff would be able to tell you he is not a liar.
Is John Key a pathological liar in which case he should not be in the top job? Or is he attempting to divert attention from something else – eg. his very revealing initial response to the Norwegian massacre?
Update: the above is what I heard on a Radio NZ item, but it appears not to be strictly correct.
John Key has admitted he didn’t tell Phil Goff, but he claims “he understood the SIS director did..”.
As the leader of the main opposition party it was the duty of someone to inform Goff. That it didn’t happen is a serious breach of protocol…
Key has been complacent in handling the situation with Goff being informed. Had Key seen Goff, Goff may of been able to advise on not leaving loose ends. Key has created loose ends for himself and the public need to have confidence in him when it comes to national security. Key is unable to dismiss the attempt of passport identity theft, he is unable to verify this as well.
Look where being naive gets you (news of the world hacking) politicians, cops and editors/journalists) a lot of coverups will be uncovered. NZ is no different.
No protocol breach apparently – a memory breach by Goff.
Goff was angry that Key claimed he was briefed on the investigation. After hearing Key’s remark, Goff contacted SIS director Warren Tucker for a ”please explain”.
Tucker told him he had ”flicked the issue past him” during a regular meeting with Goff in March. The pair meet every eight weeks. Goff said he couldn’t recall the matter being discussed in the meeting, which occurred a week to a fortnight from the quakes.
Goff said he was shown one of three documents about the investigation this morning, but wouldn’t discuss its contents.
”The head of the Security Intelligence Service said he flicked the issue past me and said there wasn’t much to it,” Goff said.
”He ‘didn’t dwell on it’, was his comments.
”If there had been anything of substance said to me I’m sure I would recollect it.”
An apology from Goff to the SIS and to the PM will be issued in due course.
(That’s just a guess).
The fact that Goff was involved in diplomacy regarding the 2004 passport scam would have set off alarm bells. The SIS director surely has some notes. I think the Key words here are Key, flicked past, and passport. Sorry but not good enough to flick past at a routine meeting, a sitting on the fence passport identity attempt. Loose ends only create a problem.
“Sorry but not good enough to flick past at a routine meeting”
If Goff was interested in more detail I presume he could have asked for it. I expect politicians at his level get bombarded with a heap of information and it would be easy to not take it all fully on board.
If at the time the SIS thought it minor and Goff thought it not worth dwelling on then it would normally have been forgotten and left at that. Goff wasn’t to know the issue would have been stoked by someone. But still, the mistake’s on him and so should be the apology.
The mistake is on the SIS director because it is the job of the SIS to prevent any future passport identity theft. Israel apologised after the 2004 passport identy theft and assured NZ that it would not happen again. Goff is not an SIS operative.
Goff insisted that he was not briefed. SIS director Warren Tucker corrected him saying in fact he did run it past him. Goff isn’t denying it further so yeah it looks apparent that he did made a mistake.
No protocol breach apparently – a memory breach by Goff.
If Goff had been properly informed of course he would remember it. Especially since he was closely involved with the 2004 passport scandal. Sounds to me like Mr Tucker might be on a damage control exercise. A flick past? Could that mean a momentary, semi-audible mumble designed (perhaps) to be misheard or ‘missed’ altogether?
Shit dude there are a thousand ways an official can slide information under the nose of an elected representative so that the official can say its been done, but the chances of the elected representative ever remembering any details at all are very slight.
“Well we’re running out of time, those last couple of bullet points there, low priority items really. If anything else comes up on those we’ll brief you further. Right, next we have some properly important matters…”
To PG:
As it should be as Goffs comments implied that the SIS director had been lacking in his job and had not informed him.
If Goff had of checked documents etc then he would have noticed that he had been informed. So this is a serious issue I feel as Goff has accused this man of failing in his role.
Interesting that when Key makes a slight error by saying “if it was a terroist bombing” he gets heaps on this site. But when Goff makes a unfounded statement gets a oh well he cant of been told properly or a well he just forgot.
But then it is expected on a site like this to experience that one eyed comment.
@ Pete G.
”The head of the Security Intelligence Service said he flicked the issue past me and said there wasn’t much to it,” Goff said.
”He ‘didn’t dwell on it’, was his comments.
“If there had been anything of substance said to me I’m sure I would recollect it.”
This sounds like the head of SIS did not dwell on it , not Mr.Goff.
I am appalled that the National Government should be so careless and lacking in respect as regards their obligation to inform the opposition about security matters.It also shows a lack of regard and respect to the citizens of this country in the matter of our security and safety that a matter of security should be “flicked” past the honourable leader of the opposition.
Of course Phil Goff would remember anything said to him about such matters so I think ‘flick’ is short hand for ‘nothing was said’. Apart from the fact that Mr.Goff is highly intelligent he was a very competent Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as Minister of Defence and would recollect if anything had been said as he was so used to dealing with such matters and would be attuned.
Mr Goff is certainly up to the play in this situation; more than can be said for the usually underprepared and totally “out of the ball park so as to be nowhere near the play” John Keys.
May I just say I am eternally grateful to those of you who endure visiting the sewers and reporting back for us. Of course it saves column inches by providing links to support your comments rather than quoting verbatim from their posts but I can take it from your signatures that you are well informed and that it is just more of the b/s that he pours out on Mora’s afternoons. I would prefer not to leave a trace on their respective sites so thank you all very much.
Speculating on things without enough information is a dangerous practice at the best of times. You run the risk of appearing the fool if that guess work is later shown to be incorrect.
Charlie Brooker on the stupidity of those who leapt to blame Muslim terrorism for the Norwegian attacks. He’s having a pop at the ‘experts’, but it applies nicely to our PM’s efforts.
Malaysia and Australia agreed on Monday to swap refugees in a new strategy aimed at deterring asylum seekers from undertaking boat journeys to Australia.
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Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
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Wow! Lots of lovely white stuff out there this morning. I imagine there are lots of chilly houses here this morning. Rug up Cantabs!
Recently lprent posted Climate of Deception at Fox News. Fox News can be worth watching, it isn’t all bad, but the network has obvious political agendas.
It may be a case of pot and kettle. Is there also a Climate of deception at The Standard?
The inevitable “attack the messenger” campaign will probably avoid addressing the self deception.
What any blog does is it’s own choice, but if posters obviously represent the ambitions if not the views of a political party the integrity of both are interwoven. It’s your call people, but Labour’s credibility is on the line.
I detected 9 reasons to pulverise this post upon one reading, please PG spare us first thing on a Monday morning in future.
PeteG apart from most of the commentators being of a similar ilk if you were to post this sort of spin at the sewer or kiwi blog you’d be ravaged and not in the nice way you’d get here.
Mind you looking at the history of your attack lines it wouldn’t be out of the question for you to get that here.
I’ve been ravaged at KB a damn sight more than here. Obviously people and blogs don’t like being confronted, I don’t either, but sometimes it’s necessary to stand up and point out crap to promote positive change.
PeteG’s cunning plan is to increase the number of hits on his website to give it credibility. He does this by posting a confrontational comment and a link early on in the general debate posts. Today he posted the above and this on the sewer early on:
Can I urge everyone to avoid the temptation and not click through.
You mean that ass-hole is link farming? Figures.
Ooops, too late, but will certainly never visit his site again.
I figured that out from day one when he was ‘link whoring’. I am sorry I didn’t bring that to the attention of others here previously.
I have never visited his site and don’t intend to. The tonnes of rubbish he spouts on here give enough indication of how much more garbage he has. I don’t even bother to read his comments on TS and just scroll past them.
There are many other better things to do. Watching grass grow would give more insight into life, even if not eating it (it = grass).
[lprent: Link-whoring with appropriate comment isn’t something that we moderate for (we’ll moderate out anyone that does it inappropriately – because they are trying to use this site for spamming). ]
The good thing is that this thread has been reported over at TM’s messageboard; http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages.aspx?id=770521&topic=7&#p15515857
The frenzy shown over “The Standard” suggests that National is getting worried that Labour is a real threat.
Same thing happened before the last election. This time we are somewhat more prepared when we get the bloody irritating trolls who just try to disrupt the site. They tend not to like my anti troll tactics.
But we see minor spates of it every time that Labour or the left starts making headway. Nice to see it happen again. Now let’s just hope that none of the Labour MPs (or their servers) disrupt the flow this time.
Yes Mickey, I had figured that this was what Pete G (aka as the Secret Squirrel) is up to.
Unfortunately I did visit his website a couple of times before this realisation. All I found was long-form badly thought out drivel. Needless to say I won’t be going there again, but if that’s the content you want Pete’s site’s the perfect place to be.
PeteG You have this annoying habit of trolling.
You keep having your arse handed to you on a plate by the likes of Felix et al. You destroy threads. Your comments vary between the banal and the stupid.
Posting here is a privilege. IMHO the Standard is one of the most open and has the most robust debate of any I have seen.
The only entity with credibility problems is yourself. Time to try and get some.
I wish there was a ‘Block Pete G’ application on this site that turns his comments blank as I’m totally fed up with seeing his tedious drivel everywhere, even inadvertently out of the corner of my eye.
+1
+ 170,000
trying to boost your blog stats mate?
What a load of pretentious drivel delivered in a sonorous portentous style, but it’s still drivel and merely gives Pete G filler for his pages. Why not set up a wood-whittling circle Pete G? You might end up with something worth viewing.
Here is a the full video: Core of corruption Part 1: In the shadows, which explores the connection between the alleged hijackers and the ruling elite. Very interesting is the operation Able danger which was sabotaged by elements in the US government. Anthony Schaffer, the officer involved in the operation wrote a book about it and while he still hangs on to he idea that is was al Qaeda who did the dirty on 911 his book is of huge value in it;s contribution to the search for truth.
Anthony has a facebook page and is linked to mine which has the same name as my moniker here.
In fact quite a few names from the 911 truth movement are connected to my page so have a visit and get closer to the people who actually do the hard slog.
Anyone out there got access to Ken Ring’s almanack for July? I gather he predicted pretty settled weather in the north for last week…
I had a dig around for what Hilary Butler, the expert Sunday interviewed on vaccine risks, was involved with and lo behold found she’s firmly in the anti-vaccinations vaccines-cause-autism* loony camp. And couldn’t science to save her life judging by a most on polio on her blog where she failed utterly to understand that there are other things besides polio that can cause paralysis aka aetiology.
Though I’m a bit too lazy to go fully into cluebat mode and examine the full extent of her stupidity, I can say “wtf?” in relation to Sunday thinking it was a good idea to treat her as any form of expert. Then there that fact they didn’t bother to interview the likes of Sid Offit and David Gorski over in the USA, who have a long and excellent history of explaining vaccination and dealing with anti-vaccination bullshit. And explaining relative risks, i.e.
btw, “vaccine damage” (or “vaccine injury” in N-Am) is very much a non-diagnostic tool in the hands of people like Butler as they’ll link just about anything with vaccinations without even critically examining causation. In fact there were only two examples last night that were solid, and without access to ACC’s case files on the serious cases, it’s impossible to say with any certainty the causation of those cases…
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*I heart science: http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/02/yet_another_really_bad_day_for_antivacci.php
Scientists have for a long time regarded autism as being 90% plus genetically caused.
Guess what, they were wrong. A recent large scale study looking at over 1000 children determined that actually more than 50% of the risk for autism comes from environmental factors.
So don’t be too quick to rule things out especially as chemical exposures are likely to play a significant role in that. (In fact I believe the study specifically implicated anti-depressants. Hundreds of thousands of NZ’ers take these drugs every day. Wonder what that is doing for our autism incidence).
You know and I know that it is extremely difficult to definitively show causation unless the power of a study is very large, or the effect is very large.
In many cases association is the best one can hope for, and by the time causation can be undeniably demonstrated, thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people are likely to have been harmed.
argh shit,
Not touching this with a bargepole 🙂
Except of course, it looks strongly like ASD has many possible causations, so without pinning down specific neurological features and setting up tighter definitions and thus sample groups to turn genetics analysis tools on, the 50% narrow sense hereditary found to date makes a lot of sense. Also, if you were more informed about neurological development (and biochem/genetics) you’d know that there’s a massive knot of potential causations during development in the womb that lay down future brain growth and set up gene regulation in the brain. Thus from my perspective and from my understanding of brain development and ASD I see any attempt to pin ASD causation post birth as somewhat flawed….
Now the fact that SSRI’s are potentially linked* is actually interesting given the role serotonin in the brain in terms of fixing new neural connections, and I can definitely see that as far more potentially plausible. And I have no issues with that, barring that fact that the rise in ASD diagnoses was explained primarily by better awareness (public, GP’s, etc) + changes in diagnostic criteria that included those on the borderlines and the previously misdiagnosed. So thus I’d argue that SSRI’s might not be playing a role, but that’s what well designed ANCOVA GLM studies are for 😛
Aetiology not difficult except when dealing with the likes of ASD where there are multiple potential causations, and in the rest of science it’s down to the design of the study and evidence quality, quantity and the plausibility of causation mechanisms. So as a general statement of truth, you’re wrong. At least for publishable claims of causation. Medical diagnostic’s is where you right, and I should have made what I meant by “critically examining causation” a bit more indepth. Such as mentioning the role of statistical evidence + having plausible mechanisms. which in the case of Butler etc are either absent, or seriously flawed, and Butler provides a very clear example of this with her claims about polio….
In the case of public health risks from pharmaceuticals, pesticides etc, yes there are serious implications concerning their potential causative links to diseases etc, which is why animal testing + glasshouse and field tests are incredibly important. As is long term population/environment monitoring, and robust research funding…
There’s also the other implication of the causation certainty issue in that we can’t likewise show with any total certainty that any drug/vaccine etc is 100% safe, so we’re left with balancing relative risk estimates. And given how utterly non intuitive that is, even for the moderately statistically literate, it makes it very easy for the anti-vaccination crowd to over inflate potentially risk, creating what is very much a moral hazard on the basis of the rather well known outcomes of low vaccination rates.
Anyhow, this slightly tangential to the issue of why Sunday bothered with someone who’s very much a crank, rather than talking with medical professionals/researchers. Especially for a lead piece, in light of the anti-vaccination bullshit and the negative public outcomes of it already seen here in NZ with the measles outbreaks we keep having.
Now I think you could possibly owe me a beer for this, given I could have been sitting nice a warm in the lounge reading Ben Goldacre’s “Bad Science”, instead of in my freezing bedroom 😛
_______________________________________________________
*I can has source plz?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110704174606.htm
Cheers dude, you explained your point of view well, and I learned one or two things 🙂
Totally recommend Ben Goldacre’s book ‘Bad Science’ and also his blog Bad Science. A must for beginning to sort the riff from the raff in health research. He’s happy to treat the quacks and the made up trials and marketing tricks of drugs companies with equal disdain.
And Hilary Butler just keeps looking more and more stupid the more I read her blog…
/shudder
As someone who nearly lost a 3 week old child thanks to an un-immunized child in my 6 y.o class at school I have nothing but contempt for those loonies.
In any medical scenario there is a very small risk of an untoward event; however, the risks of permanent harm to the masses of population from people not immunizing their children is far greater.
Re. the SSRI – if you check the weird and whacky ‘Flouride is poison’ (sic) group on Facebook you will find all the crazed anti Fluoride and anti-immunisation brigade quoting all manner of junk.
One example is that Fluoride is being added to water to sedate the masses and that is why it is the active ingredient in SSRI’s
I’ll strongly second Ian’s sentiments having spent part of the day cleaning up the chaos after a potential measles contact was brought onto a ward with immunosuppressed patients.
Anyone who doesn’t immunise their children, unless there is a very good reason not to, needs a bloody good kick up the arse.
Hadn’t heard the flouride one before ……….. there’s nowt as odd as folk.
Sunday and Hilary Butler stated in the programme that she was not a scientist. I think she had collated much information on vaccines as well cases of nasty outcomes from vaccinations.
My son had one such outcome as well as my friend whose child was permanently damaged from a whooping cough jab and recived damages(in the UK). Fortunately my doctor asked me if there had been any seizures in our family before he gave my son the whooping cough vaccine; there had and this meant it was not a good idea for my son to have it, as he too could become damaged. We were not warned about MMR though!!!!
My heart went out to the lad who had been damaged by the whooping cough vaccine and his mother. He was a similar age to my son. Both had been beautiful healthy babies.
I think he was right in saying that some people are able to take vaccinations some are not. Information should be given to parents about the pros and cons-especially the MMR, which I think is a bit too much for such young babies.
Well driving to work this morning was an adventure. Never really driven in snow before, and this is pretty deep – about 10cm deep in most places with some drifts deeper. Had the car skid around a little and crunched into the curb where I couldn’t see it, but no major issues.
Looking out my window I can see a line of trees just past the motorway, and then it’s completely grey-white beyond, can’t see the port hills at all. Seems like the world has shrunk.
Still snowing.
Just saw a plough go past on the motorway, must have been going about 70-80 and shoving a huge plume of snow out the side. Pretty impressive.
Very heavy snow now, can just barely see the motorway and a few ghostly silhouets of cars going past, many of them very very close together so if any of them stop they’ll get rear-ended. Idiots.
How thick out your way? We managed 20cm on the lawn out in Shirley and the walk out to Stanmore Rd was fun (new tramping boots, Haix ftw!).
It seems John Key is at it again. He claims he did tell Phil Goff about the Israeli spy affair. Anyone who saw the TV clip of Goff last week would know he was not lying. Anyone who has ever known Phil Goff would be able to tell you he is not a liar.
Is John Key a pathological liar in which case he should not be in the top job? Or is he attempting to divert attention from something else – eg. his very revealing initial response to the Norwegian massacre?
Update: the above is what I heard on a Radio NZ item, but it appears not to be strictly correct.
John Key has admitted he didn’t tell Phil Goff, but he claims “he understood the SIS director did..”.
As the leader of the main opposition party it was the duty of someone to inform Goff. That it didn’t happen is a serious breach of protocol…
Key has been complacent in handling the situation with Goff being informed. Had Key seen Goff, Goff may of been able to advise on not leaving loose ends. Key has created loose ends for himself and the public need to have confidence in him when it comes to national security. Key is unable to dismiss the attempt of passport identity theft, he is unable to verify this as well.
Look where being naive gets you (news of the world hacking) politicians, cops and editors/journalists) a lot of coverups will be uncovered. NZ is no different.
No protocol breach apparently – a memory breach by Goff.
An apology from Goff to the SIS and to the PM will be issued in due course.
(That’s just a guess).
More to be covered on this.
The fact that Goff was involved in diplomacy regarding the 2004 passport scam would have set off alarm bells. The SIS director surely has some notes. I think the Key words here are Key, flicked past, and passport. Sorry but not good enough to flick past at a routine meeting, a sitting on the fence passport identity attempt. Loose ends only create a problem.
“Sorry but not good enough to flick past at a routine meeting”
If Goff was interested in more detail I presume he could have asked for it. I expect politicians at his level get bombarded with a heap of information and it would be easy to not take it all fully on board.
If at the time the SIS thought it minor and Goff thought it not worth dwelling on then it would normally have been forgotten and left at that. Goff wasn’t to know the issue would have been stoked by someone. But still, the mistake’s on him and so should be the apology.
Glad Key apologised first.
The mistake is on the SIS director because it is the job of the SIS to prevent any future passport identity theft. Israel apologised after the 2004 passport identy theft and assured NZ that it would not happen again. Goff is not an SIS operative.
Goff insisted that he was not briefed. SIS director Warren Tucker corrected him saying in fact he did run it past him. Goff isn’t denying it further so yeah it looks apparent that he did made a mistake.
No protocol breach apparently – a memory breach by Goff.
If Goff had been properly informed of course he would remember it. Especially since he was closely involved with the 2004 passport scandal. Sounds to me like Mr Tucker might be on a damage control exercise. A flick past? Could that mean a momentary, semi-audible mumble designed (perhaps) to be misheard or ‘missed’ altogether?
Who trains SIS operatives?
Can you define what ‘properly informed’ is and your qualifications to judge? Even Goff admits he was told.
Shit dude there are a thousand ways an official can slide information under the nose of an elected representative so that the official can say its been done, but the chances of the elected representative ever remembering any details at all are very slight.
“Well we’re running out of time, those last couple of bullet points there, low priority items really. If anything else comes up on those we’ll brief you further. Right, next we have some properly important matters…”
Exactly CV.
A Sir Humphrey Appleby (Yes Minister) moment.
That’s exactly the scene I had in mind! 🙂
To PG:
As it should be as Goffs comments implied that the SIS director had been lacking in his job and had not informed him.
If Goff had of checked documents etc then he would have noticed that he had been informed. So this is a serious issue I feel as Goff has accused this man of failing in his role.
Interesting that when Key makes a slight error by saying “if it was a terroist bombing” he gets heaps on this site. But when Goff makes a unfounded statement gets a oh well he cant of been told properly or a well he just forgot.
But then it is expected on a site like this to experience that one eyed comment.
@ Pete G.
”The head of the Security Intelligence Service said he flicked the issue past me and said there wasn’t much to it,” Goff said.
”He ‘didn’t dwell on it’, was his comments.
“If there had been anything of substance said to me I’m sure I would recollect it.”
This sounds like the head of SIS did not dwell on it , not Mr.Goff.
I am appalled that the National Government should be so careless and lacking in respect as regards their obligation to inform the opposition about security matters.It also shows a lack of regard and respect to the citizens of this country in the matter of our security and safety that a matter of security should be “flicked” past the honourable leader of the opposition.
Of course Phil Goff would remember anything said to him about such matters so I think ‘flick’ is short hand for ‘nothing was said’. Apart from the fact that Mr.Goff is highly intelligent he was a very competent Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as Minister of Defence and would recollect if anything had been said as he was so used to dealing with such matters and would be attuned.
Mr Goff is certainly up to the play in this situation; more than can be said for the usually underprepared and totally “out of the ball park so as to be nowhere near the play” John Keys.
The fact that Jonkey is pathological liar was proven some time ago.
More than likely.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/07/its_the_putting_right_that_counts.html
DPF running spin lines on Key’s ‘it was global terrorists which is why we’re in Afganisblad, yay NZ’ comment post the Norway tragedy.
I’m so sick of this odious little slug.
May I just say I am eternally grateful to those of you who endure visiting the sewers and reporting back for us. Of course it saves column inches by providing links to support your comments rather than quoting verbatim from their posts but I can take it from your signatures that you are well informed and that it is just more of the b/s that he pours out on Mora’s afternoons. I would prefer not to leave a trace on their respective sites so thank you all very much.
Tell me about it Tigger
Jumping to Conclusions
Speculating on things without enough information is a dangerous practice at the best of times. You run the risk of appearing the fool if that guess work is later shown to be incorrect.
Actually ‘the fool’ has an important role to play:
http://www.foolsforhire.com/info/history.html
Shonkey, on the other hand, is just playing at an important role.
and you heard it from the horse’s mouth…
Why socialists should support Hone and Mana
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/07/hone-should-be-complemented-not.html
Of course, Hone sucking up to Density Church is a major reason why we shouldn’t…
Charlie Brooker on the stupidity of those who leapt to blame Muslim terrorism for the Norwegian attacks. He’s having a pop at the ‘experts’, but it applies nicely to our PM’s efforts.
Paul Krugman on Ratings Agencies
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/moodys-blues-poor-standards-and-the-debt/
Australian and Malaysian refugee deal . It’ll be interesting to see how it works.