I do find it hilarious that a website publicising the prices of goods is somehow regarded by the regime as a weapon of economic sabotage. Leftist thinking is so totally screwed sometimes.
Gooseman the US prints money the EU is in the process of printing 1.4 trillion dollars.
Are they wrong.
Your a right wing fundamentalist who’s policies are being foisted on Greece their Economy has been in continual decline.
Argentina had the same policies foisted on them by the World Bank and IMF it caused a continual decline in their Economy.
So both left and right wing fundamentalist are bad for economies
Except right wing policies eventually lead to economic growth whereas left wing economic policies like that in Venezuela eventually lead to economic collapse. A simple question for you. How can you see Venezuela getting out if the mess they are in other than to ditch their leftist economic policies such as price controls and rationing and following more right wing ones?
You Are joking when do right wing policies work not ever show me an economy that hasn’t relied upon a mix of policy including printing money and stimulating their Economy.
Find an economy that relies purely on the free market.
Gooseman it doesn’t exist.
Greece is suffering as much as Venezuela, Venezuela’s command and control economy is as bad as Greece’s Right wing Austerity programming.
Trade embargoes CIA destablization the Drug lords control of 40% of Venezuela’s population fuelled by the failed war on drugs.
Greece fucked over by Goldman Sachs and their ratings agencies.
Now bailed out with printed Ponzi money at exorbitant rates.
Where is your free market Goose.
The UK printed £100s of billions .
All the big trading blocks have printed trillions to stimulate growth the minions (NZ govt borrowed $70 billion the NZ private Sector have borrowed at least $100billion on speculative investments)eventually this house of card will fall over so where eventually is your Free market economy.
Tell us all Guillible Gosman.
You can say that again. State dominated by a pack of right wing thugs aided and abetted by America. You still haven’t answered what I asked, I never asked you if the government was right wing
But I will ask again. How is the economy going in the Ukraine.
Really badly as a result of the State playing too big a role in the economy. It needs to reform the economy so that the private sector is able to operate without the corrupt and oppressive influence of government.
Venezuela is a basket case economy. With the collapse of the price of oil, Maduro’s government is desperate for cash. The country is in desperate needs of imported goods. The joys of socialism.
Under the previous right wing murderist facist dictators propped up the US before the 1950’s then by the CIA post 1950 Venezuela has been no different .
The Drug lords control large areas of Venezuela their profits help the CIA run covert operations .
Venezuela is a basket case full stop.
Because it was badly run before that excuses how badly run it is now in your mind does it?
Venezuela used to be regarded as one of the better performing nations in Latin America. No more though. Largely due to left wing policies and ideas that are very similar to those expressed by many here.
Lots of nations that rely on oil have not had their economies implode due to the fall in the price of oil. Venezuela seems to be rather unique in that regard. Might have something to do with the massive increases in government spending when the price of oil was higher. Still don’t you lefties think spending more on social services is always a good idea?
Except it is the left wing policies that are causing the economic hardship I Venezuela. What us happening there us entirely predictable. The government imposes price controls on goods. What do you think will happen? Of course there is shortages. The government subsidizes the price of oil so it us dirt cheap. What do you think will happen? Of course people smuggle it to neighbouring countries to me easy money. The government spends billions on social services when it has not money to pay for it. What do you think will happen? Of course inflation sky rockets.
Do you not see how one leads inevitably to the other?
What is your explanation for the super free market non socialist capitalist king country in the world, USA, to be in massive government debt exceeding 18 Trillion dollars ($18,000,000,000,000) with interest alone being over 3 Trillion dollars per year ($3,000,000,000,000) and its total national debt being at over $61 trillion dollars ($61,000,000,000,000,000) and growing like there is no tomorrow?
not really due to the drop in oil prices. I have a piece of research from April 2014 which showed Venezuela (at the time) needed an oil price of $121 per barrel just to break even…….
Okay, give me one nation that is a part of the global market economy where there are no levels of onerous poverty and no corresponding small ultra rich clique and where health and education and adequate shelter are equally available to all?
Venezuela is no different to any other potential examples for the question I asked above. Venezuela is a part of the global market economy, but Venezuela practices a fair amount of intervention. It isn’t a command economy though.
So, what have the interventions done? Decreased poverty and illiteracy? Increased access to health care, food, adequate shelter etc? Yes.
What has the market economy done? Gone into a recession/depression.
I was about to say there is a significant racial/class subtext in Venezuela. I ran into a bunch of all-white, well off (better off than me, anyway) Venezuelans who showed up on their own yacht in Ibiza a few years back. They were lovely, until you got to know them and then you heard a little of their views of things back home.
Based on that experience I agree with the comment in one of the articles posted above:
“…White supremacy endures in Venezuela often resembling the United States and other settler colonial countries founded on conquest and slavery…”
Those are the kinds of people who utterly despised Chavez educating ordinary people in poor towns on the importance of participating in the political process. (Which generally involved ensuring that people could read and write so that they could interpret the Venezuelan constitution and participate in elections.
Hey Gosman, You are always ranting on about Venezuela, how the socialist’s are running it in to the ground and how socialism doesn’t work, Well mate it works very well in this country for :-
Reo Tinto
Warners
Grants to private schools
and the latest bail out by Parata of a Charter School.
NZ is developing its own corrupt crony capitalist class that is enamoured with foreign corporations and foreign money, just like Venezuela, and I reckon you do support it.
A crisp millitary salute to that CV. It has sent Gosman to ground, he probably had to get into his cheerleading kit readying himself for slippery John’s interview on The Nation.
After watching Key’s half cut pitch I notice the narrative has moved strongly towards privatisation. Unfortunately for the Nats Serco has flattened the tire and the wheel has come off. Good interview with Kelvin Davis, right now I think Key would prefer that Hone had beat Kelvin in the TTT seat.
“This link highlights what the problem with Ukraine’s economy – The State.”
Yeah but they don’t say Socialist state.
Hey mate I am not going to debate with you further as you talk nothing but crap
You have a very simplistic point of view and that is right wing good left wing terrible. Anybody with an once of intelligence knows it is not as simple as that
Personally I am not a socialist though the way the world is going it is driving me more to the left, but I have a very strong social conscience, and as I have said before when I was a kid thank the fuck other right wingers thought the same. This is something this breed of greedy bastards don’t understand the word let alone practice.
http://www.putatara.net/2015/07/serco-debate/ one of the ‘Urewera 4’ writes a very thoughtful article on NZ prisons & that they are all badly run, & makes an interesting point that tax payers are funding gang training & recruitment, would now like to see the jamboree of right wing regulars here get their knickers in a twist about that!
Is it
a) the housing crisis in Auckland caused by a lack of rules to stop NZ and foreign speculators
b) the imminent collapse of our economy due to crashing dairy prices
c) prison crisis
d) the imminent signing of the TPPA
….”That’s roughly $32 billion,” says Tee. “The Canadian government said: ‘We don’t want your money anymore’ and that capital is now hitting the Sydney market.”
“There is a mountain of liquidity. China is bursting with flight capital. They can’t go to the US, they can’t get it into Singapore anymore, or Hong Kong.”
Tee’s comments come at a time of increasing concern that a generation of young Australians have been locked out of the property markets of Melbourne and Sydney due to spiralling house prices….
Tee says recent figures in the media which put Chinese investment in the Sydney property market at 25 per cent of total sales were too low. He says it might be twice this level but it is hard to tell because of the lack of transparency on ownership.
Most Chinese purchases hide behind trustees and proxies. Third parties such as friends and relatives were often used.
“Chinese students are being paid 2 per cent of the purchase price of the property to purchase property on behalf of relatives,” says Tee.
Another person au fait with Chinese property transactions in Australia told Fairfax Media it was simple for Chinese investors to get around the foreign capital restrictions.
“The money never really moves. In a simple example, Kunlun is a forex trading and money exchange company. It has bank accounts in many countries with significant cash balances. So if someone wants $40 million in Australia they put the money in a Kunlun China account and Kunlun transfers the money from their Australian accounts to the person’s friend’s Australian account.
“Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?…”Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?
“The current situation is that one of the best assets a local Chinese can have is a permanent Australian residence. They will have ‘friends’ lining up to ‘loan’ them money to buy properties in Australia.
All the government needs to do is follow the cash.”
Sadly, for a generation of young homebuyers it seems the government is not interested in following the cash. Otherwise our politicians, of both major parties, would have introduced the second tranche of AML legislation by now and real estate agents would have to prove that their clients’ funds were legitimate.
who says I am blaming the Chinese…that is your spin…I am citing facts given by Chinese
…..I am blaming this Nact Government for not getting statistics and not putting controls on overseas buy up of scarce New Zealand houses …which should be for New Zealanders
…jonkey Nact are betraying young New Zealanders and future generations of New Zealanders
…you think it is right that New Zealanders are priced out of their own country ?
….I thought you were supposed to be a Lefty!…and a supporter of the Labour Party?…seems that is all pretence
NZers were priced out of Auckland by 2005; your outrage is a decade too late. Ban foreign buyers, but houses in Auckland will stay over $500,000 and out of reach.
for your information many New Zealanders have been concerned about foreign ownership of New Zealand assets and property for a very long time…more than 35 years in the case of CAFCA ( but I guess before your time)
…I would add many Labour Party members and supporters are also concerned…especially recently when the scale of buy up has been massive and New Zealanders are being priced out of their own land
“In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss Greek prime ministers bearing referendums as privatisation schemes move full steam ahead as billionaires and celebrities begin buying up Greek islands on the cheap.
In the second half, Max interviews Eddy Travia of Coinsilium.com about the company’s upcoming IPO on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London. Coinsilium Group facilitates the implementation of blockchain technology products and services alongside media and corporate advisory services.”
Some things are too important to sell….some things should not be sold!
I listened to this interesting TEDX talk this morning about how humans have taken over the world due to the ability to work collectively, flexibly with imagination. Everything from economic systems to money to corporations to religion are really only the result of a story which enough people believe. Perhaps we need to start imagining and telling some new stories about how the world could be.
Fairy Godmother
If you can find some new stories for us, I think we will listen and be heartened. Sp here’s hoping.
I like ones about people doing things that present problems and ask us to stir ourselves and direct our interests in the right way.
I have written about the man who comes all the way from Murchison to sell woollen socks at the local market.
There is the woman at the market whose husband died recently after being nursed through a long illness from a car crash, she is 64 and is being harried into getting a job so has some months of that before she is, thankfully, 65 and entitled to retirement. She was there on the Greens desk, because she is so solidly behind the precepts of humane and thoughtful living.
Forest and Bird have people going round trying to get funds for an onslaught on the uncaring barbarians that we have elected, to try and save the Maui dolphin off the west coast of North Island, off Taranaki. They and other sea creatures are badly affected by the nets that local and foreign fishers are using. The filaments are too fine and don’t deflect the sonar signal of the fish that swim right into them unaware.
I thought it was just the size of the mesh, but it is also the thinness of it causing the deaths. I am short of money but promised to talk about it to the young German lobbyist, who explained very well, probably gets a commission and was just a wee bit sorry that I couldn’t commit.
But perhaps we need more stories about things that are happening and changing things for the better, with humans at the forefront, and technology as an aid, not a substitute.
Oh dear – to say Mischele Boag was not pleased to see me this morning outside Sky City, where I was standing, quietly and peacefully as delegates entered the Casino for their 79th Conference, would have to be a bit of an understatement?
“Good morning Mischele!” I called, in a friendly way.
“Pay your rates Penny! Pay your rates!” was Mischele’s angry response.
“I will once the Council tells us where the money is being spent,” I replied.
“Don’t you support transparency Mischele?” I asked as she flounced off, in an obviously poisonous mood.
Maybe she didn’t like the wording on my placards?
Most National delegates were friendly, including Nick Smith, who didn’t reply to my question,
“What’s in the TPPA for dairy Nick?”
Maybe he didn’t hear the question – to be fair.
In fact – it was such fun – I think I’ll go back for the lunch break, and let my placards do the talking …..
You’re worth more than a penny, Penny. Wearing down stone is slow, but you keep persisting. Apparently a primitive method of splitting stone is to pour water and salt into a crack when the weather is freezing. So unexpected results may occur with your simple methods of fronting-up used frequently.
Good on you Penny. I admire your dedication and hard work for great causes you fight for. Wish all voters in a democracy were as clued on as you. It is people like you that really deserve national awards of honour.
I’ve been watching the newspapers for reports on the court ruling on the Problem Gambling Foundation case. I haven’t seen any news at all, has anyone else seen anything?
The absence of media coverage is mystifying because it’s big news and very much in the public interest. The judge found countless breaches of the Mandatory Rules for Procurement by Departments with the extent being so great there were strong grounds for concluding bias and conflicts of interest.
People might recall the Problem Gambling Foundation were the harshest critics of SkyCity and it was alluded at the time they were refused the new contract because of their objections against SkyCity.
Yet more fuel to the fire of the SkyCity deal so why aren’t the media reporting on it….. or has that question just answered itself?
Thanks Ergo Robertina. Either I’ve been missing what was in front of me or they were well buried, I’ve been watching both Stuff and the Herald for reports since Thursday and saw neither of those.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with the comments about prisoners being given the right to votes. As I see it, being sent to prison means being denied rights and privileges and one of the basic privileges is the right to vote. While someone is incarcerated they should not be given the right to vote, apart from anything else can you imagine the distortion that would be caused as prisoners would likely vote against the current government because it was under the current government that they were lock up! I don’t see any problems with them resuming the right to vote once released from prison though as they have returned to society with all its rights and privileges associated with that freedom.
When a person can cast a vote this can lead to better circumstances. I do not know if inmates are ever polled. It appears that some surveys are required in NZ prisons and/or some research. I do not think that Serco would be in favour of a survey or a research project.
Denise, people are sent to prison AS punishment not FOR punishment. Being locked up is punishment enough. They are still humans with human rights, including access to voting.
Although under this government people are being sent to prison for more and more punishment regardless of the severity of their original crime.
Thank-you Sirenia for saying what needs to be said.
Every person – I repeat EVERY PERSON- has the right to vote. To disenfranchise anyone is an act of treachery. There are many criminals who don’t go to prison and the majority of them are wealthy and/or powerful so can buy/blackmail their way out of punishment.
To blithely say as you have said Denise Frost that prisoners be denied their sovereign rights shows a level of ignorance which is sadly all too common among right-wing NZers.
Denise Frost. Do you mean that prisoners (who are the people in society most affected by the strong coercive powers of the state – and often the same, people most let down by the state) should also then have no say in the running of that state?
In contrast to you, I believe that a NZ prisoner remains a citizen of NZ, and there are rights which are inalienable to such a status: such as voting and as access to their local MP.
@Denise
That’s a bit simple. You stop being a citizen when you go to prison? And the simple and censorious want to stop them ever having a vote.even when they come out.
Yet how many people are out there commiting offences who aren’t yet in prison. And those who have stolen millions and been able to avoid prison, unlike someone who has done something annoying or stolen something replaceable.
We would like those in prison to come out better, not try to erase them for ever from being citizens. There is a case for withholding voting for a very few who are more bad than mad, but the rest should be encouraged to use the time to work out a new plan, get new skills, and go forth and act rightly.
Professor James Hansen, formerly of NASA and now of Columbia University, and 16 other climate scientists argue in the study that a safe limit to global warming decided by politicians in 2009 may actually lead to disastrous ice melt.
Well, I suppose those extended wharves that Auckland Ports want won’t be worth it after all.
I’ve been consulting Homer Simpson on matters of State.
Asked what I should say to Labour as to why they weren’t successful in winning the last election he suggested an oblique approach. Ooh, a graduate student huh? How come you guys can go to the moon but can’t make my shoes smell good?
He said the reply might be tedious and result in me exclaiming – Sweet Merciful Crap!
But then I became unsure of the value of his clear-sighted consideration of my problem when he asked – Hey, can you take the wheel for a second, I have to scratch my self in two places at once.
And I thought that was too similar (but more vulgar) to USA politician President Lyndon Johnson’s put-down of an opponent who, he said in a sanitised version, couldn’t do two things at once, walk and chew gum for instance.
Just back from the Book Writers Festival with Nicky Hager. When asked if he had thought about what chance National had of winning or not at the last election he said that he believed that National were having their doubts.
“So to lift their chances they tossed Judith Collins out of their hot air balloon to make it rise higher.”
So apt!
A wealthy couple who have donated generously to the National Party are cashing up more than $26 million of property in Auckland.
Zhao Wu Shen and Susan Chou have given more than $370,000 to National through their company Contue Jinwan Enterprise Group, or in the name of Ms Chou, since 2010.
Mr Shen was also the biggest shareholder in Mega until selling his 25.9 per cent stake this month and resigning from the board of the online encryption service founded by Kim Dotcom.
The sale of the Mega shares comes as the Hong Kong-based couple try sell more than $26 million of property in Auckland, including a luxury home on a cliff top in Herne Bay with a council valuation of $11.5 million, which sold last month.
Once owned by Rich Listers Colin and Jennifer Giltrap, the 2049sq m site was bought by Mr Shen and Ms Chou for $10.75 million in late 2013 – one of the most expensive homes sold in Auckland that year.
But the 695sqm mansion is just one of a number of properties Mr Shen and Ms Chou are cashing up.
Listed as students on the electoral roll, the couple also sold a clifftop mansion in Howick for $7.5 million in May and another Auckland home for $1.6 million last year.
———————————————————————————————————————
lets leave the reflexive screams of racism aside for a moment please.
SO they are listed as studends on the elctoral role, they are multimillionaire students that were Main Share holders of Mega and donors to National.
does this read like a bond novel, or is it just me?
no the thing gets me they a held the main shares of Mega aka Dotcom and own multiple million dollar properties and are students who gave 370.000 to National.
SO they are listed as students on the electoral role,… (typos fixed).
That’s enough to tell anyone that… all is NOT what it seems in certain property investment portfolios.
But even more telling… they have given more than $370,000 to the National Party. And there’s your reason why this govt. is refusing to release information that could confirm or otherwise whether Chinese foreign investors are distorting the Auckland market. I would take a guess the Nats are richer to the tune of several million dollars courtesy of foreign property speculators. You scratch our back and we’ll scratch yours. Bloody disgusting!
typos, i am so good at them. really i am bad at writing, typing is easier then hand writing tho,. thanks for fixing my butchering of ze english language 🙂
I think they need to cut their fingernails and keep their hands to themselves before the gouging and troughing spreads any more bloody disgusting stats around.
The state houses in the photo look like they’re in good condition and well looked after. What’s the bet they’re privately owned and are no longer state houses.
Yes who knows about those houses, but in that photo the third house from the left is covered in dirt or mold or both.
Drive around Glenn Innes aggressive pit bulls are it seems everywhere.
GI has so many problems that a family with kids may turn down a state house in that area for safety reasons.
Have you got a journalistic project that you want to complete, but can’t get enough money or time to do it?
If so, a Bruce Jesson journalism award may be able to help. Applications for the 2015 awards are now open, and close on Friday 18 September.
There are two awards, a senior one to fund a planned journalistic project and a journalism student award for work that has already been published.
The senior award is unique in New Zealand because it funds time and research costs of up to $4000 in advance for projects that could be newspaper or magazine articles, reports on the internet, books, films, radio or TV documentaries or “any other publication which is aimed at, and accessible by, the general public of New Zealand or any part of New Zealand”. http://www.brucejesson.com/?page_id=14
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NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
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Venezuela’s steady economic decline is accelerating as expected due to the leftist policies of the current regime.
http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21659764-government-prints-money-hyperinflation-looms-crackers-caracas
I do find it hilarious that a website publicising the prices of goods is somehow regarded by the regime as a weapon of economic sabotage. Leftist thinking is so totally screwed sometimes.
Gooseman the US prints money the EU is in the process of printing 1.4 trillion dollars.
Are they wrong.
Your a right wing fundamentalist who’s policies are being foisted on Greece their Economy has been in continual decline.
Argentina had the same policies foisted on them by the World Bank and IMF it caused a continual decline in their Economy.
So both left and right wing fundamentalist are bad for economies
Except right wing policies eventually lead to economic growth whereas left wing economic policies like that in Venezuela eventually lead to economic collapse. A simple question for you. How can you see Venezuela getting out if the mess they are in other than to ditch their leftist economic policies such as price controls and rationing and following more right wing ones?
That’s a bullshit article of a bullshit faith
Economic growth for the top 1% or top 5% maybe
+1
Right-wing policies always lead to collapse as The Great Depression and the GFC proved.
and the Asian melt down in 1999?
And not to forget 1987
You Are joking when do right wing policies work not ever show me an economy that hasn’t relied upon a mix of policy including printing money and stimulating their Economy.
Find an economy that relies purely on the free market.
Gooseman it doesn’t exist.
Greece is suffering as much as Venezuela, Venezuela’s command and control economy is as bad as Greece’s Right wing Austerity programming.
Trade embargoes CIA destablization the Drug lords control of 40% of Venezuela’s population fuelled by the failed war on drugs.
Greece fucked over by Goldman Sachs and their ratings agencies.
Now bailed out with printed Ponzi money at exorbitant rates.
Where is your free market Goose.
The UK printed £100s of billions .
All the big trading blocks have printed trillions to stimulate growth the minions (NZ govt borrowed $70 billion the NZ private Sector have borrowed at least $100billion on speculative investments)eventually this house of card will fall over so where eventually is your Free market economy.
Tell us all Guillible Gosman.
Libya?
Iraq
And other countries where your friends applied their Shock Doctrine?
Ummm…. what right wing economic policies are being followed in those places?
No silly, those are applications of the USA’s right wing policies.
How’s the economy going in the Ukraine Gosman?
Why do you think the Ukrainian government is right wing when it is in fact still very State dominated.
This link highlights what the problem with Ukraine’s economy – The State.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26767864
You can say that again. State dominated by a pack of right wing thugs aided and abetted by America. You still haven’t answered what I asked, I never asked you if the government was right wing
But I will ask again. How is the economy going in the Ukraine.
Really badly as a result of the State playing too big a role in the economy. It needs to reform the economy so that the private sector is able to operate without the corrupt and oppressive influence of government.
Still loitering like a wet fart, are you Gossip
Flaunting your Venezuelan fetish again like a pre-programmed idiot
Gossip must play the banjo
Venezuela is a basket case economy. With the collapse of the price of oil, Maduro’s government is desperate for cash. The country is in desperate needs of imported goods. The joys of socialism.
Under the previous right wing murderist facist dictators propped up the US before the 1950’s then by the CIA post 1950 Venezuela has been no different .
The Drug lords control large areas of Venezuela their profits help the CIA run covert operations .
Venezuela is a basket case full stop.
Because it was badly run before that excuses how badly run it is now in your mind does it?
Venezuela used to be regarded as one of the better performing nations in Latin America. No more though. Largely due to left wing policies and ideas that are very similar to those expressed by many here.
No solely due to the collapse in the price of oil.
Lots of nations that rely on oil have not had their economies implode due to the fall in the price of oil. Venezuela seems to be rather unique in that regard. Might have something to do with the massive increases in government spending when the price of oil was higher. Still don’t you lefties think spending more on social services is always a good idea?
But it is such a silly argument.
Country A has a socialist government.
Country A’s economy is failing.
Socialism is therefore bad.
Facetious’s argument is the same although he does admit the collapse of the oil price is part of the problem.
Although I do agree that relying on one export, be it oil or milk, is a very unsafe thing to do.
Except it is the left wing policies that are causing the economic hardship I Venezuela. What us happening there us entirely predictable. The government imposes price controls on goods. What do you think will happen? Of course there is shortages. The government subsidizes the price of oil so it us dirt cheap. What do you think will happen? Of course people smuggle it to neighbouring countries to me easy money. The government spends billions on social services when it has not money to pay for it. What do you think will happen? Of course inflation sky rockets.
Do you not see how one leads inevitably to the other?
I can certainly see how allowing greedy, sociopathic people control over the economy would result in that which is what RWNJ policies do.
What is your explanation for the super free market non socialist capitalist king country in the world, USA, to be in massive government debt exceeding 18 Trillion dollars ($18,000,000,000,000) with interest alone being over 3 Trillion dollars per year ($3,000,000,000,000) and its total national debt being at over $61 trillion dollars ($61,000,000,000,000,000) and growing like there is no tomorrow?
not really due to the drop in oil prices. I have a piece of research from April 2014 which showed Venezuela (at the time) needed an oil price of $121 per barrel just to break even…….
http://i.imgur.com/CjNUUHh.png
a little something for the mantelpiece Gosman 🙂
There’s a rather large elephant in the room too.
http://www.voanews.com/content/are-race-and-class-at-the-root-of-venezuelas-political-crisis/1886458.html
http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/10547
The elephant in the room is the elephant that is not in the room.
Where are all the successful socialist economies that prove that socialist economics work, and Venezuela’s failure is an aberration?
Where are all the market economies that work?
Okay, give me one nation that is a part of the global market economy where there are no levels of onerous poverty and no corresponding small ultra rich clique and where health and education and adequate shelter are equally available to all?
Venezuela is no different to any other potential examples for the question I asked above. Venezuela is a part of the global market economy, but Venezuela practices a fair amount of intervention. It isn’t a command economy though.
So, what have the interventions done? Decreased poverty and illiteracy? Increased access to health care, food, adequate shelter etc? Yes.
What has the market economy done? Gone into a recession/depression.
A renewed and fierce global downturn is already underway…
+1
Well said Bill.
I was about to say there is a significant racial/class subtext in Venezuela. I ran into a bunch of all-white, well off (better off than me, anyway) Venezuelans who showed up on their own yacht in Ibiza a few years back. They were lovely, until you got to know them and then you heard a little of their views of things back home.
Based on that experience I agree with the comment in one of the articles posted above:
“…White supremacy endures in Venezuela often resembling the United States and other settler colonial countries founded on conquest and slavery…”
Those are the kinds of people who utterly despised Chavez educating ordinary people in poor towns on the importance of participating in the political process. (Which generally involved ensuring that people could read and write so that they could interpret the Venezuelan constitution and participate in elections.
How’s the economy going in the Ukraine?
Hey Gosman, You are always ranting on about Venezuela, how the socialist’s are running it in to the ground and how socialism doesn’t work, Well mate it works very well in this country for :-
Reo Tinto
Warners
Grants to private schools
and the latest bail out by Parata of a Charter School.
Just to name a few.
Do you support those policies in NZ then? I know I certainly don’t.
NZ is developing its own corrupt crony capitalist class that is enamoured with foreign corporations and foreign money, just like Venezuela, and I reckon you do support it.
A crisp millitary salute to that CV. It has sent Gosman to ground, he probably had to get into his cheerleading kit readying himself for slippery John’s interview on The Nation.
After watching Key’s half cut pitch I notice the narrative has moved strongly towards privatisation. Unfortunately for the Nats Serco has flattened the tire and the wheel has come off. Good interview with Kelvin Davis, right now I think Key would prefer that Hone had beat Kelvin in the TTT seat.
“This link highlights what the problem with Ukraine’s economy – The State.”
Yeah but they don’t say Socialist state.
Hey mate I am not going to debate with you further as you talk nothing but crap
You have a very simplistic point of view and that is right wing good left wing terrible. Anybody with an once of intelligence knows it is not as simple as that
Personally I am not a socialist though the way the world is going it is driving me more to the left, but I have a very strong social conscience, and as I have said before when I was a kid thank the fuck other right wingers thought the same. This is something this breed of greedy bastards don’t understand the word let alone practice.
Do you support those policies in NZ then? I know I certainly don’t.
Are you another non society Randian fuckwit who follow the likes of Rimmer Got your Hologram sign yet?
Who gives a shit who and what I support
Very thoughtful article on what it is like in NZ prisons by one of the ‘Urewera 4’ Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara http://www.putatara.net/2015/07/serco-debate/
http://www.putatara.net/2015/07/serco-debate/ one of the ‘Urewera 4’ writes a very thoughtful article on NZ prisons & that they are all badly run, & makes an interesting point that tax payers are funding gang training & recruitment, would now like to see the jamboree of right wing regulars here get their knickers in a twist about that!
Is there something going on in NZ that Gosman etal don’t want discussed?
This feels like desperate distraction by Gosman.
Privatisation is failing across the board just as the Left, back in the 1980s, predicted it would. Just as it did back in feudal times.
In fact, the one lesson we should draw from the last 5000 years of recorded history is that privatisation and wealth owned by the few always fails.
Is it
a) the housing crisis in Auckland caused by a lack of rules to stop NZ and foreign speculators
b) the imminent collapse of our economy due to crashing dairy prices
c) prison crisis
d) the imminent signing of the TPPA
e) The Saudi sheep gate and the coming resurrection of J. Collins.
Here is the scale of the housing problem…anyone who denies this is ignorant or disingenuous…this applies to Australia …..and New Zealand
http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/wall-of-chinese-capital-buying-up-australian-properties-20150628-ghztdf.html#ixzz3gVPV2Oew
….”That’s roughly $32 billion,” says Tee. “The Canadian government said: ‘We don’t want your money anymore’ and that capital is now hitting the Sydney market.”
“There is a mountain of liquidity. China is bursting with flight capital. They can’t go to the US, they can’t get it into Singapore anymore, or Hong Kong.”
Tee’s comments come at a time of increasing concern that a generation of young Australians have been locked out of the property markets of Melbourne and Sydney due to spiralling house prices….
Tee says recent figures in the media which put Chinese investment in the Sydney property market at 25 per cent of total sales were too low. He says it might be twice this level but it is hard to tell because of the lack of transparency on ownership.
Most Chinese purchases hide behind trustees and proxies. Third parties such as friends and relatives were often used.
“Chinese students are being paid 2 per cent of the purchase price of the property to purchase property on behalf of relatives,” says Tee.
Another person au fait with Chinese property transactions in Australia told Fairfax Media it was simple for Chinese investors to get around the foreign capital restrictions.
“The money never really moves. In a simple example, Kunlun is a forex trading and money exchange company. It has bank accounts in many countries with significant cash balances. So if someone wants $40 million in Australia they put the money in a Kunlun China account and Kunlun transfers the money from their Australian accounts to the person’s friend’s Australian account.
“Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?…”Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?
“The current situation is that one of the best assets a local Chinese can have is a permanent Australian residence. They will have ‘friends’ lining up to ‘loan’ them money to buy properties in Australia.
All the government needs to do is follow the cash.”
Sadly, for a generation of young homebuyers it seems the government is not interested in following the cash. Otherwise our politicians, of both major parties, would have introduced the second tranche of AML legislation by now and real estate agents would have to prove that their clients’ funds were legitimate.
Property boom has been going on unchecked in Sydney for more than 10 years. The Chinese are just the latest factor.
admit it….crisis by massive scale of buy up of scarce housing resources now!
…when up to 50% of your housing stock is being bought up by Chinese
….and this said by an HONEST Chinese ( this is not racism…this is fact)
…we are betraying New Zealand youth and New Zealanders to allow this to happen!
Blame the Chinese all you like, it won’t change a thing.
who says I am blaming the Chinese…that is your spin…I am citing facts given by Chinese
…..I am blaming this Nact Government for not getting statistics and not putting controls on overseas buy up of scarce New Zealand houses …which should be for New Zealanders
…jonkey Nact are betraying young New Zealanders and future generations of New Zealanders
…you think it is right that New Zealanders are priced out of their own country ?
….I thought you were supposed to be a Lefty!…and a supporter of the Labour Party?…seems that is all pretence
NZers were priced out of Auckland by 2005; your outrage is a decade too late. Ban foreign buyers, but houses in Auckland will stay over $500,000 and out of reach.
who says I am outraged….and too late…only you
for your information many New Zealanders have been concerned about foreign ownership of New Zealand assets and property for a very long time…more than 35 years in the case of CAFCA ( but I guess before your time)
eg. New Zealand First, the Greens and CAFCA
http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/
http://www.historicalwatchdog.blogspot.co.nz/
…I would add many Labour Party members and supporters are also concerned…especially recently when the scale of buy up has been massive and New Zealanders are being priced out of their own land
New Zealander’s land and culture and assets are in danger of being sold for a song…like Greece
http://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/310334-episode-max-keiser-786/
“In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss Greek prime ministers bearing referendums as privatisation schemes move full steam ahead as billionaires and celebrities begin buying up Greek islands on the cheap.
In the second half, Max interviews Eddy Travia of Coinsilium.com about the company’s upcoming IPO on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London. Coinsilium Group facilitates the implementation of blockchain technology products and services alongside media and corporate advisory services.”
Some things are too important to sell….some things should not be sold!
I listened to this interesting TEDX talk this morning about how humans have taken over the world due to the ability to work collectively, flexibly with imagination. Everything from economic systems to money to corporations to religion are really only the result of a story which enough people believe. Perhaps we need to start imagining and telling some new stories about how the world could be.
http://www.ted.com/talks/yuval_noah_harari_what_explains_the_rise_of_humans?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2015-07-24
Fairy Godmother
If you can find some new stories for us, I think we will listen and be heartened. Sp here’s hoping.
I like ones about people doing things that present problems and ask us to stir ourselves and direct our interests in the right way.
I have written about the man who comes all the way from Murchison to sell woollen socks at the local market.
There is the woman at the market whose husband died recently after being nursed through a long illness from a car crash, she is 64 and is being harried into getting a job so has some months of that before she is, thankfully, 65 and entitled to retirement. She was there on the Greens desk, because she is so solidly behind the precepts of humane and thoughtful living.
Forest and Bird have people going round trying to get funds for an onslaught on the uncaring barbarians that we have elected, to try and save the Maui dolphin off the west coast of North Island, off Taranaki. They and other sea creatures are badly affected by the nets that local and foreign fishers are using. The filaments are too fine and don’t deflect the sonar signal of the fish that swim right into them unaware.
I thought it was just the size of the mesh, but it is also the thinness of it causing the deaths. I am short of money but promised to talk about it to the young German lobbyist, who explained very well, probably gets a commission and was just a wee bit sorry that I couldn’t commit.
But perhaps we need more stories about things that are happening and changing things for the better, with humans at the forefront, and technology as an aid, not a substitute.
Oh dear – to say Mischele Boag was not pleased to see me this morning outside Sky City, where I was standing, quietly and peacefully as delegates entered the Casino for their 79th Conference, would have to be a bit of an understatement?
“Good morning Mischele!” I called, in a friendly way.
“Pay your rates Penny! Pay your rates!” was Mischele’s angry response.
“I will once the Council tells us where the money is being spent,” I replied.
“Don’t you support transparency Mischele?” I asked as she flounced off, in an obviously poisonous mood.
Maybe she didn’t like the wording on my placards?
Most National delegates were friendly, including Nick Smith, who didn’t reply to my question,
“What’s in the TPPA for dairy Nick?”
Maybe he didn’t hear the question – to be fair.
In fact – it was such fun – I think I’ll go back for the lunch break, and let my placards do the talking …..
Penny Bright
TPPA – WALK AWAY!
+100… GO PENNY…we are with you!
You’re worth more than a penny, Penny. Wearing down stone is slow, but you keep persisting. Apparently a primitive method of splitting stone is to pour water and salt into a crack when the weather is freezing. So unexpected results may occur with your simple methods of fronting-up used frequently.
Good on you Penny. I admire your dedication and hard work for great causes you fight for. Wish all voters in a democracy were as clued on as you. It is people like you that really deserve national awards of honour.
I’ve been watching the newspapers for reports on the court ruling on the Problem Gambling Foundation case. I haven’t seen any news at all, has anyone else seen anything?
The absence of media coverage is mystifying because it’s big news and very much in the public interest. The judge found countless breaches of the Mandatory Rules for Procurement by Departments with the extent being so great there were strong grounds for concluding bias and conflicts of interest.
People might recall the Problem Gambling Foundation were the harshest critics of SkyCity and it was alluded at the time they were refused the new contract because of their objections against SkyCity.
Yet more fuel to the fire of the SkyCity deal so why aren’t the media reporting on it….. or has that question just answered itself?
DH I referred yesterday to Andrew Geddis column @ Pundit. Covers the ground very well.
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/bliss-was-it-in-that-dawn-to-be-alive
Thanks ianmac, wrong link though….
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/the-governments-problem-with-problem-gambling
He does cover it well and further reinforces my puzzlement over the lack of media coverage. It is genuinely newsworthy.
Thanks DH. My error.Tried to find exactly when this decision was reached. Think it was very recent so will watch MSM with interest.
It was covered on Checkpoint.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201763588/black-eye-for-health-ministry-in-big-win-for-gambling-workers
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201763610/anti-gambling-jobs-saved-by-high-court
Note National Radio acted. Papers? Not yet.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11485857
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/70497630/problem-gambling-foundation-beats-ministry-of-health-in-court
Thanks Ergo. The paper reports were pretty neutral in tone compared to the emblazing of minor Opposition errors.
Thanks Ergo Robertina. Either I’ve been missing what was in front of me or they were well buried, I’ve been watching both Stuff and the Herald for reports since Thursday and saw neither of those.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with the comments about prisoners being given the right to votes. As I see it, being sent to prison means being denied rights and privileges and one of the basic privileges is the right to vote. While someone is incarcerated they should not be given the right to vote, apart from anything else can you imagine the distortion that would be caused as prisoners would likely vote against the current government because it was under the current government that they were lock up! I don’t see any problems with them resuming the right to vote once released from prison though as they have returned to society with all its rights and privileges associated with that freedom.
When a person can cast a vote this can lead to better circumstances. I do not know if inmates are ever polled. It appears that some surveys are required in NZ prisons and/or some research. I do not think that Serco would be in favour of a survey or a research project.
Denise, people are sent to prison AS punishment not FOR punishment. Being locked up is punishment enough. They are still humans with human rights, including access to voting.
Although under this government people are being sent to prison for more and more punishment regardless of the severity of their original crime.
Thank-you Sirenia for saying what needs to be said.
Every person – I repeat EVERY PERSON- has the right to vote. To disenfranchise anyone is an act of treachery. There are many criminals who don’t go to prison and the majority of them are wealthy and/or powerful so can buy/blackmail their way out of punishment.
To blithely say as you have said Denise Frost that prisoners be denied their sovereign rights shows a level of ignorance which is sadly all too common among right-wing NZers.
The way I see it, you are a human being whether you are on the inside or on the outside.
Denise Frost. Do you mean that prisoners (who are the people in society most affected by the strong coercive powers of the state – and often the same, people most let down by the state) should also then have no say in the running of that state?
In contrast to you, I believe that a NZ prisoner remains a citizen of NZ, and there are rights which are inalienable to such a status: such as voting and as access to their local MP.
@Denise
That’s a bit simple. You stop being a citizen when you go to prison? And the simple and censorious want to stop them ever having a vote.even when they come out.
Yet how many people are out there commiting offences who aren’t yet in prison. And those who have stolen millions and been able to avoid prison, unlike someone who has done something annoying or stolen something replaceable.
We would like those in prison to come out better, not try to erase them for ever from being citizens. There is a case for withholding voting for a very few who are more bad than mad, but the rest should be encouraged to use the time to work out a new plan, get new skills, and go forth and act rightly.
A “right” is not a “privilege”.
Prison is detention for the safety of the community and, theoretically, punishment and time for reflection and rehabilitation.
Concomitant abuse of rights is just a dick move.
Simulation shows ‘unavoidable’ 3m Auckland sea level rise
Well, I suppose those extended wharves that Auckland Ports want won’t be worth it after all.
I’ve been consulting Homer Simpson on matters of State.
Asked what I should say to Labour as to why they weren’t successful in winning the last election he suggested an oblique approach.
Ooh, a graduate student huh? How come you guys can go to the moon but can’t make my shoes smell good?
He said the reply might be tedious and result in me exclaiming –
Sweet Merciful Crap!
But then I became unsure of the value of his clear-sighted consideration of my problem when he asked –
Hey, can you take the wheel for a second, I have to scratch my self in two places at once.
And I thought that was too similar (but more vulgar) to USA politician President Lyndon Johnson’s put-down of an opponent who, he said in a sanitised version, couldn’t do two things at once, walk and chew gum for instance.
I gave up after his next confidential statement –
Guys are always patting my bald head for luck, pinching my belly to hear my girlish laugh.
http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/pearly/homer/quotes-homer.html
One thing is clear from the National Party Conference…National Party is more than happy to sell NZ land to cash rich foreigners.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/279671/english-backs-lotu-iiga-at-party-conference
We are not alone.
Great video, great analysis.
Clarke and Dawe – Ineluctable
Just back from the Book Writers Festival with Nicky Hager. When asked if he had thought about what chance National had of winning or not at the last election he said that he believed that National were having their doubts.
“So to lift their chances they tossed Judith Collins out of their hot air balloon to make it rise higher.”
So apt!
I see they have found Planet Key, He will be pleased. Cheerio John.
i really would like someone to explain this too me, cause really it confuses me.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11486547
A wealthy couple who have donated generously to the National Party are cashing up more than $26 million of property in Auckland.
Zhao Wu Shen and Susan Chou have given more than $370,000 to National through their company Contue Jinwan Enterprise Group, or in the name of Ms Chou, since 2010.
Mr Shen was also the biggest shareholder in Mega until selling his 25.9 per cent stake this month and resigning from the board of the online encryption service founded by Kim Dotcom.
The sale of the Mega shares comes as the Hong Kong-based couple try sell more than $26 million of property in Auckland, including a luxury home on a cliff top in Herne Bay with a council valuation of $11.5 million, which sold last month.
Once owned by Rich Listers Colin and Jennifer Giltrap, the 2049sq m site was bought by Mr Shen and Ms Chou for $10.75 million in late 2013 – one of the most expensive homes sold in Auckland that year.
But the 695sqm mansion is just one of a number of properties Mr Shen and Ms Chou are cashing up.
Listed as students on the electoral roll, the couple also sold a clifftop mansion in Howick for $7.5 million in May and another Auckland home for $1.6 million last year.
———————————————————————————————————————
lets leave the reflexive screams of racism aside for a moment please.
SO they are listed as studends on the elctoral role, they are multimillionaire students that were Main Share holders of Mega and donors to National.
does this read like a bond novel, or is it just me?
And they are stated in the article as being Hong Kong based as well as being listed as students? forget the racism it just smells to me.
no the thing gets me they a held the main shares of Mega aka Dotcom and own multiple million dollar properties and are students who gave 370.000 to National.
Bond, my name is Bond.
that can’t be for real?
SO they are listed as students on the electoral role,… (typos fixed).
That’s enough to tell anyone that… all is NOT what it seems in certain property investment portfolios.
But even more telling… they have given more than $370,000 to the National Party. And there’s your reason why this govt. is refusing to release information that could confirm or otherwise whether Chinese foreign investors are distorting the Auckland market. I would take a guess the Nats are richer to the tune of several million dollars courtesy of foreign property speculators. You scratch our back and we’ll scratch yours. Bloody disgusting!
typos, i am so good at them. really i am bad at writing, typing is easier then hand writing tho,. thanks for fixing my butchering of ze english language 🙂
and yes, that whole article is just strange.
😉
I think they need to cut their fingernails and keep their hands to themselves before the gouging and troughing spreads any more bloody disgusting stats around.
Just read this, maybe some of the people turn down houses as they are broken down crap.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70545026/Paula-Bennett-signals-crackdown-on-state-tenants-who-turn-down-houses
The state houses in the photo look like they’re in good condition and well looked after. What’s the bet they’re privately owned and are no longer state houses.
Yes who knows about those houses, but in that photo the third house from the left is covered in dirt or mold or both.
Drive around Glenn Innes aggressive pit bulls are it seems everywhere.
GI has so many problems that a family with kids may turn down a state house in that area for safety reasons.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70546135/nick-smith-eyes-ways-to-boost-private-sector-role-in-building-resource-consents
Nick Smith eyes ways to boost private sector role in building, resource consents
Wants to allow private co to give consents.
Private building co wind up under lim liability and the liability falls on council so they are very pedantic
SO if the is a problem with private constant then they will be liable so they will then be very pendandtic or wind up.
Sound like Serco
Yup. Privatisation by stealth.
Have you got a journalistic project that you want to complete, but can’t get enough money or time to do it?
If so, a Bruce Jesson journalism award may be able to help. Applications for the 2015 awards are now open, and close on Friday 18 September.
There are two awards, a senior one to fund a planned journalistic project and a journalism student award for work that has already been published.
The senior award is unique in New Zealand because it funds time and research costs of up to $4000 in advance for projects that could be newspaper or magazine articles, reports on the internet, books, films, radio or TV documentaries or “any other publication which is aimed at, and accessible by, the general public of New Zealand or any part of New Zealand”.
http://www.brucejesson.com/?page_id=14