Open mike 25/10/2013

Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, October 25th, 2013 - 165 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…openmike

165 comments on “Open mike 25/10/2013 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    25 October 2013 at 7:35 am

    Job Key must be getting sick of this bad news.
    Meridian float a flop.
    Affordable housing plan a failure.
    Police fiasco .

    Must be asking his controllers soon when he can pull the plug on his mission to sell NZ to them and retire to Hawaii.

    • Steve 2.1
      25 October 2013 at 8:16 am

      The partial sale of the power companies made absolutely no sense financially or strategically.

      The Government knew this so avoided the argument and used the “mum and dad investor” and “building our capital markets” pitch to try and sell the idea. This has also failed as the Herald article points out.

      To add to the pain, the cost of the sale process has been far greater than anticipated, the sum raised far less and there is now the spectacle of all those unwanted prospectuses.

      It is very hard to imagine how National could have effed this up any more. A failure of epic proportions. Any wingnuts out there who would care to offer some insight as to how this went well?

      • Tat Loo 2.1.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:26 am

        Unfortunately because National had made certain promises to it’s own key stake holders, and had taken a public stance on the asset sale programme which could not be backed out from easily, they proceeded, hoping for the best.

        English and co. knew there would be trouble with this float, hence the sweet heart deal of deferred payment for shares, but decided to push on anyways.

        “Damn the torpedoes”… very apt. The Nat ship is sinking.

      • bad12 2.1.2
        25 October 2013 at 8:45 am

        What i see National having ffed up with the asset sales isn’t actually the sales themselves, remove for a moment your mind from the froth of Ma and Pa investors, having a broader base of New Zealander’s involved in the share-market, assets sold so as to build schools and hospitals, etc etc and on the litany went,

        For that is what all of the ‘reasoning’ surrounding the part sale of assets was and continues to be, a litany, a litany of lies,(when has this present Government told the electorate the truth about anything),

        The asset sales as the Herald article points out was purely ideological, the stated reasons by this Government for the sales mere froth, the weasel words of the used car sales-man in other words,

        The real reason for the asset sales were quite simply to get those shares onto the open market, the manner of the sales pure political spin in an attempt to lull the electorate, once on the market such shares will be avialable to the banking cartels who over time will become the major beneficiaries of these sales,

        Politically with regards the sale of these assets this Government has Failed, in terms of ideology tho this National Government achieved exactly what it intended to with regards the asset sales…

        • thatguynz 2.1.2.1
          25 October 2013 at 10:38 am

          Right on the money bad12 – I concur 100%. These asset sales haven’t been a failure, in fact they’ve been highly successful. It is only when you view them through the lens of what is good for the people of NZ that the sales could be considered to be a failure. We all know that Key et al don’t use that lens 🙂

          • bad12 2.1.2.1.1
            25 October 2013 at 11:10 am

            Yes the whole ‘we are selling to Ma and Pa investors’ ruse is starting to now unwind, National had to try and get the large demographic of the middle class heavily complicit in this act of theft, allowing them if you will the ability of clipping the ticket as the shares transit over the decade from NZ Ma and Pa ownership to their intended owners Ma and Pa in the guise of Goldman Saches and various other little firms of New York Banksters,

            The brick wall seems to have been hit as far as National’s involvement of the middle class in this particular act of theft for reasons of lack of capital,(despite tax cuts),or the middle class balking at being involved in something that gives off an absolute reek of dirty deals done dirt cheap,

            i would pick a bit of both along with a savvy middle class seeing the political writing on the wall as far as a National government’s re-election chances go with the added realization of what KiwiPower will do to the market value of these shareholdings as the reasons for their mass non-involvement in these acts of theft…

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.2
          25 October 2013 at 11:25 am

          The real reason for the asset sales were quite simply to get those shares onto the open market, the manner of the sales pure political spin in an attempt to lull the electorate, once on the market such shares will be avialable to the banking cartels who over time will become the major beneficiaries of these sales,

          And thus turning us into serfs.

    • BLiP 2.2
      25 October 2013 at 8:49 am

      ‘

      Harsh words? Oh, I dunno. While the New Zealand Fox News Herald puts National Ltd™’s beligerence down to ideology, its apparent that the writer shares that same ideology.

      . . . The major pity is that only 16,000 of those who put money into Meridian are first-time investors. Most of those who dipped into their pockets found the dividend yield attractive enough to buy large parcels of shares. That outcome may not worry the Government unduly. It is, nevertheless, unfortunate. More people have to be attracted to the sharemarket, and not just to revive its fortunes. The Government’s programme represents an outstanding opportunity to cultivate that interest. In so doing, it would help to remedy the current unhealthy investment emphasis on the housing market. Unfortunately, the Meridian offer helps that process only to a very limited extent.

      It also does little to inspire confidence in the part-float of the final power company, Genesis Energy. The Government, however, has no choice but to push ahead. It would make no sense to pause now, leaving Genesis with a different ownership structure. But an acceptable level of investor backing will depend on innovative salesmanship . . .

      The problem, according to Kevin Hart, is not that the ideology is flawed, only that the process did not involve a sufficient level of bullshit to make it more attractive to the punters.

      • Tat Loo 2.2.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:56 am

        Kevin did OK. There’s no harm in pointing out that the sale of Meridian was a failure using any number of criteria.

        • BLiP 2.2.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 9:51 am

          ‘

          Sure, but to suggest the failure was down to a lack of “salesmanship”, like its some sort of minor glitch, seems to under estimate the situation and his fellow New Zealanders. What’s most disappointing, though, is that he believes there is an “acceptable” level of private ownership and New Zealanders can be duped. That’s the very ideology which drove the sale in the first place.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.2
        25 October 2013 at 11:27 am

        Exactly BLiP.

  3. Sanctuary 3
    25 October 2013 at 7:49 am

    Russell Brand is one strange guy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGxFJ5nL9gg&feature=player_embedded

    But I do believe him to be sincere.

    • Te Reo Putake 3.1
      25 October 2013 at 8:05 am

      Brilliant! And, yes, the Daily Mail did campaign to have Jeremy Paxman shave. Funny old world etc.

    • Steve 3.2
      25 October 2013 at 8:20 am

      Can’t usually stand RB but this I like!

      Don’t agree with all that he says but love the “truth to power” theme as he cuts through all the noble BS that the “consensus” feeds us.

      Paxman, as part of the status quo, quite simply looks caught in the headlights!

      • karol 3.2.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:41 am

        Paxman – not so much caught in the headlights, as not computing anything that doesn’t fit in with his complacent world view.

        • phillip ure 3.2.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 9:42 am

          and the view of every mainstream–media entity here..

          ..phillip ure..

        • gorj 3.2.1.2
          25 October 2013 at 10:20 pm

          Karol and steve are you sure? To me it looks like Paxman likes Brand and served him up some classic objections for Brand to ‘slam dunk’.. He doesnt interrupt Brand and lets him put on a show.. What did Nietzche say “The best way to harm a cause is to defend it with faulty arguments” or something like that..

          • miravox 3.2.1.2.1
            25 October 2013 at 10:51 pm

            Yeah, I think I agree with that gorj. Paxman was making good TV while Brand, awesome though he was, had lots of valid opinion by faulty (or no) argument that made any sense around changing the status quo. He’s looking for the poor to resist so much that tptb stay in power long enough to ferment revolution, but he didn’t seem to want to go with where that thought process was taking him.

            I do agree with him that British politics is a very cosy club – at least in NZ there is The Greens and Mana to attempt to keep the mainstream parties honest, and Labour has taken a lurch to the left. I don’t think the Brits have a similar choice.

            Go with the vote the buggers out party, or start a revolutionary party. If everyone stopped voting tptb would be very happy – implied consent, no resistance in parliament. Sometimes people have to work within the system, especially the very big systems, to change the system. However distasteful that may seem.

          • emergency mike 3.2.1.2.2
            25 October 2013 at 11:08 pm

            It seemed to me that he didn’t interrupt because Brand was both articulate and making fair points. A combination the politicians Paxman interviews don’t often manage. What unclassic objections should he have raised?

    • Tat Loo 3.3
      25 October 2013 at 8:21 am

      “Wherever there is profit, there is deficit.”

      “I don’t have to wait for you to give me the right, i’m taking the right.”

      Not a silly man, he’s learnt some of the fundamentals really well.

      • Sanctuary 3.3.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:43 am

        Brand completely sank Paxman’s battleship when he referred to Paxman’s reaction to the discovery of his grandmothers unfair treatment on the show “Who Do You Think You Are?”

        And his subtle putdown of Boris Johnson was brilliant.

      • travellerev 3.3.2
        25 October 2013 at 8:45 am

        OOOOHHHH, If I wasn’t happily married and was about a quarter of a century younger I would be so on to this guy 😆 now I am just totally enchanted with his brain, intelligence and humor!

      • Anne 3.3.3
        25 October 2013 at 10:16 am

        Not a silly man,…

        A very intelligent man. “They” will be watching him.

        • Populuxe1 3.3.3.1
          25 October 2013 at 2:01 pm

          It’s a pity he’s such a misogynist dirtbag

        • Tat Loo 3.3.3.2
          25 October 2013 at 2:17 pm

          To be realistic, if you’re posting on TS, they’ll be watching u.

          • King Kong 3.3.3.2.2
            25 October 2013 at 2:58 pm

            Paranoid much?

          • King Kong 3.3.3.2.3
            25 October 2013 at 2:58 pm

            Paranoid much?

          • TheContrarian 3.3.3.2.4
            25 October 2013 at 6:31 pm

            Who’s ‘they’ and what do you mean “watching u’?

          • Tat Loo 3.3.3.2.5
            25 October 2013 at 10:35 pm

            have none of you guys been following the revelations on Tempora, Prism, etc? Seriously?

            FFS stop pretending like it’s the internet ignorant bliss of 2012.

            • McFlock 3.3.3.2.5.1
              25 October 2013 at 10:57 pm

              meh.

              I’m not cool with it, but “watching” implies someone’s actually taking notice. Nobody here is probably important enough.

              The flipside to Prism is information overload – most of it would be for monday-morning refereeing, rather than active monitoring.

              sis/gcsb might be vaguely interested, but probably only because of network analysis showing a connection between one or two posters and prior-flagged individuals.

              My guess is that it’s all down to budgeting analyst time vs threat-scale. And what would they really gather (thanks to much of LP’s prior planning) that they wouldn’t get as a policy geek browsing here on their lunch break?

              • Tat Loo …
                25 October 2013 at 11:05 pm

                GCSB/GCHQ/NSA stuff all storm in a teacup then. Sorry my mistake.

                • McFlock …
                  25 October 2013 at 11:15 pm

                  sorry, where did I say that?

                  Forgive me for not having the conceit to think that everything written here is delivered in a daily briefing to the NSC.

            • TheContrarian 3.3.3.2.5.2
              25 October 2013 at 11:02 pm

              So “they” are the US government? And how do you mean watching, specifically?

              • Tat Loo …
                25 October 2013 at 11:08 pm

                Read up the Snowden/NSA files/Glen Greenwald op eds on the Guardian website mate.

                • TheContrarian …
                  26 October 2013 at 11:23 am

                  I know all about Snowden et al. What I am trying to establish is whether you think NSA etc are watching via a back-door into The Standard or merely reading The Standard.

                  Secondly why you think that.

    • The Al1en 3.4
      25 October 2013 at 8:28 am

      He’s a smart bloke is our Russell. Great interview, thanks for the link.

    • vto 3.5
      25 October 2013 at 9:04 am

      Yes very good.

      Of course he should be standing for the Vote Them Out Party so he can do something positive with the vote he refuses to use by using it to delete seats in Parliament.

    • joe90 3.6
      25 October 2013 at 10:59 am

      .

      Strange or not he’s particularly eloquent in his appearance before the Home Affairs Committee on drug policy.

    • Rogue Trooper 3.7
      25 October 2013 at 11:26 am

      without a shadow of a doubt, A Complex Kid

    • Draco T Bastard 3.8
      25 October 2013 at 11:37 am

      He certainly very passionate and, yes, I think sincere as well.

    • marty mars 3.9
      25 October 2013 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks Sanctuary that was great.

  4. phillip ure 4
    25 October 2013 at 7:52 am

    i found this on my rounds this morn..

    ..and it really is a most excellent interview..

    ..that most should enjoy..

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2013/oct/24/stephen-fry-malcolm-gladwell-video-interview

    ..(and stephen fry has these really cool magnetic-specs..eh..?..)

    ..phillip ure..

    • phillip ure 4.1
      25 October 2013 at 9:02 am

      moderation:..thou art a harsh mistress..

      ..phillip ure..

      [lprent: Much better mistress than the alternative. This morning we had a catch of 196 in the auto-spam queue that I have to scan for any nuggets from humans. Looks like someone has a new set of slave bots as that is abnormally high. ]

      • Lanthanide 4.1.1
        25 October 2013 at 1:18 pm

        Lynn: I’ve thought for a while that you should build up whitelists of commenters with good track records, who are automatically released from moderation but the comment is still recorded in the log so you could catch it later.

    • Chooky 4.2
      25 October 2013 at 10:26 am

      thanx philip ure….Malcolm Gladwell on psychological divergence and tolerance and exceptionality…..my English culture shot for the morning….very interesting

  5. Chooky 5
    25 October 2013 at 8:09 am

    thanx Sanctuary!….wow Russell Brand gets my vote!

  6. felix 6
    25 October 2013 at 8:24 am

    So yesterday our parliament, under urgency and with secrecy, passed legislation to retrospectively protect the NZ Police from the consequences of disregarding the laws under which they are expected to operate.

    Again.

    Does anyone think they’re ever going to behave lawfully if we bend over backwards to avoid them ever experiencing the consequences of their unlawfulness?

    • vto 6.1
      25 October 2013 at 8:48 am

      As long as the courtesy is extended to everyone I don’t see a problem felix ………..

    • Ugly Truth 6.2
      25 October 2013 at 8:50 am

      What you should understand in that the NZ civil justice system is fundamentally corrupt. Absurdities like the one that you have just described are simply a consequence of the perversion of law that parliament operates by. One way of looking at it is as a consequence of the dereliction of duty of the monarchs of the house of Windsor regarding the English coronation oath.

    • McFlock 6.3
      25 October 2013 at 11:28 am

      The alternative is to negate damned near every single case those officers were involved in.

      However, I would be very interested to see what disciplinary action was taken against the district commanders who exceeded their authority by administering oaths. If they don’t understand their procedural power in normal duties, how can they be relied on in an emergency?

      • felix 6.3.1
        25 October 2013 at 11:38 am

        “The alternative is to negate damned near every single case those officers were involved in.”

        Yes that’s right. Stupid arrogant irresponsible lawbreaking can have serious consequences.

        Or, we just validate their behaviour (again) and let them continue to make up their own rules, safe in the knowledge that no-one will ever challenge them on it.

        • McFlock 6.3.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 12:56 pm

          We’re not talking about lying on warrants or extrajudicial killings, here.

          The consequences should be felt by those responsible for the error. What convictions are you prepared to overturn because the evidence was gathered by a cop who turned out to have been sworn in by the wrong person (and so didn’t actually have the power to take part in a search warrant or issue notices)? Speeding tickets? Drink driving arrest? Murder convictions?

          I reckon it’s a minor error that is more symptomatic of a problem than it is particularly bad in itself.

          • felix 6.3.1.1.1
            25 October 2013 at 1:13 pm

            “What convictions are you prepared to overturn…”

            None, that’s a matter for the courts. However I would anticipate that any half-way decent lawyer should be able to convince the courts to overturn just about any conviction that was obtained illegally.

            And so they should.

            • Tat Loo 6.3.1.1.1.1
              25 October 2013 at 2:21 pm

              Hence the need for secret justice and secret law…yeah its an oxymoron.

              • McFlock …
                25 October 2013 at 2:30 pm

                It’s not “secret justice”, and the law was under wraps for very similar reasons to the Budget being under wraps.

            • McFlock 6.3.1.1.1.2
              25 October 2013 at 2:29 pm

              Nah, that’s too black/white.

              Firstly, we’re not talking about an intentional abuse of authority by the officers concerned with the cases, but a procedural fuckup that doesn’t directly affect rights or chain of custody. So the suspects aren’t compromised.

              Secondly, 63 officers by several years = a possible shitload of cases being tested. This puts more pressure on the courts, but the idiots who made the gaff aren’t affected.

              Thirdly, overturning a murder case simply because one of the officers on the search warrant was caught up in this cockup is farcical, but a number of the more dickish folk around would use it to the fullest extent of the law without preventing themselves being convicted. It would draw out the process even longer for the surviving victims, however.

              So parliament is supposed to step in to overturn this sort of fuckup as a sort of prophylactic deus ex machina.

              Like I said, though, the commanders issuing the oaths without authority really need to be censured at the very least. If it’s only one or two, fire them as a warning to everyone. Why wasn’t it done the first time this fuckup happened?

              • felix …
                25 October 2013 at 4:02 pm

                “Like I said, though, the commanders issuing the oaths without authority really need to be censured at the very least. If it’s only one or two, fire them as a warning to everyone. Why wasn’t it done the first time this fuckup happened?”

                Because the Police assume themselves to be above the law. That’s the whole point, McF.

                • McFlock …
                  25 October 2013 at 4:11 pm

                  yeah, sorry, I forgot for a moment that police officers aren’t individuals, they’re the Borg. /sarc

                  • felix …
                    25 October 2013 at 4:24 pm

                    This has very little to do with individuals.

                    I think what you forget is that this isn’t an isolated instance. The failure is symptomatic of far broader institutional systemic and cultural problems in the Police.

                    Mock that observation all you like. It may help pass the time while you wait for the Police to fire or discipline the “individuals” you think are responsible.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 October 2013 at 4:36 pm

                      If you want the organisational culture to change, you make individuals within that organisation accountable for their actions.

                      Let me put it this way – the fact that parliament has had to resolve the same issue twice indicates that the ministers and managers failed in their roles. The first time, maybe they’d been unclear on what was expected. The second time means someone’s playing silly buggers.

                      It’s like any other situation where an organisational culture has atrophied and needs correcting. You detect wrongdoing, issue clear corrective instructions, and if those instructions are not heeded you take disciplinary action against the individuals who break the rules.

                      So I want to know what action, for example, the minister has taken, and whether the responsible commanders are facing disciplinary action.

                    • felix …
                      25 October 2013 at 4:40 pm

                      Yeah I agree with all of that.

                      But it’s not going to happen because there are no consequences for ignoring it.

                    • McFlock …
                      25 October 2013 at 4:48 pm

                      Shit flows downhill.

                      I’d be disappointed if labour and the greens didn’t make some hay from the fact they they’ve had to help national clean up national’s failure to adequately ensure the police act lawfully. Twice.

                  • Te Reo Putake …
                    25 October 2013 at 5:31 pm

                    Jacinda Adern and David Clendon have been leading the charge for Labour on this. Heard her on the radio earlier and they’re both quoted here:

                    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/nz-govt-scrambles-to-fix-legal-blunder/story-fn3dxix6-1226745940654

                    btw: I’ve always thought the way Greg O’Connor refers to the organisation as ‘Police’, rather than ‘the Police’, is a little Borg-like.

      • Murray Olsen 6.3.2
        25 October 2013 at 7:07 pm

        “The alternative is to negate damned near every single case those officers were involved in.”

        TINA. They acted without legal authority and the government retrospectively gave it to them. They acted as private citizens. I can think of one or two people I’d love to do something horrible to, and poaka behaviour gives me a few ideas. I could shoot them, taser them, baton them, pepper spray them, and lock them up in a cell. When I got caught, the politicians could just make me a retrospective constable and it’d all be sweet.

        One day they will have to face the consequences of illegal activities. I hope that day is soon.

    • King Kong 6.4
      25 October 2013 at 12:00 pm

      Pretty hard for you to bend over backwards for the police when you have already well and truly bent over for the criminals

  7. travellerev 7
    25 October 2013 at 8:27 am

    Obamacare or the affordable care act seems to turn into a total disaster it seems.

    Of course this does not surprise those of us who where of the opinion that legislation written by the for profit big insurance companies can not in any form or shape be good for the little man living pay check to paycheck if he is lucky enough to have two or three jobs in the US.

    • Zorr 7.1
      25 October 2013 at 12:25 pm

      Travellerev – there is no data there to back up their claims whatsoever and even the most rudimentary digging in to these “issues” shows that it’s all smoke and mirrors bullshit from the negative-ACA people

      I really can’t be arsed digging up links to support my position because neither did your link have any proof.

  8. The Al1en 8
    25 October 2013 at 8:54 am

    The racist paul henry is soon to return to primetime screens on TV3.
    Judging by their reported programme line-up, it’ll be one show on a long list of things to deliberately avoid.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11146042

    Maybe Campbell live could do a show on how a bunch of controlling bankster shareholders can decide who owns the countries biggest media outlet.

    • McFlock 8.1
      25 October 2013 at 11:29 am

      yep.
      I might even try to avoid tv3 altogether

    • ak 8.2
      25 October 2013 at 12:32 pm

      Any clued-up standardista know who made this decision? Time to repeatedly name and shame the scum who are responsible for smearing this repulsive squirt of putrid tory faeces in the living rooms of innocent kiwis.

      • Tim 8.2.1
        25 October 2013 at 7:00 pm

        Well he’s under contract to Mediaworks, so I imagine they’ll be trying to figure ways of ‘utilising’ him as much as possible.

        One of the reasons I’m not yet prepared to offer Labour anything more of an electoral vote (they were going to get NOTHING pre-Cunliffe) is that they’ve not yet committed to any policy on issues such as Public Service Broadcasting, the plight of beneficiaries, and a few other things – you know – some of the really important issues that concern their traditional support base.
        That legitimisation they supported yesterday of Police incompitence rushed through Parliament (which if you watched, saw the Nats throwing shit at them) almost made me withdraw that commitment to an electoral vote. They should have made it clear to some of the shit throwers from the Natzy side, that if they kept it up – support would be withdrawn.

        As I’ve mentioned before – there are a couple of really simple things they (Labour/Greens/others) could do once in power to break the Sky monopoly, commit to PSB TV, and in doing so – go a long way to improving the situation of the Film/TV industry that’s widely canvassed in another thread. (There are a few people in TVNZ, gubbmint depts and quangos that really need to lose their shirts over both their incompetence and not behaving as public servants acting in the PUBLIC interest)

        • Murray Olsen 8.2.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 7:28 pm

          Yep. There’s still far too much of the old business as usual in Labour. There are too many groups that are untouchable, such as ngati poaka, who get laws made to suit them at the speed of a MacDonald’s drive in window.

        • ak 8.2.1.2
          25 October 2013 at 10:20 pm

          Ta Tim.Quite agree old chap,

  9. risildowgtn 9
    25 October 2013 at 8:55 am

    And so the pillaging begins…..

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9324942/Raglan-residents-slam-lack-of-consultation

    Raglan Fishing Charters’ Brian Hooker is worried about the environmental impact on marine life and is threatening to lead a fleet of boats to picket the Anadarko vessel the Noble Bob Douglas when it arrives at the end of next month.

    Go hard

    • tc 9.1
      25 October 2013 at 9:07 am

      That’s what you don’t see being all out at sea, however on land the planes drone on most days doing their grid pattern aerial surveying with Rigs drilling hundreds holes below the water table (sinosteel) but as its…
      a) private land
      b) not a crown mineral
      c) farmer gets money

      Gov’t agencies don’t care and WDC only care to see they have got a bore permit and aren’t making roads, which of course you don’t with a tractor on hand in case a rig gets stuck.

      The pillaging has been well under way for some years now.

    • Sanctuary 9.2
      25 October 2013 at 11:49 am

      Mr. Hooker is about to discover that the law changes this government has done to try and outlaw protest at sea doesn’t just apply to Greenpeace – law abiding middle class citizens will also suffer.

  10. BLiP 10
    25 October 2013 at 9:28 am

    ‘

    I see both National Ltd™ and Labour have been feasting upon the public purse while simultaneously ensuring the details remain hidden. Kinda explains Not-So-Clever Trevor’s emotional outburst in the House the other day. Apart from the mendacity in keeping such information from scrutiny, I don’t really have a problem with the travel perks. If I was in charge of things I’d pass a law requiring the airlines to provide the internal travel for free to MPs and partners as part of their civil duty.

  11. Philgwellington Wellington 11
    25 October 2013 at 9:37 am

    Xox
    Go Russell Brand! If you like what he says check out Jesse Ventura. There must be Hope.

  12. TE 12
    25 October 2013 at 9:44 am

    While watching paula bennett give her speak easy on parliment tv last night I noticed the finger action of that john key clone simon something or rather,
    was he texting to WO?
    is there a law against texting, while pretending to be at work as an mp ?

    • Tim 12.1
      25 October 2013 at 7:22 pm

      “is there a law against texting, while pretending to be at work as an mp ?”
      Unfortunately not – just one introduced to cover driving – introduced to make sure they looked as though they were concerned, and ekshully doing something. Of course there were already enough laws in place to cover those idiots that text while driving (most of whom can’t even text whilst walking down a city street) – it’s just the the Polis seemed to have a problem using them.
      And from what I’ve noticed, there are just as many people still trying to drive and text (all the while unable to keep to the lanes they’re in, following way to close, indiscriminately changing lanes and driving like they’re in a dodgem car, etc.)
      I’m picking they’re really really really remorseful when they’ve killed some one, or in vegetative state wrapped halfway around a lamp post. And I’m expected to feel some sort of sympathy for them after such an event. The urgency to reply to a text telling them was a spunk SBW is si rilly rilly important (aye!).
      Pardon me while I back out of my driveway and over my son – I’ve got a rilly rilly important call to take! (aye)

      • karol 12.1.1
        25 October 2013 at 7:29 pm

        was he texting to WO?

        Actually quite a few MPs on both sides of the House tweet comments during Question Time & Parliamentary Debates.

        I often check twitter while watching Parliament on TV. I don’t follow all opposition MPs, but often the best tweets get retweeted by people I do follow.

        So tapping on a mobile phone while in the House, might actually be work.

    • Murray Olsen 12.2
      25 October 2013 at 8:12 pm

      I remember seeing Rodney Hide driving and talking on a cellphone a few times. Even though he probably supports 1lawforall, he must think it shouldn’t apply to him.

  13. AsleepWhileWalking 13
    25 October 2013 at 9:56 am

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/278489/tests-disabled-flawed-model
    Quote:
    New work assessments for the disabled and people with health conditions will impose ”unnecessary angst” and wrongly put the onus on clients rather than employers, CCS Disability Action Otago patron Donna-Rose McKay says.

    Details of the tests, which start early next year, have been released to the Government’s electronic tenders website in a Ministry of Social Development request for proposal.

    Mrs McKay believed New Zealand was adopting the same ”flawed model” as Britain, where work-testing the disabled was highly controversial.

    ”The process focuses on the person as having to overcome the barriers, but in reality for many people with impairment or many people who have an illness, the barriers are not with themselves; the barriers are with employment and other people’s attitudes.”

    • aerobubble 13.1
      25 October 2013 at 12:38 pm

      Its a mentality in the lazy elite, that claimed wealth creation was due to their genius when in fact it was increasing amounts of cheap high density energy, so of course they believe the state can solve the problem, since it can’t be the market which is filled with lazy self-absorbed thinkers like them.

  14. Sanctuary 14
    25 October 2013 at 9:57 am

    Russell Brand’s editorial in the Newstatesman is an incredible piece of controlled fury, not to mention a fine fine piece of prose.

    http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/10/russell-brand-on-revolution

    • Paul 14.1
      25 October 2013 at 6:03 pm

      Should be forwarded to many many sell out politicians of the left

    • karol 14.2
      25 October 2013 at 6:34 pm

      It’s very good, but it goes on a bit. He nails it in many places, but too often it’s about Russell.

      • Murray Olsen 14.2.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:25 pm

        That’s very much the impression he gives me. It seems to be a performance about himself, although that could just be my dislike of fast talkers.

  15. Penny Bright 15
    25 October 2013 at 12:34 pm

    FYI (I have sent this FAR and WIDE…….)

    24 October 2013

    ‘Open Letter’/OIA to NZ Prime Minister John Key:

    “Why have you not ensured that ‘due diligence’ was carried out over the increased risk of money-laundering with the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill”?

    Dear Prime Minister,

    As an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, (and 2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate), I am deeply concerned at the apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, by yourself, as Prime Minister of New Zealand (‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ ) regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill?

    http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results

    Please provide all information which confirms why you failed to do ‘due diligence’ and consult the ‘lead agency’ (OFCANZ) who has responsibility for “making it harder to launder money”,regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill.

    (Please be reminded of the role of OFCANZ, as stated on their website: http://www.ofcanz.govt.nz/about-ofcanz

    OFCANZ will combat organised crime through:

    Leading, coordinating or contributing to policy or legislative changes to make it harder for organised criminals to operate. There will be opportunities to do so by, for example, making it harder to launder money, or obtain false identities, or by increasing information sharing. )

    OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT (OIA) REPLY FROM ORGANISED AND FINANCIAL CRIME AGENCY OF NEW ZEALAND (OFCANZ) – dated 13 August 2013:

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SKY-CITY-OFCANZ-OIA-REPLY-NO-DUE-DLIGENCE-RE-MONEY-LAUNDERING-bright-penny-06-c211711-2-sent-reply.pdf

    MY ORIGINAL OIA REQUEST TO OFCANZ

    Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:28:05 +1200
    Subject: ‘Open Letter/ OIA ‘ request to OFCANZ
    re: the increased risk of money-laundering associated with the NZ International Convention Centre Bill 2013
    …………..

    11 July 2013

    Sheryl McCormick
    Administration

    Financial Crime Group | Organised & Financial Crime Agency New Zealand
    Police National Headquarters

    ‘Open Letter/ OIA ‘ request to OFCANZ re: the increased risk of money-laundering associated with the NZ International Convention Centre Bill 2013.

    Dear Sheryl,

    Can you please forward this ‘Open Letter / OIA request’ to whoever from OFCANZ is responsible for handling such requests.

    BACKGROUND:
    ( re: Potential risk of money laundering )

    http://www.med.govt.nz/about-us/publications/publications-by-topic/regulatory-impact-statements/mbie-regulatory-impact-statements/NZICC-RIS-June-2013.pdf

    New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill 2013
    Regulatory Impact Statement
    New Zealand International Convention Centre
    Potential risk of money laundering

    95: Cash intensive industries such as casinos are attractive to money laundering activity. New Zealand’s National Risk Assessment 2010 assessed casinos as presenting moderate to high risk of money laundering.

    For this reason, casinos (including all SkyCity casinos) are subject to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financingof Terrorism Act 2009 (the AML/CFT Act), which comes into force on 30 June 2013.

    96: Nothing in the Agreement affects SkyCity’s obligations under the AML/CFT Act. Those obligations include:

    a. – developing a risk assessment of the money laundering and terrorism financing risks facing
    SkyCity

    b .- appointing an AML/CFT compliance officer

    c. – designing and implementing an AML/CFT programme, which must include:
    i. vetting senior managers and staff engaged in AML/CFT related duties

    ii. training senior managers and relevant staff on AML/CFT related matters

    iii. complying with customer due diligence (CDD) requirements, including determining
    when enhanced CDD is required, when simplified CDD might be permitted, and when
    CDD can be carried out by a person other than the reporting entity

    iv. reporting suspicious transactions

    v. monitoring and record keeping, especially in relation to specified high-risk transactions
    and business relationships

    vi. policies and procedures for how SkyCity will manage and mitigate its risks of money
    laundering and financing of terrorism

    vii. monitoring and managing compliance with the AML/CFT programme.

    97: However, there are aspects of the regulatory concessions that potentially raise the risk of money laundering through SkyCity.

    98: For example, the anonymity that can be associated with TITO technology has the potential to facilitate money laundering, by increasing the potential for currency refining and ticket structuring.

    In effect, this means that low denomination notes could be fed into one or more gaming machines or kiosks and then be redeemed by ticket into high denomination notes or casino cheques.

    Increasing the use of TITO technology (and raising the denominations that can be fed into a machine) may therefore increase the potential for money laundering.

    99: Increased use of “white cards” may also lead to increased risk of money laundering.

    White cards are an account-based system with a unique identifier that permits transaction sequences to be tracked. However, the form of identification information associated with each card will depend on the “business relationship” between the casino and the white card holder(s).

    100: The limits on anonymous cashing-out of TITO and white cards described in paragraphs 69-71 of this paper are aimed at mitigating this potentially higher risk of money laundering.
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________

    I note the role of OFCANZ, as stated on your website: http://www.ofcanz.govt.nz/about-ofcanz

    OFCANZ will combat organised crime through:

    Leading, coordinating or contributing to policy or legislative changes to make it harder for organised criminals to operate. There will be opportunities to do so by, for example, making it harder to launder money, or obtain false identities, or by increasing information sharing.

    Under the OIA – can OFCANZ please provide the following information:

    (1) Copies of all/any Information OFCANZ has provided for the NZ International Convention Centre Bill / or any related Regulatory Impact Report or Statement/ Cabinet re: the increased risk ofmoney-laundering

    (2) Information which confirms that the views of OFCANZ on the increased risk of money-laundering were sought by any of the following parties:

    a) Department of Internal Affairs
    b) Ministry of Economic Development
    c) Sky City
    d) The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
    e) The Office of the Prime Minister
    f) Cabinet
    g) Any Cabinet Minister (in particular Steven Joyce)

    (3) I am also interested in any information held by OFCANZ on how TITO (Tickets In Tickets Out) can be used for money-laundering at casinos.

    I would prefer this information to be provided electronically

    (4) All/any information held by OFCANZ which raises concerns about the potential increase in ‘organised crime’ as a result of potentially increased money-laundering opportunities through the proposed NZ International Convention Centre Bill.

    Kind regards,

    Penny Bright

    ‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
    Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2009
    Attendee: Transparency International

    Anti-Corruption Conference 2010

    2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate

    …..

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    FURTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION (25 October 2013)

    AUCKLAND MAYORAL ELECTION 2013 – RESULTS:

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/2013acelectionfinalresultac.pdf

    Candidate Affiliation No Votes Received Rank

    BRIGHT, Penny Independent 102 11723 (4th)

    THE ‘ANTI-CORRUPTION’ ACTION PLAN UPON WHICH I CAMPAIGNED AS AN AUCKLAND MAYORAL CANDIDATE IN 2013:

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf

  16. johnm 16
    25 October 2013 at 12:55 pm

    I do hope that Pullya Benefit and Shonkey aka GoldinSacks are not going to replicate the obscenity of the persecution of Beneficiaries in Arbeit Mach Frei land under the Tory scum?

    “Bedridden farmer suffering from diabetes had benefits cut and told he was fit to work… then was refused reassessment when diagnosed with terminal cancer

    David Coupe lost his £50 a week payment after he was ruled fit to work
    Farmer, 57, was ill with injured back, diabetes, ulcers and heart condition
    He was then diagnosed with cancer and given just weeks to live
    Mr Coupe tried to appeal the decision but died before it could be overturned
    Wife Lyn, 57, vows to fight in husband’s name so other families don’t suffer
    Prime Minister David Cameron said he would personally look into ‘sad’ case.”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2474772/Farmer-David-Coupe-refused-Atos-healthcare-reassessment-diagnosed-terminal-cancer.html

  17. Tat Loo 17
    25 October 2013 at 2:07 pm

    I see Hutchison and Calder are exiting stage right.

    • bad12 17.1
      25 October 2013 at 4:29 pm

      That’s four jumping after reading the numbers, any bets on at least 10 of them finding they have better things to do after November 2014…

      • Tat Loo 17.1.1
        25 October 2013 at 4:51 pm

        Yes, I suspect a few more MPs will announce between now and the Summer holiday period.

        • weka 17.1.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 6:25 pm

          Who are Hutchison and Calder?

          • bad12 17.1.1.1.1
            25 October 2013 at 6:34 pm

            Obscurities from the deep gloom of National’s back bench who have only been able to today raise their personal profiles to that of being non-entities by announcing their retirements…

          • Tim 17.1.1.1.2
            25 October 2013 at 7:31 pm

            Failed stand-up comedians? Shoes in for the next Narzy intake. All they have to do is get on their backs and let the Collins/Slug/Wewege Neshnool Party X Fekta judges to give them the thumbsup

            • Tim 17.1.1.1.2.1
              25 October 2013 at 7:48 pm

              Actually Cam Calder reminds me of a Maurice Williamson of the 1990’s. – except he’s got more sense (by getting out now whilst the going’s good and he can clutch to a smidgeon of credibility). Cam – if you’ve got shares in Chorus – sell sell sell1

  18. bad12 18
    25 October 2013 at 3:42 pm

    The Crown will take over the prosecution of John Banks from Wellington pensioner Graham McCready,

    It’s about time the Crown got off of it’s proverbial and did it’s JOB in this case and considering the personal sacrifices Mr McCready has had to make to progress the case thus far the Crown should also consider reimbursing Him for His costs so far incurred…

    • veutoviper 18.1
      25 October 2013 at 8:25 pm

      Hi, Bad12 – as I have opinioned elsewhere here on TS in the last day or so, I am of two minds on this. I just hope that the Crown will do their job and not a whitewash. I was pleased yesterday to see that Michael Lloyd, an Auckland barrister and former Crown prosecutor, has offered to provide his services pro bono if the S-G did not decide to take over the prosecution, but know nothing of his reputation – or connections. But in some respects, I would prefer to see an ‘independent’ taking the prosecution case on behalf of McCready.

      I have been watching to see whether Banks and his legal team had actually filed a request this week for the High Court to undertake a judicial review of the DC decision to commit the case to trial but have been unable to find any reference to them having filed this request.

      Re McCready, I really wish I was in a position to help out financially, but unfortunately I am not….

      • greywarbler 18.1.1
        25 October 2013 at 8:32 pm

        Re McCready – this is the Soc for … take on the history of the last few years.
        http://www.spcs.org.nz/2013/banned-company-director-graham-mccready-breaches-banning-order-and-seeks-to-prosecute-act-leader-john-banks/

        He has been a naughty boy and taken taxes and the law into his own hands. He probably understands a lot of things about financiers better than many of us.

        • veutoviper 18.1.1.1
          25 October 2013 at 9:05 pm

          Greywarbler, I am well aware of McCready’s background as are others here. However, I also admire the fact that he has taken on this private prosecution despite his own record and lack of current resources. Re your past para, as the saying goes “it takes one to know one”.

          • greywarbler 18.1.1.1.1
            25 October 2013 at 10:45 pm

            veutoviper
            I didn’t set out to take him down so no need to get all tetchy. I noted what he had done with interest.
            And you say ‘ the others here’ are well aware of the info. That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be put up. All the others here cannot all be as completely informed on everything as you apparently are. So don’t read things into my comments that actually are in your own head.

            I didn’t address the comment to you particularly or I would have put your pseudonym. That’s what I do so that comments can be connected and understood as a conversation which is often difficult when there is no initial reference.

        • bad12 18.1.1.2
          25 October 2013 at 9:22 pm

          Greywarbler, only a fool or the ‘wing-nuts’ decide upon the merits of any particular case put befor a Court or Tribunal by the ‘past’ of those who bring such actions,

          Such cases should be judged by Courts and Tribunals upon the evidence they contain not by the character of those putting any particular case unless that person is an integral part of the evidence at the heart of such a case…

          • greywarbler 18.1.1.2.1
            25 October 2013 at 10:49 pm

            bad12
            Well naturally I am bound to fail to meet your standards as you call me a wanker. Making negative snap judgements about others is your forte.

      • bad12 18.1.2
        25 October 2013 at 9:06 pm

        Ventoviper, yes what you have opinioned and are in two minds over has also had Graham McCready in those same two minds,

        On the one hand He was and i suppose still is a little worried that the Crown Law Office might choose not to prosecute Banks with the full force of it’s resources,(my belief is that Crown Law will actually go the extra mile in this trial to PROVE to New Zealand people their total separation and independence from the executives power) and without imparting anything that i shouldn’t i know that there were some concerns about the ‘unknown’ status of the ex Crown prosecutor who kindly offered His services,

        The judicial review was also going to be problematic for Mr McCready should He have been forced to defend the District Courts decision that Bank’s should stand trial, for reasons i will not at this point go into,

        It is my view, strongly put in recent days in certain quarters, that it is the Crowns duty to at least defend the decision made so far in that Banks should stand trial by the District Court, or, provide Mr McCready the funding to have legal counsel assigned with High Court experience so as to assist Mr McCready at the High Court,

        i have had a conversation with Graham about how He feels His abilities would handle the complexities of the High Court and while He wasn’t overly confident His attitude was if He had to He had to,(but would rather have a Legal Eagle do it),

        VV, re the finances, ummm right now, with the insertion of the Crown Law Office into the prosecution and the actions of a couple of kind people that for now is ‘sorted’,(and i have wondered if the Crown move today was as a result of the ‘kind’ people having intervened without reaching a conclusion), although i believe that should Banks be convicted the ‘cost’ of the work already put in by Graham McCready should be paid by Banks…

        • veutoviper 18.1.2.1
          26 October 2013 at 10:35 am

          Thanks for your reply. bad12. We seem to be on the same wavelength re reservations on the Crown Law taking over and Lloyd’s offer. I could find very little as to Lloyd and his background on Google. We can but wait to see ….

          And I see that Banks has filed for judicial review by the High Court and a hearing is scheduled for next Thurs, 31 Oct. This will be interesting as I gather in some ways this is a ‘first’ legally.

          What really riled me this week was Banks’ attitude that came across as him expecting different treatment by the courts to other people in terms of timing and number of hearings and process. In particular, one media report which I cannot now find (funny that!) reported him as saying something to the effect that a trial next year “was not an option for me”. Sorry, John, you don’t get to decide the options in this situation! (sarc)

    • Murray Olsen 18.2
      25 October 2013 at 8:33 pm

      I hope the Crown actually puts some effort into the prosecution, but I am deeply worried by this development. They are far more likely to settle for a discharge without conviction than a private prosecution would be. Since an actual lawyer has expressed interest, I’d prefer to donate to his fees.

      Of course, any reimbursement of McCready is a different question. I’m happy for them to do that, and then claim costs off Banks.

  19. marty mars 19
    25 October 2013 at 5:23 pm

    I dunno about this one – a space cannon ffs!!!

    Built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the space cannon’s job is to fire off a 1.8kg metal projectile into the catchily named 1999JU3 asteroid, giving the previously attached space probe access to all that sweet, sweet asteroid soil.

    Hayabusa 2 is scheduled to arrive at its target mid-2018, and we won’t have the soil samples back on Earth until sometime in 2019.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/9327567/Japanese-space-cannon-to-be-fired-into-asteroid

    I like the science but, well, I watched moonraker the other night…

    • weka 19.1
      25 October 2013 at 6:24 pm

      You watched moonraker?! Why?

      “Hayabusa 2 is scheduled to arrive at its target mid-2018, and we won’t have the soil samples back on Earth until sometime in 2019.”

      There’s an opportunity there for someone to do a projection comparison re Peak Oil and AGW 😉

  20. lprent 20
    25 October 2013 at 7:04 pm

    Site upgraded to wordpress 3.7. That has to be the fastest upgrade ever. Worked well on all betas and the quick test today.

  21. greywarbler 21
    25 October 2013 at 8:16 pm

    Just been to the supermarket. The Budget soap is made in CHINA. Boy they sure cleaned up. Boom boom.

    I have a memorial pack of McLeods soap once made in Dunedin, by McLeods I suppose. Then I think mine was made in Petone. Any offers for this artifact of ancient NZ when simple people made things for themselves? Then of course the bigwigs decided that was just effete and primitive thinking, and we should all make our living tapping out clever things on keyboards. Like at the present! What offer do I have for this clever thing….

  22. greywarbler 22
    25 October 2013 at 8:49 pm

    Chris Trotter writing on the new work testing by Minimum of SockDeviation here in Nz.

    The people behind these reforms know that there are simply not enough jobs to socially integrate the tens-of-thousands of “jobseekers” currently registered on the MSD’s books. And yet, they have no intention of following the example set by previous New Zealand Governments, in which the state itself provided the jobs so necessary to people’s health and wellbeing.
    What they propose to do, instead, is force as many jobseekers as possible off the MSD’s books. They will achieve this objective by turning the experience of being on the MSD’s books into a nightmare of bureaucratic harassment and social stigmatisation.
    http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/booking-beneficiaries-into-rehab.html

    It is reminiscent of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier. In that there were bands of people kept tramping round the country looking for work and not being able to stay more than one or two days in one place. He talks about being in Salvation Army care, where they had to have prayers before eating though very hungry. Of one person after another sharing bath water until it was like a watery bog. He comments that there is little comfort, even the women tramping refuse to have sex. I think that may be a male-centred thought.

  23. ak 23
    25 October 2013 at 8:54 pm

    And for how much again are we bankrolling our fearless attourney general to sue a penniless man of the cloth for $1.2 mill? Kapai, Chris, know where you are now brother.

  24. Morrissey 24
    25 October 2013 at 9:15 pm

    Possibly the worst statement ever on the Panel
    —-and it’s by a “Professor of Legal Ethics”
    The Panel, Thursday 24/10/13 (Part TWO of TWO)
    Jim Mora, Michael Deaker, Chris Trotter

    PART ONE: http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24102013/#comment-716126

    JIM MORA: Now we turn to the ethics of gassing as opposed to droning. Two new reports have ben issued by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Most disturbing was the story of Mamana Bibi, a 68-year-old grandmother killed by a Hellfire missile while tending her garden. The ethics of gassing versus droning in a moment with Professor Tim Dare, but before he comes on, do you think we’ve been under a bit of a false impression with regard to these drones?
    CHRIS TROTTER: Oh I think so. There is an argument there, there is no question about that. If you could guarantee that you could kill these terrorists and insurgents, there would be no problem. But you can’t. The Americans are building up trouble for themselves, because the locals are not intimidated, they are enraged.
    MICHAEL DEAKER: It is a bestial way of running a foreign policy. There’s a place for this new technology but it sure is not for killing.
    JIM MORA: Professor Tim Dare is on the program. Hi Tim.
    PROFESSOR TIM DARE: Hi Jim, hi Chris, hi Michael.
    JIM MORA: How come you can use drones to blow people to kingdom come but it’s unacceptable for other countries to use gas?
    PROFESSOR TIM DARE: [slowly, carefully, with gravitas] Well, I guess it is because the countries that have nuclear weapons and drones don’t need to use poison gas. It sounds like the critics of terrorism: the powerful countries that condemn terrorism don’t need to use it. ….

    I have excised the rest of a rather rambling speech in order to focus on that quite extraordinary assertion, viz. “the powerful countries that condemn terrorism don’t need to use it.”

    Since it began in 2005, regular listeners to The Panel have been subjected to some staggeringly ignorant statements [1]. They have listened in dismay to Panelists snickering at the plight of victims of state repression [2]. They have suffered a plethora of lazy, complacent [3] and/or hateful [4] statements. When it comes to selecting guests, there seems to be no base level of stupidity or depravity below which Jim Mora’s producers are not prepared to sink [5]. But in spite of all that, I believe that statement—“the powerful countries that condemn terrorism don’t need to use it”—uttered by a “Professor of Legal Ethics”, no less, might just be the worst, the most ignorant, the stupidest, the most depraved of all of them.

    It’s a sad sign of both the intellectual level and the moral tone of this program that not one of the others—neither the host nor his two guests—picked up on what the “Professor of Legal Ethics” said. None of them even demurred at the statement. But on the other hand at least none of them murmured assent. Possibly they were simply rendered speechless; truly bizarre statements can have that effect [6].

    It’s pretty hard to envision much worse than Tim Dare’s dishonest and irresponsible words, but Jim Mora came close a short time later…..

    CHRIS TROTTER: We have heard plenty of criticism of the Assad regime, but nobody dares to criticize Israel’s nuclear arsenal.
    MORA: [caviling tone] Yeah but is that an entirely fair comparison? Because what would happen to Israel’s security if it did not have those weapons?

    Jim Mora’s insincere, spurious and cynical expostulation had the same effect as Tim Dare’s learned observation that powerful states don’t use terror: neither Chris Trotter nor Michael Deaker dignified it with a response.

    [1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03092013/#comment-690908
    [2] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16072013/#comment-663663
    [3] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24062013/#comment-653263
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-2092013/#comment-690249
    [4] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03092013/#comment-690908
    [5] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-12082013/#comment-678579
    [6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy4-snbDcIM
    ————————————————————————————————–
    If you would like to see the issue of state terror discussed by a couple of people far more serious, well informed and thoughtful than Professor Tim Dare or Jim Mora, watch how Dr. Norman Finkelstein schools a bewildered reporter from the scurrilous Murdoch rag the New York Post….

    …and listen to Professor Noam Chomsky talking about the massive use of terror by Western states, something which Professor Dare reckons is not needed by the most powerful states…..

  25. Penny Bright 25
    25 October 2013 at 9:51 pm

    FYI

    Solicitor-General to to ‘assume responsibility for the prosecution’ of Mr Banks.

    “25 October 2013

    Dear Ms Bright and Ms Prager

    New Zealand Private Prosecution Service Ltd vs the Honorable John Archibald Banks:
    Request for Solicitor-General intervention: Our Ref SOL 115/2464

    Thank you for your email of 21 October 2013 requesting that I intervene in the private prosecution of Mr Banks.

    I have written to the District Court at Auckland today, advising of my decision to assume responsibility for the prosecution.

    Yours faithfully,

    Crown Law
    Michael Heron
    Solicitor-General ”

    __________________________________________________________________________

    (A copy of this letter should be up soon on http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com )

    Cheers!

    Penny Bright

  26. Draco T Bastard 26
    26 October 2013 at 1:14 am

    You been playing with the gravatars again LPrent?

    • Morrissey 26.1
      26 October 2013 at 10:59 am

      Although it lacks the classical elegance and gravitas of my old avatar, I have to say that I love my new one! I’m impressed how the avatars kind of match the posters, in the same way dogs look like their owners. Especially appropriate are the ones for: Te Reo Putake, greywarbler, weka, McFlock and The Al1en.

      Only one has not changed: Felix. He retains the solid black square, befitting his role as a sinister dark eminence on this board.

      How did he manage to escape the reshuffle?

  27. The Al1en 27
    26 October 2013 at 11:16 am

    Thanks, don’t know whether to be flattered or not.
    MS paint and two of Dell’s old style alienware laptop logos.
    A bit of a copy and paste, a resize and image copyright is now held by me.

    Happy to license usage to Dell in exchange for a customised, top of the line music production notebook. 🙂

    But McF does look good with his monocle.

  28. ghostrider888 28
    26 October 2013 at 11:26 am

    test-ride

  29. captain hook 29
    26 October 2013 at 12:22 pm

    eeeeeeek.
    who is the geek?

  30. dv 30
    26 October 2013 at 12:36 pm

    What is my avatar?
    I look very aggressive.

  31. Murray Olsen 31
    26 October 2013 at 7:45 pm

    Does my avatar suggest I’m a deep cover Pentagon agent?

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    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    24 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    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 Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    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 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    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 Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    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-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    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 announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    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, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    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 ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    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 KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    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 ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    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 Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    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; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    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 ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    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. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    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 PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

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