Glenn Greenwalds analysis of Tucker Carlson quite eye opening considering the view most left wing people would have of him. In fact totally gob smacked by his wider analysis highlighting how little debate or decent there is the Democrat party compared to Republicans.
I would highly recommend sitting down with a nice cup of tea and maybe some chocky bikkies and watching it. Would really like to hear everyone’s view.
His example of Democratic Party conformity, as distinct from diversity within the GOP, is support for the President's foreign policy call for funding aid to Ukraine.
Why not universal opposition from the GOP for the President's economic policy and the Sinema and Manchin providing dissent from his own party?
Then there was the praise for Carlson for criticising the GOP establishment (as per Ukraine) against the neo-liberal establishment (bi-partisan). It was part of their @Fox News support for Trump (who is popular with the audience).
Greenwald is from the historic liberal dissent against the military industrial complex and deep state foreign adventurism stable looking for a match with selfish USA isolationism (abandoning international obligation) and is partnering up with like alt media commentators on Rumble – such as Gubbard and maybe soon Carlson?
Carlson's support for Assange was also connnected to Trump also considering a pardon for Assange.
The irony is that Carlson has a low opinion of Trump (and has recently admitted that his public commentary @ Fox News support was not real) though it would seem he used Trump as cover for his out of right wing step opinions on Ukraine and Assange.
In the context of Glenn’s statements and the leftist views that Tucker Carlson is “Far Right”, (even though he is anti war), I wonder how Jacinda Ardern would assess Glenn / Tucker given her new appointment at Harvard University.
“Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been appointed appointed to a fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, based at the law school, where she will study ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and examine artificial intelligence governance and algorithmic harms.” Link given below
I wonder if Jacinda will suffer any cognitive dissonance given she fell in lock step with Democrats supporting the War in Ukraine (offering no diplomatic solution). Current estimates of casualties at 354,000. Link given below.
Would like to hear your opinions…
Do you think Jacinda, Labour, National, Radio NZ, TVNZ, etc might have to self sensor? Or maybe they are all to busy figuring out what the definition of a woman is?
Yes I was just reading that potentially sinister development myself. The application of AI to censor social media platforms will completely destroy any remaining utility they have, except to serve the interests of those who control the algorithms.
Billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk is again sounding warning bells on the dangers of artificial intelligence to humanity — and claiming that a popular chatbot has a liberal bias that he plans to counter with his own AI creation.
…serve the interests of those who control the algorithms
Which means they will need to be regarded as public utilities serving the common good , i.e. not in private hands and at arms' length from the state with transparent operating principles and democratic accountability.
This is a problem as old as the invention of newspapers, and one that we have never solved satisfactorily. The technology just hugely increases the scale of it.
Anyone who wants peace on NEOCONs terms, is anything but "anti war".
I don't think trying to defend Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is being pro-war. On the contrary, it's a sign of good sense and clear-headed foreign policy that seeks to preserve the lives and security of millions of people.
There is no "diplomatic solution" to the conflict that doesn't involve seriously undermining Ukraine's ability to function as a sovereign state, or throwing it to the wolves. And if we purport to believe in freedom, justice, and a reasonably fair international order we must be prepared to fight for it.
I am by no means a believer in history being a perfect template to handle the present or future. But there were millions of Britons and Frenchmen in 1938-39 unwilling to die for Danzig. Or Prague.
Sacrificing Czechoslovakia and only half-heartedly supporting Poland to please them simply meant that even more millions died for Paris, London, Moscow, and even Berlin.
Good comments, and 100% agree with you if it were as straightforward as you have laid out. If this was a here comes Hitler moment you’d be spot on.
Unfortunately the situation is more complex and grey.
Its because of this historical complexity and uncertainty my inclination was the Minsk accords were the way to go. The current cost benefit of dead just not worth the fight.
For example and being overly simplistic take just one factor into consideration (remember many were being persecuted by ethnic Ukrainians circa 2014-present:
Russians are the largest ethnic minority in Ukraine. This community forms the largest single Russian community outside of Russia in the world. In the 2001 Ukrainian census, 8,334,100 identified as ethnic Russians (17.3% of the population of Ukraine); this is the combined figure for persons originating from outside of Ukraine and the Ukrainian-born population declaring Russian ethnicity.[1]
I think you'll find the other 83%ish of Ukranians have run their own analysis and firmly decided not being reabsorbed into a revanchist Russian neo-empire is worth the cost.
It's their country. They're the ones fighting and dying for it.
Irridentism isn’t a valid casus belli. But it is a convenient one if you’re a big power with smaller neighbours with sizable ethnic minorities you can come in and “rescue”
If you’re going to sceptical of the west’s motivations, then you should probably ask some questions of the Russians. After all, they’re the ones that actually decided to invade another country.
Hmmmm…. assuming Ukraine being absorbed by the west is a good thing.
Nothing to see there a?
Ukraine’s anti-worker law comes into effect
Law 5371, which strips back labour protections, has been ratified. Is there more to come? On 17…. which removes rights for workers at small and medium-sized companies. It will be effective for as long as the country is under martial law – a qualification added at the last minute, under pressure from trade unions…….
The Ukrainian government has claimed it is trying to alleviate the difficulties faced by companies in wartime. However, it first tried to introduce the new law in 2021.
Zelenskyy spoke during the meeting of the National Association of State Chambers about how “American business can become a locomotive of global economic growth” after the war ends, according to a press release. He specifically thanked BlackRock, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs for their cooperation with Ukraine in the country’s plans for rebuilding after the war.
Stalin killed millions of ethnic Ukrainians after WW2 he made Hitler look like an Angel, so there was some severe disturbance to the sociological make of Ukraine, not sure on the number of Ukrainians disposed of by Stalin maybe someone on this site could let me know 6 million Plus + ????
And those Russians in the Donbas happen to be there , not because they emigrated there, but because they had always lived there , for generations
It was Lenin who annexed if you like , that part of Russia into Ukraine in an attempt to balance Ukraine , so that it had an industrial base, and then proceeded to develop that industry further ., making Ukraine at the end of the Soviet Union a major producer of machinery and weapons
In the 1920's Ukraine expanded into Russia,.No one ever thought that Ukraine under a new putsch government would start hankering for NATO membership , denying Russian language rights and from 2014 attacking and killing Donbas rebels and citizens.
If only the Minsk agreements had been implemented, in good faith, none of this terrible death would be happening
In the 1920's Stalin controlled everything. I am not sure how this is relevant to 2020.
No one ever thought that Ukraine under a new putsch government
The current President and govt was formed in 2019 by a strong majority in an election widely considered free and fair.
would start hankering for NATO membership
Which is would be the only rational response to Russia invading and annexing Crimea in 2014
denying Russian language rights
Misrepresentation – anyone has the right to speak any language they like in Ukraine. Even Zelensky's native language is Russian. They simply made Ukrainian the official language. Exactly as almost all other nations do.
and from 2014 attacking and killing Donbas rebels and citizens.
Which selectively ignores the 'little green men' and weapons Putin poured over the border in order to ensure conflict. And despite this, after a surge in late 2104 by 2020 the fighting had almost completely died down – so Putin seeing his proxy strategy of using Donbass separatists to gain territory – sent in the Russian military and war criminals like the Wagner thugs to complete the job.
In my view the entire conflict would not have happened if Putin had abided by the 1996 Belgrade Memorandum whereby Russia was obliged to protect Ukraine sovereignty.
Black people: ‘Stop doing black-face in entertainment’
🙎🏻♂️ ‘OK’
Indigenous people: ‘Stop using caricatures of us for Halloween costumes’
🙎🏻♂️ ‘OK’
Women; ‘Stop saying men in dresses are actually women’
🤬 ‘GO TO HELL GENOCIDING HATEFUL TERF BIGOTS!’
This is misogyny, unacknowledged. There’s a lot of critique of drag Queen performance since it moved out of adult entertainment clubs. The principle also applies to AGP males/cross dressers since the shift trans women are literal women.
Calling drag womanface is also a problem because it confuses issues not well understood about black culture, but I think this tweets gets it right in how to make the point,
Floridian Surgeon General caught altering COVID vaccine studies to fit his worldview:
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo personally altered a state-driven study about Covid-19 vaccines last year to suggest that some doses pose a significantly higher health risk for young men than had been established by the broader medical community, according to a newly obtained document.
Ladapo’s changes, released as part of a public records request, presented the risks of cardiac death to be more severe than previous versions of the study. He later used the final document in October to bolster disputed claims that Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were dangerous to young men.
…
The newly released draft of the eight-page study, provided by the Florida Department of Health, indicates that it initially stated that there was no significant risk associated with the Covid-19 vaccines for young men. But “Dr. L’s Edits,” as the document is titled, reveal that Ladapo replaced that language to say that men between 18 and 39 years old are at high risk of heart illness from two Covid vaccines that use mRNA technology.
Great to see Ardern getting a decent post at Harvard Uni, but I sure hope PM Hipkins taps her for something more directly in NZ"s interests before her plate fills up.
In her Instagram post, Ardern explained that the role would see her take up the first tech governance leadership fellow at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center and work with its research community.
She will also be involved in work around the growth of generative AI tools.
From the ODT:
"As part of her role, Harvard has revealed Ardern will be studying ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and also to examine artificial intelligence governance and algorithmic harms.
In her social media post, the former leader said she’d hinted at her plans to do "some speaking, teaching, and learning" alongside her previously announced jobs working as a special envoy to the Christchurch Call and joining the Earthshot board.
"Harvard have been a really important partner in the Christchurch Call work," said Ardern.
"My semester there later this year will also be an opportunity to take up the first tech governance leadership fellowship at the Berkman Klien Center."
Ardern said she will also be sharing her experiences at the historic university campus through her time speaking both in New Zealand and abroad."
Congratulations Jacinda on your appointment. Make sure you are not lost to the service of New Zealand.
Why is this acceptable? The laws must be changed to make taxation fair:
A report prepared on behalf of the Government says high wealth families pay a median effective tax rate of just 8.9%, as they earn significant income from untaxed capital gains.
The High-Wealth Individuals Research Project was conducted by Inland Revenue to fill a data gap in tax records and was released on Wednesday morning.
Revenue Minister David Parker said there was accurate data on the wealth of more than 90% of New Zealand’s population from household surveys, but little information on the total income of the wealthiest families and the taxes they paid.
…
New Zealand has a progressive income tax system, so a person with a taxable income of $50,000 would pay 16% in tax, while someone with $100,000 would pay 24%. However, when you calculate the median effective tax rate of high-wealth families using economic income – which includes capital gains and property ownership benefits – it plunges to just 8.9%.
And when many of us face in real terms diminishing value of homes/ kiwi saver etc, from the destructive impacts of inflation ? caused in part the result of govt policy and Reserve Bank action what then? The govt was warned of what the result of their momentary policy. Still they were happy to feed the beast then without implementing any measures to temper this action at the time. And now we see that they are trying to show some understanding ?? What about the likes of tax creep and other actions, all we hear is the need for the govt to increase the tax take. ?
They have SCREWED the population, and now for a bit of distraction in their attempt into holding power at all costs – And we have some who are being fooled into thinking that they are acting for their benefit. Where is the talk of what portion of the GDP should be captured by the govt by tax, duties etc then how and who pays ??
You talk about making a loss in "real terms" on the value of your house or Kiwisaver.
Did the IRD make their calculation on real terms when they talk about capital gains or have they done in it "nominal terms"? I haven't found where they have actually released the report and have only seen what Parker claims is happening. He isn't saying.
If I owned shares worth $1 million and they paid me a dividend of $20K during the next year and at the end of the year the shares were worth $1.05 million I haven't made anything at all if inflation was 7.2% as it currently is.
I guess you would want to tax me on those spurious capital gains of $50,000 though would you?
"After all interest merely maintains the value of the cash asset … ". That STATEMENT is CRAP. Interest currently for a 12 month term is 5.7%. Less tax depending upon your personal rate say 30% (earning 48-70k) an after tax rate of 4%. Inflation is guessed at to be 7%. So any deposit reduces in relative value !!!
I hope my little involvement has added to you to widen your knowledge 😇
Pretty sad effort at misdirection to score an imaginary point.
Alwyn was objecting to payment of tax on any CG that was lower than the rate of inflation. Yet all interest income is already subject to income tax despite the fact it is lower than the inflation rate.
You made the comment that interest maintains the value- then you comment "Yet all interest income is already subject to income tax despite the fact it is lower than the inflation rate.' the 2 statements do not hold true under current economic conditions, and for the cash to maintain value – And I have shown this is not the case- Yet you are not willing to accept this. Try to be consistent in your comments ??
Someone using that response to the facts about our tax regime, has interests to protect.
I'm guessing multiple property property ownership, and a vote for NACT, to restore the mortgage interest payment as a cost against rent income and to block any chance of a CG/land/wealth taxation.
And proposing an alliance with those on higher incomes who are most advantaged by a tax threshold adjustment and who have private health insurance and schooling (so do not care about underfunded public services).
And cry, blame government for inflation – when it's below the OECD average.
I note your main concern about inflation is that it reduces the value of property in real terms.
Your linked article is dated Feb 2021. Most of the increase in house prices from April 2020 to Dec 2021, occurred after February 2021. The correction in house prices Dec 2021 to March 2023 merely takes us back to Feb 2021.
So property values are still above where they were in March 2020.
History. 1976-1981 5 years of inflation and wage growth and a flatline to property values. We are currently building more houses than any time since the 1970's. So hopefully we can repeat that period and restore connection between incomes and property values. Those with altruism, empathy for others would want housing to become more affordable – not those who do not even want to pay tax on their CG and wealth.
The UK has higher home ownership than us and its increasing, ours is lower and still declining. Which society has a class system now?
the average price nationwide now down 17% from the November 2021 peak but still 17% above March 2020 levels pre-pandemic.
Auckland prices have fallen 22% to sit just 9% up from three years ago. Only Wellington with a 24% decline from the peak sits less above March 2020 with just a 7% gain.
The RBG removed all criteria for borrowing from banks in 2020 and most of 2021 – only restoring them in November 2021.
Current LVR settings were put in place November 2021 when risks were elevated. This followed a period in 2020 and 2021 when they were removed completely.
20% for first home buyers and 40% for investors
The Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is proposing to loosen loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions, which would make it easier for prospective borrowers to get a mortgage.
Increasing from 10 to 15% new mortgage lending to owner-occupiers with deposits of less than 20 per cent.
Increasing from 5 to 10 per cent of a bank’s new mortgage lending to investors with deposits of less than 40 per cent.
If the owners of assets do not want to be taxed on unrealised capital gain they should be forced to sell the asset in question at the value before the unrealised gain was made.
For instance if a second house (not the owners main residence) increases in value from $500k to $1m then a CGT of 25% could apply i.e. CGT of $125k. If the owner chooses not to pay this then legislation should be enacted to force him to sell the house for $500k.
Why are you excluding the main residence as you call it? If you want to have a CGT then you should have it on everything shouldn't you? Or do you own a house and want to avoid paying taxes for your own assets?
According to the (very once-over-lightly) discussion on RNZ this afternoon – it was unrealized (and therefore theoretical) capital gains.
And, almost certainly reflects the skyrocketing property market of the last 5+ years (with the heat still not taken out of it, by the drop in the last few months).
Really, this is not news. Mum and Dad who have owned their own home for the last 20 years, have also 'benefitted' from this skyrocketing notional capital gain. Their standard 3-bedroom-house is worth well north of 1 million.
Of course, if/when they sell (usually to downsize), they'll be buying in the same market – and will have little nest-egg left over (especially if they're going into the retirement village rort).
Given that they're well outside the bright-line test (and also if they live in the house) – their 'capital gain' will also be untaxed when they sell.
A 2020 law change gave IRD new powers to require the wealthiest families to provide their earnings information. After a two-year investigation, the High Wealth Individuals Research Projects found untaxed capital gains from businesses, property and other investments skew the tax system in favour of the country's most wealthy.
Revenue Minister David Parker said this "internationally ground-breaking research" revealed a "large differential between the tax rates ordinary New Zealanders pay on their full income compared with the super-wealthy".
From this article, Parker and the HWIRP are still not clear whether this is an actual capital gain (i.e. the HWI have sold the business, land, property, artwork or shares, and therefore this is 'real' cash in hand); or it is theoretical (the value of the business, land or shares, etc. has theoretically increased – so no actual cash in hand).
[My understanding from the tax expert interviewed on RNZ, is that it is the latter – a theoretical increase in value, rather than actual cash-in-hand]
If you wish to capture the former, then you're looking at a CGT (and, presumably, not just on high wealth individuals). No issue with valuation – the price paid is clear. However, the tax take is lumpy – only taken when the asset is sold.
If you wish to tax the latter, then you're looking at some form of wealth tax – with all the associated valuation issues: who estimates the value? how often? what happens if the value decreases (as house prices have over the last year)? what happens to the asset rich, but cash poor? (granny tax issue), etc.
You will be able to tell the Kiwiblog readers by their trained parrot responses.
DPF taught them to argue that a fair CGT should include the family home (there is no CGT regime in the OECD that includes the family home – because that is both unpopular and also unfair as it lowers equity in the home with every change in location – obstructs movement of labour).
Another one is inflation, and accounting for inflation to enable untaxed compound CG at the rate of inflation, to reduce the amount collected by a CGT.
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Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
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Love your thoughts peeps
Glenn Greenwald “The Hypocrisy Slayer”, who tweeted this about Tucker Carlson
Tucker was the cable host who most:
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1650539164440444930
[link added]
We require a link for quotes, please supply the link to the actual tweet, thanks.
Just go to twitter, search Glenn Greenwald and go to the post sent at 04:36 on 25/04/23
Enjoy
[it’s not optional, please supply the link for your quote. The onus is on the commenter to do this, not expect mods or commenters to. Thanks – weka]
mod mote.
Hi Weka,
my apologies… here’s the tweet
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1650539164440444930
thanks 👍 It also gets better debate because people can see the context (and in this case, the thread).
Glenn Greenwalds analysis of Tucker Carlson quite eye opening considering the view most left wing people would have of him. In fact totally gob smacked by his wider analysis highlighting how little debate or decent there is the Democrat party compared to Republicans.
I would highly recommend sitting down with a nice cup of tea and maybe some chocky bikkies and watching it. Would really like to hear everyone’s view.
https://rumble.com/v2k86j4-system-update-show-77.html
The cheese slid of Greenwald's cracker some time ago.
His example of Democratic Party conformity, as distinct from diversity within the GOP, is support for the President's foreign policy call for funding aid to Ukraine.
Why not universal opposition from the GOP for the President's economic policy and the Sinema and Manchin providing dissent from his own party?
It's not convincing.
Then there was the praise for Carlson for criticising the GOP establishment (as per Ukraine) against the neo-liberal establishment (bi-partisan). It was part of their @Fox News support for Trump (who is popular with the audience).
Greenwald is from the historic liberal dissent against the military industrial complex and deep state foreign adventurism stable looking for a match with selfish USA isolationism (abandoning international obligation) and is partnering up with like alt media commentators on Rumble – such as Gubbard and maybe soon Carlson?
Carlson's support for Assange was also connnected to Trump also considering a pardon for Assange.
The irony is that Carlson has a low opinion of Trump (and has recently admitted that his public commentary @ Fox News support was not real) though it would seem he used Trump as cover for his out of right wing step opinions on Ukraine and Assange.
In the context of Glenn’s statements and the leftist views that Tucker Carlson is “Far Right”, (even though he is anti war), I wonder how Jacinda Ardern would assess Glenn / Tucker given her new appointment at Harvard University.
“Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been appointed appointed to a fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, based at the law school, where she will study ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and examine artificial intelligence governance and algorithmic harms.” Link given below
I wonder if Jacinda will suffer any cognitive dissonance given she fell in lock step with Democrats supporting the War in Ukraine (offering no diplomatic solution). Current estimates of casualties at 354,000. Link given below.
Would like to hear your opinions…
Do you think Jacinda, Labour, National, Radio NZ, TVNZ, etc might have to self sensor? Or maybe they are all to busy figuring out what the definition of a woman is?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/488678/jacinda-ardern-to-take-up-fellowships-at-harvard-university#:~:text=Former%20Prime%20Minister%20Jacinda%20Ardern,the%20Center%20for%20Public%20Leadership.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-war-already-with-up-354000-casualties-likely-drag-us-documents-2023-04-12/
Yes I was just reading that potentially sinister development myself. The application of AI to censor social media platforms will completely destroy any remaining utility they have, except to serve the interests of those who control the algorithms.
And you can be certain none of us will be asked.
Redlogix….
Is this what your talking about:
Billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk is again sounding warning bells on the dangers of artificial intelligence to humanity — and claiming that a popular chatbot has a liberal bias that he plans to counter with his own AI creation.
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/elon-musk-hell-create-truthgpt-counter-ai-bias-98654332
Which means they will need to be regarded as public utilities serving the common good , i.e. not in private hands and at arms' length from the state with transparent operating principles and democratic accountability.
This is a problem as old as the invention of newspapers, and one that we have never solved satisfactorily. The technology just hugely increases the scale of it.
" (even though he is anti war)"
Anyone who wants peace on Russia's terms, is anything but "anti war".
" (even though he is anti war)"
Anyone who wants peace on NEOCONs terms, is anything but "anti war".
I don't think trying to defend Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is being pro-war. On the contrary, it's a sign of good sense and clear-headed foreign policy that seeks to preserve the lives and security of millions of people.
There is no "diplomatic solution" to the conflict that doesn't involve seriously undermining Ukraine's ability to function as a sovereign state, or throwing it to the wolves. And if we purport to believe in freedom, justice, and a reasonably fair international order we must be prepared to fight for it.
I am by no means a believer in history being a perfect template to handle the present or future. But there were millions of Britons and Frenchmen in 1938-39 unwilling to die for Danzig. Or Prague.
Sacrificing Czechoslovakia and only half-heartedly supporting Poland to please them simply meant that even more millions died for Paris, London, Moscow, and even Berlin.
Res Publica,
Good comments, and 100% agree with you if it were as straightforward as you have laid out. If this was a here comes Hitler moment you’d be spot on.
Unfortunately the situation is more complex and grey.
Its because of this historical complexity and uncertainty my inclination was the Minsk accords were the way to go. The current cost benefit of dead just not worth the fight.
For example and being overly simplistic take just one factor into consideration (remember many were being persecuted by ethnic Ukrainians circa 2014-present:
Russians are the largest ethnic minority in Ukraine. This community forms the largest single Russian community outside of Russia in the world. In the 2001 Ukrainian census, 8,334,100 identified as ethnic Russians (17.3% of the population of Ukraine); this is the combined figure for persons originating from outside of Ukraine and the Ukrainian-born population declaring Russian ethnicity.[1]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Ukraine
That’s not even taking into consideration the US/Wests motives
Cheers
I think you'll find the other 83%ish of Ukranians have run their own analysis and firmly decided not being reabsorbed into a revanchist Russian neo-empire is worth the cost.
It's their country. They're the ones fighting and dying for it.
Irridentism isn’t a valid casus belli. But it is a convenient one if you’re a big power with smaller neighbours with sizable ethnic minorities you can come in and “rescue”
If you’re going to sceptical of the west’s motivations, then you should probably ask some questions of the Russians. After all, they’re the ones that actually decided to invade another country.
Hi Res Publica,
Hmmmm…. assuming Ukraine being absorbed by the west is a good thing.
Nothing to see there a?
Ukraine’s anti-worker law comes into effect
Law 5371, which strips back labour protections, has been ratified. Is there more to come? On 17…. which removes rights for workers at small and medium-sized companies. It will be effective for as long as the country is under martial law – a qualification added at the last minute, under pressure from trade unions…….
The Ukrainian government has claimed it is trying to alleviate the difficulties faced by companies in wartime. However, it first tried to introduce the new law in 2021.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/ukraine-labour-law-wrecks-workers-rights/
Zelenskyy spoke during the meeting of the National Association of State Chambers about how “American business can become a locomotive of global economic growth” after the war ends, according to a press release. He specifically thanked BlackRock, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs for their cooperation with Ukraine in the country’s plans for rebuilding after the war.
https://dailycaller.com/2023/01/24/zelenskyy-big-banks-ukraine-financial-support/
Of course no disinformation and misinformation would be spread by the West/USA…. It’s just all about loving your neighbour
Stalin killed millions of ethnic Ukrainians after WW2 he made Hitler look like an Angel, so there was some severe disturbance to the sociological make of Ukraine, not sure on the number of Ukrainians disposed of by Stalin maybe someone on this site could let me know 6 million Plus + ????
And those Russians in the Donbas happen to be there , not because they emigrated there, but because they had always lived there , for generations
It was Lenin who annexed if you like , that part of Russia into Ukraine in an attempt to balance Ukraine , so that it had an industrial base, and then proceeded to develop that industry further ., making Ukraine at the end of the Soviet Union a major producer of machinery and weapons
In the 1920's Ukraine expanded into Russia,.No one ever thought that Ukraine under a new putsch government would start hankering for NATO membership , denying Russian language rights and from 2014 attacking and killing Donbas rebels and citizens.
If only the Minsk agreements had been implemented, in good faith, none of this terrible death would be happening
If only Putin would accept the sovereign right of Ukraine, in good faith, none of this terrible death would be happening.
In the 1920's Stalin controlled everything. I am not sure how this is relevant to 2020.
The current President and govt was formed in 2019 by a strong majority in an election widely considered free and fair.
Which is would be the only rational response to Russia invading and annexing Crimea in 2014
Misrepresentation – anyone has the right to speak any language they like in Ukraine. Even Zelensky's native language is Russian. They simply made Ukrainian the official language. Exactly as almost all other nations do.
Which selectively ignores the 'little green men' and weapons Putin poured over the border in order to ensure conflict. And despite this, after a surge in late 2104 by 2020 the fighting had almost completely died down – so Putin seeing his proxy strategy of using Donbass separatists to gain territory – sent in the Russian military and war criminals like the Wagner thugs to complete the job.
In my view the entire conflict would not have happened if Putin had abided by the 1996 Belgrade Memorandum whereby Russia was obliged to protect Ukraine sovereignty.
This is misogyny, unacknowledged. There’s a lot of critique of drag Queen performance since it moved out of adult entertainment clubs. The principle also applies to AGP males/cross dressers since the shift trans women are literal women.
Calling drag womanface is also a problem because it confuses issues not well understood about black culture, but I think this tweets gets it right in how to make the point,
https://twitter.com/theblackcat02/status/1650927492797005824
Floridian Surgeon General caught altering COVID vaccine studies to fit his worldview:
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/24/florida-surgeon-general-covid-vaccine-00093510
Great to see Ardern getting a decent post at Harvard Uni, but I sure hope PM Hipkins taps her for something more directly in NZ"s interests before her plate fills up.
Too high an international player to see gone.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/ardern-announces-new-role-harvard-university
In her Instagram post, Ardern explained that the role would see her take up the first tech governance leadership fellow at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center and work with its research community.
She will also be involved in work around the growth of generative AI tools.
From the ODT:
"As part of her role, Harvard has revealed Ardern will be studying ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and also to examine artificial intelligence governance and algorithmic harms.
In her social media post, the former leader said she’d hinted at her plans to do "some speaking, teaching, and learning" alongside her previously announced jobs working as a special envoy to the Christchurch Call and joining the Earthshot board.
"Harvard have been a really important partner in the Christchurch Call work," said Ardern.
"My semester there later this year will also be an opportunity to take up the first tech governance leadership fellowship at the Berkman Klien Center."
Ardern said she will also be sharing her experiences at the historic university campus through her time speaking both in New Zealand and abroad."
Congratulations Jacinda on your appointment. Make sure you are not lost to the service of New Zealand.
Why is this acceptable? The laws must be changed to make taxation fair:
https://www.interest.co.nz/personal-finance/120924/revenue-minister-david-parker-says-ird-survey-showing-wealthy-kiwis-pay
And when many of us face in real terms diminishing value of homes/ kiwi saver etc, from the destructive impacts of inflation ? caused in part the result of govt policy and Reserve Bank action what then? The govt was warned of what the result of their momentary policy. Still they were happy to feed the beast then without implementing any measures to temper this action at the time. And now we see that they are trying to show some understanding ?? What about the likes of tax creep and other actions, all we hear is the need for the govt to increase the tax take. ?
They have SCREWED the population, and now for a bit of distraction in their attempt into holding power at all costs – And we have some who are being fooled into thinking that they are acting for their benefit. Where is the talk of what portion of the GDP should be captured by the govt by tax, duties etc then how and who pays ??
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300223358/reserve-bank-repeatedly-warned-government-money-printing-would-lead-to-house-price-inflation
You talk about making a loss in "real terms" on the value of your house or Kiwisaver.
Did the IRD make their calculation on real terms when they talk about capital gains or have they done in it "nominal terms"? I haven't found where they have actually released the report and have only seen what Parker claims is happening. He isn't saying.
If I owned shares worth $1 million and they paid me a dividend of $20K during the next year and at the end of the year the shares were worth $1.05 million I haven't made anything at all if inflation was 7.2% as it currently is.
I guess you would want to tax me on those spurious capital gains of $50,000 though would you?
Why should tax on CG be any different to tax on interest income?
After all interest merely maintains the value of the cash asset … .
With shares, there is both paid dividends and share value (over time) gain.
"After all interest merely maintains the value of the cash asset … ". That STATEMENT is CRAP. Interest currently for a 12 month term is 5.7%. Less tax depending upon your personal rate say 30% (earning 48-70k) an after tax rate of 4%. Inflation is guessed at to be 7%. So any deposit reduces in relative value !!!
I hope my little involvement has added to you to widen your knowledge 😇
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/households/household-inflation-expectations
https://www.asb.co.nz/term-investments?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIloHf2_rG_gIVh6GWCh3N2QBqEAAYASAAEgJKrPD_BwE&fm=header:menu:term_investments&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIloHf2_rG_gIVh6GWCh3N2QBqEAAYASAAEgJKrPD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!7833!3!655514953568!e!!g!!asb%20term%20deposit&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad=1
Pretty sad effort at misdirection to score an imaginary point.
Alwyn was objecting to payment of tax on any CG that was lower than the rate of inflation. Yet all interest income is already subject to income tax despite the fact it is lower than the inflation rate.
You made the comment that interest maintains the value- then you comment "Yet all interest income is already subject to income tax despite the fact it is lower than the inflation rate.' the 2 statements do not hold true under current economic conditions, and for the cash to maintain value – And I have shown this is not the case- Yet you are not willing to accept this. Try to be consistent in your comments ??
No, I said
Your parsing out of context, leads to irrelevancy.
Someone using that response to the facts about our tax regime, has interests to protect.
I'm guessing multiple property property ownership, and a vote for NACT, to restore the mortgage interest payment as a cost against rent income and to block any chance of a CG/land/wealth taxation.
And proposing an alliance with those on higher incomes who are most advantaged by a tax threshold adjustment and who have private health insurance and schooling (so do not care about underfunded public services).
And cry, blame government for inflation – when it's below the OECD average.
I note your main concern about inflation is that it reduces the value of property in real terms.
Your linked article is dated Feb 2021. Most of the increase in house prices from April 2020 to Dec 2021, occurred after February 2021. The correction in house prices Dec 2021 to March 2023 merely takes us back to Feb 2021.
So property values are still above where they were in March 2020.
History. 1976-1981 5 years of inflation and wage growth and a flatline to property values. We are currently building more houses than any time since the 1970's. So hopefully we can repeat that period and restore connection between incomes and property values. Those with altruism, empathy for others would want housing to become more affordable – not those who do not even want to pay tax on their CG and wealth.
The UK has higher home ownership than us and its increasing, ours is lower and still declining. Which society has a class system now?
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/43472
The RBG removed all criteria for borrowing from banks in 2020 and most of 2021 – only restoring them in November 2021.
20% for first home buyers and 40% for investors
Increasing from 10 to 15% new mortgage lending to owner-occupiers with deposits of less than 20 per cent.
Increasing from 5 to 10 per cent of a bank’s new mortgage lending to investors with deposits of less than 40 per cent.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/rbnz-proposes-easing-banks-mortgage-lending-restrictions/ARZYDVVBQVE35KJXH5I7UIV5S4/
+100
Needs a Standard post on tax all by itself.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131862801/richest-kiwis-pay-about-half-as-much-tax-on-the-dollar-as-everyone-else
Does that mean unrealised or realised capital gains? (I suspect unrealised gains)
If the owners of assets do not want to be taxed on unrealised capital gain they should be forced to sell the asset in question at the value before the unrealised gain was made.
For instance if a second house (not the owners main residence) increases in value from $500k to $1m then a CGT of 25% could apply i.e. CGT of $125k. If the owner chooses not to pay this then legislation should be enacted to force him to sell the house for $500k.
Second house, rented out. So what do you think would happen to the rents?
Say that gain is over 10yr, 12500$ per year or 240$ extra a week.
Why are you excluding the main residence as you call it? If you want to have a CGT then you should have it on everything shouldn't you? Or do you own a house and want to avoid paying taxes for your own assets?
The only people wealthy under that regime would be the valuers.
Imagine having to re-value every asset annually!
According to the (very once-over-lightly) discussion on RNZ this afternoon – it was unrealized (and therefore theoretical) capital gains.
And, almost certainly reflects the skyrocketing property market of the last 5+ years (with the heat still not taken out of it, by the drop in the last few months).
Really, this is not news. Mum and Dad who have owned their own home for the last 20 years, have also 'benefitted' from this skyrocketing notional capital gain. Their standard 3-bedroom-house is worth well north of 1 million.
Of course, if/when they sell (usually to downsize), they'll be buying in the same market – and will have little nest-egg left over (especially if they're going into the retirement village rort).
Given that they're well outside the bright-line test (and also if they live in the house) – their 'capital gain' will also be untaxed when they sell.
It sort of depends on how they identified "wealthy New Zealanders". I doubt it was home ownership itself.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/488705/wealthiest-paying-tax-at-much-lower-rate-than-most-other-new-zealanders-ird-report
From this article, Parker and the HWIRP are still not clear whether this is an actual capital gain (i.e. the HWI have sold the business, land, property, artwork or shares, and therefore this is 'real' cash in hand); or it is theoretical (the value of the business, land or shares, etc. has theoretically increased – so no actual cash in hand).
[My understanding from the tax expert interviewed on RNZ, is that it is the latter – a theoretical increase in value, rather than actual cash-in-hand]
If you wish to capture the former, then you're looking at a CGT (and, presumably, not just on high wealth individuals). No issue with valuation – the price paid is clear. However, the tax take is lumpy – only taken when the asset is sold.
If you wish to tax the latter, then you're looking at some form of wealth tax – with all the associated valuation issues: who estimates the value? how often? what happens if the value decreases (as house prices have over the last year)? what happens to the asset rich, but cash poor? (granny tax issue), etc.
You will be able to tell the Kiwiblog readers by their trained parrot responses.
DPF taught them to argue that a fair CGT should include the family home (there is no CGT regime in the OECD that includes the family home – because that is both unpopular and also unfair as it lowers equity in the home with every change in location – obstructs movement of labour).
Another one is inflation, and accounting for inflation to enable untaxed compound CG at the rate of inflation, to reduce the amount collected by a CGT.