I made the mistake of reading Damien Grant's latest column. Clearly he hasn't seen the properties that I've seen and that my kids and relatives have lived in that are owned by landlords. (Maybe he means that landlords aren't people).
People who own property take care of it. They maintain, improve, and treasure what is theirs.
Quite right tc. There is an extensive literature in human geography and anthropology around the notions of "home" and the distinction between "space" and "place" and the relative levels of attachment (love even) that we give to each. Damien Grant is a barbarian and a fool.
IMO People..like Damien Grant best avoided, unless a revisit confirms they are still the same patronising, superior, right wing jerk as ever.
There was, and always has been, more power with landlord/barons than tenants…ever.
Back in the day…got notice to move out (with very young family)..because the landlord wanted it for a "reason". (well it was Christmas…and he just needed it !)
You could imagine how hard it was to get somewhere at that time.
I know of many others in similar situations….
Labour for their faults… changed the balance to give more fairness to Tenants.( And I still think Labour did so many good things as per Darien Fentons list !)
The latest moves by NActFirst are just to again tighten the screws on Tenants.
"If you actually look at the reasons people can be evicted under the current regulatory scheme, I think it's very reasonable. You can evict somebody for not paying rent, or antisocial behaviour.
"I don't know if there are any more reasons that you should be allowed to evict somebody and I think National are actually saying we should trust landlords to act with impunity when it comes to people's livelihoods and their homes."
I somehow fluked out big time and have kept the same private rental for 26 years now, surviving one sale. But the flat before then, I lost with the 42 days notice, for the landlord to live in. Fortunately, in those days it was very much a tenant's market and I had numerous choices, so it wasn't a major disaster.
But because of that previous eviction, in 26 years I've never been able to relax, nor has this been my 'home.' Because it can happen again at anytime, no matter the government, or tenancy laws. But add to that the absolute terror that everyone in private rental has, that the next eviction- usually through no fault of their own- will literally mean homelessness, especially those of us at the low-socioeconomic end of the scale.
Although I qualify for social housing, one can't even apply till one is literally, or imminently homeless, and still expected to fight on the open market for rentals that just aren't there, or financially impossible (never mind the unofficial ban of renting to beneficiaries).
All governments of all stripes are responsible for this, be it dropping the ball on future housing needs, or deliberately selling off state housing. What I cannot work out is why homelessness and the social cost (read: hard-working tax payers money) of incarceration and avoidable hospitalisations, is somehow prudent financial management, and good for the economy? Since we all know it isn't, this really just boils down to successive governments total lack of empathy for anyone not 'successful' enough to pull up their bootstraps and become a respectable property owner.
I totally relate, and have full empathy for you. That terrible feeling of unease. No one should have to live under that. And re the "pull up your bootstraps".. you are a nice person. Wish you the best, and take care.
Damien Grant is a gormless libertarian dipshit who doesn't mind being "controversial" by being a mind bendingly dumb ideologue who pieces frequently fail the most basic journalistic and editorial standards.
And that is quite enough for the contemporary MSM to employ him on the grounds opinion abjures them from any requirement to apply basic journalistic and editorial standards.
All the while of course the insufferably pious owners of Stuff lecture us all about how important the MSM is and how we need to keep shovelling money at them because we need basic journalistic and editorial standards.
But.. but.. they're publishing opinions that "you sometimes disagree with. And that's healthy." Surely it's healthy for democracy to be presented with alternate realities? /s
"Stuff looks to publish a diverse range of opinions. Sometimes we'll publish opinions you disagree with. That's healthy.
Social media might create echo chambers. Good journalism should not.
Our policy is that our own journalists rarely write opinion pieces. Most of our commentary is from freelance writers or specialists. You can read more about Stuff's policy on managing opinion here."
By taking the bait and allowing his pieces to suck up too much oxygen and to waste too much emotional energy, people confirm his raison d’être and MO, the decisions and strategy by Stuff’s editors (their MO), and Stuff’s business model (stuff’s MO).
It appears that TS readers are, by and large, discerning people who don’t click willy-nilly on all & everything because as far as I can tell from the TS stats only a tiny fraction of all clicks from this site go to writings by Damien Grant.
Damien Grant is a red herring, a straw man who bounces dead cats on the table, and a useful idiot and agitator (aka stirrer) who leads the gullible and easily-offended on a wild goose chase and diverts attention away from things and views that are important and often more sensitive and inconvenient for the powers that be. Populist politicians make good use of these tricks and simple tools too.
For sure. I think Ive gained over a long time, an IMO reasonable handle on what and where to read on Politics.
Maybe a Political "Spidey Sense" : )
On here RNZ is…hated by some few ? And of course the Guardian !. Geez I still like both of them.
Of course there is that proving of the rule….whereby Wall Street Journal , Forbes , even the Herald.. have some story that interests me without an overwhelming RW bias.
I would say applying critical thinking is useful. And knowing when to not even go there !
Oh and thanks for linking Newsroom and Steve Braunias on
The rental property 2 down from us has been owned by the same landlord for many years. He has done nothing to maintain the property in at least the last 10 years. It meets none of the healthy homes standards, the bathroom is so rotten it is about to fall off the side of the house. He has taken the $$$ from the property, but put nothing back in.
His last lot of tenants were a major blight on the neighbourhood. However, he would not do anything about them because he would have had to do work on the place before he could re-let it.
His tenants had screaming matches in the back yard at 1am, noisy parties regularly, lots of car doors slamming at 4am and several visits from the Police. Their neglected animals scavenged from local properties.
Finally – after neighbors got the landlord's phone number and rang him every time there was a disturbance, and the tenants stopped paying rent, he got them evicted. 4 big "Junk to Go" trucks cleared the rubbish, and we kept their flea ridden and malnourished kitten.
The place is such a mess that even with clearance of rubbish and jungle vegetation, it has not sold in 2 months on the market.
A perfect example of why private landlords, alongside property managers, need mandatory registration with very real-world consequences of their actions/lack thereof.
I presume that the landlord is now (and has been for the last year or so), reaping the consequences of their behaviour:
Regular calls over unacceptable behaviour from their tenants (personal annoyance factor)
Mandatory insulation, etc. requirements for a new rental period (so a huge amount needing to be spent). Clearly has made the call that it will cost too much, so is selling.
Unable to be rented until the work is done – so empty until sold – no income.
Missed the boat on the best time to sell – with a stagnant property market this property is unlikely to attract serious offers. May have to sell at a substantial (paper loss) or hold onto it (with no income) for some time.
Likely only to be of interest to developers (who are not splashing out money ATM), or someone after a basement bargain to renovate.
Whereas a 'good' landlord would have kept the property in good condition, therefore attracting better tenants (probably paying more). And, if they had to sell, would have chosen the time, been able to attract better offers, and/or been able to hold off until the market improves.
Note: Most of what you and the OP are complaining about is the behaviour of the tenants. And, while the landlord could (and probably should) have booted them out earlier – that just shifts the problem onto the state system.
Not sure what you mean by tenancy services? But if you are next door to a rental – and the tenants are behaving badly – then you can absolutely call the landlord.
I believe there has just been a case where KO was rapped over the knuckles for not acting effectively over neighbour complaints covering some years.
If you are tenant, there are ways to make a complain via TS. I was asking if people can make a complaint about a substandard rental if they are not the tenant eg a family member, neighbour, visitor. I'm thinking of where there is a gross breach of standards.
Hmm. I'd still be surprised in an unrelated third party could make a complaint. At least formally – maybe a word under the table could result in an inspection.
[Edit, DMK has now found that this is possible]
Although, possibly the tenancy might have fallen into the 'not yet renewed’ category, so the new HHS standards don't yet apply. Indeed it was probably the need to upgrade to these which would have triggered the sale listing.
I can envisage someone needing care and protection having a third party intervene: e.g. IHC intervention on their behalf; but I'd think that most people would be highly resentful of a busy-body neighbour intervening in their rental arrangements.
And, as I said above, most of the complaints were about the tenants' (and possibly guests) behaviour, rather than the landlord's.
I can envisage someone needing care and protection having a third party intervene: e.g. IHC intervention on their behalf; but I'd think that most people would be highly resentful of a busy-body neighbour intervening in their rental arrangements.
Probably because you are looking at it from a private contract pov, whereas I'm looking at it from the public good side.
Someone living in a grossly substandard rental and too afraid to say anything because the nature of the housing crisis means they might end up homeless may need someone else to intervene. There should be some protections in place but of course it is still possible that a tenant could be evicted because the landlord doesn't want to meet the standards set by law.
Not sure whether they're talking about Route 4370 or not but still, apartheid.
@theferocity.bsky.social
WOW. “The soldier replied, "It's an order-this is a Jews-only road." "It is his responsibility to know it, and besides, what do you want us to do, put up a sign here and let some anti-Semitic reporter or journalist take a photo so that he can show the world that apartheid exists here?”
Last night thousands of Israelis protested in cities across Israel demanding an end to the war, a return of hostages held by Hamas, Netenyahu's resignation, and new elections.
Protests are happening in Beersheba, Kfar Saba, Caesaria, Herzliya, Netanya, Zikhron Ya'acov, and Tel Aviv – with the largest and main protest is happening on Kaplan Street.
These ads were apparently produced under Luxon's watch at Unilever. Somehow this doesn't seem surprising. Thanks to Nick for digging these out.
We so, so, so need a new series of "A week of it".
Introducing the Mama's Boy doll, The Wuss doll and the Suck Up doll.
"This is not your generic deodorant advertising where you usually grab a sports star and say, 'Insert your product here, " Luxon says. "Unilever has been embracing risk."
You could even buy the dolls. Some of these floating around parliament would be great.
“And, oh yes, that’s the best part : the dolls are for real, you can actually order two of them online (only US residents however). This concept takes Branded Entertainment to an entirely new level.
Unilever digged deep in their pockets to promote the concept : a Mama’s Boy video clip even aired during the Superbowl event : you can watch it on the site”
And it had fake job adverts as well. I would have thought this cringy back in 2005.
Dull Co. is dedicated to fighting the forces of stress by avoiding risk altogether. As a first step to fulfilling this mission, we have developed the In-Action Heroes. Mama's Boy, the Suck-Up, and the Wuss embody our belief in living a life free of challenge and risk.
We look forward to continuing to service men who support our philosophy – men who live with their moms, suck up to their bosses, and totally avoid confrontation – with more products in the future.
If you are a man of action, our products are not for you. If you do take risks, there's new Degree for Men. With twice the protection you need, it won't let you down.
Do you hate to speak up at meetings? Are you an outstanding butt kisser? Then Dull Co. may be the place for you – free of risk and any shot at upward mobility.
At Dull Co., we provide each of our employees with a shared cubicle tucked safely in our maze-like office. And the coffee is always lukewarm (decaf, of course).
Mediocre Middle Manager
Looking for an extremely agreeable middle manager with no aspirations whatsoever. The browner the nose the better. Absolutely no skills required.
Paper Pusher
Seeking an office professional who can stare at stacks of paper all day long. May be required to move them from one pile to another from time to time.
Yes Man
Do you lack original thoughts? Is "Yes" your middle name? Then we have the right job for you. Yes, we do. Oh yeah.
Please don't send us your resume. That would be too risky. Don't call us and we won't call you.
NASA Launches Small Climate Satellite to Study Earth’s Poles [25 May 2024]
The agency’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission consists of two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, that will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the PREFIRE mission will help researchers better predict how Earth’s ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world.
That data should improve the accuracy of estimates of spaceship Earth's energy imbalance, i.e. more heat in than out, and predictions of global warming.
Spencer Weart has compiled a comprehensive and (imho) readable online resource on the history of scientific research on global warming. The flaws and precarity of some early research stood out to me, and they bedevil the human project still.
"To a patient scientist, the unfolding greenhouse mystery is far more exciting than the plot of the best mystery novel. But it is slow reading, with new clues sometimes not appearing for several years. Impatience increases when one realizes that it is not the fate of some fictional character, but of our planet and species, which hangs in the balance as the great carbon mystery unfolds at a seemingly glacial pace."
— D. Schindler, 1999
By the late 1970s global temperatures had begun to rise again. Since the late 1950s some climate scientists had been predicting that an unprecedented global warming would become apparent around the year 2000. Their worries finally caught wide public attention in the summer of 1988, the hottest on record till then. Computer modeler James Hansen made headlines when he told a Congressional hearing and journalists that greenhouse warming was almost certainly underway. And a major international meeting of scientists in Toronto called on governments to undertake active steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The response was vehement. Corporations and individuals who opposed all government regulation began to spend millions of dollars on lobbying, advertising, and "reports" that mimicked scientific publications, striving to convince the public that there was no problem at all. Environmental groups, less wealthy but more enthusiastic, helped politicize the issue with urgent cries of alarm. The many scientific uncertainties, and the sheer complexity of climate, made room for limitless debate over what actions, if any, governments should take.
…
If every nation met its target, what would they achieve? The science remained stubbornly imprecise, for the global climate system is a tangle of many interacting influences. Scientists did agree that without stronger and prolonged efforts we were most likely to get a rise approaching 3°C or more above the temperatures that had prevailed through human history. That would be a desperately wounded world, where it would be difficult to sustain a civilization that was anywhere prosperous and peaceful. And we would face a small but real risk of triggering unstoppable heating to a level where it would be difficult to sustain any civilization at all.
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On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Since entering office, National has unravelled practically every climate policy, leaving us with no effective way of reducing emissions or meeting our emissions budgets beyond magical thinking around the ETS. And today they've announced another step: removing agriculture entirely. At present, following the complete failure of he waka eka noa, ...
The blue billionaireDistraction no interactionOr movement outside these glazed over eyesThe new great divideFew fight the tide to be glorifiedBut will he be satisfied?Can we accept this without zoom?The elephant in the roomNot much happens in politics on a Monday. Bugger all in fact. Although yesterday Christopher Luxon found he ...
What if New Zealand threw a fossil fuel party, and nobody came? On the weekend, Resources Minister Shane Jones sent out the invitations and strung up the balloons, but will anyone really want to invest big time in resuming oil and gas exploration in our corner of the planet? Yes, ...
This is a guest post by Meredith Dale, senior urban designer and strategist at The Urban Advisory.There’s a saying that goes something like: ‘what you measure is what you value’. An RNZ article last week claimed that Auckland was ‘hurting’ because of a more affordable supply of homes, particularly townhouses ...
A Prime Minister directs his public service to inquire into the actions of the opposition political party which is his harshest critic. Something from Orban's Hungary, or Putin's Russia? No, its happening right here in Aotearoa: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Public Service Commission will launch an ...
This is a repost from a Yale Climate Connections article by SueEllen Campbell published on June 3, 2024. The articles listed can help you tell fact from fiction when it comes to solar and wind energy. Some statements you hear about solar and wind energy are just plain false. ...
Politics were going on all around us yesterday, and we barely noticed, rolling along canal paths, eating baguettes. It wasn’t until my mate got to the headlines last night that we learned there had been a dismayingly strong far right result in the EU elections and Macron had called a ...
Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance? There may well have been 50,000 pairs of feet “Marching For Nature” down Auckland’s Queen Street on Saturday afternoon, but the figure that impresses the Coalition Government is the 1,450,000 pairs of Auckland feet that were somewhere else.IN THE ERA OF DRONES and Artificial Intelligence, ...
Selwyn Manning and I discuss varieties of post colonial blowback and the implications its has for the rise of the Global South. Counties discussed include Palestine/Israel, France/New Caledonia, England/India, apartheid/post-apartheid South Africa and post-colonial New Zealand. It is a bit … Continue reading → ...
Victims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...
The lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...
“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...
Today marks the beginning of Schools Pride Week in New Zealand, an important calendar event largely run by rainbow rangitahi to advocate for safer, more inclusive school environments. ...
The Government’s announcement of a roadshow consultation on work health and safety is a smokescreen for its plan to throw out regulations which keep workers safe. ...
The Government has reportedly scrapped a policy that would have gone far to fix gender and ethnic pay gaps and instead is implementing a watered-down voluntary system. ...
The Government knew its changes to the school lunch programme would risk achievement, attendance, nutrition and wellbeing of New Zealand children, as well as having wider impacts on reducing child poverty, and made the changes anyway, new documents show. ...
Two months have passed since the National Government said it was a question of ”when, not if” New Zealand would recognise Palestine, in response to Labour’s call. ...
Today the coalition government has announced that a select committee inquiry into banking competition will be led by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.New Zealand First campaigned to take on foreign owned banks, and we committed to that in our coalition agreement by ensuring the inquiry has a broad ...
The National Government is doing everything it can to delay taking action on climate as it announces that years of work on agricultural emissions will start from scratch. ...
Tens of thousands of people showed up to have their voices heard and march against National’s unpopular Fast Track Approvals Bill in Auckland over the weekend. ...
The Government deciding to lift the oil and gas ban in the middle of a climate crisis is a severe step backwards that will have serious consequences for our future. ...
This week the Justice Select Committee has heard numerous submissions on the removal of Māori Wards. “I am feeling invigorated by the powerful oral submissions that I have heard throughout the week.” Said Local Government spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “People from all facets of life: whānau Māori, whānau Pākehā, rangatahi, kaumātua, ...
Today’s March for Nature sends a clear message that our country is deeply against the Fast Track Approvals Bill proceeding because the cost to the environment would be unacceptable. ...
The recent attacks on Te Pāti Māori and its MP’s are part of a continuing narrative of attack on all matters Māori. If we could respond to baseless inuendo we would. If there is any evidence then show us so we have a reason to engage in a conversation. The ...
The Government’s move to pour billions into potholes whilst remaining inactive on climate change does nothing to solve our transport system's core problems. ...
“The Government needs to provide leadership for New Zealand’s mental health sector, which appears to have lost out in the Budget despite the promises Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey made on the campaign trail,” said Labour mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s announcement that would see some workers’ entitlement to sick leave reduce flies in the face of yet another promise National made during the election campaign. ...
Cutting a third of the staff at Ministry for the Environment will undermine years of work to clean up our fresh water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and leave us unprepared for a changing climate. ...
School attendance data released today shows an increase in the number of students regularly attending school to 61.7 per cent in term one. This compares to 59.5 per cent in term one last year and 53.6 per cent in term four. “It is encouraging to see more children getting to ...
The Government has announced a record 41 per cent increase in indicative funding for public transport services and operations, and confirmed the rollout of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) that will enable contactless debit and credit card payments starting this year in Auckland, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This Government is ...
GDP figures for the March quarter reinforce the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows GDP has risen 0.2 per cent for the quarter to March. “While today’s data is technically in ...
Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 per cent or above for the fourth consecutive year, with women holding 53.9 per cent of public sector board roles, Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston says. “This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done. To ...
The Coalition Government is supporting Māori to boost development and the Māori economy through investment in projects that benefit the regions, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “As the Regional Development Minister, I am focused on supporting Māori to succeed. The Provincial Growth Fund ...
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced that the review into better managing the risks of earthquake-prone buildings has commenced. “The terms of reference published today demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring we get the balance right between public safety and costs to building owners,” Mr Penk says. “The Government ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has just finished a successful three-day visit to Japan, where he strengthened political relationships and boosted business links. Mr Luxon’s visit culminated in a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio followed by a state dinner. “It was important for me to meet Prime Minister Kishida in person ...
Significant business deals have been closed during the visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Japan this week, including in the areas of space, renewable energy and investment. “Commercial deals like this demonstrate that we don’t just export high-quality agricultural products to Japan, but also our world-class technology, expertise, and ...
Minasan, konnichiwa, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today and thank you to our friends at the Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies and NEC for making this event possible today. It gives me great pleasure to be here today, speaking with ...
The National Infrastructure Pipeline, which provides a national view of current or planned infrastructure projects, from roads, to water infrastructure, to schools, and more, has climbed above $120 billion, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. “Our Government is investing a record amount in modern infrastructure that Kiwis can rely on as ...
The Government is modernising the Public Works Act to make it easier to build infrastructure, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk announced today. An independent panel will undertake an eight-week review of the Act and advise on common sense changes to enable large scale public works to be built faster and ...
New Zealand will enhance its defence contributions to monitoring violations of sanctions against North Korea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. The enhancement will see the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) increase its contributions to North Korea sanctions monitoring, operating out of Japan. “This increase reflects the importance New Zealand ...
Good afternoon everyone. It’s great to be with you all today before we wrap up Day One of the annual Safeguard National Health and Safety Conference. Thank you to the organisers and sponsors of this conference, for the chance to talk to you about the upcoming health and safety consultation. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone for the Ōtaki to north of Levin Road of National Significance (RoNS), following the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) signing interim alliance agreements with two design and construction teams who will develop and ultimately build the new expressway.“The Government’s priority for transport ...
The Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is making a significant upgrade to their Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System, which blocks access to websites known to host child sexual abuse material, says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “The Department will incorporate the up-to-date lists of websites hosting child sexual ...
A vaccine to prevent an infectious disease that costs New Zealand cattle farmers more than $190 million each year could radically improve the health of our cows and boost on-farm productivity, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says. The Ministry for Primary Industries is backing a project that aims to develop ...
The Government has today announced that it is making it easier for people to build granny flats, Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop say. “Making it easier to build granny flats will make it more affordable for families to live the way that suits them ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Auckland King’s Counsel Gregory Peter Blanchard as a High Court Judge. Justice Blanchard attended the University of Auckland from 1991 to 1995, graduating with an LLB (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (English). He was a solicitor with the firm that is now Dentons ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says new data released today shows encouraging growth in the health workforce, with a continued increase in the numbers of doctors, nurses and midwives joining Health New Zealand. “Frontline healthcare workers are the beating heart of the healthcare system. Increasing and retaining our health workforce ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has today announced a comprehensive programme to reform New Zealand's outdated and complicated firearms laws. “The Arms Act has been in place for over 40 years. It has been amended several times – in a piecemeal, and sometimes rushed way. This has resulted in outdated ...
The coalition Government is delivering record levels of targeted investment in specialist schools so children with additional needs can thrive. As part of Budget 24, $89 million has been ringfenced to redevelop specialist facilities and increase satellite classrooms for students with high needs. This includes: $63 million in depreciation funding ...
A substantial consultation on work health and safety will begin today with a roadshow across the regions over the coming months, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden. This the first step to deliver on the commitment to reforming health and safety law and regulations, set out in ...
Forestry Minister Todd McClay, today announced the start of the Government’s plan to restore certainty and confidence in the forestry and wood processing sector. “This government will drive investment to unlock the industry’s economic potential for growth,” Mr McClay says. “Forestry’s success is critical to rebuilding New Zealand’s economy, boosting ...
Annual service charges in the forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will be cancelled for 2023/24, Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. “The sector has told me the costs imposed on forestry owners by the previous government were excessive and unreasonable and I agree,” Mr McClay says. “They have said that there ...
Introduction Thank you for having me here today and welcome to Wellington, the home of the Hurricanes, the next Super Rugby champions. Infrastructure – the challenge This government has inherited a series of big challenges in infrastructure. I don’t need to tell an audience as smart as this one that ...
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard welcomed outcomes to boost agricultural and food trade between New Zealand and China. A number of documents were signed today at Government House that will improve the business environment between New Zealand and China, and help reduce barriers, including on infant formula ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay, and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, today announced the official launch of Negotiations on Services Trade between the two countries. “The Government is focused on opening doors for services exporters to grow the New Zealand’s economy,” Mr McClay says. As part of the 2022 New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Upgrade ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Government House in Wellington today. “I was pleased to welcome Premier Li to Wellington for his first official visit, which marks 10 years since New Zealand and China established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Mr Luxon says. “The Premier and ...
The coalition Government is taking action to reduce the gender pay gap in New Zealand through the development of a voluntary calculation tool. “Gender pay gaps have impacted women for decades, which is why we need to continue to drive change in New Zealand,” Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston ...
The coalition Government is boosting funding for Rural Support Trusts to provide more help to farmers and growers under pressure, Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced today. “A strong and thriving agricultural sector is crucial to the New Zealand economy and one of the ways to support it is to ...
Spending on contractors and consultants continues to fall and the size of the Public Service workforce has started to decrease after years of growth, according to the latest data released today by the Public Service Commission. Workforce data for the quarter from 31 December 23 to 31 March 24 shows ...
Thank you to the Law Association for inviting me to speak this morning. As a former president under its previous name — the Auckland District Law Society — I take particular satisfaction in seeing this organisation, and its members, in such good heart. As Attorney-General, I am grateful for these ...
New Zealand is committed to working closely with Timor-Leste to support its prosperity and resilience, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “This year is the 25th anniversary of New Zealand sending peacekeepers to Timor-Leste, who contributed to the country’s stabilisation and ultimately its independence,” Mr Peters says. “A quarter ...
Promoting robust competition in the banking sector is vital to rebuilding the economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “New Zealanders deserve a banking sector that is as competitive as possible. Banking services play an important role in our communities and in the economy. Kiwis rely on access to lending when ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have today announced a regulatory sector review on the approval process for new agricultural and horticultural products. “Red tape stops farmers and growers from getting access to products that have been approved by other OECD countries. ...
The Coalition Government will reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions by 1 July 2025 through a new Land Transport Rule released for public consultation today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. The draft speed limit rule will deliver on the National-ACT coalition commitment to reverse the previous government’s blanket speed limit ...
Minister Paul Goldsmith is making major leadership changes within both his Arts and Media portfolios. “I am delighted to announce Carmel Walsh will be officially stepping into the role of Chair of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, having been acting Chair since April,” Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Carmel is ...
Food and fibre export revenue is tipped to reach $54.6 billion this year and hit a record $66.6b in 2028 as the Government focuses on getting better access to markets and cutting red tape, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones say. “This achievement is testament ...
A new export exemption proposal for food businesses demonstrates the coalition Government’s commitment to reducing regulatory barriers for industry and increasing the value of New Zealand exports, which gets safe New Zealand food to more markets, says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The coalition Government has listened to the concerns ...
New Zealand and Philippines are continuing to elevate our relationship, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The leaders of New Zealand and Philippines agreed in April 2024 to lift our relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026,” Mr Peters says. “Our visit to Manila this week has been an excellent ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Kirkland, Professor of Geochronology, Curtin University Lukas Gojda / Shutterstock Our planet was born around 4.5 billion years ago. To understand this mind-bendingly long history, we need to study rocks and the minerals they are made of. The oldest rocks ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra No one doubts Peter Dutton has a huge task to sell his radical nuclear plan, with many experts throwing buckets of cold water over it. But on Thursday the opposition leader received some welcome backing. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jordana Hunter, School Education Program Director, Grattan Institute The Victorian Auditor-General has just released an audit of Victoria’s A$1.2 billion tutoring program designed to help struggling students post-COVID. The report found the program “did not significantly improve students’ learning compared to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Khomyn, Lecturer, University of Adelaide Jonathan Borba/Pexels The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has just seen the listing of its first bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund – “ETF” for short. Issued by investment management firm VanEck, the new investment product is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alana Lentin, Professor in Cultural and Social Analysis, Western Sydney University Prudence Upton/Sydney Theatre Company Anchuli Felicia King’s new one-performer piece, American Signs, written for the talented Catherine Văn-Davies, thrusts us into the world of a campus hire at “The Firm”, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University Among the many sayings attributed to Winston Churchill is, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This sentiment seems appropriate as Israel potentially appears ...
New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) have voiced concerns about Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora restricting the employment of graduate nurses into their workforce due to budget constraints. ...
The NZCTU is slamming a decision by the Government in Budget 2024 to cut a programme which ensured that disabled workers are paid the minimum wage. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Martin Lisner/Shutterstock It is very difficult to take Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear announcement seriously. His proposal for seven nuclear power stations is, at present, legally impossible, technically improbable, economically ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Mobility, Public Safety & Disaster Risk, UNSW Sydney Each year, millions of Muslims from across the world embark on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The mass migration is unparalleled in scale, and pilgrims ...
The Committee has recommended that the Bill be passed with minor amendments. The bill will create 12 new high protection areas, 5 new seafloor protection areas and 2 extensions to existing marine reserves. ...
“The Green Party campaigned on protecting 30 percent of our oceans. We will continue to fight for our marine environment so it can be enjoyed across future generations,” says Marama Davidson. ...
We asked public organisations for an update on their response to the recommendations in our 2022 report Improving value through better Crown entity monitoring. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After beating a first-term South Australian Liberal government in 2022, Labor premier Peter Malinauskas has gone on to be a reform advocate on issues including social media and politcal donations. His government is looking ...
The economy keeps limping along, and people keep getting poorer. GDP per capita has fallen yet again, and it's now been in freefall for well over a year. ...
Alex Casey and Tara Ward look back at the best and brightest New Zealanders to appear in the greatest reality franchise of all time. It’s the hugely addictive reality show with a little bit of everything. “It’s got the high octane Hell’s Kitchen action in the chef’s galley, the nouveau ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Galloway, Professor of Law and Social Justice, Australian Catholic University Commonwealth Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has announced that the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) would review the Native Title Act to “rectify any inefficacy, inequality or unfairness”. The purpose of the ...
COMMENTARY:By Nick Rockel in Tāmaki Makaurau This morning I did something I seldom do, I looked at the Twitter newsfeed. Normally I take the approach of something that I’m not sure is an American urban legend, or genuinely something kids do over there. The infamous bag of dog poo ...
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) has issued the government a "letter of demand" for complicity with Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. ...
You might say the best way not to be an arsehole is to avoid leaving any notes on cars, but if you must, here’s the etiquette. A fun fact that never fails to make me laugh is that something like 90% of drivers believe they’re in the top 5% of ...
Criminal justice advocacy group JustSpeak and human rights movement Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand are raising alarm bells about the social justice issues highlighted in this year’s data. ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist All parties, including West Papuan pro-independence fighters who took Phillip Mehrtens hostage, want the New Zealand pilot released but freeing him is “complicated”. In February 2023, Mehrtens, a husband and father from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian airline, Susi Air, when he landed his ...
The current coalition not lasting beyond this parliamentary term is an idea that’s been seized on by its opponents. History suggests it’s unlikely – but not impossible. Gabi Lardies explains.‘We have a very good chance of making this a one-term government,” said Labour leader Chris Hipkins at his party’s ...
FIRST Union members at St John have voted to take further strike action that commences today, with the aim of seeking public support for a fully functioning ambulance service before industrial action intensifies to the point of withdrawing labour. ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s security forces have arrested eight people believed to be involved in the organisation of pro-independence-related riots that broke out in the French Pacific territory last month. The eight include leaders of the so-called Field Action Coordinating Cell (CCAT), a ...
New Zealand air traffic controller trainees who previously spent up to 18 months training without being treated or paid as employees will now be considered employees ...
Close to a million artefacts found in post-quake Christchurch are now available to be viewed by the public. Alex Casey speaks to the founder of Museum of Archeology Ōtautahi.Charles Henry Cox would’ve got away with it, if it hadn’t been for those damn meddling archeologists. The talented grifter proudly ...
The director and actor shares what it means to commit to the work.Anapela Polataivao ONZM is an award-winning director and actor. She is a recipient of the Arts Foundation New Generation Award (2014), the Contemporary Pacific Art Award (2019), and Best Director at the Auckland Theatre Awards (2016). Her ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Byrne, Honorary Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne When British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the UK general election outside 10 Downing Street in the pouring rain last month, the ignominy of the moment was compounded ...
I’m a vegan who adores vegetables and he’s a big meat-eater totally suspicious of them. Help me! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzKia ora Hera,I need my partner to eat some vegetables and I don’t know how.I have a lovely partner: he’s caring, supportive and meets me where ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology algre/Shutterstock Just last year, data suggested plug-in hybrid cars were on the way out in Australia. But they’re back. New data shows plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids combined have overtaken ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Schofield, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Environment and Sustainability), The University of Melbourne ESA Communications companies such as Starlink plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites into orbit around Earth over the next decade or so. The growing swarm ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ganna Pogrebna, Executive Director, AI and Cyber Futures Institute, Charles Sturt University Shutterstock In the ever-evolving online gaming landscape, one seemingly simple online game has captivated players. The free-to-play clicker Banana has amassed more than 850,000 concurrent players on the gaming ...
Data this morning will reveal whether or not the country has pulled out of recession, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Have ...
There is no suggestion the contents of Seymour’s messages were inappropriate, but some of his former correspondents say the interactions shouldn’t have happened The post Seymour fronts up on Snapchats with school kids appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Never fear! The rogue Māori is here! To be honest I’m pretty fūcken peeved at having to join the chorus, late, of witless Pākehā who have thoughts on Paul Moon’s book Ans Westra: A Life In Photography. Steve Braunias is all right, we are friends, but I wasn’t happy about ...
A housing minister willing to publicly discuss house price falls is encouraging, but true affordability is likely to remain a long way off, writes Max Rashbrooke. House prices must always rise. For as long as I can recall, this has been one of the core assumptions of Kiwi politics. It ...
Lange and Muldoon clash, two days after the election. Our live updates editor is on the case. In a ranking of the most dramatic, unhinged days in New Zealand politics, July 16, 1984 would be right up there. David Lange would later call the day “perhaps the most extraordinary of ...
Nicola Willis has confirmed five agencies were externally reviewed ahead of Budget 2024 due to concerns their efforts to make savings hadn’t gone far enough. She told members of the finance and expenditure select committee “rapid reviews” for education, social development, environment, police (head office) and the Ministry of Business ...
Health and education saw the biggest increases in spending after tax cuts in the Budget, with housing and tertiary education facing the largest cuts The post Who got Budget cash and who lost it appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The debt owed by hundreds of thousands of people to government agencies has soared in recent years but a plan to tackle it has been put on hold. Figures from the Ministry of Social Development show that total debt has climbed by more than $1 billion since 2018 to $2.61 ...
Opinion: According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, a record 117.3 million peoples were forcibly displaced at the end of 2023 due to conflict, violence, or climate-related disasters. This is nearly equivalent to the populations of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia combined. Alarmingly, the number of forcibly displaced peoples ...
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Opinion: Most of us know that getting old is not for the faint-hearted, but readers may not know that older New Zealanders who aren’t well-off are better provided for than children growing up in poor families. To our shame, at least 150,000 children live below the lowest poverty line ...
MARTINA SALMON – PULSE From out of the netball wilderness, Martina Salmon has been the unexpected rock at the end of the court for the Pulse – and may prove to be the revelation of the season. The Auckland-born, Australian-raised Salmon took on the goal shoot bib when Silver Fern ...
The Government is trying to incentivise tertiary completion rates by shifting fees free to the final year, but hasn’t based this decision on any hard evidence The post No hard data to back up fees-free final year change appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra New ABC chair Kim Williams has said the public broadcaster should become a reimagined “National Campfire”, fostering a stronger sense of community togetherness and conversation in a world increasingly fragmented by social media. Williams ...
Asia Pacific Report French police and gendarmes force were deployed around the political headquarters of the pro-independence Caledonian Union in Kanaky New Caledonia’s Nouméa suburb of Magenta in a crackdown today. The public prosecutor confirmed that eight protesters had been arrested, including the leader of the CCAT action groups, Christian ...
I made the mistake of reading Damien Grant's latest column. Clearly he hasn't seen the properties that I've seen and that my kids and relatives have lived in that are owned by landlords. (Maybe he means that landlords aren't people).
People who own property take care of it. They maintain, improve, and treasure what is theirs.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350287662/damien-grant-what-do-problem-kainga-ora
He smudges the level a property someone owns and occupies gets maintained versus the level an investment property gets.
Another useful tool with a checkered past on the integrity front.
Quite right tc. There is an extensive literature in human geography and anthropology around the notions of "home" and the distinction between "space" and "place" and the relative levels of attachment (love even) that we give to each. Damien Grant is a barbarian and a fool.
IMO People..like Damien Grant best avoided, unless a revisit confirms they are still the same patronising, superior, right wing jerk as ever.
There was, and always has been, more power with landlord/barons than tenants…ever.
Back in the day…got notice to move out (with very young family)..because the landlord wanted it for a "reason". (well it was Christmas…and he just needed it !)
You could imagine how hard it was to get somewhere at that time.
I know of many others in similar situations….
Labour for their faults… changed the balance to give more fairness to Tenants.( And I still think Labour did so many good things as per Darien Fentons list !)
The latest moves by NActFirst are just to again tighten the screws on Tenants.
I somehow fluked out big time and have kept the same private rental for 26 years now, surviving one sale. But the flat before then, I lost with the 42 days notice, for the landlord to live in. Fortunately, in those days it was very much a tenant's market and I had numerous choices, so it wasn't a major disaster.
But because of that previous eviction, in 26 years I've never been able to relax, nor has this been my 'home.' Because it can happen again at anytime, no matter the government, or tenancy laws. But add to that the absolute terror that everyone in private rental has, that the next eviction- usually through no fault of their own- will literally mean homelessness, especially those of us at the low-socioeconomic end of the scale.
Although I qualify for social housing, one can't even apply till one is literally, or imminently homeless, and still expected to fight on the open market for rentals that just aren't there, or financially impossible (never mind the unofficial ban of renting to beneficiaries).
All governments of all stripes are responsible for this, be it dropping the ball on future housing needs, or deliberately selling off state housing. What I cannot work out is why homelessness and the social cost (read: hard-working tax payers money) of incarceration and avoidable hospitalisations, is somehow prudent financial management, and good for the economy? Since we all know it isn't, this really just boils down to successive governments total lack of empathy for anyone not 'successful' enough to pull up their bootstraps and become a respectable property owner.
I totally relate, and have full empathy for you. That terrible feeling of unease. No one should have to live under that. And re the "pull up your bootstraps".. you are a nice person. Wish you the best, and take care.
Thanks PL.A. Appreciate your kind words![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png)
Damien Grant is a gormless libertarian dipshit who doesn't mind being "controversial" by being a mind bendingly dumb ideologue who pieces frequently fail the most basic journalistic and editorial standards.
And that is quite enough for the contemporary MSM to employ him on the grounds opinion abjures them from any requirement to apply basic journalistic and editorial standards.
All the while of course the insufferably pious owners of Stuff lecture us all about how important the MSM is and how we need to keep shovelling money at them because we need basic journalistic and editorial standards.
Ah, that was a great descriptor of Damian and his mindset ! I have been reading Newsroom a bit lately, seem to have some good pieces.
But.. but.. they're publishing opinions that "you sometimes disagree with. And that's healthy." Surely it's healthy for democracy to be presented with alternate realities? /s
"Stuff looks to publish a diverse range of opinions. Sometimes we'll publish opinions you disagree with. That's healthy.
Social media might create echo chambers. Good journalism should not.
Our policy is that our own journalists rarely write opinion pieces. Most of our commentary is from freelance writers or specialists. You can read more about Stuff's policy on managing opinion here."
By taking the bait and allowing his pieces to suck up too much oxygen and to waste too much emotional energy, people confirm his raison d’être and MO, the decisions and strategy by Stuff’s editors (their MO), and Stuff’s business model (stuff’s MO).
It appears that TS readers are, by and large, discerning people who don’t click willy-nilly on all & everything because as far as I can tell from the TS stats only a tiny fraction of all clicks from this site go to writings by Damien Grant.
Damien Grant is a red herring, a straw man who bounces dead cats on the table, and a useful idiot and agitator (aka stirrer) who leads the gullible and easily-offended on a wild goose chase and diverts attention away from things and views that are important and often more sensitive and inconvenient for the powers that be. Populist politicians make good use of these tricks and simple tools too.
For sure. I think Ive gained over a long time, an IMO reasonable handle on what and where to read on Politics.
Maybe a Political "Spidey Sense" : )
On here RNZ is…hated by some few ? And of course the Guardian !. Geez I still like both of them.
Of course there is that proving of the rule….whereby Wall Street Journal , Forbes , even the Herald.. have some story that interests me without an overwhelming RW bias.
I would say applying critical thinking is useful. And knowing when to not even go there !
Oh and thanks for linking Newsroom and Steve Braunias on
Mr Braunias has an extremely dry wit. I have liked his earlier "Secret Diary" works : )
The rental property 2 down from us has been owned by the same landlord for many years. He has done nothing to maintain the property in at least the last 10 years. It meets none of the healthy homes standards, the bathroom is so rotten it is about to fall off the side of the house. He has taken the $$$ from the property, but put nothing back in.
His last lot of tenants were a major blight on the neighbourhood. However, he would not do anything about them because he would have had to do work on the place before he could re-let it.
His tenants had screaming matches in the back yard at 1am, noisy parties regularly, lots of car doors slamming at 4am and several visits from the Police. Their neglected animals scavenged from local properties.
Finally – after neighbors got the landlord's phone number and rang him every time there was a disturbance, and the tenants stopped paying rent, he got them evicted. 4 big "Junk to Go" trucks cleared the rubbish, and we kept their flea ridden and malnourished kitten.
The place is such a mess that even with clearance of rubbish and jungle vegetation, it has not sold in 2 months on the market.
A perfect example of why private landlords, alongside property managers, need mandatory registration with very real-world consequences of their actions/lack thereof.
I presume that the landlord is now (and has been for the last year or so), reaping the consequences of their behaviour:
Whereas a 'good' landlord would have kept the property in good condition, therefore attracting better tenants (probably paying more). And, if they had to sell, would have chosen the time, been able to attract better offers, and/or been able to hold off until the market improves.
Note: Most of what you and the OP are complaining about is the behaviour of the tenants. And, while the landlord could (and probably should) have booted them out earlier – that just shifts the problem onto the state system.
haha, fucking brilliant.
Is there a way to complain to tenancy services if one isn't the tenant?
Not sure what you mean by tenancy services? But if you are next door to a rental – and the tenants are behaving badly – then you can absolutely call the landlord.
I believe there has just been a case where KO was rapped over the knuckles for not acting effectively over neighbour complaints covering some years.
Tenancy Services is the government department that overseas renting in NZ.
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/
If you are tenant, there are ways to make a complain via TS. I was asking if people can make a complaint about a substandard rental if they are not the tenant eg a family member, neighbour, visitor. I'm thinking of where there is a gross breach of standards.
Looking at the website, I'd say, no. It's all about resolving issues between the tenant and landlord – nothing about grievances of third parties.
I wasn't thinking of grievances so much as notifying that a landlord is in breach of the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations.
Maybe it's HUD
https://www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/healthy-homes-standards
Googled "dob in a landlord" (similar to dob in a beneficiary) and found this:
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/about-tenancy-services/compliance-team/contact-compliance-team/
You can complete the form as “Tenant”, “Other” or “Landlord”.
cheers.
Hmm. I'd still be surprised in an unrelated third party could make a complaint. At least formally – maybe a word under the table could result in an inspection.
[Edit, DMK has now found that this is possible]
Although, possibly the tenancy might have fallen into the 'not yet renewed’ category, so the new HHS standards don't yet apply. Indeed it was probably the need to upgrade to these which would have triggered the sale listing.
I can envisage someone needing care and protection having a third party intervene: e.g. IHC intervention on their behalf; but I'd think that most people would be highly resentful of a busy-body neighbour intervening in their rental arrangements.
And, as I said above, most of the complaints were about the tenants' (and possibly guests) behaviour, rather than the landlord's.
Probably because you are looking at it from a private contract pov, whereas I'm looking at it from the public good side.
Someone living in a grossly substandard rental and too afraid to say anything because the nature of the housing crisis means they might end up homeless may need someone else to intervene. There should be some protections in place but of course it is still possible that a tenant could be evicted because the landlord doesn't want to meet the standards set by law.
Marvelous us.
The fuck Hawaii!!!
How depressing is that. Watch for the Kea to join that list unless predators such as stoats and feral cats are wiped out.
Not sure whether they're talking about Route 4370 or not but still, apartheid.
@theferocity.bsky.social
WOW. “The soldier replied, "It's an order-this is a Jews-only road." "It is his responsibility to know it, and besides, what do you want us to do, put up a sign here and let some anti-Semitic reporter or journalist take a photo so that he can show the world that apartheid exists here?”
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7ikl5b575otp6uxqsddmvuzh/post/3ktdjaz2r232j
Last night thousands of Israelis protested in cities across Israel demanding an end to the war, a return of hostages held by Hamas, Netenyahu's resignation, and new elections.
Protests are happening in Beersheba, Kfar Saba, Caesaria, Herzliya, Netanya, Zikhron Ya'acov, and Tel Aviv – with the largest and main protest is happening on Kaplan Street.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-802627
These ads were apparently produced under Luxon's watch at Unilever. Somehow this doesn't seem surprising. Thanks to Nick for digging these out.
We so, so, so need a new series of "A week of it".
Introducing the Mama's Boy doll, The Wuss doll and the Suck Up doll.
"This is not your generic deodorant advertising where you usually grab a sports star and say, 'Insert your product here, " Luxon says. "Unilever has been embracing risk."
https://x.com/StrayDogNZ/status/1794237276480000190
You could even buy the dolls. Some of these floating around parliament would be great.
“And, oh yes, that’s the best part : the dolls are for real, you can actually order two of them online (only US residents however). This concept takes Branded Entertainment to an entirely new level.
Unilever digged deep in their pockets to promote the concept : a Mama’s Boy video clip even aired during the Superbowl event : you can watch it on the site”
https://context.typepad.com/context/2005/11/the_inaction_he.html
And it had fake job adverts as well. I would have thought this cringy back in 2005.
Dull Co. is dedicated to fighting the forces of stress by avoiding risk altogether. As a first step to fulfilling this mission, we have developed the In-Action Heroes. Mama's Boy, the Suck-Up, and the Wuss embody our belief in living a life free of challenge and risk.
We look forward to continuing to service men who support our philosophy – men who live with their moms, suck up to their bosses, and totally avoid confrontation – with more products in the future.
If you are a man of action, our products are not for you. If you do take risks, there's new Degree for Men. With twice the protection you need, it won't let you down.
Do you hate to speak up at meetings? Are you an outstanding butt kisser? Then Dull Co. may be the place for you – free of risk and any shot at upward mobility.
At Dull Co., we provide each of our employees with a shared cubicle tucked safely in our maze-like office. And the coffee is always lukewarm (decaf, of course).
Mediocre Middle Manager
Looking for an extremely agreeable middle manager with no aspirations whatsoever. The browner the nose the better. Absolutely no skills required.
Paper Pusher
Seeking an office professional who can stare at stacks of paper all day long. May be required to move them from one pile to another from time to time.
Yes Man
Do you lack original thoughts? Is "Yes" your middle name? Then we have the right job for you. Yes, we do. Oh yeah.
Please don't send us your resume. That would be too risky. Don't call us and we won't call you.
Launched yesterday by Rocket Labs at Māhia.
That data should improve the accuracy of estimates of spaceship Earth's energy imbalance, i.e. more heat in than out, and predictions of global warming.
Spencer Weart has compiled a comprehensive and (imho) readable online resource on the history of scientific research on global warming. The flaws and precarity of some early research stood out to me, and they bedevil the human project still.