Open mike 26/10/2024
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, October 26th, 2024 - 28 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
28 comments on “Open mike 26/10/2024 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Monday 24 March
Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...1 hour ago - The permanent Australia-China contest in the South Pacific
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that ‘we’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific—that’s the reality.’ China’s arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...3 hours ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Monday, March 24
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...3 hours ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...13 hours ago - Bullying a Chess Bot: More Martinian Shenanigans
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...17 hours ago - Indian Summer
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...23 hours ago - Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 23
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy: Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...1 day ago - Making sense of it all
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...1 day ago - A Response to ACT’s MRA-Style Rant
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...2 days ago - Spread a Little Happiness
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...2 days ago - Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Saturday, March 22
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...2 days ago - Siding with the Right Of the Right
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...3 days ago - Jam tomorrow, butter next week
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb. Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...3 days ago - Why Do Cryptocurrencies Appear to Be So Valuable?
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...3 days ago - Awful optics: political fighting in Taiwan stalls part of defence budget rise
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...3 days ago
- The Independent Intelligence Review is finally out, and it’s a worthy sequel
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...3 days ago
- Law, culture, and the OIA
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...3 days ago - A new US humanitarian agency must operate without political blinders
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...3 days ago
- Worming Through Dangerous Times
3 days ago - Why is the Govt so afraid of borrowing?
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...3 days ago - The future of the Combined Space Operations initiative
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...3 days ago
- Dave’s Cats
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...3 days ago - Friday 21 March
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...3 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 21-March-2025
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...3 days ago - A special Hoon with Michael Wolff, author of four books on Donald Trump
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview. Hoon: Trumpism ...3 days ago - Hoon: Trumpism dies with Trump says Wolff
3 days ago
- The ADF reserve system is obsolete. We need a dramatically expanded force
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within days—not decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...3 days ago
- Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Friday, March 21
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...3 days ago - Against All Reason: William Blake and the Private Fantasy Mythology
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #12 2025
Open access notables The severe 2020 coral bleaching event in the tropical Atlantic linked to marine heatwaves, Rodrigues et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Marine heatwaves can amplify the vulnerabilities of regional marine ecosystems and jeopardise local economies and food resources. Here, we show that marine heatwaves in the tropical ...4 days ago
- Elbridge Colby’s vision: blocking China
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...4 days ago
- China’s military spending rises should prompt regional budget responses
China’s defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...4 days ago
- Pressure grows for commonsense correction on safe local speeds
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...4 days ago
- Luxon’s Guests.
Speilmeister: Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...4 days ago - S&P downgrades 18 councils, blaming Govt
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest: Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...4 days ago - Recession ends – Economic challenges remain
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...4 days ago
- Maybe there’s a connection?
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...4 days ago
- I, too, got a few things wrong
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...4 days ago
- Commandments & Cures
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...4 days ago - Australia needs greater defence self-reliance, and extra funding
Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...4 days ago
- Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Thursday, March 20
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, The ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters’ bad trip, and the return of the PPPs zombie
According to RNZ’s embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Peters’ talks in Washington this week “cannot be overstated.” Right. “Exceptionally important.” said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesn’t seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our “concern” to the Americans about a series of issues that ...4 days ago - Climate Fresk – a neat way to make the complexity of climate change less puzzling
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...5 days ago
- Japan and Australia can fill each other’s defence gaps
Japan and Australia talk of ‘collective deterrence,’ but they don’t seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...5 days ago
- Submission on the Draft Biometric Processing Privacy Code
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPC’s decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...5 days ago
- Eggs in more baskets: diversify Australian agricultural exports away from US
Australia’s export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on ...5 days ago
- The Fisheries Reform Scam – Sam Woolford
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system. Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by the High Court ruling that the ...5 days ago - Climate Change: Failed again
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...5 days ago
- Trump’s tariffs challenge India’s economic balance
US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffs—matching other countries’ tariffs on American goods—will go into effect on 2 April, ...5 days ago
- NZ’s First #MeToo Case Wants To Practise Law Again
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...5 days ago - Climate sceptic ACT MP attacks National
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...5 days ago - Libertarian Jesus
Now I've heard there was a secret chordThat David played, and it pleased the LordBut you don't really care for music, do you?It goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor falls, the major liftsThe baffled king composing HallelujahSongwriter: Leonard CohenI always thought the lyrics of that great song by ...5 days ago - People matter—especially when frigate crews are too small
People are getting carried away with the virtues of small warship crews. We need to remember the great vice of having few people to run a ship: they’ll quickly tire. Yes, the navy is struggling ...5 days ago
- Auckland’s Western Line: Walking and cycling catchments
This is a guest post by Peter Bisley. It previously appeared on his substack, and is republished here by kind permisison. How can active transport connections maximise City Rail Link benefits City Rail Link successfully ran a test train last month on the 3.45km line under central Auckland, ahead ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Wednesday, March 19
Mōrena. Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, ...5 days ago - Unity is the answer to Europe’s defence woes
US President Donald Trump’s hostile regime has finally forced Europe to wake up. With US officials calling into question the transatlantic alliance, Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, recently persuaded lawmakers to revise the country’s debt ...6 days ago
- Australian politics needs clearer national security boundaries
We need to establish clearer political boundaries around national security to avoid politicising ongoing security issues and to better manage secondary effects. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed on 10 March that the Dural caravan ...6 days ago
- Government must act decisively and ban engineered stone
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have reiterated their call for Government to protect workers by banning engineered stone in a submission on MBIE’s silica dust consultation. “If Brooke van Velden is genuine when she calls for an evidence-based approach to this issue, then she must support a full ban on ...6 days ago
- Tuesday 18 March
The Labour Inspectorate could soon be knocking on the door of hundreds of businesses nation-wide, as it launches a major crackdown on those not abiding by the law. NorthTec staff are on edge as Northland’s leading polytechnic proposes to stop 11 programmes across primary industries, forestry, and construction. Union coverage ...6 days ago
- First-person view drones: transitioning from sport to battle
It’s one thing for military personnel to hone skills with first-person view (FPV) drones in racing competitions. It’s quite another for them to transition to the complexities of the battlefield. Drone racing has become a ...6 days ago
- ‘There are no exemptions. Just eat it.’
Seymour says there will be no other exemptions granted to schools wanting to opt out of the Compass contract. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories shortest: David Seymour has denied a request from a Christchurch school and any other schools to be exempted from the Compass school lunch programme, saying the contract ...6 days ago - Nuclear Ukraine: Budapest Memorandum – what it says and is it relevant?
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. President Bill Clinton, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, and British Prime Minister John Major signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in ... 6 days ago - A Palate Cleanser
Edit: The original story said “Palette Cleanser” in both the story, and the headline. I am never, ever going to live this down. Chain me up, throw me into the pit.Hi,With the world burning — literally and figuratively — I felt like Webworm needed a little palate cleanser at the ...6 days ago
- Do Americans really want urban sprawl?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler (Image credit: Antonio Huerta) Growing up in suburban Ohio, I was used to seeing farmland and woods disappear to make room for new subdivisions, strip malls, and big box stores. I didn’t usually welcome the changes, but I assumed others ...6 days ago
- Myanmar’s desperate condition: fragmentation, drugs, money-laundering and more
Myanmar was a key global site for criminal activity well before the 2021 military coup. Today, illicit industry, especially heroin and methamphetamine production, still defines much of the economy. Nowhere, not even the leafiest districts ...6 days ago
- The Hardest Word
What've I gotta do to make you love me?What've I gotta do to make you care?What do I do when lightning strikes me?And I wake up and find that you're not thereWhat've I gotta do to make you want me?Mmm hmm, what've I gotta do to be heard?What do I ...6 days ago - Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Tuesday, March 18
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, The Economist-$ ...6 days ago - Gordon Campbell On Luxon’s Survival Chances, And The India FTA
Whenever Christopher Luxon drops a classically fatuous clanger or whenever the government has a bad poll – i.e. every week – the talk resumes that he is about to be rolled. This is unlikely for several reasons. For starters, there is no successor. Nicola Willis? Chris Bishop? Simeon Brown? Mark ...6 days ago
- It’s been done before: pay for more defence spending with debt
Australia, Britain and European countries should loosen budget rules to allow borrowing to fund higher defence spending, a new study by the Kiel Institute suggests. Currently, budget debt rules are forcing governments to finance increases ...7 days ago
- Feedback on work with engineered stone and materials containing crystalline silica
The NZCTU remains strongly committed to banning engineered stone in New Zealand and implementing better occupational health protections for all workers working with silica-containing materials. In this submission to MBIE, the NZCTU outlines that we have an opportunity to learn from Australia’s experience by implementing a full ban of engineered ...7 days ago
- Big deal
The Prime Minister has announced a big win in trade negotiations with India.It’s huge, he told reporters. We didn't get everything we came for but we were able to agree on free trade in clothing, fabrics, car components, software, IT consulting, spices, tea, rice, and leather goods.He said that for ...7 days ago - A Return to a US Gilded Age?
I have been trying to figure out the logic of Trump’s tariff policies and apparent desire for a global trade war. Although he does not appear to comprehend that tariffs are a tax on consumers in the country doing the tariffing, I can (sort of) understand that he may think ...7 days ago - France is prominent in efforts to shape Syria’s future, again
As Syria and international partners negotiate the country’s future, France has sought to be a convening power. While France has a history of influence in the Middle East, it will have to balance competing Syrian ...7 days ago
- “Capital poor”
One of the eternal truths about Aotearoa's economy is that we are "capital poor": there's not enough money sloshing around here to fund the expansion of local businesses, or to build the things we want to. Which gets used as an excuse for all sorts of things, like setting up ...7 days ago
- Pictures Tell The Story
National held its ground until late 2023 Verion, Talbot Mills & Curia Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)If we remove outlier results from Curia (National Party November 2023) National started trending down in October 2024.Verion Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)Verian alone shows a clearer deterioration in early ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt’s continued lack of action on Gaza condemned
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...3 days ago - Release: National at sea over Defence jobs
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...4 days ago
- Release: National standards returning by stealth
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...4 days ago
- Release: Kiwis still struggling as economy stumbles along
Kiwis aren’t feeling any better off despite figures showing a very slight growth in GDP in the December quarter. ...4 days ago
- Greens call for compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...5 days ago - Another failed ETS auction, another indictment on the Govt’s climate credibility
The ETS auction’s failure today is yet another clear sign that the Government is failing us all on climate action. ...5 days ago
- Release: Luxon quick to give away principled position on nukes
Christopher Luxon seems to have thrown New Zealand’s principled anti-nuclear advocacy under a bus. ...5 days ago
- NZ must act on Israel’s slaughter of children
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...5 days ago
- Release: Still no certainty for disability communities
One year on from the Government’s abrupt and callous changes to disability funding, the community still has no idea what the future holds. ...6 days ago
- Green Party backs volunteer firefighters in their call for ACC recognition
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...6 days ago
- Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...6 days ago
- MP Views: Living Strong, The Economy, Servicing Our Nation, The Golden Egg, and 4 Year Terms
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...7 days ago - Shane Jones has no shame
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...1 week ago
- Release: National botches health funding numbers
Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that the Government has put $16.68 billion into the health system over three years is wrong. ...1 week ago
- Government tramples on the rights of disabled migrant children
The Green Party is condemning the Government’s move to tighten access to visas for disabled children. ...1 week ago
- Release: Auckland needs second harbour crossing
Labour supports Minister Chris Bishop’s call for input on the second Waitematā Harbour crossing. ...1 week ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds’ speech to NZ Investment Summit 2025
I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you today about how we make overseas investment work for all New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour does not support PPPs for prisons
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...1 week ago
- Dunedin Futures report should be a wake-up call
The newly released report on the South Dunedin Future Programme must be a wake-up call for our Government. ...1 week ago
- Release: Members’ Bill makes wage theft a crime
Workers will now be able to go to the Police and report their employer if they are not being paid wages they’re owed. ...2 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports sanctions against Israel’s illegal occupation
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt procurement plan cuts wages and trashes the environment
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Procurement proposals pose risk to people and planet
The Green Party is concerned by the impact the Government’s proposed changes to procurement processes could have on people and planet. ...2 weeks ago
- Just six Government MPs needed to pass Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour’s approach to Māori economy benefits all
Under Labour, the Māori economy went from strength to strength according to the latest report released by MBIE. ...2 weeks ago
- 20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party launches petition to allow Pacific whānau visa-free access
The Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to extend visa-free travel to visitors from Pacific Island nations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes reinstatement of Heath NZ board
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ’s Public Health system dealt yet another blow
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins’ State of the Nation address
Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Introduces Bill to Remove Woke ‘DEI’ Regulations from Public Service
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour outlines priorities of next Govt
The next Labour Government will prioritise jobs, health and homes so Kiwis and Kiwi businesses have the opportunity to thrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Refreshed team to drive Labour’s 2026 priorities
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has unveiled a new economic team as part of a caucus reshuffle. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for end to police referrals to Destiny programmes
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...3 weeks ago
- Good Riddance: Prebble Resigns from Waitangi Tribunal
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to condemn Israel’s aid blockade
The National Government needs to publicly condemn Israel’s cutting off of aid supplies to the war-ravaged people of Gaza. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Mark Mitchell missing in action
Police Minister Mark Mitchell is avoiding accountability by refusing to answer key questions in the House as his Government faces criticism over their dangerous citizen’s arrest policy, firearm reform, and broken promises to recruit more police. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Fewer houses, consents down under National
The number of building consents issued under this Government continues to spiral, taking a toll on the infrastructure sector, tradies, and future generations of Kiwi homeowners. ...3 weeks ago
No feed items found.
- Oranga Tamariki still to fix systems that led to ‘grievous’ breaches
Oranga Tamariki still has a "considerable amount" of work to do to improve privacy practices, the Privacy Commissioner says. ...1 hour ago - Labour’s rising star Tangi Utikere on being a Pasifika politician from Palmy
The Labour Party’s Tangi Utikere is Palmerston North’s biggest champion and an MP on the come-up. There’s an ancient adage familiar to Palmerstonians (as in, people from Palmerston North), uttered by a British explorer after a voyage through the land of the long white cloud: “if you wish to kill ...2 hours ago - Warehouse Group result symptomatic of a retailer that’s lost its way
There is plenty for Warehouse Group shareholders to be concerned about it its latest earnings result The post Warehouse Group result symptomatic of a retailer that’s lost its way appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 hours ago - ‘Better than nothing’: clinicians and hospital heads accept lower standards of care outside metr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivia Fisher, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Implementation Science, Charles Darwin University Seven million Australians live in rural and remote areas and many struggle to access the same quality of health care as those in metropolitan areas. More than 18,000 Australians have no ...2 hours ago - Adelaide Hills water crisis: a local problem is a global wake-up call
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Holland, Principal Research Scientist, Water Security, CSIRO A dry farm dam in Montacute, Adelaide Hills, March 2025. Ilan Sagi. The Adelaide Hills are experiencing severe water shortages. The root cause? A prolonged dry period and not enough water tankers to ...2 hours ago
- Trouble at Tesla and protests against Trump’s tariffs suggest consumer boycotts are starting to bi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University Getty Images When the United States starts a trade war with your country, how do you fight back? For individuals, one option is to wage a personal trade war ...2 hours ago
- This week’s federal budget will focus on cost-of-living measures – and a more uncertain global e...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers will bring down the federal budget on Tuesday. It’s likely most of the major spending initiatives have already been announced. An extra A$8.5 billion in ...2 hours ago
- I was a music AI sceptic – until I actually used it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Weaver, Associate Lecturer in Music Technology, University of Sydney Shutterstock With artificial intelligence programs that can now generate entire songs on demand, you’d be forgiven for thinking AI might eventually lead to the decline of human-made music. But AI can ...2 hours ago
- Should Australia increase its defence spending? We asked 5 experts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Bergman, International Affairs Editor Both Labor and the Coalition are considering an increase to defence spending ahead of the federal election. Defence spending is currently at about 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), or around A$56 billion per year. The Coalition ...2 hours ago
- Despite some key milestones since 2000, Australia still has a long way to go on gender equality
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janeen Baxter, Director, ARC Life Course Centre and ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, The University of Queensland Australia has a gender problem. Despite social, economic and political reform aimed at improving opportunities for women, gender gaps are increasing and Australia is falling ...2 hours ago
- CPAG Calls On Ministers To Reverse Lunch Cuts With Budget Bid
Based on the 2023 and 2024 Budget Summary of Initiatives, CPAG refers to estimates of the cost of restoring school lunches to their 2024 standard, between $107-115 extra a year. ...3 hours ago - No love lost as Winston Peters and Chris Hipkins trade barbs
Peter's State of the Nation mentioned Labour 30 times and accused the last government of a "litany of lies". ...3 hours ago
- Winston Peters vs the world
In a speech that channelled Trump-style rhetoric but stuck to old Peters themes, the NZ First leader mixed nationalism, culture war grievances and economic blame, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. An ‘outright litany’ of grievances Winston ...3 hours ago
- Will the $2.7b cost of tertiary courses be enough?
The government is spending $2.7 billion on tertiary courses this year, but there are early signs it will not be enough to cover all the enrolments. ...4 hours ago
- Anne Salmond: The Emperor’s clothes
If you want to understand where this coalition Government is coming from, with its disdain for impoverished families and hungry children, Freddy the Frog, Te Tiriti, democratic conventions and other Kiwi decencies, George Monbiot’s The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism is illuminating.The book is short and vividly written, ...5 hours ago
- Alice in world No 1 land: Kiwi slalom skier’s big week
Alice Robinson is slightly disoriented. It can’t be blamed on altitude, or the weight of the World Cup medals she’s hauled in this season.When LockerRoom caught up with the Kiwi giant slalom star by video call last week, she had to think for a moment where in the world she ...5 hours ago
- No love lost as Peters and Hipkins trade barbs
Former Cabinet colleagues Winston Peters and Chris Hipkins have traded blows, after the NZ First leader accused Labour of abandoning workers, and blaming it for the recession the current government has to deal with. ...5 hours ago
- Protest against overnight healthcare cuts: ‘It’s just wrong’
Hundreds of people took to Napier's streets in protest on Sunday, campaigning against cuts to the city's after-hours health services. ...5 hours ago
- Gloriavale on Waitangi Day
Every Waitangi Day, the choir used to go and sing at the Grey District Waitangi Day Picnic at Dixon Park in Greymouth. It was always a huge event. We’d stay up all night to make thousands of iced buns, which would then be handed out to people at the picnic.I ...5 hours ago
- Luxon’s wins and compromises in India
Analysis: Christopher Luxon’s India visit proves mature relationships require compromise to achieve mutual benefits The post Luxon’s wins and compromises in India appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 hours ago
- In Delhi and D.C., Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters in their elements
Taking the train with Winston Peters and watching Christopher Luxon play cricket: what it's like traveling with a foreign trade delegation ...6 hours ago
- The Trump lads are abundant in New Zealand
New polling shows a global trend is very much alive here, too. Donald Trump’s historic return to the presidency was powered by one demographic more than any: support from young men – white young men, especially. One of the most remarkable realities within that trend is the gap that has ...6 hours ago
- Windbag: Why is it so hard to pedestrianise upper Cuba Street?
Urbanists who want their city to have more people-friendly streets need to face up to the biggest barrier to their goal: everything takes too damn long. This coming weekend, the annual CubaDupa festival will be held on and around Cuba Street. Some 80,000 people will descend on the central precinct ...6 hours ago
- The left must leave the past behind
Comment: Models that look to reinstate practices from last century relate to a past that has gone The post The left must leave the past behind appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- What the Royal Commission really said about the Covid response
Special report: Five years on from the first lockdown, Newsroom reads the entire 713-page Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response and examines the findings The post What the Royal Commission really said about the Covid response appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 24 March
The post Daily crossword, Monday 24 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 25 March
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 25 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Homecoming a comedown for the coalition
It was a tough landing back in New Zealand for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who have returned home high on successful trips to India and the US, respectively.But Kiwis have given the National-led coalition a rating of 4.2 out of 10 in the latest Ipsos ...6 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 24 March
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 24 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Climate risk reporting could stop investors from walking
Accountancy industry expert says failing to provide financial analysis of climate-related risks can lead investors to make incorrect assumptions The post Climate risk reporting could stop investors from walking appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Auckland was once a food garden managed by Māori. That knowledge could shape the future.
Comment: Māori once grew enough fruit and vegetables to feed Auckland, yet these days many struggle to afford healthy food.Today, Māori and Pacific people experience more food insecurity than other ethnicities in Aotearoa, because they are likely to have less income. The places they live are often food deserts – ...6 hours ago
- View from The Hill: 5 things to look for in the budget – and why we really need another budget soo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers likes to boast, or marvel, that he is the first treasurer since Ben Chifley to deliver four budgets in a term. If Labor wins the May election, the treasurer will reckon the ...14 hours ago
- Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier criticises Health NZ Te Whatu Ora OIA policy
Outgoing Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has reprimanded Health NZ and called the fines for Official Information Act breaches "laughable". ...16 hours ago
- The State of Winston Peters
Comment: It’s going to be a big few weeks for the Rt Hon Winston Raymond Peters.Fresh off the plane from Washington DC and a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he delivered his New Zealand First party’s state of the nation speech in Christchurch on Sunday.By week’s end, Peters ...19 hours ago
- Watch: Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has been repeatedly heckled while delivering a State of the Nation speech in Christchurch. ...19 hours ago
- Watch live: Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has been repeatedly heckled while delivering a State of the Nation speech in Christchurch. ...21 hours ago
- The House: Climate change adaptation – Parliament asks the small questions
Parliament's recent inquiry and debate on climate change adaptation asked small questions, looked short-term and inched towards reactive solutions. ...1 day ago
- An Ode to .. Lord Breen of Seymour
No news is good newsLord Breen of Seymour was taking the watersAt the Head in the Clouds Health Spa.A figure walked up the long, winding stepsTo his mountain top resort.It was the Court Surgeon.“What’s up, Sawbones?,” chuckled Lord Breen.“Why didn’t you fly up in the Royal Balloon?”“Lo,” said the Court ...1 day ago
- Green Party’s Swarbrick calls for urgent NZ action over Israel’s ‘crazy’ Gaza slaughter
Asia Pacific Report Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick called on New Zealand government MPs today to support her Member’s Bill to sanction Israel over its “crazy slaughter” of Palestinians in Gaza. Speaking at a large pro-Palestinian solidarity rally in the heart of New Zealand’s largest city Auckland, she said Aotearoa ...1 day ago
- Resourcing concerns raised as new bill proposes three-day hospital stay for mothers, newborns
A new bill proposes the minimum hospital stay offered to mothers and newborns be upped from 48 to 72 hours. ...1 day ago
Pre-election satire in the US.
Luxon big noting in Samoa. ‘Deeply disturbed’ about malignant peters allegations in Parliament, under Privilege. Was he DEEPLY DISTURBED about Bayley. Who didn’t declare shares and then went on a misguidedly SUPERIOR rant against an employee of Winery who was there to do his job. Only one loser there and it wasn’t the employee.
I hope Verall? keeps on with her enquires into Costello’s (obvious to everyone) blatant dodging of her downright dishonest catering to tobacco lobbyists.
Is malignant peters trying to change the narrative there by casting aspersions on Verall under the security of Parliament Privilege?. His usual sneaky manoeuvre. Too scared to bring it out in a public place.
I was so amazed by the double standards and unashamed hypocrisy in the same week that I thought I'd post it here, but Ffloyd beat me to it.
Seems to me that Bayly did what he did to show off in front of his circle, and Luxons trying to show off in front of his circle.
No wonder Luxon has confidence in Bayly.
Hope Labour keeps up with the Costello thing, too, but also why an email from citizen to MPs was withdrawn by the IT department. That can’t be coincidence.
One email to the Leader of the Opposition as far as I know. Coincidence? Sounds fishy. Is there a real inquiry or one you have when you don't have an inquiry?
I note Ayesha Verrall has gone quiet which is a good idea until the 'facts' are revealed.
Of course he is. He's a nasty piece of work.
A wee report from the circuses department of Bread and Circuses.
Went to see Thom Yorke at the Arena in Auckland last night.
Epic show, great lighting and visuals and excellent sound. A trip through his back catalogue and a couple of newbies.
Highlights for me was a gentle stripped back Let Down, a BIG dancy Pak't Like Sardines and Lucky on acoustic guitar as the closer.
Life's too short to not go to these sorts of events and the pollies will still be there next week to struggle against.
Another landscape destroying fast-track shambles here in the Whakatipu Basin near Queenstown.
https://crux.org.nz/crux-news/planned-growth-swapped-for-opportunistic-development-coronet-village-opponent/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
"[Expert landscape architect] Mr Baxter says it appears that the scale of the Coronet Village development would be contrary to the key relevant landscape-related objectives and policies of the Operative and Proposed District Plans.“These objectives and policies are in place so the amenity values (or quality) of the environment are maintained or enhanced by any development," he says in the statement."From the information that has been made public, it appears that Coronet Village does not avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects of activities on the environment, and does not maintain or enhance the landscape character.""
The NZ public are entirely excluded from making submissions on the intrusive development under the fast-track legislation. Neither is there any requirement to reference the district plan. Appeals cannot be made to the Environment Court.
long past time that New Zealanders took to the streets and did meaningful protest. I won't hold my breath about Queenstown doing that though
If it changes voters’ minds about automatically voting National, that's good enough. A vote abstention in 2026 is just as powerful as a pro-lw vote.
And council elections could also firm up opposition to our governing parties. National is burning through its goodwill.
I wonder if this development includes accommodation for underpaid workers, or if they'll have to commute from even further away.
Welcome to totalitarian corporatism.
https://xcancel.com/TheTNHoller/status/1849797479648141561
US teens addicted by vapes get class-action payout.
NZ teens should begin something similar. Nicotine is one of the most addicted drugs around. Around a third of people get hooked, higher than heroin, alcohol and meth, which are around 10-15%.
Asa Winstanley for the Electronic Intifada recently published an article that brought together all the evidence that has emerged over the last year showing Israeli responsibility for hundreds of deaths of Israelis on Oct 7. This includes interviews of apache pilots and tank commanders detailing their decisions to open fire on unidentified civilians and the more than 1000 cars that were turned into burnt out hulks.
Days later Winstaley's home was raided by UK police and all hard drives and electronic equiptment confiscated. He is not the first Palestinian voice to be attacked in this way nor will he be the last. No charges have yet been laid but he has been banned from posting on social media.
https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israel-killed-hundreds-its-own-people-7-october/49216
Israel has killed somewhere around 180 journalists in the time of genocide. There are now only 3 or 4 active journalists in Gaza and these have now been listed as terrorists, superimposing a large target over the "Press" on their flak jackets. No outside journalsts are allowed in Gaza.
Jabalia in northern Gaza is littered with dead bodies. All three remaining hospitals have been turned to rubble with ICU patients and others unable to be moved inside. There are no longer any functioning ambulances. Displaced residents are force marched along streets by IDF soldiers. Fighting age men are seperated, beaten and stripped, hancuffed and interrogated for hours before being carted off to torture centres. Most people are injured and many will die from their wounds due to infection and compromised immune systems weakened by famine and disease. It was recently reported that Israel has prevented the entry of 250 000!! aid trucks into Gaza.
You have to laugh at Peter’s lack of irony concerning conflicts of interest. If he has a concern about Verall? and he DOESNT have a concern about Costello, who is hiding behind peters pinny, denying all the blatantly obvious corrupted measures she has taken to follow alleged orders from tobacco lobbyists, then he is enabling Costello. Pretending not to know anything does not make her innocent of alleged strategies she has employed.
Winnies dramatic denunciation of the person who supposedly had not declared her Conflict of interest was worthy of a third rate actor trying out for a bit part and totally over egging it.
I laughed out loud. …
.’Sorry. ….Next please!’ He sounded like he was angling for a public hanging.
Hes like an old ham ready for the Abbatoir squealing all the way . Just imo.
Verall thumbs up
Costelloe thumbs down.
Peters was noticeably slurring his words on RadioNZ when making his silly and unjustified attack on Verall.
Is he really going to be fit to take NZF into the next election?
Found on X today: 14 Characteristics of Fascism
https://xcancel.com/MrsButters/status/1849442632948191683#m
Another good one was the "7 key principles of Authoritarianism"
https://x.com/MrsButters/status/1849836383004754241
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360465949/trump-threatens-jail-election-officials-political-operatives-if-he-takes
For the record, I despise Trump.
Ao/NZ has its own mini Brexit/Trump regime doing the same shit. And we have fewer checks and balances
They no longer have SCOTUS in its role.
They have determined that POTUS is ex cathedra when acting as POTUS.
They have the POTUS appointment system – with the Project 2025 ambition to go eliminate resistance (in ways that go beyond HUAC).
Look on the bright side. Trump is aging rapidly. Like Stalin, it's a time-limited autocracy. Because he is the brand, the popularity dies with him.
JD Vance (and the Governor of Florida) have SCOTUS for decades, esp if they can replace Thomas and Alito in the next 4 years – the order of rule is more than the one (brand Trump) who installs it.
The whole Republican party is awash in grifters, Trump is only their temporary king, they will find another.
They are so insane that news orgs like CNN have to actively filter out the psychos – they missed one yesterday: MAGA Pundit "Jokes" About Assassinating Journalist Mehdi Hasan
2 wkts for the test
WON IT Yah
Does anyone else see, in the comments above, the crazy juxtaposition of bread and circuses, which we willingly consume, with the madness of emperors and generals?
Aotearoa/New Zealand has won recently cricket and netball series, rugby tests, won sailing cups, and cycled, swum and run our way to glory, and we pay to see the circuses brought into our homes. along with the lies, the distortions and the hate as the oceans rise, the rain falls, and fascist reality is fashioned from the sociopathy of rulers.
As the movers and shakers of spaceship Earth continue to screw up this iteration of civilisation, sport can be a palliative distraction – just leave the politics at home!
One more observation on “bread and circuses, which we willingly consume“.
Go the Silver Ferns, but it's (only) sport, for goodness sake. Some media descriptions of (non-contact) sporting wins seem ungracious to me – violent even. And to what end?
I wonder how the Ancient Roman Times would have reported on the latest Colosseum games?
In similar terms? Astute observation, DMK.