Open Mike 26/12/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 26th, 2017 - 54 comments
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54 comments on “Open Mike 26/12/2017 ”

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  1. Carolyn_Nth 1
    26 December 2017 at 7:46 am

    This morning on Newsroom: Melanie Ried’s special investigation into Todd Barclay, updated. Includes a video of the investigation at the link. I think this was an earlier investigation and articles that’ve been updated today.

    Not sure what has been added today, if anything.

    However, a Newsroom investigation into the MP’s conduct — including an interview with Dickson, speaking publicly for the first time since her resignation — has produced new information about the first-term National MP.

    – Barclay denied to members of his electorate there had been recording of Dickson, and about being approached by police.

    – English knew Dickson had been recorded by Barclay and spoke to her about it, despite telling media he had not been directly involved in any discussions.

    – Then-Prime Minister John Key’s parliamentary budget was used to pay part of a confidential settlement to Dickson, in an attempt to avoid “potential legal action”.

    – Dickson and others in the electorate have been threatened and intimidated by others since falling out with Barclay.

    It’s generally pretty damning of Bill English – being in the know, and lying.

    Sam Sachdeva reports on Barclay’s response, June 2017.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      26 December 2017 at 1:35 pm

      That’s a deeply disturbing story.

      Overt corruption in the National Party and the police failing to prosecute the several people involved in the cover-up and perverting the course of justice.

  2. Ed 2
    26 December 2017 at 10:36 am

    An article by Peter Lyons in the Herald this morning about NCEA.
    This paragraph is particularly interesting

    ‘My nephew even missed a few deadlines for internals during his schooling. This completely stressed his mum. But she gets stressed if Easter is late. No worries. It’s cool, teachers usually offer re-submits. They also offer resits for students who don’t succeed first time around. The onus is on them to ensure they get decent pass rates. It is very important that teachers achieve well under NCEA. Otherwise school administrators get antsy and nervous. School pass rates are reported in the media. They are a window to the world. Bad NCEA pass rates suggest poor teaching. In the past few years, with more and more assessment being done in schools, by teachers, pass rates have rocketed.’

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11965850

    • Anne 2.1
      26 December 2017 at 11:03 am

      This is the time of the year when we get some good reflective articles from ‘guest columnists’ in the newspapers and online. You may not always agree with the hypothesis presented, but they make for interesting holiday reading. I might even break a former New Year resolution and actually buy the Herald over the next few weeks.

      • red-blooded 2.1.1
        26 December 2017 at 12:45 pm

        A couple of things that the Herald columnist didn’t mention, though:
        1) A resubmission actually involves starting again, and not on the same piece of work, but on another piece of work aimed at proving competence in the skills being measured for that standard (eg, a different piece of creative writing, or a different piece of coding to solve a different problem).
        2) The opportunities for resubmission are actually pretty limited (eg, in my school students have the chance to do one resub per subject, if they choose, but in Year 13 this will involve signing up for a brief time at the start of the next year and working under supervision before the beginning of the school year and/or in the fist few weeks. This is because there simply isn’t time in the Y13 courses to allow for resubs.

        Actually, schools are meant to have policies around deadlines that they stick to. That can be hard (there’s a lot of pressure from kids and parents and in some schools I’m sure it also comes from the leaders), but we’ve found that it’s easier on the kids as well as the staff if you do tighten up on deadlines. It lets them deal with internal assessment, clear the decks and then focus on externals (exams). Of course, not all kids care about exams – depending on what they’re aiming for they might not need to do well in exams, but most still do and keeping to deadlines helps with this. Plus, it helps them develop their self-management skills (which are core skills that run through the curriculum and that are meant to be embedded in any course).

        • mpledger 2.1.1.1
          27 December 2017 at 10:22 am

          One school I know has pretty much no resubs and absolute deadlines (only exception illness). Other school offer resits. I wish they would tidy this up – allowing retests for changing merit to excellence is really unfair when only some schools do that. That really is more for the benefit of the school’s reputation and the child’s credentials rather than for the child’s education.

    • Incognito 2.2
      26 December 2017 at 2:46 pm

      I’ve always enjoyed reading Peter Lyons in the NZH. His contrasting of making a decent coffee and differential equations may be more tongue-in-cheek than we realise as the description of the cooling of a cup of coffee by differential equations is not that uncommon in schools (e.g. Cooling Coffee without Solving Differential Equations).

      Assessing, testing, and exams, for example, used to be schnappshots for measuring individual progress against a set standard of subject material. It aimed to identify gaps in knowledge and/or understanding and readiness to move to the next level and, if so, how far & fast. Ideally, it would also help to tailor pedagogy to the learner, in a three-way feedback process. Tests and the likes were means to an end, which was proper education through a variety of learning methods that would, ideally, continue throughout life.

      Nowadays, tests are an end in their own right; not measures of readiness but measures of success and ranking among peers (competitors). Test results are not acknowledged as milestones of accomplishment & achievement; they are simply stepping stones to more ‘success’. Instead of celebrating a journey of achievement, all eyes are on the (exam) result and the award, or reward rather. Not passing is no longer seen as a necessary (life) experience from which useful conclusions can be drawn but as a failure, a weakness that needs to be avoided & corrected at all cost. In a cut-throat education system – let’s face it: our education system simply mirrors our prevailing attitudes (society= rate race) – one failure leads to another, a slippery slope of doom & gloom and away from the trophies of success later in life. No wonder that people stress out!

      Everything is measured and described in numbers & metrics; information is distilled down to numbers – ultimately to binary numbers. Context and nuance (or deeper meaning for that matter) are supposedly captured in/by measuring lots of things (big data). All this is not too complicated and with modern technology can be done very quickly. This is another sign of our times: expediency. Things need to be done quickly and efficiently (pragmatic) and decisions need to be schnappy. Coincidently, the ability to make quick decisions is regarded as a mark of leadership and (being) a leader is the epitome of success, of course.

      Education has become an ideological battleground; it always has been and always will be a breeding ground for contentious & opposing views but these come more to the fore when battle lines are drawn and become entrenched in society at large.

  3. Ed 3
    26 December 2017 at 11:28 am

    4 Scottish councils pilot universal basic income.

    ‘In Scotland, a country wearily familiar with divisions of a constitutional nature, the concept of a basic income is almost unique in enjoying multi-party favour. Across the four areas currently designing basic income pilots – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife and North Ayrshire – the projects have variously been championed by Labour, SNP, Green and, in one case, Conservative councillors.’

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/25/scotland-universal-basic-income-councils-pilot-scheme

    • The Chairman 3.1
      26 December 2017 at 1:18 pm

      £5,200 a year?

      Do you know if that is more or less than what current benefits are paying over there?

  4. The Chairman 4
    26 December 2017 at 1:33 pm

    With the Greens only securing a small number of seats, their supporters are more reliant on the leadership to utilise this new platform and secure wins for them.

    Is James Shaw best suited for this role? Is he assertive enough?

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      26 December 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Still dutifully attacking the Greens I see.

      • The Chairman 4.1.1
        26 December 2017 at 1:43 pm

        Do you believe Shaw is that useless that you see questioning if he’s best suited for the role as an attack?

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.1
          26 December 2017 at 1:58 pm

          No, I think he’s doing a good job and will get better over time.

          I’m just sick of your petty little attacks that have no basis in reality.

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1
            26 December 2017 at 1:59 pm

            +1

          • The Chairman 4.1.1.1.2
            26 December 2017 at 2:09 pm

            I think he is too much of a pushover. He’s no fighter (IMO).

            Questioning is not an attack.

            And the basis for it (IMO) is their poor performance thus far.

            • Incognito 4.1.1.1.2.1
              26 December 2017 at 4:35 pm

              Questioning is not an attack.

              Quite right; it can be much more effective in the long run than blunt (political) attacks. It is great to see that not all MPs think they need to behave like attack dogs trying to hunt down their prey and tear it into pieces; some act like decent humans with higher goals.

            • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.1.2.2
              26 December 2017 at 5:59 pm

              Questioning is not an attack.

              It is when it’s constant and phrased in negative terms – just like yours have always been.

        • OnceWasTim 4.1.1.2
          26 December 2017 at 1:58 pm

          Not sure about DtB, but all I question is the reason and motivation behind someone who obviously isn’t Green suppota (such as yourself) putting it out there in the first place.
          In the spirit of Xmas tidings and goodwill to all humankind, and the desire for world peace – in between Kmart and Harvey Norman shopping engagements – I’ll assume your concern is more about maintaining a fishint n fektiv gummint comprising a 3 party coalition rather than still coming to terms with a loss and the realisation things are going to change

          • The Chairman 4.1.1.2.1
            26 December 2017 at 2:05 pm

            I voted Green. However, I feel they are failing (thus far) to best utilise the new platform us supporters helped secure for them.

            Therefore, I’m taking it to the top and questioning the leadership.

            • OnceWasTim 4.1.1.2.1.1
              26 December 2017 at 2:13 pm

              So what are your concerns about JS @TC?
              Initially (for me) I was worried about his corporate-ish background, knowing how things ‘rub off’ when one id in that environment. Then, I was a little concerned about the level of public support for MT, and the morale among people at the coal face doing the hard yards.
              So far however, JS seems to be doing just fine (so far).
              How about you? Is he not turquoise enough, because for me, that’s how you come across, although I acknowledge a medium such as this isn’t the best place to guage things?

              Oh, and btw, I think there are one or two have the ability to whip the bugger into shape (Julie-A and Golriz for example) if he flops into comfy corporatism – is that what worries you though?

              • The Chairman …
                26 December 2017 at 2:24 pm

                He’s not assertive and outspoken. He comes across as to pragmatic and willing to concede. In other words, he’s got no fight in him. And we need an astute fighter to better our odds.

              • OnceWasTim …
                26 December 2017 at 5:09 pm

                … I was a little concerned about the level of public support for MT…
                By which I meant I was concerned he did not appear to express enough support for MT publicly (just to clarify).
                Agree with KJT below too re “authoritarian” master-of-the-universe leadership (4.1.1.2.1.2).

            • KJT 4.1.1.2.1.2
              26 December 2017 at 2:51 pm

              I for one have had my fill of “Authoritarian leadership”.

              We should have got over looking for the, “Messiah” by now.

              I think, even if you are a Green voter, you fail to understand how co-operation and consensus, the Green Kaupapa, work!

              Real change always comes from below.

              Personally, as a Green party member, I am very happy with James Shaw.

              • The Chairman …
                26 December 2017 at 3:35 pm

                “Real change always comes from below.”

                Yes, but it needs a good leader to spearhead it and help drive it through.

              • Incognito …
                26 December 2017 at 5:06 pm

                We should have got over looking for the, “Messiah” by now.

                Wicked!

                The weaker and more fearful we are the stronger we need our leader(s) to be. They can (must!) absolve us from taking personal responsibility, we can abstain from taking personal action, we don’t even need to vote it seems; the leader will take care of everything. And once the leader falls from the pedestal, from the lofty heights of our unrealistic expectations and their own over-promised hype – the worst leader is the strong leader who identifies with the archetype of the “hero” (Superman, Übermensch) – inevitably, we admonish them with the full force of our emotions for failing to remove our fears and softening of our suffering. Such is our stupidity ignorance that we put our hopes in an illusion projected onto and into one single person.

    • Ad 4.2
      26 December 2017 at 2:51 pm

      James is not enough. He’s good, good enough to sustain them at 7%.

      Not enough to get them beyond that. He just doesn’t have enough media savvy.

      They Greens need to accelerate their co-leader programme into March 2018 if not sooner.

      They need to aim up to wiping out NZF and getting dominant in 2020 with Labour.

    • Psycho Milt 4.3
      26 December 2017 at 2:55 pm

      Is James Shaw best suited for this role? Is he assertive enough?

      Yes, and yes. Now on to the more pertinent question:

      Are The Chairman’s constant concern-trolling questions deliberately aimed at undermining confidence in the Labour and Green parties?

      • weka 4.3.1
        26 December 2017 at 3:06 pm

        Probably, but who tf knows.

      • The Chairman 4.3.2
        26 December 2017 at 3:32 pm

        “The Chairman’s constant concern-trolling questions deliberately aimed at undermining confidence in the Labour and Green parties?”

        It’s not my questioning that continually undermines them, it’s their actions or lack of.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.3.2.1
          26 December 2017 at 6:04 pm

          They’re doing a lot.

          Your questions are undermining such that it seems that they were designed that way.

          • The Chairman 4.3.2.1.1
            26 December 2017 at 11:32 pm

            “They’re doing a lot.”

            A lot of falling short – i.e. not bringing the minimum wage up to the living wage, no core benefit rate increase, a Claytons ban on offshore investors, a failure to offer to provide a sufficient number of state homes.

            Furthermore, the Greens have been silent on all these shortfalls.

            They have the platform to challenge the Government and a relationship robust enough to withstand it (as highlighted when they spoke out against the TPP) – yet there was nothing.

            My two questions were straightforward and considering their performance, to be expected. However, while my questions may highlight there actions or lack of, it is their actions or lack of that undermines them.

            If they didn’t have performance issues, my two questions would have been easily brushed away and nothing to worry about.

        • Incognito 4.3.2.2
          26 December 2017 at 9:41 pm

          There’s questioning with an open mind, in a true and honest pursuit of the truth.

          There’s rhetorical questioning, to persuade.

          There’s leading questioning, to lead to a certain answer that’s usually negative for the answerer.

          There’s loaded questioning, to imply a certain answer within the question that’s usually negative for the answerer.

          Have I missed any types of questioning?

        • Robert Guyton 4.3.2.3
          27 December 2017 at 3:37 pm

          The Chairman regularly declares that he’s not, but he always is. “It’s their fault”, he intones, “I wouldn’t have to do it if they did what I demand of them!”.
          Weasel-worder.

          • The Chairman 4.3.2.3.1
            28 December 2017 at 10:20 am

            It’s not so much merely what I’m demanding, Robert. Things like the living wage, core benefit increases, a sufficient number of state homes, etc are things many of us on the left want.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 4.4
      26 December 2017 at 2:58 pm

      I do not know if James Shaw is best suited to the co-leadership role; he might be. Who, in your opinion, would be more assertive, and what might be the benefits of this more assertive stance for Green party members, NZers and NZ?

      What is the timeline for the selection of a new co-leader for the Green party?

      IMO, having recently become part of a NZ government for the first time in their history, now the not a good time for the Green Party to be considering additional leadership changes.

      Why are you unwilling to cut Shaw some slack? Not that he needs it, IMO.

      • The Chairman 4.4.1
        26 December 2017 at 3:28 pm

        “Who, in your opinion, would be more assertive, and what might be the benefits of this more assertive stance for the Green party members, New Zealanders and New Zealand?”

        The benefits are potentially huge. For example, poverty is one of their core policy aims, yet they been MIA in one of the main battles on this front.

        With just under half of the kids suffering poverty coming from working families, the living wage is a vital aim. However, when it came to these new Government created jobs (planting trees) instead of announcing they have dispatched Marama Davidson to go see Willie Jackson to fight for a living wage, they were MIA.

        I’ve seen nothing on the matter (a living wage for those new Government created jobs) on their website.

        I preferred Norman over Shaw. But when it comes to replacing Shaw (with more of an astute fighter) I think they may lack depth. Nevertheless, we require better.

        The more slack we cut Shaw, the more we will potentially miss out on. And if we fail to put the acid on them, they are unlikely to up their game. Shaw seems happy with what they have done and got, a number of supporters are not, thus expect more effort from them.

        Would it be better to cut him slack and fail to achieve more, or better to bite the bullet now?

        • Drowsy M. Kram 4.4.1.1
          26 December 2017 at 4:22 pm

          IMO, “we require better” could potentialy apply to any and all of us.

          What purpose is served by calling out James Shaw for his inadequate (in your opinion) leadership, when the alternative male co-leader for the current parliamentary term is Gareth Hughes? Is such criticism constructive, or impotent?

          You “preferred Norman over Shaw”; I preferred Turei over no-one.

          The Green party’s current MPs are a relatively small team, and since the party’s formation their candidates have had more depth (IMO) and certainly more integrity than the corresponding National Party caucuses.

          Putting the acid on the (co-)leader of a small political party (think Turei) is potentially not the best way to support that party (IMO.) With friends like these…

          • The Chairman 4.4.1.1.1
            26 December 2017 at 11:50 pm

            Unlike the acid poured onto Turei (to take her down) I’m taking about putting the acid on them to up their game. I’m not calling for Shaw to stand down from the party.

            One of the reasons why this is directed at Shaw is because he’s the current party leader, thus is ultimately accountable.

            Gareth Hughes would be an improvement on Shaw IMO.

            Turei deserted us, leaving us with Shaw to enter into negotiations.

  5. greg 5
    26 December 2017 at 5:22 pm

    what is first thing the new female doctor who does crash the tardis. women cant do time travel and they have proven it already and shes blond the tardises insurance premiums have just rocketed.

  6. joe90 6
    26 December 2017 at 6:43 pm

    They’re eating their own.

    Former Trump chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon milled his former Oval Office colleague Jared Kushner into a bloody chunk of battle sausage this week and smeared him across the shiny pages of Vanity Fair. You’ve got to read Bannon’s quote three or four times to fully savor the tang of its malice and cruelty. After scorning the Russia collusion theories as fiction, Bannon acknowledged the grisly reality that the Russia investigation poses for his former boss. And he blamed it all on Kushner, for having created the appearance that Putin had helped Trump. Dropping Kushner head first into the grinder, Bannon turned the crank.

    “[Kushner was] taking meetings with Russians to get additional stuff. This tells you everything about Jared,” Bannon told the magazine’s Gabriel Sherman. “They were looking for the picture of Hillary Clinton taking the bag of cash from Putin. That’s his maturity level.”

    https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/23/swamp-diary-breitbart-bannon-kushner-216166

  7. joe90 7
    26 December 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Jim Wright on the long con.

    So, Republicans know they’re going to be out of power soon, 2018, 2020, they’re history. Until the next time. Click. Click. Click.

    Mitch McConnell is far, far too savvy a politician not to know this. He might or might not keep his seat, but he’s not going to be Senate Majority Leader much longer.

    […]

    Repeat as necessary. This is the basic GOP formula since Nixon. This is the mindset of modern business, of wealth. They’re not interested in building a better world in perpetuity. They’re not interested in leaving anything behind. These aren’t the industrialists of old. This is modern business, run by the MBAs. They run the country the same way they run business: swoop in, liquidate, boost the stock, cash out to millions. Move on. They don’t care what happens to the company when they’re done with it, they don’t care about customers, or products, or employees. They’re not builders, they’re predators.

    http://www.stonekettle.com/2017/12/lemonade.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

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

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

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

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

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

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

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

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

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

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

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