The Dutch Government is planning to launch an international fund to finance access to birth control and abortion in developing countries, in order to fill the gap left after the Trump administration announced it would no longer fund any overseas aid organisations which discussed abortion.
“Banning abortions does not result in fewer abortions,” Dutch Trade and Development Minister Lilianne Ploumen said in a statement.
“It leads to more irresponsible practices in back rooms and more maternal deaths.”
The World Health Organisation estimates that 22 million women experience unsafe abortions every year, the vast majority of whom are in developing countries.
This is how Trumpism inspires strengthened support for liberal and left wing activities and organisations outside the US.
School of Government, VUW
Ministry for Justice
Statistics New Zealand
The Human Rights Commission
Ministry of Social Development
The Treasury
Inland Revenue
Department of Internal Affairs
Corrections
Department of Conservation
Ministry of Transport
Civil Aviation Authority
New Zealand Transport Authority
Maritime New Zealand
Te Puni Kokiri
The Ombudsman
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The New Zealand Defence Force
NIS Silver
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Serious Fraud Office
Crown Law
NIS Bronze
NZ Public Service Association
Sponsors
The Gama Foundation
In Kind Donations
Bell Gully
VUW School of Government
PwC
Deloitte
KPMG
Human Rights Commission Launch Day
School of Government Institute for Governance and Policy Studies Wellington
Wellington Girls College
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NZTE
Institute of Directors
BDO Spicers
Russell McVeagh
Chapman Tripp
Gibson Sheat
Susan Gluck-Hornsby
Chen Palmer
Juliet McKee
Claudia Orange
Te Papa
_________________________
That’s very unpleasant slur, stunned mullet. Smearing a person by using what might seem to you clever words but is by general consensus, mean-spirited, is more suited to other blogs, such as K*w*blog and it’s ilk. That stuff hurts – do you mean to cause personal pain to someone who comments here? I’m guessing you don’t really. Maybe you haven’t thought it through.
FFS Robert have you ever met Penny, she has a hide like a wooly mammoth and if you haven’t noticed she is the ultimate in blogosphere spray and walk away.
I haven’t and I don’t subscribe to the tough-hide theory, aside from believing that some people can appear to have one. In any case, your way with words is more appreciated, by me anyway, when you use it to amuse, rather than abuse. That said, it’s not really my business at all. Mainly, the connection between what I read and my senses is very lively, so if you’d written something about roses, I’d smell them.
The Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, in my view, isn’t worth the paper upon which it is written.
Seriously.
It’s not based upon measurable / objective yardsticks – but essentially the subjective opinions of anonymous businesspeople
How many people know that for the ten previous occasions that NZ was perceived to be ‘the least corrupt’ country in the world (sometimes 1st equal) – NZ hadn’t even ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)?
I’ve now attended five International Anti-Corruption Conferences, listened to and met experts, read voluminous material and ‘put my mind’ to the NZ corruption reality, and my opinion is considered.
In my view, New Zealand is a corrupt, polluted tax haven that needs a massive ‘clean up’.
Penny Bright makes a good point though, Blue. Talking about not being impartial and biased. Check out the who’s who of TINZ’s Board of Directors. It reeks of the National party.
Ten out of 59 National MP’s are not seeking re-election, that’s quite a lot. Rejuvenation? Or leaving a sinking ship?
Either way an early election should be called, not sure why taxpayers are footing the bill for MP’s that don’t even want to be part of the government anymore.
Obviously have options outside of parliment not like labour career troughers where a return to union organiser or dental nurse assistant is not really that attractive
Laila Harre’s well considered views, grapple with the complexity of left wing parliamentary politics. There’s praise and criticism all round for Labour, the Greens and Internet-Mana.
She says she had realised well before the 2014 election day that The Internet Party was a bit of a doomed enterprise. However, she had still expected that she and Hone Harawira would good seats in parliament.
Harre talks about the Moment of Truth. She was MC, but still thought while on stage at the event, that there would be a further big reveal about Kim Dotcom’s email, which was publicly released before that day.
Like many, she thinks the other aspects about 5 eyes surveillance in NZ, revealed at the MoT was significant, but they got publicly over-shadowed by Kim Dotcom’s confusions about his own Big Reveal. Harre still thinks the KDC released email on the day, may have been authentic – she says it’s never fully been investigated.
Harre also talks a lot about her current membership of the Labour Party, seems to not be seeking a candidacy, and has both praise and criticisms for the current Labour Party.
Wonder if Fisher is aiming to pursue this further?
On the day of the Moment of Truth, the Herald received a copy of an email which purported to show Key had been involved in a conspiracy against Dotcom since at least 2010.
…
The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire said to Harre the email “was almost certainly not authentic”.
Harre replied: “I can’t say that it was almost certainly not authentic.”
She said Dotcom believed it to be authentic and she had formed a view based on the conversations she had at the time.
She said “if the provenance of it had been able to be tested in a kind of environment where people weren’t at legal risk, then I think things would have been very different”.
Harre claimed Key had avoided directly denying the meeting mentioned in the “email” was genuine.
“Even if you go back to John Key’s reaction at the moment that came out was not to deny that this had taken place. It was to say you need to talk to my chief of staff about what happened at meetings.
“There was never a denial. And then the more powerful people, I guess, within the reporting class decided that this was something to go for, just to say it’s not authentic.
It seems Dotcom is still trying to pursue the issue via discovery in the courts.
The alleged email stated: “We had a really good meeting with the Prime Minister. He’s a fan and we’re getting what we came for. Your groundwork in New Zealand is paying off. I see strong support for our anti-piracy effort.
“John Key told me in private that they are granting Dotcom residency despite pushback from officials about his criminal past. His AG will do everything in his power to assist us with our case. VIP treatment and then a one-way ticket to Virginia.”
Warner Bros senior vice president for worldwide communications Paul McGuire said at the time: “Kevin Tsujihara did not write or send the alleged email, and he never had any such conversation with Prime Minister Key.”
He said the statement – made two hours after the Herald first asked questions – came after a “thorough internal review”.
As for the rest of the interview, the following paragraphs struck a chord.
“My own conclusion is that it’s really not going to be possible to build an alternative party to Labour on the left. I guess coming to terms with the importance of Labour institutionally to our democratic fabric… The one pre-condition, it seems to me, to having a progressive, innovative government is to strengthen the Labour Party. There are other things that may or may not need to happen but that is one thing that absolutely must happen for that to be possible. So I think the priority is to rebuild public confidence in the Labour Party and inject new ideas and energy into the party.”
“I think the international evidence would very clearly point to the biggest risk being in social democrat parties not strongly connecting to their traditional base, and not strongly articulating their core policies around equality, wages, education, not being frightened of trade unions, all of that,” says Harré. “I just think the international evidence is overwhelmingly telling us that. And if anything I think it’s very clear that you take a much greater risk if you are not clear about where your base is.”
“I do think that there is a lack of appreciation within Labour – not necessarily at the senior levels, but possibly in some quarters – of their vulnerability. They’ve barely moved above 30% since 2014. That was their worst election result. And they can’t blame anyone else for that. It was a terrible campaign for Labour. I think there is a lack of appreciation about the real vulnerability of their position in the political framework.”
“Yes, homeowners vote more than renters, but that should not be the guide for good government and good policy. On housing, every government since the early 1990s has been a failure.
It is time the political classes took off their blinkers and actually delivered on their responsibilities.”
The first 3000 days of National turned the economy from projected unending deficits into surplus The next 3000 days will see the further blossoming of the brighter future. The message is clear National equals prosperity The relentless negativity of the Left is countered by the massive house build and infrastructure growth that is all around. How can Labour ever get above 30%? People vote for change when times are rough. We are booming.
– low unemployment
– high gdp
– high polling
– high ‘right direction – wrong direction’ polling
– high population happiness
The test is all on the opposition to show that there’s a credible alternative that can sustain all of the above, AND:
– lower homelessness
– increase home ownership
– increase wages and salaries
– get better healthcare and schools
– protect water
Hey everyone, I’m in the middle of writing a post that has a passing but important reference to John Key and I need a good succinct description of Key’s background that conveys his relative evilness in the world e.g. his work history in finance and connections with the power brokers in the world, but framed in more formal terms (I’d rather not use the shorthand word evil) . Anyone?
A money-market speculator for over a decade, his negotiable relationship with social decency was applied to his subordinates as well as the general public interest and earned him the title “the smiling assassin”.
I heard some one describe him as a fair weather friend, which at the time I thought was a bit lame, however, after thinking about it, I think it really suits him.
A bit old fashioned, but a very damning insult to anyone who values loyalty and friendship.
The raising of the minimum wage debate gave me a moment to pause and recall the whole related issue of secondary tax. During the 2014 election Labour came out with a manifesto commitment to abolish secondary tax. A great policy announcement that I was pleased to hear. Secondary tax seems to just be a draconian measure to punish those the lowest incomes.
The national party response at the time (see link below) was to state they were already going ahead with the policy anyway and that the IRD Business Transformation plan will “address the PAYE system, including secondary tax and end-of-year square-ups.”
And here we are, three years on and nothing has changed. Secondary tax is still in place and causing as much trouble as ever for hard-working low income earners. Labour need to point out things like this next time National respond to their policy announcements with such blatant untruths
You do realise I hope that everyone pays the same rate of tax whether they have 1, 2 or 3 jobs and tax is taxed on income not the amount of jobs you have. If because of secondary tax you pay more tax than you should be paying, you can claim it back at the end of the financial year from the IRD and you get your refund normally within 10 working days.
There is a fallacy that people think that by being on secondary tax you pay more tax but that is not the case.
Hi Blackcap. I do realise this. However the problem is that low income earners can’t afford to wait until the end of the year to have their correct net income amount squared up. They generally require that money week by week to purchase necessities. A simple fix would be to allow a tax code to exist for those working two jobs that are expected to earn under a certain amount and tax them each week appropriately.
According to the link above, we know that seemingly both National and Labour agree with this ^^ problem definition. We also know that National have had a chance to do something about it since the article was published and have done nothing.
Not a huge personal fan of Helen – but I have to say she has represented New Zealand extremely well and deserves the respect she has been given on the world stage.
Neither. Does truth hurt? BTW, Shearer wasn’t the Prime Minister.
What’s the real reason as to why PM elect John key dumped his PM responsibilities, after the Roskill by election and ran away before the term was over, just months out from a general election?
You know what I am on about, and what’s bullshit about finishing off her terms of appointment? Clark’s second term ends in April, that’s when she’s leaving.
No, because she resigned from parliament after losing the 2008 election. It’s not like she was PM and resigned midway through the term like John key did.
The only thing she showed dogged determination over was her vicious and entirely unwarranted pursuit of the exiled Algerian parliamentarian Ahmed Zaoui.
Yes she quit because she lost the election and said at that time she was stepping down. How much “through of the term” was it James? So how inaccurate is my original comment really?
Did she have a crystal ball? Lol nah James, you are just splitting hairs. After losing the election, her time in NZ politics was over, she wasn’t going to do a Jenny Shipley.
I think it’s a three-way tie alongside the continued decimation of what was left of our social welfare system following the Bolger/Shipley/Richardson demolition job of previous 9 years.
Anyone taking a punt on the election date ? An announcement is due in a couple of weeks with the last legal date for a dissolution is Nov 18. I think they will play it safe and go later after the feel good budget is bedded in.
My pick is for Saturday November 4th.
”she had personally experienced the gender pay gap when working as a dishwasher and nurse aid.”
that whole article is just a vehicle for getting the poor girl made good meme out there, sound familiar ?
Can’t wait for the dirty politics stuff to come racing back to bite him in the bum…or more likely the jugular. The only question is whether it’s going to be when he knew about Dotcom, or the much cosier arrangement he had with Slater than he let on. Either way, my money’s on Key getting the legacy he deserves. It’s very important to the future of NZ that the official history of Key is as accurate as it can be.
Yes Bwaghorn, but it’s not going to work. Over 8 years of trampling over people without a care, no amount of Crosby
Textor reinvention is going to help Paula Bennett. The public won’t buy it. The damage has already been done.
What I want to know is how did Bennett manage to go to University when she was an unmarried mother ?
She must have had help other than the Solo mother payment.
My understanding is that her family were well off. She was not what a call a real solo mum.
She received what used to the Training Incentive Allowance that was paid to people getting a DPB or the invalid’s benefit who enroll in full-time study. It could be used to pay for tertiary fees for an undergraduate degree and in some cases post-graduate. Was a really successful programme. I’ve got a niece who was on the DPB and did a three year nursing course and has now been off the DPB and working as a nurse full time for a number of years now. A friend of hers did a law degree with the help of the TIA and now has her own family law firm. The TIA basically paid for the cost of studying – fees, books etc.
When Bennett became minister of social welfare one of the first things she did was abolish the Training Incentive Allowance. It was a wholly despicable thing for her to have done.
when two young solo mums used the same allowance to do exactly what she did, and then had the allowance pulled by her… and then had the temerity to complain at the unfairness… she released their winz details including their income – all of which they were entitled to have.
I seem to remember Labour promising to reinstate it in 2011. I’m guessing its still there and – along with other social policy – will be in this year’s election manifesto. It might be given a new name because pollies of all shades love to hoodwink voters into believing they have ‘exciting new ideas’ that have never been tried before. More often than not they get away with it because your average voter has such a poor political memory.
Quote” Founded in 1997 in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab is a cybersecurity and anti-virus provider present in almost 200 countries, and its products and technologies are used by over 300 million users. Kaspersky was recently accused by U.S. intelligence agencies of hacking into election data to help President Donald Trump win. Russia dismissed these allegations, and it is not clear if the arrests have any links to U.S. allegations.
Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian security services and the internet, called the arrest of the Kaspersky manager “unprecedented.”
“It destroys a system that has been 20 years in the making, the system of relations between intelligence agencies and companies like Kaspersky,” he told The Associated Press. “Intelligence agencies used to ask for Kaspersky’s advice, and this is how informal ties were built. This romance is clearly over.”quote over
The arrest raised the possibility that Mr. Mikhailov and Mr. Stoyanov had interfered in this cooperation [to hack the US Democratic National Committee]. The newspaper article, in Kommersant, which cited unidentified sources in Moscow’s technology industry and the F.S.B., said the treason charges related to work on criminal hacking investigations.
Alternatively, the detention of an official who would have been in a position to engage in the election hacking in America could indicate a good-will gesture to the United States, which has penalized Russia for the electoral meddling.
The gist seems to be that it has to do with something outside the guy’s kaspersky employment. And an FSB official has also been arrested, which suggests that maybe it is what it says on the sticker.
Just read on another blog an interesting milestone, this is labour 3000th day in opposition, the greens must be nearing 20000, the green gig Is good if you can get it Mp salary, no responsibility and list mp to boot and little likely anything changing soon
Have you no idea the work Green MPs and other party list MPs do? Sitting on select committees, attending local events to engage with the community, being available to citizens in their local area to respond to their issues.
I was up at Warkworth recently when there was a big community event all over the main street. Julie Anne Genter was in front of the Green Party stall, and seemed to be in high demand to talk to locals. In contrast, the NZ First stall was pretty quiet. Genter seemed also to be getting more attention than the people on Labour & Nat stalls – at least in my short time there.
do you think Mrs. Bennet has earned her wages?
Do you think Mr. Smith has earned his wages?
What about the Housing Benefit Double Dipper from Dipton, the unelected wannabe Prime Minster of NZ Mr. Surplus Bill English.
What about the elected MP, one week notice, smiling Assassin John Key, i think he is still MP for something. He is earning his wages?
How about List MP Alfred Ngaro? Is he worth his pay?
and question, do you want to abolish the wages for MPs in opposition and would that also apply tot he National Party?
Yes on everything barring your Last point. Jeez a Little dig really touchedd a few raw nerves,I guess it’s been a long time, not sure how a fourth term by nstiondl is going to go down, mass apoplectic outrage 🙂
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TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
Trumpets started a #ThankYouTrump to honour Dear Orange Leader. Didn’t quite go as planned.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thank-you-trump-twitter-rally_us_58884c75e4b0441a8f71db38?
Fantastic link that one Andre, thanks for sharing.
“For caring about popular votes and crowd sizes more than the American people #ThankYouTrump”
“#ThankYouTrump for freezing funding for science. Who needs innovation anyways?”
“#ThankYouTrump for freezing all regulations. Who wants educated and concerned people looking out for our health, the environment and stuff.”
Trump considering reinstating CIA black sites.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-prisons-idUSKBN15922L
And getting right back to torturing people, as a matter of policy.
McCain the old sea dog is all over it.
Still, re-gaining the ability to torture is just another lesson electing Trump was supposed to deliver to the left.
You’ve got a lot more confidence in McCain bringing some sort of reason into it all than I do. Hope you’re right and I’m wrong.
Nah. You’re right.
McCain’s showing more fight from Trump’s own team than most of the Dems are.
21 November 2016 – black sites, torture ☑
Aussie SBS reports that the Netherlands govt is opening a fund to enable access to birth control & abortions in “developing countries”:
This is how Trumpism inspires strengthened support for liberal and left wing activities and organisations outside the US.
The Netherlands has Trump’s number alright: https://www.facebook.com/zondagmetlubach/videos/1255295904562149/
Heh. thanks. Not so much “The Netherlands” per se, but a critic/satirist of both Trump and some Netherlands mainstream practices and politics.
Bravo
The money flows must not be halted!
How ‘independent’ are Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ)?
Pay the piper – call the tune’?
http://www.transparency.org.nz/Partners-and-Sponsors
Partners and Sponsors
Cornerstone Platinum
The Office of the Auditor General
NIS Gold
School of Government, VUW
Ministry for Justice
Statistics New Zealand
The Human Rights Commission
Ministry of Social Development
The Treasury
Inland Revenue
Department of Internal Affairs
Corrections
Department of Conservation
Ministry of Transport
Civil Aviation Authority
New Zealand Transport Authority
Maritime New Zealand
Te Puni Kokiri
The Ombudsman
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The New Zealand Defence Force
NIS Silver
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Serious Fraud Office
Crown Law
NIS Bronze
NZ Public Service Association
Sponsors
The Gama Foundation
In Kind Donations
Bell Gully
VUW School of Government
PwC
Deloitte
KPMG
Human Rights Commission Launch Day
School of Government Institute for Governance and Policy Studies Wellington
Wellington Girls College
Thorndon New World
NZTE
Institute of Directors
BDO Spicers
Russell McVeagh
Chapman Tripp
Gibson Sheat
Susan Gluck-Hornsby
Chen Palmer
Juliet McKee
Claudia Orange
Te Papa
_________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption campaigner’.
Future Independent MP for Mt Albert?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
What’s wrong Stunned Mullet, you don’t like facts?
The odour of cat’s piss makes me doze off.
That’s very unpleasant slur, stunned mullet. Smearing a person by using what might seem to you clever words but is by general consensus, mean-spirited, is more suited to other blogs, such as K*w*blog and it’s ilk. That stuff hurts – do you mean to cause personal pain to someone who comments here? I’m guessing you don’t really. Maybe you haven’t thought it through.
FFS Robert have you ever met Penny, she has a hide like a wooly mammoth and if you haven’t noticed she is the ultimate in blogosphere spray and walk away.
I haven’t and I don’t subscribe to the tough-hide theory, aside from believing that some people can appear to have one. In any case, your way with words is more appreciated, by me anyway, when you use it to amuse, rather than abuse. That said, it’s not really my business at all. Mainly, the connection between what I read and my senses is very lively, so if you’d written something about roses, I’d smell them.
Very nice responses there Robert.
Idiot. She has written a very good and thoughtful post, and all YOU have to offer is abuse.
Thanks Penny.
The Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, in my view, isn’t worth the paper upon which it is written.
Seriously.
It’s not based upon measurable / objective yardsticks – but essentially the subjective opinions of anonymous businesspeople
How many people know that for the ten previous occasions that NZ was perceived to be ‘the least corrupt’ country in the world (sometimes 1st equal) – NZ hadn’t even ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)?
I’ve now attended five International Anti-Corruption Conferences, listened to and met experts, read voluminous material and ‘put my mind’ to the NZ corruption reality, and my opinion is considered.
In my view, New Zealand is a corrupt, polluted tax haven that needs a massive ‘clean up’.
Penny Bright
Proven ‘anti-privatisation / anti-corruption campaigner’.
2017 Independent candidate
Mt Albert by-election
Ok penny we will go with your index, purely impartial and no bias
Penny Bright makes a good point though, Blue. Talking about not being impartial and biased. Check out the who’s who of TINZ’s Board of Directors. It reeks of the National party.
<a href="http://www.transparency.org.nz/Governance
+1 Penny.
Malcolm Evans’ cartoon on the CIA.
A picture says more than a thousand words.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-9.15.13-AM-768×497.png
Thanks Paul – good one.
I’ll never forget Chile and its chilling aftermath after USA backed coup.
Zamechyatselno Paul (translation, very good in Russian)
Thanks for the education.
Ten out of 59 National MP’s are not seeking re-election, that’s quite a lot. Rejuvenation? Or leaving a sinking ship?
Either way an early election should be called, not sure why taxpayers are footing the bill for MP’s that don’t even want to be part of the government anymore.
Obviously have options outside of parliment not like labour career troughers where a return to union organiser or dental nurse assistant is not really that attractive
Prove it, Blue.
Just up this morning on Spinoff: an interesting long read of an interview of Laila Harre by Toby Manhire.
“‘I was the captain of the Titanic and I had to stay with the ship’: Laila Harré on the Internet-Mana debacle and rejoining Labour”
Laila Harre’s well considered views, grapple with the complexity of left wing parliamentary politics. There’s praise and criticism all round for Labour, the Greens and Internet-Mana.
She says she had realised well before the 2014 election day that The Internet Party was a bit of a doomed enterprise. However, she had still expected that she and Hone Harawira would good seats in parliament.
Harre talks about the Moment of Truth. She was MC, but still thought while on stage at the event, that there would be a further big reveal about Kim Dotcom’s email, which was publicly released before that day.
Like many, she thinks the other aspects about 5 eyes surveillance in NZ, revealed at the MoT was significant, but they got publicly over-shadowed by Kim Dotcom’s confusions about his own Big Reveal. Harre still thinks the KDC released email on the day, may have been authentic – she says it’s never fully been investigated.
Harre also talks a lot about her current membership of the Labour Party, seems to not be seeking a candidacy, and has both praise and criticisms for the current Labour Party.
hi carolyn, cheers for the link,
tis good news laila is back into politics.
could possibly hold my nose and vote for them.
Thanks, gsays.
Typo in my above comment. Should be:
However, she had still expected that she and Hone Harawira would
goodget seats in parliament.Also, I see investigative journo at NZH, David Fisher, is following up the Harre interview, with headlines about the Dotcom email, released just before the MoT, being authentic (allegedly).
Wonder if Fisher is aiming to pursue this further?
It seems Dotcom is still trying to pursue the issue via discovery in the courts.
Interesting interview
I see the interview attracted Julie-Anne Genter’s attention, resulting in her Twitter outburst.
And now the headlines.
So much for demonstrating how well the Greens and Labour are going to work together.
As for the rest of the interview, the following paragraphs struck a chord.
“My own conclusion is that it’s really not going to be possible to build an alternative party to Labour on the left. I guess coming to terms with the importance of Labour institutionally to our democratic fabric… The one pre-condition, it seems to me, to having a progressive, innovative government is to strengthen the Labour Party. There are other things that may or may not need to happen but that is one thing that absolutely must happen for that to be possible. So I think the priority is to rebuild public confidence in the Labour Party and inject new ideas and energy into the party.”
“I think the international evidence would very clearly point to the biggest risk being in social democrat parties not strongly connecting to their traditional base, and not strongly articulating their core policies around equality, wages, education, not being frightened of trade unions, all of that,” says Harré. “I just think the international evidence is overwhelmingly telling us that. And if anything I think it’s very clear that you take a much greater risk if you are not clear about where your base is.”
“I do think that there is a lack of appreciation within Labour – not necessarily at the senior levels, but possibly in some quarters – of their vulnerability. They’ve barely moved above 30% since 2014. That was their worst election result. And they can’t blame anyone else for that. It was a terrible campaign for Labour. I think there is a lack of appreciation about the real vulnerability of their position in the political framework.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/323140/'denials-of-a-housing-crisis-are-now-simply-lies‘
“Yes, homeowners vote more than renters, but that should not be the guide for good government and good policy. On housing, every government since the early 1990s has been a failure.
It is time the political classes took off their blinkers and actually delivered on their responsibilities.”
hmmm… whats the common denominator here?
The first 3000 days of National turned the economy from projected unending deficits into surplus The next 3000 days will see the further blossoming of the brighter future. The message is clear National equals prosperity The relentless negativity of the Left is countered by the massive house build and infrastructure growth that is all around. How can Labour ever get above 30%? People vote for change when times are rough. We are booming.
And they said breathing helium was harmless! I guess it’s knowing when to go back to air.
You forgot to add:
– low unemployment
– high gdp
– high polling
– high ‘right direction – wrong direction’ polling
– high population happiness
The test is all on the opposition to show that there’s a credible alternative that can sustain all of the above, AND:
– lower homelessness
– increase home ownership
– increase wages and salaries
– get better healthcare and schools
– protect water
Hi fisiani, and that’s not counting the 10 bridges in northland!
Do you really believe your BS Fisiani?
Hey everyone, I’m in the middle of writing a post that has a passing but important reference to John Key and I need a good succinct description of Key’s background that conveys his relative evilness in the world e.g. his work history in finance and connections with the power brokers in the world, but framed in more formal terms (I’d rather not use the shorthand word evil) . Anyone?
A money-market speculator for over a decade, his negotiable relationship with social decency was applied to his subordinates as well as the general public interest and earned him the title “the smiling assassin”.
It has been argued that Key had direct knowledge of the two-track Dirty Politics, orchestrated from/by his office staffer.
I heard some one describe him as a fair weather friend, which at the time I thought was a bit lame, however, after thinking about it, I think it really suits him.
A bit old fashioned, but a very damning insult to anyone who values loyalty and friendship.
and they called him smiling assasin? +1
Wiser folk than me say that you either serve god or Mammon
Weka – @ 11 – how about machiavellian !
Thanks everyone, I went a different route, but linked to this string of descriptions 🙂
The raising of the minimum wage debate gave me a moment to pause and recall the whole related issue of secondary tax. During the 2014 election Labour came out with a manifesto commitment to abolish secondary tax. A great policy announcement that I was pleased to hear. Secondary tax seems to just be a draconian measure to punish those the lowest incomes.
The national party response at the time (see link below) was to state they were already going ahead with the policy anyway and that the IRD Business Transformation plan will “address the PAYE system, including secondary tax and end-of-year square-ups.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/policies/10416636/Labour-to-axe-secondary-tax
And here we are, three years on and nothing has changed. Secondary tax is still in place and causing as much trouble as ever for hard-working low income earners. Labour need to point out things like this next time National respond to their policy announcements with such blatant untruths
You do realise I hope that everyone pays the same rate of tax whether they have 1, 2 or 3 jobs and tax is taxed on income not the amount of jobs you have. If because of secondary tax you pay more tax than you should be paying, you can claim it back at the end of the financial year from the IRD and you get your refund normally within 10 working days.
There is a fallacy that people think that by being on secondary tax you pay more tax but that is not the case.
Hi Blackcap. I do realise this. However the problem is that low income earners can’t afford to wait until the end of the year to have their correct net income amount squared up. They generally require that money week by week to purchase necessities. A simple fix would be to allow a tax code to exist for those working two jobs that are expected to earn under a certain amount and tax them each week appropriately.
According to the link above, we know that seemingly both National and Labour agree with this ^^ problem definition. We also know that National have had a chance to do something about it since the article was published and have done nothing.
Andrea Vance on Twitter saying Helen Clark has resigned according to “sources”, and she’s seeking clarification.
Edit: Stuff confirms. To stand down in April
Media have sourced from a staff email: https://www.yahoo.com/news/clark-step-down-undp-chief-april-230424622.html
Not a huge personal fan of Helen – but I have to say she has represented New Zealand extremely well and deserves the respect she has been given on the world stage.
I’m no fan, either. Not surprising she’s off after not getting the top job. Not in her nature to hang around after something like that.
Unlike John key, at least Helen Clark doesn’t run away, and she finishes out her terms of appointment.
What an amazing statement of fact. Of course its bullshit but there you go.
Remind me again – why was there a byelection in Mt Albert in 2009?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Albert_by-election,_2009
So are you making comments that are uneducated or just telling porkies?
Neither. Does truth hurt? BTW, Shearer wasn’t the Prime Minister.
What’s the real reason as to why PM elect John key dumped his PM responsibilities, after the Roskill by election and ran away before the term was over, just months out from a general election?
What the heck are you going on about – you said “at least Helen Clark doesn’t run away, and she finishes out her terms of appointment”
I just pointed out that what you are saying is bullshit.
Nothing to do with anything else. So – again you ignorant of the facts or just telling lies?
You know what I am on about, and what’s bullshit about finishing off her terms of appointment? Clark’s second term ends in April, that’s when she’s leaving.
OK – here is a simply yes / no question for you.
Did Helen Clarke finish off her term as Mt Albert MP after the 2008 election? (The one where she had an appointment until 2011?)
Yes – No?
Come on you can do it….
No, because she resigned from parliament after losing the 2008 election. It’s not like she was PM and resigned midway through the term like John key did.
The only thing she showed dogged determination over was her vicious and entirely unwarranted pursuit of the exiled Algerian parliamentarian Ahmed Zaoui.
She failed, of course.
nested replies at an end, so replying to Leftie here.
You know that an MP for Mt Albert is job as well and she had campaigned for it and won – so when she quit – she did do so through the term.
No matter how you try to spin it – she did, and your original comment is inaccurate.
Makes me laugh how hard people spin trying to get out of being caught posting bullshit.
Yes she quit because she lost the election and said at that time she was stepping down. How much “through of the term” was it James? So how inaccurate is my original comment really?
“How much “through of the term” was it James?”
So now its not that she dosnt finish off her terms – you are saying that she quits right at the start of it – so thats ok.
If she wasn’t prepared to take the job if she lost the PM role she should have gone list only and not stood for Mt Albert.
Either way – you are still wrong.
Did she have a crystal ball? Lol nah James, you are just splitting hairs. After losing the election, her time in NZ politics was over, she wasn’t going to do a Jenny Shipley.
What did you like better: her ruthless, dishonest and illegal pursuit of Ahmed Zaoui or her hateful rhetoric against Maori?
I think it’s a three-way tie alongside the continued decimation of what was left of our social welfare system following the Bolger/Shipley/Richardson demolition job of previous 9 years.
Good riddance.
Anyone taking a punt on the election date ? An announcement is due in a couple of weeks with the last legal date for a dissolution is Nov 18. I think they will play it safe and go later after the feel good budget is bedded in.
My pick is for Saturday November 4th.
Bennett needs to understand that fixing problems she’s personally experienced…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88522319/government-promising-action-to-tackle-the-gender-pay-gap-in-2017
…doesn’t mean it’s okay to create problems she didn’t experience…
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/hon-paula-bennett-minister-of-hypocrisy/
Bennett’s analysis is truly beyond human comprehension.
”she had personally experienced the gender pay gap when working as a dishwasher and nurse aid.”
that whole article is just a vehicle for getting the poor girl made good meme out there, sound familiar ?
Can’t wait for the dirty politics stuff to come racing back to bite him in the bum…or more likely the jugular. The only question is whether it’s going to be when he knew about Dotcom, or the much cosier arrangement he had with Slater than he let on. Either way, my money’s on Key getting the legacy he deserves. It’s very important to the future of NZ that the official history of Key is as accurate as it can be.
Yes Bwaghorn, but it’s not going to work. Over 8 years of trampling over people without a care, no amount of Crosby
Textor reinvention is going to help Paula Bennett. The public won’t buy it. The damage has already been done.
What I want to know is how did Bennett manage to go to University when she was an unmarried mother ?
She must have had help other than the Solo mother payment.
My understanding is that her family were well off. She was not what a call a real solo mum.
She received what used to the Training Incentive Allowance that was paid to people getting a DPB or the invalid’s benefit who enroll in full-time study. It could be used to pay for tertiary fees for an undergraduate degree and in some cases post-graduate. Was a really successful programme. I’ve got a niece who was on the DPB and did a three year nursing course and has now been off the DPB and working as a nurse full time for a number of years now. A friend of hers did a law degree with the help of the TIA and now has her own family law firm. The TIA basically paid for the cost of studying – fees, books etc.
When Bennett became minister of social welfare one of the first things she did was abolish the Training Incentive Allowance. It was a wholly despicable thing for her to have done.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Bennett#Allegations_of_inconsistency
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/hon-paula-bennett-minister-of-hypocrisy/
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26012017/#comment-1292133
Yes and what was even more despicable:
when two young solo mums used the same allowance to do exactly what she did, and then had the allowance pulled by her… and then had the temerity to complain at the unfairness… she released their winz details including their income – all of which they were entitled to have.
Do you know if Labour’s promised to reinstate the TIA, Anne?
I seem to remember Labour promising to reinstate it in 2011. I’m guessing its still there and – along with other social policy – will be in this year’s election manifesto. It might be given a new name because pollies of all shades love to hoodwink voters into believing they have ‘exciting new ideas’ that have never been tried before. More often than not they get away with it because your average voter has such a poor political memory.
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/russian-cybersecurity-pro-who-worked-for-company-linked-by-us-to-election-hacks-charged-with-treason/
Quote” Founded in 1997 in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab is a cybersecurity and anti-virus provider present in almost 200 countries, and its products and technologies are used by over 300 million users. Kaspersky was recently accused by U.S. intelligence agencies of hacking into election data to help President Donald Trump win. Russia dismissed these allegations, and it is not clear if the arrests have any links to U.S. allegations.
Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian security services and the internet, called the arrest of the Kaspersky manager “unprecedented.”
“It destroys a system that has been 20 years in the making, the system of relations between intelligence agencies and companies like Kaspersky,” he told The Associated Press. “Intelligence agencies used to ask for Kaspersky’s advice, and this is how informal ties were built. This romance is clearly over.”quote over
what do people make of this?
I get the impression that it’s the Russians who made the arrest, but it’s not clear from the article.
i know but its kind of odd? no? disappearing the evidence? 🙂
One article I read did say something about Putin et al covering their tracks after aiding Trump.
or this from NY Times (with all its biases), says this:
yep, that was my first impression.
The gist seems to be that it has to do with something outside the guy’s kaspersky employment. And an FSB official has also been arrested, which suggests that maybe it is what it says on the sticker.
Just read on another blog an interesting milestone, this is labour 3000th day in opposition, the greens must be nearing 20000, the green gig Is good if you can get it Mp salary, no responsibility and list mp to boot and little likely anything changing soon
So do you think opposition parties have no viable place in a democratic parliamentary system?
asking red if he thinks? not so any one would notice.
Hard to call labour and green an effective opposition, so tax payer ROI pretty poor, but hey only my and the majority opinion over 3000 days
But Blue, the majority didn’t vote for National. How effective was National when it was in opposition for over 3200 days?
Have you no idea the work Green MPs and other party list MPs do? Sitting on select committees, attending local events to engage with the community, being available to citizens in their local area to respond to their issues.
I was up at Warkworth recently when there was a big community event all over the main street. Julie Anne Genter was in front of the Green Party stall, and seemed to be in high demand to talk to locals. In contrast, the NZ First stall was pretty quiet. Genter seemed also to be getting more attention than the people on Labour & Nat stalls – at least in my short time there.
do you think Mrs. Bennet has earned her wages?
Do you think Mr. Smith has earned his wages?
What about the Housing Benefit Double Dipper from Dipton, the unelected wannabe Prime Minster of NZ Mr. Surplus Bill English.
What about the elected MP, one week notice, smiling Assassin John Key, i think he is still MP for something. He is earning his wages?
How about List MP Alfred Ngaro? Is he worth his pay?
and question, do you want to abolish the wages for MPs in opposition and would that also apply tot he National Party?
Yes on everything barring your Last point. Jeez a Little dig really touchedd a few raw nerves,I guess it’s been a long time, not sure how a fourth term by nstiondl is going to go down, mass apoplectic outrage 🙂
Lol no surprises with that answer from you Blue. Dreams are free, more than likely, you are going to get disappointed.
There are a range of Redline articles on Pike river here:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/pike-river-tragedy-without-end/