Note the use of the words “collateral damage” in the brief report of the deaths of more than 100 civilians killed by the US in Mosul in the last month on RNZ this morning.
Listen from 5:26 for the brief report.
Heartbreakingly so true Adrian.
“They” are Terrorists. “We” are Freedom Fighters.
“They” are Snipers. “We” are Sharpshooters.
Our Innocents are victims of Vicious Cowardly Terrorist Attacks. Their Innocents are just Anonymous Collateral Damage. (Operation Burnham?)
Joyce on RNZ this morning said they’d basically spent the lot on their middle class tax cut election bribe. They will have a few hundred mill stashed away for fire-fighting and electioneering hullabaloo, but nothing significant. So DOC, health, housing, PT in Auckland? Yeah… Nah.
Both the Greens and NZ First have apparently signed up to support the government tax cuts. NZ First, fair enough. But the Greens??? WTF have they been smoking??? DOC funding was cut AGAIN. Nothing for PT. Under James Shaw they’ve drifted down in the polls and are probably going to end up third, which on this decision is about one place above what they deserve. I’m picking they won’t be bothering double figures in September. The stupidity of Shaw astounds me. He behaves like he is a 1990s Blairite – shit on your base because you think it has nowhere else to go and get into bed with the enemy for the sake of power as an end unto itself. Amazing. Amazing because the Greens have no game on the ground to speak of to mobilise their base of new agers, stoners, apathetic students and forest dwelling troglodytes so they need to be aspirational as hell to get them to the polls. The Green base HAS got somewhere else to go – they’ll just go to bed. Someone in the Greens needs to tell Shaw it is 2017 not 1997 and he is leader of a smaller party in an MMP environment, not the fricking UK Labour party under FPP.
So that means that leaves Labour as the only party which isn’t committed to automatically locking in this governments spending commitments into the medium term. If you want change, you are going to have to vote Labour.
@Sanctuary – the Greens and Labour are trying to win probably by taking the wind out of Natz budget by agreeing it. If they say they don’t agree, and want to tax more, harder for them to win. Will be like last time, Labour and Greens promised tax increases but did not make the numbers they should off. Nobody likes Austerity.
I’d like to see a new bracket of zero tax under $10k – that would help the minimum wage workers and unemployed boost their incomes – that would be fairer.
Wait, is it confirmed that the Greens supporting the government tax cuts?
Because if they are, I’m swapping to Labour until the Greens sort their shit out.
they’re not supporting the tax cuts. They’re opposed to what National are doing. They’re voting for the bill because they want the people doing the hardest to have the small amount that National are throwing their way instead of nothing, but they are very clearly criticising the tax cuts and the way that National has mis-targeted the budget. There is a post up now about the Greens response to the budget.
Sanctuary’s comment was a piece of anti-Green/pro-Labour propaganda.
Riiiiight…. so they are opposed to the bill that are voting for, and they support the tax cuts they are criticising?
Christ on a bicycle, what sort of genius thought that up?
Lets be clear. Voting for something you say you oppose is trying to have both ways and it amounts to arrant bullshit.
Saying you are criticising something you are supporting so that makes it OK and doing it with a straight face is just lala land nonsense, Alice in Wonderland stuff that those out voter land and away from the land of Castalia where the Greens seem to think they are playing their glass bead game of politics will rightly scoff at.
I don’t know why political parties do that, the voting for bills they oppose. Labour does it too. But you said the Greens support the tax cuts with the implication that they agree with what National are doing, and that’s a lie. They don’t support the tax cuts, and they’ve said so clearly.
Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe you didn’t really mean to mislead people about where the Greens stand on the budget and instead meant to just say that voting for the bill while being opposed to the package and its intent and direction as a whole is a mistake politically. But let’s not forget that the bill will pass without the Greens, so this is about something else.
“Both the Greens and NZ First have apparently signed up to support the government tax cuts.”
Shaw said the Taxation (Budget Measures: Family Incomes Package) Bill is flawed and taking things in the wrong direction but that because families are doing it so hard they need the pittance that National is giving them, hence the Greens voting for the bill.
The Greens are still to the left of Labour on most things, including taxation. Pretty much everything I’ve seen from them in the past day is them saying that they want govt resources via the budget to be targeted to people in need instead of giving tax cuts to the middle classes, and they’ve directly addressed DOC funding as well as most of the things their membership and voting base would want them to. I suggest you go look that up.
I also liked this from Shaw, in response to one of the National MPs telling porkies about the Greens in parliament yesterday,
Now, this is a debating chamber, so Mr Hudson is largely entitled to say what he wants, but he should try and stick to things that have some factual basis rather than just making crap up just because he’s gotten hot under the collar and has a political point to make.
I know that theoretically the Greens are to the left of Labour, but if they go around voting in favour of shitty legislation in the house, how am I supposed to have confidence in them?
What you are concerned about? Is it the principle? Because the bill will pass without the Greens, right? So them voting for it isn’t about enabling the bill, it’s about sending a message to people affected by the bill i.e. poor people. I’m still in two minds about that as a strategy, but it is an entirely different thing than the Greens agreeing with National. They simply don’t and Sanctuary is lying about that, for pretty obvious reasons.
Is the lack of confidence because you think that the Greens will support a National govt? (they won’t). And what will you do the next time Labour does something that you think is wrong? There is literally no-one else in this election to party vote for if we want to change the govt. It’s Labour or the Greens.
Labour also vote for bad legislation btw, so when it comes down to it, it’s about policy and competency. I look forward to a L/G govt but I think it will be a better one of the Greens have more MPs than they do now. The more support they have the more they will follow up on what their polices intend.
Yes, it’s principle. Don’t vote for bad legislation. Ever.
And it’s about having confidence in the message – they go around rightly bagging the budget, but then they vote for it? Wait, so it was ok? What bits were good about the budget then? Oh, so it was bad?
pop over to the Green budget post and read Marama Davidson’s blog post on it. I hear what you are saying, and like I say I’m not convinced it’s a good thing to do when either the Greens or Labour do it. But I also think that what they are doing makes sense, and I’m curious about where that comes from. They may feel that compassion trumps politics in this instance.
edit, makes sense for them i.e. it’s coherent with their kaupapa.
Labour, whilst having made plenty of mistakes and having many problems, I do not think actually deserve entirely the bad rap that they are getting. I think they will pick up more seats than anyone is willing to admit.
Labour needs to stick to Labourite principles: supporting railways, partially buying back the electricity generating assets – these are the kind of things that would make me vote Labour.
I think you mean Greens on fourth, being overtaken by Winston. I am pretty sure that would have happened with or without James Shaw.
Winston is on fire at the moment. Pike River, Auditor General just to mention two things that he has led in recent weeks. But it matters less about the specific issue, and more about the fact that Winston is often leading the political news, and has been for some time.
So I do expect NZF to be the third party, and perhaps surprisingly close to Labour. I am am picking NZF being north of 15%, which would mean Labour under 30%. Winston will pick up most of the vote that went to Craig last time.
So picking up your last line. Voting Labour won’t actually change much, not unless you expect Labour to get 40%.
The key changes of the Budget (tax thresholds and WFF) are now locked in with the vote of the Greens and NZF, and that uses up most of the available money.
Speaking of Winston we fully expect more to come of this;
“If you think there is no drug and gang problem in Northland, you haven’t been talking to police, teachers, health workers, social workers, forestry workers, local contractors, prison warders or rental owners. So Mr Reti, you seriously need to get out more.”
One nasty guy is Reti. The columnist got fired after this recent opinion piece was published in the local paper. Very inconvenient a columnist having a crack at you closing in on a general election. Plenty of local tories whispering about this latest incident. Cannon fodder for opposing candidates, be watching with interest what develops given he has prior form.
Over 100k in spending in a small local paper struggling in the new digital world of media wields a lot of power in what is scribed and by whom.
A first term MP that hasn’t really fired by living up to expectations, under siege already by a strong local Labour voice and the speculation Shane Jones will soon enter the race. A risky call given Muir’s popularity. Timing as a result is bad luck with Alfie threatening Jackson not long after the dismissal. I doubt any other media will dare take the issue on, it acts as a clear message ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’. One could expect RNZ to tone things down with being critical of the Govt since they were big winners (muzzled) in the budget.
First poll since Manchester terror attack on Monday – shows Tory lead cut by 4 points to just a five point gap (43% CON – 38% LAB).
This compares to the previous YouGov poll – for last weekend’s Sunday Times – that showed the Tories on 44% and Labour on 35% (9 point gap) and the first post- election-announcement YouGov (18–19 Apr 2017) which suggested a whopping 24 point lead to the Tories
To put this in context – it’s the smallest gap since July last year (in any poll) and since April last year (in a YouGovpoll)
and
Cameron won his majority in 2015 with a 6.5% lead over LAB.
Also Corbyn is due to give a speech on the Manchester bombing on Friday UK time.
The “IRA-supporting friend of terrorists” smears on him in the Tory press are in overdrive.
My understanding is that changes in voting intention take a couple of weeks to show up after an influencing factor. I’m not sure if that applies to something like a terrorist attack though.
and interestingly enough, looking at the wikipedia graph of polls, UKLab were on such a steep slope up that the yougov thing is high, but not outlandish.
Tragedies aside, this election really is quite interesting.
Maybe – just maybe, people have had a gutsfull of the “tough on terror” bullshit. Maybe – just maybe, people are realising, that not only doesn’t it work, but that it’s counterproductive.
If that’s the case (and I’ve commented to that effect on the post I just put up) then May’s finished.
Corbyn’s speech is going to be very interesting on that front. Is May scheduled to be coming down off her scripted, tele-prompter podium any time soon?
Quite worried about Jezza’s up-coming speech … I largely agree with his reasoning … but that doesn’t mean most Brits will …
… potential for backlash and plunge in polls if he handles it badly – eg … with tin ear to almost inevitable heightened popular hawkishness on combating terrorism
Yep – particularly given that anything he says will be deliberately distorted by the popular press to reinforce the “soft on terrorism” and “friend of Britain’s enemies” hogwash they are peddling.
He needs to unconditionally condemn all acts of terror and political violence and all those who commit them – from the outset.
Very risky and high-stakes.
Precisely … ruthless, systematic “soft on terror” smears inevitable … highly emotionally charged atmosphere … young girls have, after all, died horribly, senselessly …
MSM – Tories = “He’s too spineless to defend us … stockholm syndrome !!! …
Cowardly Corbyn !!! … blaming us !!! … blaming the victims !!!
Just like he did with the IRA !!!” …
not too difficult to imagine the cold calculated ruthlessly-delivered spin
If Corbyn was a really cynical political operator he’d use it as a chance to outflank the Tories on the right – promise more resources for the security services and police (blame Tory cost-cutting), implement some form of preventative detention for terror suspects (quietly hedged around with the need for judicial sign-offs) and a review of immigration policy for the post-Brexit world. Then throw in support for the local military forces who actually have a record of defeating ISIS on the ground (rather then direct British intervention), beefed up anti-radicalisation programmes at home, etc.
If his prime objective is ending Tory austerity, he needs to be in power and so has to think about swallowing this dead rat in the least painful way (head-first, quickly and without looking too closely).
Thinking about how the rest of the world deals
with the threat from ISIS/Islamic State,
which of the following best reflects your view?
Ultimately, the threat from ISIS/Islamic State is
more likely to be solved through the use of military force
than through dialogue and peace talks … 46%
Ultimately, the threat from ISIS/Islamic State is
more likely to be solved through dialogue and
peace talks than through the use of military force … 18%
Thinking about the rise of extremist threats like
ISIS/Islamic State in recent decades, do you
think this is mainly the result of western
countries interfering in the Middle East, or
mainly the result of social, religious or political
issues in the Middle East itself?
Is mostly the result of western countries interfering
in the Middle East … 18%
Is mostly the result of with social, religious or
political issues in the Middle East itself … 25%
What is there to worry about? Labour entered the campaign 24 points behind, riven with a PLP neo liberal fifth column, led by a man subjected to the worst media smear campaign since the war and completely written off. On the back of a return to roots, nothing to lose manifesto,old fashioned campaigning and an offer of hope they’ve surged to within striking distance of power. There is nothing for Corbyn to lose by laying out his alternative to endless imperialist wars and terror, because it also holds out what the current electorate craves – hope of change for the better.
I’m quietly thinking there’s been a sea change, and pointing to the blow-back from foreign wars etc will only accelerate support for UK Labour.
Remember that millions marched against the invasion of Iraq and that the security services warned of precisely the blow-back that has been occurring. Also, a parliamentary vote to allow an air campaign in Syria fell over and I’m also picking people are less than impressed with the aftermath of Libya.
Something to keep in mind in regards to Britain and terrorism
“Britain is now the second biggest arms dealer in the world, official government figures show – with most of the weapons fuelling deadly conflicts in the Middle East.
Since 2010 Britain has also sold arms to 39 of the 51 countries ranked “not free” on the Freedom House “Freedom in the world” report, and 22 of the 30 countries on the UK Government’s own human rights watch list.
A full two-thirds of UK weapons over this period were sold to Middle Eastern countries, where instability has fed into increased risk of terror threats to Britain and across the West.”
The British government operated an “open door” policy that allowed Libyan exiles and British-Libyan citizens to join the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi even though some had been subject to counter-terrorism control orders, Middle East Eye can reveal.
Several former rebel fighters now back in the UK told MEE that they had been able to travel to Libya with “no questions asked” as authorities continued to investigate the background of a British-Libyan suicide bomber who killed 22 people in Monday’s attack in Manchester.
It’s reported that the father of Salman Abedi fled Libya in the 1990s. He got political asylum in the UK because the Gaddafi government was ‘after him’ for leaking operational matters to fanatics who were the subject of state investigations.
He went back to Libya after Gaddafi’s death and is now high up in the UN supported alternative government or some such.
Anyway. My point is that in the ’90s, no-one would have given much of a second thought to offering asylum to the likes of Ramadan Abedi (the father), but…
well, all this extremism was ‘contained’ by the security forces in countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria. They were the ones with skin in the game who kept tabs on shit, and western governments used their intel.
What I can’t figure is why ‘the west’ chose to overthrow the governments of those countries and bomb them back to the stone-age. They absolutely were (how to say?) providing a service – no matter how unintentionally. Fuck, when the US were using ‘black sites’ off the back of their rendition stuff, which countries were people sent to for interrogation? Libya and Syria and possibly Iraq. Why? Because the authorities in those countries knew the lie of the land – knew their shit. They had to insofar as they were defending their secular states against the very same forces we now see running riot all over Libya, Iraq and Syria.
I’d be thinking that Saudi Arabia has played a not insignificant role in shifting western policy in the region. And yes, Israel too.
Fair enough yet it exactly pertains to the point of the post where blame is attached to groups for no good reason just ignorance. And that blame which is attached to groups supports tgem getting unfairly treated because of labelling and othering.
Sorry marty. But if you want to ride your hobby horse against me on the basis you simply don’t like some of the things that I say, then you’re doing it over here.
We’ve been through this and you’ve singularly failed to rise above the level of personal abuse.
If you don’t like people being ascribed a label based on what they do, then offer up some reasonable argument as to why. If you think chopping peoples heads off is sub-human or indicative of being a non-person, then fine. I can’t follow why that would lead to objections over them being called by what they either do or condone. Maybe you could enlighten me on that front?
I havent abused you. I have put up a reason as to why using that term could be counter productive. You ignored that reason and didn’t offer up any alternative apart from ‘coz I wanna’ . The only reason I raised it again is because I thought it pertained to your comment. I am very happy to consider the subject closed – as to your final question – you answer it yourself – what people do is not what people are.
Edit anyway I don’t want you to have to waste time with me so I’ll pull my horns in.
But just like (as I explained yesterday) “Jones the postman” allowed the particular Jones to be identified in a community awash with the surname Jones, so “headchopper” allows identification in a region awash with warring factions.
edit – the term “daesh”, widely used in the region, plays a similar role insofar as it robs those identified as “daesh” of any respectable veneer of religion they try to construct.
NoRightTurn: I/S writes:
“There’s been a landmark decision from the Court of Appeal today, one which lawyers are saying changes the New Zealand constitution. The decision? The Court has ruled that the High Court was right to declare that National’s 2010 prisoner voting restrictions (the ones which were so shabby and shoddily passed that they brought Parliament into disrepute) were inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act.”
This tawdry stuff grinds on and on. National’s disgraceful actions are hidden from view only by the lag it takes to have them officially exposed.
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Labour Party president Nigel Haworth resigned yesterday over the party's sexual assault scandal. But while that's good news, its unlikely to take away the stench of a coverup. Because according to Paula Bennett in Parliament yesterday, pretty much everyone in the Prime Minister's office was involved as well:I have been ...
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...
There has been a lot of talk about Boris Johnson wanting an election, and he has blustered with great gusto about 'chicken' Jeremy Corbyn refusing one, but I think there are many reasons why he is secretly glad he has been refused the opportunity:The Tories are an utter rabble,tearing themselves ...
Scottish appeal court judges have declared that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to the October Brexit deadline is unlawful. The three judges, chaired by Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, overturned an earlier ruling that the courts did not have the powers to interfere in the prime ...
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...
I understand there's some stuff going round about how the SIS "was removed from the list of public offices covered by the Public Records Act in 2017". The context of course being their records derived from US torture, which will be disposed of or sealed. The good news is that ...
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ...
Australia is burning down again, and meanwhile its natural disaster minister is denying climate change:Australia’s minister responsible for drought and natural disasters, David Littleproud, has said that he doesn’t “know if climate change is manmade”. Clarifying earlier comments that the question is “irrelevant” when considering the Coalition government’s response to ...
Auckland Philippines Solidarity is excited to host Professor Judy Taguiwalo for a speaking tour of NZ in September. She is a well-known activist in the Philippines and was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship. Professor Taguiwalo briefly served as a Cabinet member under President Duterte but was forced from ...
This open letter to the Green Party was penned after an opinion piece by Jill Abigail, a feminist and founding member of the party, was censored by the Greens’ leadership. (Redline has reprinted her article here).The intolerance of the Green Party leaders and their acceptance of the misogyny of gender ...
Today is a Member's day, and David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill continues its slow crawl through its committee stage. They're spending the whole day on it today, though the first hour is likely to be spent on voting left over from last time. After that they'll move on ...
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...
During my time in the Pentagon I had the privilege of sitting down with military leaders and defence and security officials from a variety of Latin American nations. Sometimes I was present as a subordinate assistant to a senior US defence department official, sometimes as part of a delegation that ...
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. So how's that going? I was curious, so I asked for all advice about the proposal. ...
As the Brexit saga staggers on, the focus is naturally enough on the Prime Minister and his attempts to achieve Brexit “do or die”. But the role played by the Leader of the Opposition is of almost equal interest and complexity. The first problem for Jeremy Corbyn is that he ...
“Climate change is here - we all need to do our part.” Monday 23rd September 2019. Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre Climate change is happening. CEAC – compendium facts tribute to ‘Climate Change Week’ https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/115098866/exceptionally-rare-warming-above-antarctica-may-be-affecting-nzs-weather ...
Criminal law changes are now increasingly being used by politicians as a vote gathering tool pandering to lynch mob special interest groups. To look tough against crime, govts constantly increase penalties, create new crimes, and make it harder to get ...
It has been two years since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called climate change her generation's nuclear free moment. And on Monday, against a backdrop of global climate protest, she will give the opening speech at the United Nation's climate ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson is under intense scrutiny. New figures show economic growth has slowed to levels not seen for six years. And he has chosen not to answer questions about when he heard about serious allegations of a sexual assault cover-up ...
NZDF Attends Commemorations to Mark International Mission in East Timor A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent participated today in the 20th anniversary commemorations of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) mission in Dili. The commemoration ...
They’ve only been up and running for a few months, but a New Zealand not-for-profit has already made a big impact on period poverty in New Zealand. ...
The allocation of money for publicly funded broadcasting for election campaigns should be turned on it's head according to Massey University professor of communication design Claire Robinson. ...
Disappointment expressed by Fletcher Building CEO, Ross Taylor, reflects the increasing frustration held by many with this Government’s failure to protect private property rights.[1] ...
The independent Interim Climate Change Committee today launched an eight-week, nationwide call for evidence on options available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ...
Social Credit has lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman over the way the Overseas Investment Office is handling its official information request for disclosure of documents on the sale of Westland Milk Products to Chinese company Inner Mongolian ...
This Friday in Solidarity with the Global Climate Strike All of the SodaStream’s e-commerce platforms and head office operations will be closed to kick-off the week-long event, and employees will march the #CLIMATESTRIKE in Auckland on 27 September. ...
Federated Farmers congratulates the Auditor-General’s office on its release today of its report Managing Freshwater Quality: Challenges and Opportunities. ...
Growth has now slowed to a 6-year low, and downside risks are dominating. June quarter GDP growth came in at 0.5%qoq, in line with our expectation, and slightly above consensus. Although there were a few sensational reports of the chance of a negative print. ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is calling the release of the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) framework a good first step in balancing New Zealand’s response to climate change. ...
Family First NZ says that a new Colorado report compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area finds marijuana-positive traffic fatalities, hospitalisations, marijuana use, and illegal market activity have exploded since marijuana legalization. ...
This year’s Ratepayers’ Report , local government league tables released yesterday, reveals which local councils owe the most and which owe the least. ...
Rachel MacGregor welcomes the decision released today by Justice Hinton. The key issue on which all the various litigation has been based is the question, did Colin Craig sexually harass Rachel. That question has been answered – he did. Justice ...
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has today ratified a ground breaking pay deal with Dunedin Railways which will see all union members being paid a living wage and the lowest paid receiving an 18% wage increase. Higher paid RMTU members ...
Inclusion for trans women/men and non-binary peoples has today been announced as the cornerstone of a new resolution for the National Council of Women New Zealand (NCWNZ). ...
It took a testy Morning Report interview this week to remind me that Simon Bridges was still the Leader of the Opposition. Until then, he had been largely invisible as the events of recent weeks unfolded. ...
The National Council of Women NZ has today welcomed the news that the Government has purchased Kate Sheppard’s house in Christchurch, the base for the NZ suffrage campaign. ...
The Māori Party supports mana whenua of Ihumātao and acknowledges their coming together to reach consensus on the future of their whenua. “We also acknowledge the leadership of the Kīngitanga who have played an important role in supporting ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why, for the second time, Jacinda Ardern has appointed a Crown-owned company Chief Executive to Chair her “Business Advisory Council”, following her announcement that Mercury CEO Fraser Whineray ...
Responding to the Government’s decision to give around $300 million to Amazon as a sweetener for filming a TV series in New Zealand, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “As a matter of simple waste, this is striking, ...
I am very pleased with Air New Zealand’s Decision to backdown and withdraw their application to trademark into a logo Kia Ora. I said at the time that it was an ill conceived idea and poorly thought out – more importantly it should never have been ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa members will be joining with others across the union movement by wearing black and white in support of pay equity on Suffrage Day tomorrow, and urging the Government to commit to a settlement for teacher aides this year. ...
Yesterday’s announcement from the Minister for Immigration, to improve temporary work visas for migrant workers, provides some positive changes but more detail is needed. The Council of Trade Unions fundamentally supports the principle of making ...
FIRST Union today welcomed Westpac’s public admission of the significant gender pay gap in its workforce and reiterated its call for employers to work with unions to close this disparity, arguing that this work must begin at the bottom of the pay ...
Changes to the work visa system announced by the Minister of Immigration are not all positive for employers or migrants, comments Ms June Ranson, chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) , a leading voice in the ...
The Dairy Workers Union (DWU) has welcomed the announcement from dairy company, Synlait, that they will be boosting parental leave entitlements significantly for working parents. ...
In June, the Children’s Commissioner announced a thematic review into Oranga Tamariki’s policies, processes and practice relating to care and protection issues for tamariki Māori aged 0-3 months. Today the Children’s Commissioner has released the full ...
“Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues of the Western Bay region. We believe that this is ...
In response to DairyNZ's attempt to dismiss an economic report that highlighted dairy's role in the New Zealand economy is only three per cent of GDP, Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says: "If DairyNZ wishes to reject a report ...
Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has successfully guided the mana whenua of lhumaatao to reach a consensus on the future of their whenua. ...
Two activists disguised as shareholders interrupted the AGM of a gold mining company in central Auckland this morning to inform shareholders their plans to mine for gold in conservation estate in the Karangahake Gorge were unwelcome. ...
The Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) has been labelled ‘NATO’ (no action, talk only) when it comes to child mental health, with just 0.6 full time staff (24 hours per week) for inpatient child psychology and just 0.8 full time staff ...
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has awarded three New Zealand climate youth groups with its Ambassador of Conscience award, its highest recognition for human rights work, previously given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ai Weiwei and Malala Yousafzai. ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union , in partnership with the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance , has today published this year's Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz . ...
NZUS Council executive director Jordan Small welcomes the news New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet with US President Donald Trump in New York next week. ...
By Michael Andrew Social media and tech industries have been replicating the ugliest aspects of capitalism from the 1800s, according to an AUT computer science lecturer. Associate Professor Tony Clear says that social media and tech executives are taking advantage of unregulated markets in a similar way as wealthy ...
Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!If the latest stats ...
Covering Climate Action: Ahead of the UN’s Climate Action Summit, artist Joseph Michael and composer Rhian Sheehan teamed up to create Voices For The Future, a 30-minute installation projected onto the UN buildings.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Joseph Michael is ...
New Zealand banning Huawei’s 5G network equipment won’t impact you nearly as much as the US’s recent moves against Huawei phones, writes Henry Burrell. Twenty years ago, you would have shown off your flash new Ericsson or Nokia. How times change. Now, those two entities exist only to provide mobile network ...
Op-Ed by Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)Kaveh Zahedi is Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).In less than ten days world leaders will be ...
Grant McDougall reviews Kilgour’s new solo album, Bobbie’s A Girl, which sees him reflecting on the deaths of his friend and former bandmate, Peter Gutteridge and his own mother, Helen Kilgour. There is a passage in Shayne Carter’s excellent recent autobiography, Dead People I Have Known, in which he describes ...
New Zealand painter-poet Gregory O’Brien has just published a new collection of essays and art; pitched as a “field notebook … my whale survey”, Always Song in the Water drifts from his own front lawn in Hataitai, up to Northland and way, way across the Pacific. It’s the sort of ...
Ruby Porterlooks into New Zealand’s future when the sea level rises 10, 25 and 80 metres, and finds out how much of Auckland will be left.I grew up in Ponsonby, but the only bay I knew around here was Cox’s. It’s fed by a creek which was once a mahinga ...
Opening up a skid pad, create more housing for single people and make the central city dog friendly: policies from Christchurch's lesser-known mayoral candidates. ...
Josie Adams, Hayden Donnell, and Alice Webb-Liddall read thousands of policy statements to find the climate change deniers, fudgers, prevaricators (and believers) running in our local elections.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here.One of the problems ...
The paintings of Colin McCahon convey dissonance and uncertainty, writes Shannon Te Ao. So what does this say about us? And why are we maintaining this Pākehā male narrative at the expense of more inclusive representation?Colin McCahon would have turned 100 on August the 1st. If you keep one eye ...
Amanda Thompson spends a day with the New Zealand men’s roller derby squad as they prepare for next year’s world champs in the US.Let’s play a word game. Let’s list some contact sports and the top teams in those codes.Say rugby. Are you thinking about the All Blacks yet? What ...
Covering Climate Now:Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we go crazy for crickets in a climate week special.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. ...
To mark International Day of Peace, Dr Rebecca Dudley of the New Zealand Red Cross explores the role that New Zealanders play in the global story of war and peace. Personal stories about war almost always begin with a memory.A humid afternoon in South Sudan.A calm Wednesday evening in Beirut.A bustling ...
The history of tattoo art in Japan is deep-rooted and complex – and so is the cultural aversion to tattooed bodies, explains Brian Ashcraft, the author of a book on subject.Tonight, when the All Blacks take the field, they’ll be covering up. In order not to run afoul of Japanese ...
Covering Climate Now: Saying climate change is important is one thing. So why are we so incapable of having a real conversation about what actually addressing it will mean? Sam McGlennon investigates. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Up until a week ago, ...
"This is what Wellington boy said, after he finished his quick and bloody deed. You know what your problem is? Once a slut, always a slut": a short story by Auckland writer Eileen Merriman. ...
Michael Mann, a climatologist and famous press critic, talks to the Columbia Journalism Review about the dangers of both understating and overstating the dangers of climate change. ...
Ahead of the All Blacks first game Trevor McKewen makes some his fanciful, fraught and some hopefully on-point predictions for the Rugby World Cup.Can you take one for the team? Could you cope with the All Blacks coming up short in achieving an unprecedented third straight World Cup if it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Leigh Sullivan discusses Scott Morrison’s new family law inquiry with Michelle Grattan. They also speak of the developments in the Tamil family from Biloela’s case, and the UN barring ...
Analysis - Jacinda Ardern heads for the UN as the sexual assault scandal rumbles on at home, and Simon Bridges says he isn't going to ease off his personal attacks on the PM. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dries Verstraete, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Design and Propulsion, University of Sydney CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d ...
In this episode of our new tarot reading show Wild Card, The Spinoff’s resident psychic divines the outcome of the All Blacks’ opening match against the Springboks on Saturday.In the first and potentially only episode of Wild Card, we have a focus on sport. The Spinoff’s psychic-in-residence, Jo Sees, specialises ...
Recently-retired Sky TV chief executive John Fellet talks to Newsroom business editor Nikki Mandow about baseball, media, goldfish, accountancy - and more baseball. ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.With Duncan enjoying a MAFS-style beach holiday in Bali, Alex and Jane are left to cover another crazy week in reality television. Shannon Ryan has gone full beast-mode in Celebrity Treasure Island, Married ...
Dr Bryce Edwards“Diversity” is a central theme of the current local government elections – with the common criticism that incumbent politicians are generally too “stale, male, and pale” (or variations on that). Numerous commentators and candidates have lamented the lack of women, ethnic minorities, and youth in local government. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Climate change, environment Paul Gorman (Stuff): How would you spend an unlimited war chest for ...
A review into the Ministry for Culture and Heritage will look into the relationship between a staffer and the external developer responsible for a massive data breach. ...
Covering Climate Now: The Spinoff crew who took on climate change with a vegan diet for the week reflect on the highs, the lows, the pies and the fries. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!As I write, I’m tucking into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Crisp, Professorial Fellow, Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University As world chiefs and youth leaders gather in New York at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, many of us as individuals are feeling powerless and overwhelmed. Making big personal changes ...
The head of one of the country's biggest news media firms is the latest subject of criticism for darkening his face at a staff party he attended dressed as US basketballer Lamar Odom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Health authorities in the United States are investigating 530 cases of lung illness, including seven deaths, reportedly connected to vaping. Some of these patients have been diagnosed with lung inflammation ...
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 The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Chatto & Windus, $48)Obvs. (Read our review by Pip Adam here)2 Three ...
When comedy documentary Funny As was made, a lot of interviews got left on the cutting room floor which NZ On Screen quickly picked up. Here are some of our favourites.We’re a pretty funny bunch us Kiwis. Trapped on a tiny island at the end of the earth it appears ...
Auckland rapper JessB has just released a new EP and wraps up a national mini-tour tonight in her home town. Jogai Bhatt talked to her about her world travels, performing at Ihumātao, and how her community and her music intersect.It’s only been two years since JessB entered the public radar ...
A new poem by Waiheke poet Rata Gordon.PacingA deep bow to NerudaIt so happens I am sick of being a woman. It happens that I walk into BP stations and supermarkets greasy, swollen, like a cow made of soap, losing my way in a field of placentas and pesticides.The smell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Gardiner, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University In August, a 24-year-old woman appeared before the Western Australian District Court after pleading guilty to concealing the birth of her newborn baby in 2018. The charge of concealment of birth refers to hiding the dead ...
Voting papers are being sent out today, and lots of people say they won’t fill them out because they don’t know anything about the candidates. Respected website ‘The Spinoff’ is trying to fix that through its Policy Local tool. But it’s not the only one. Catherine Jeffcoat talks to the ...
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by literary editor Steve Braunias ...
Writer and cannabis legalisation expert Russell Brown watched episode two of Patrick Gower on Weed, and found it highly entertaining but dangerously light on facts. Patrick Gower is good value when he’s high. In the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you’d expect in a ...
Sydney shock-jock Alan Jones has written to Jacinda Ardern saying he didn't intend any violence towards her when he said on air that Australia's Prime Minister should "shove a sock down [her] throat". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caio Seguin, PhD candidate, University of Melbourne Brain regions exchange information by sending and receiving signals through a network of nerve connections. This exchange is crucial to all aspects of the brain’s functioning, including how we experience the world, form and retrieve ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miranda Kaye, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney Over the next 12 months, a joint parliamentary committee will examine Australia’s family law system. It will be led by conservative Liberal MP Kevin Andrews and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Allen, Senior Lecturer in Public Management, Victoria University of Wellington This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. For three years in a row, the ...
Open Mike 26/05/2017 
Reprinted from Jacobinmag by Jane Slaughter and Chris Brooks Almost 50,000 UAW workers are on strike against GM and a two-tier labor system that undermines worker solidarity. But members may need to wage a battle on two fronts — against the company, but also against their own union leadership. Forty-nine ...2 hours ago
Before Jacingrant There Was Gracinda: Grant Robertson and his 2014 running mate, Jacinda Ardern. She stood at his side: loyal and obliging, as she had ever been. The media dubbed this duo “Gracinda” – a sort of political “Brangelina”. The other young people who worked alongside Robertson were also ambitious ...11 hours ago
. . Just when you thought Simon Bridges couldn’t sink any lower – he has. After the March 15th Christchurch terror attack, the (current) Leader of the National Party issued strong committments to support urgently needed gun law reform; “We will be ready and prepared to be constructive and to ...2 days ago
We all know that bad parents simply don’t care about their children’s education. Most truants have loser parents, and grow up to be involved with crime, or in low paid employment usually like their parents. The nonsense so-called “climate strike” coming up will be attended mostly by the least intelligent ...2 days ago
Today is the first day of the global climate strike. Led by schoolkids, people all around the world are going to protest to demand action on climate change. New Zealand isn't doing it till next Friday (join us!), but if you want to get active early, there's plenty to do ...2 days ago
To Protect and Serve: When the Prime Minister finds herself enmeshed in the coils of a full-blown political scandal, her colleagues and party comrades have only one priority: to release her as swiftly – and with as little lasting injury – as possible. Is this what Jacinda Ardern’s colleagues and ...2 days ago
When military leaders cover up and lie to elected civilian authorities, the foundation of democratic civil-military relations is undermined because it is those authorities who are entrusted to hold the military accountable to the public that they mutually serve. But this is only true if civilian political authorities take their ...2 days ago
BP, Z and Mobil all insist that petrol price hikes are temporary, “in a very literal sense.” The nation’s major petrol providers are trying to allay customer fears over prices, promising that they’ll move to lower them again “immediately” when the Middle East is returned to its formerly peaceful state. ...3 days ago
South African coach Rassie Erasmus says he has no idea what they’re going to do about the boat. In a highly anticipated press conference this afternoon, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has finally unveiled the team’s boat for its Rugby World Cup 2019 campaign. In a press conference that went ...3 days ago
Get Back Jojo! The elation in Mayor Phil Goff’s camp may be easily imagined as they watched social media light up in indignation at challenger John Tamihere’s "Sieg Heil to that" quip. Just when JT’s notoriously right-wing, sexist and homophobic stains were beginning to fade back into his ‘colourful’ past, ...4 days ago
Patrick Gower is good value when he's high. Not that I've ever, you know, got stoned with him. But in the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you'd expect in a modern weed documentary and immerses himself – first with a doctor, then a ...4 days ago
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...4 days ago
Why is New Zealand climate change policy so crap? The Herald this morning has a long article on the twists and turns of climate change policy in New Zealand [paywalled / depaywall script], which shows where we've been. The short version is that the government first began worrying about this ...5 days ago
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...5 days ago
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Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...6 days ago
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...6 days ago
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...6 days ago
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...1 week ago
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...1 week ago
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...1 week ago
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...1 week ago
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...2 weeks ago
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...2 weeks ago
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ... 2 weeks ago
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...2 weeks ago
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...2 weeks ago
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...2 weeks ago
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...2 weeks ago
“Climate change is here - we all need to do our part.” Monday 23rd September 2019. Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre Climate change is happening. CEAC – compendium facts tribute to ‘Climate Change Week’ https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/115098866/exceptionally-rare-warming-above-antarctica-may-be-affecting-nzs-weather ...7 hours ago
By Michael Andrew Social media and tech industries have been replicating the ugliest aspects of capitalism from the 1800s, according to an AUT computer science lecturer. Associate Professor Tony Clear says that social media and tech executives are taking advantage of unregulated markets in a similar way as wealthy ...12 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!If the latest stats ...13 hours ago
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Well on the one hand National will win a fourth term but on the other WFF has been strengthened
Not entirely sure how i feel about this
You know Natz will win?…I think you are wrong
“What if All Victims of War Received the Media Attention of Manchester Victims?”
This video needs to be viewed widely.
Note the use of the words “collateral damage” in the brief report of the deaths of more than 100 civilians killed by the US in Mosul in the last month on RNZ this morning.
Listen from 5:26 for the brief report.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201845240
Heartbreakingly so true Adrian.
“They” are Terrorists. “We” are Freedom Fighters.
“They” are Snipers. “We” are Sharpshooters.
Our Innocents are victims of Vicious Cowardly Terrorist Attacks. Their Innocents are just Anonymous Collateral Damage. (Operation Burnham?)
Thanks Adrian. Well worth the watch, just to know that some media do point out the anomalies in reporting violence and the effect that has.
Joyce on RNZ this morning said they’d basically spent the lot on their middle class tax cut election bribe. They will have a few hundred mill stashed away for fire-fighting and electioneering hullabaloo, but nothing significant. So DOC, health, housing, PT in Auckland? Yeah… Nah.
Both the Greens and NZ First have apparently signed up to support the government tax cuts. NZ First, fair enough. But the Greens??? WTF have they been smoking??? DOC funding was cut AGAIN. Nothing for PT. Under James Shaw they’ve drifted down in the polls and are probably going to end up third, which on this decision is about one place above what they deserve. I’m picking they won’t be bothering double figures in September. The stupidity of Shaw astounds me. He behaves like he is a 1990s Blairite – shit on your base because you think it has nowhere else to go and get into bed with the enemy for the sake of power as an end unto itself. Amazing. Amazing because the Greens have no game on the ground to speak of to mobilise their base of new agers, stoners, apathetic students and forest dwelling troglodytes so they need to be aspirational as hell to get them to the polls. The Green base HAS got somewhere else to go – they’ll just go to bed. Someone in the Greens needs to tell Shaw it is 2017 not 1997 and he is leader of a smaller party in an MMP environment, not the fricking UK Labour party under FPP.
So that means that leaves Labour as the only party which isn’t committed to automatically locking in this governments spending commitments into the medium term. If you want change, you are going to have to vote Labour.
@Sanctuary – the Greens and Labour are trying to win probably by taking the wind out of Natz budget by agreeing it. If they say they don’t agree, and want to tax more, harder for them to win. Will be like last time, Labour and Greens promised tax increases but did not make the numbers they should off. Nobody likes Austerity.
I’d like to see a new bracket of zero tax under $10k – that would help the minimum wage workers and unemployed boost their incomes – that would be fairer.
Wait, is it confirmed that the Greens supporting the government tax cuts?
Because if they are, I’m swapping to Labour until the Greens sort their shit out.
they’re not supporting the tax cuts. They’re opposed to what National are doing. They’re voting for the bill because they want the people doing the hardest to have the small amount that National are throwing their way instead of nothing, but they are very clearly criticising the tax cuts and the way that National has mis-targeted the budget. There is a post up now about the Greens response to the budget.
Sanctuary’s comment was a piece of anti-Green/pro-Labour propaganda.
Riiiiight…. so they are opposed to the bill that are voting for, and they support the tax cuts they are criticising?
Christ on a bicycle, what sort of genius thought that up?
Lets be clear. Voting for something you say you oppose is trying to have both ways and it amounts to arrant bullshit.
Saying you are criticising something you are supporting so that makes it OK and doing it with a straight face is just lala land nonsense, Alice in Wonderland stuff that those out voter land and away from the land of Castalia where the Greens seem to think they are playing their glass bead game of politics will rightly scoff at.
I don’t know why political parties do that, the voting for bills they oppose. Labour does it too. But you said the Greens support the tax cuts with the implication that they agree with what National are doing, and that’s a lie. They don’t support the tax cuts, and they’ve said so clearly.
Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe you didn’t really mean to mislead people about where the Greens stand on the budget and instead meant to just say that voting for the bill while being opposed to the package and its intent and direction as a whole is a mistake politically. But let’s not forget that the bill will pass without the Greens, so this is about something else.
“Both the Greens and NZ First have apparently signed up to support the government tax cuts.”
Shaw said the Taxation (Budget Measures: Family Incomes Package) Bill is flawed and taking things in the wrong direction but that because families are doing it so hard they need the pittance that National is giving them, hence the Greens voting for the bill.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=181918
The Greens are still to the left of Labour on most things, including taxation. Pretty much everything I’ve seen from them in the past day is them saying that they want govt resources via the budget to be targeted to people in need instead of giving tax cuts to the middle classes, and they’ve directly addressed DOC funding as well as most of the things their membership and voting base would want them to. I suggest you go look that up.
I also liked this from Shaw, in response to one of the National MPs telling porkies about the Greens in parliament yesterday,
I know that theoretically the Greens are to the left of Labour, but if they go around voting in favour of shitty legislation in the house, how am I supposed to have confidence in them?
What you are concerned about? Is it the principle? Because the bill will pass without the Greens, right? So them voting for it isn’t about enabling the bill, it’s about sending a message to people affected by the bill i.e. poor people. I’m still in two minds about that as a strategy, but it is an entirely different thing than the Greens agreeing with National. They simply don’t and Sanctuary is lying about that, for pretty obvious reasons.
Is the lack of confidence because you think that the Greens will support a National govt? (they won’t). And what will you do the next time Labour does something that you think is wrong? There is literally no-one else in this election to party vote for if we want to change the govt. It’s Labour or the Greens.
Labour also vote for bad legislation btw, so when it comes down to it, it’s about policy and competency. I look forward to a L/G govt but I think it will be a better one of the Greens have more MPs than they do now. The more support they have the more they will follow up on what their polices intend.
Yes, it’s principle. Don’t vote for bad legislation. Ever.
And it’s about having confidence in the message – they go around rightly bagging the budget, but then they vote for it? Wait, so it was ok? What bits were good about the budget then? Oh, so it was bad?
pop over to the Green budget post and read Marama Davidson’s blog post on it. I hear what you are saying, and like I say I’m not convinced it’s a good thing to do when either the Greens or Labour do it. But I also think that what they are doing makes sense, and I’m curious about where that comes from. They may feel that compassion trumps politics in this instance.
edit, makes sense for them i.e. it’s coherent with their kaupapa.
Labour, whilst having made plenty of mistakes and having many problems, I do not think actually deserve entirely the bad rap that they are getting. I think they will pick up more seats than anyone is willing to admit.
Labour needs to stick to Labourite principles: supporting railways, partially buying back the electricity generating assets – these are the kind of things that would make me vote Labour.
Sanctuary,
I think you mean Greens on fourth, being overtaken by Winston. I am pretty sure that would have happened with or without James Shaw.
Winston is on fire at the moment. Pike River, Auditor General just to mention two things that he has led in recent weeks. But it matters less about the specific issue, and more about the fact that Winston is often leading the political news, and has been for some time.
So I do expect NZF to be the third party, and perhaps surprisingly close to Labour. I am am picking NZF being north of 15%, which would mean Labour under 30%. Winston will pick up most of the vote that went to Craig last time.
So picking up your last line. Voting Labour won’t actually change much, not unless you expect Labour to get 40%.
The key changes of the Budget (tax thresholds and WFF) are now locked in with the vote of the Greens and NZF, and that uses up most of the available money.
Speaking of Winston we fully expect more to come of this;
“If you think there is no drug and gang problem in Northland, you haven’t been talking to police, teachers, health workers, social workers, forestry workers, local contractors, prison warders or rental owners. So Mr Reti, you seriously need to get out more.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503447&objectid=11814421
One nasty guy is Reti. The columnist got fired after this recent opinion piece was published in the local paper. Very inconvenient a columnist having a crack at you closing in on a general election. Plenty of local tories whispering about this latest incident. Cannon fodder for opposing candidates, be watching with interest what develops given he has prior form.
And with stinging cracks against the National Party like these gems appears panic mode set in;
“You always know when you’re dealing with OWG muck-ups when they roll out the doyenne of the National Party machine. Ponytail pulling? No problem.”
“A housing misstep with Bill English or an embarrassing Saudi sheep farm that no one but the guys we gave it to thought they needed?”
“Michelle will wave her magic wand of wonderful words and soothe it into a palatable paste of the master plan of happiness and good times for all.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11780488
Was she fired – really Jason? That would be akin to whistleblower mistreatment.
Yip she got dismissed.
Over 100k in spending in a small local paper struggling in the new digital world of media wields a lot of power in what is scribed and by whom.
A first term MP that hasn’t really fired by living up to expectations, under siege already by a strong local Labour voice and the speculation Shane Jones will soon enter the race. A risky call given Muir’s popularity. Timing as a result is bad luck with Alfie threatening Jackson not long after the dismissal. I doubt any other media will dare take the issue on, it acts as a clear message ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’. One could expect RNZ to tone things down with being critical of the Govt since they were big winners (muzzled) in the budget.
@Wayne You are forgetting what is actually happening. My rolling average of the last 4 Roy Morgan’s from a month ago showed:
Lab/Gr 41.3
Lab/Gr/NZF 50.0
Nats 45.1
Nats/ACT/MP 47.8
Nats/ACT/MP/NZF 56.5
If Winnie goes as part of the 4-headed monster it’s 56.5 versus 41.3
If Winnie goes with the Lab/Gr bloc it’s 50.0 versus 47.8
Both would give safe majorities, especially as Hone will probably win TTT.
Or if NZF went with Nats but refused to accept MP or Act. Over 50%. Would give Winston much greater clout.
You have not factored in Morgan, he just might take some of the marijuana party votes.
agreed…..TOP could get say 3%, most of this coming from the Left, and hand the election to the Nats.
See my comment on Open Mike 6 June 2017 @9.
Do you think your 3% could get to 5%?
Handing the election to the Nats would put me in a spin….
First poll since Manchester terror attack on Monday – shows Tory lead cut by 4 points to just a five point gap (43% CON – 38% LAB).
This compares to the previous YouGov poll – for last weekend’s Sunday Times – that showed the Tories on 44% and Labour on 35% (9 point gap) and the first post- election-announcement YouGov (18–19 Apr 2017) which suggested a whopping 24 point lead to the Tories
To put this in context – it’s the smallest gap since July last year (in any poll) and since April last year (in a YouGov poll)
and
Cameron won his majority in 2015 with a 6.5% lead over LAB.
Would the Manchester attack have influenced that poll?
Should have done. The poll was conducted on 24-25 May a couple of days after the attack.
Also Corbyn is due to give a speech on the Manchester bombing on Friday UK time.
The “IRA-supporting friend of terrorists” smears on him in the Tory press are in overdrive.
That will be one to watch.
My understanding is that changes in voting intention take a couple of weeks to show up after an influencing factor. I’m not sure if that applies to something like a terrorist attack though.
Got to say – I always enjoy and appreciate your commentary on the polls swordfish.
How do you rate the YouGov polling Swordfish ?
I was under the impression they used similar methodology to the likes of Horizon in NZ.
SM
YouGov = highly reputable – one of the UK’s leading Pollsters
Thing is – most Brit Pollsters now use Opt-in web panel methodology (not just YouGov)
– YouGov
– Survation
– Opinium
– Populus
– Panelbase
– TNS
Phone Pollsters in minority
– ICM
– ComRes
– Ipsos-MORI
On-line Panel-based Polls were closest in EU Ref
and
YouGov pretty much spot-on with very-difficult-to-sample LAB leadership contest
Oh and … cheers james
and interestingly enough, looking at the wikipedia graph of polls, UKLab were on such a steep slope up that the yougov thing is high, but not outlandish.
Tragedies aside, this election really is quite interesting.
Maybe – just maybe, people have had a gutsfull of the “tough on terror” bullshit. Maybe – just maybe, people are realising, that not only doesn’t it work, but that it’s counterproductive.
If that’s the case (and I’ve commented to that effect on the post I just put up) then May’s finished.
Corbyn’s speech is going to be very interesting on that front. Is May scheduled to be coming down off her scripted, tele-prompter podium any time soon?
Quite worried about Jezza’s up-coming speech … I largely agree with his reasoning … but that doesn’t mean most Brits will …
… potential for backlash and plunge in polls if he handles it badly – eg … with tin ear to almost inevitable heightened popular hawkishness on combating terrorism
Yep – particularly given that anything he says will be deliberately distorted by the popular press to reinforce the “soft on terrorism” and “friend of Britain’s enemies” hogwash they are peddling.
He needs to unconditionally condemn all acts of terror and political violence and all those who commit them – from the outset.
Very risky and high-stakes.
Precisely … ruthless, systematic “soft on terror” smears inevitable … highly emotionally charged atmosphere … young girls have, after all, died horribly, senselessly …
MSM – Tories = “He’s too spineless to defend us … stockholm syndrome !!! …
Cowardly Corbyn !!! … blaming us !!! … blaming the victims !!!
Just like he did with the IRA !!!” …
not too difficult to imagine the cold calculated ruthlessly-delivered spin
If Corbyn was a really cynical political operator he’d use it as a chance to outflank the Tories on the right – promise more resources for the security services and police (blame Tory cost-cutting), implement some form of preventative detention for terror suspects (quietly hedged around with the need for judicial sign-offs) and a review of immigration policy for the post-Brexit world. Then throw in support for the local military forces who actually have a record of defeating ISIS on the ground (rather then direct British intervention), beefed up anti-radicalisation programmes at home, etc.
If his prime objective is ending Tory austerity, he needs to be in power and so has to think about swallowing this dead rat in the least painful way (head-first, quickly and without looking too closely).
From the same post-Manchester-attack YouGov Poll …
How much, if at all, would you trust Theresa May
to make the right decisions about
keeping Britain safe from terrorism?
TRUST … 55%
NOT TRUST … 30%
Jeremy Corbyn
TRUST … 33%
NOT TRUST … 51%
_________________________________________________________________________
Banning British citizens who have visited Syria
without offical permission from returning to the
UK
Would be the right thing to do … 66%
Would be an over-reaction … 15%
______________________________________________________________________
Introducing internment – that is, imprisoning
people who are suspected of having extremist
sympathies but who have not committed any
crime
Would be the right thing to do … 41%
Would be an over-reaction … 36%
_________________________________________________________________________
Introducing the death penalty for people
committing murder for the purpose of terrorism
Would be the right thing to do … 56%
Would be an over-reaction … 30%
________________________________________________________________________
Thinking about how the rest of the world deals
with the threat from ISIS/Islamic State,
which of the following best reflects your view?
Ultimately, the threat from ISIS/Islamic State is
more likely to be solved through the use of military force
than through dialogue and peace talks … 46%
Ultimately, the threat from ISIS/Islamic State is
more likely to be solved through dialogue and
peace talks than through the use of military force … 18%
______________________________________________________________________
Thinking about the rise of extremist threats like
ISIS/Islamic State in recent decades, do you
think this is mainly the result of western
countries interfering in the Middle East, or
mainly the result of social, religious or political
issues in the Middle East itself?
Is mostly the result of western countries interfering
in the Middle East … 18%
Is mostly the result of with social, religious or
political issues in the Middle East itself … 25%
Both equally … 41%
_______________________________________________________________________
The latter provides at least some sort of encouragement I guess … # nuanced
What is there to worry about? Labour entered the campaign 24 points behind, riven with a PLP neo liberal fifth column, led by a man subjected to the worst media smear campaign since the war and completely written off. On the back of a return to roots, nothing to lose manifesto,old fashioned campaigning and an offer of hope they’ve surged to within striking distance of power. There is nothing for Corbyn to lose by laying out his alternative to endless imperialist wars and terror, because it also holds out what the current electorate craves – hope of change for the better.
pretty much.
Whatever he says he’ll be slammed for, so he might as well keep stating it like it is.
I’m quietly thinking there’s been a sea change, and pointing to the blow-back from foreign wars etc will only accelerate support for UK Labour.
Remember that millions marched against the invasion of Iraq and that the security services warned of precisely the blow-back that has been occurring. Also, a parliamentary vote to allow an air campaign in Syria fell over and I’m also picking people are less than impressed with the aftermath of Libya.
Here’s the favourability ratings for the two leaders and two parties over the past month as a chart.
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/inlineimage/2017-05-25/chart%201.png
From https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/05/25/are-tories-losing-ground-or-regaining-it/
Something to keep in mind in regards to Britain and terrorism
“Britain is now the second biggest arms dealer in the world, official government figures show – with most of the weapons fuelling deadly conflicts in the Middle East.
Since 2010 Britain has also sold arms to 39 of the 51 countries ranked “not free” on the Freedom House “Freedom in the world” report, and 22 of the 30 countries on the UK Government’s own human rights watch list.
A full two-thirds of UK weapons over this period were sold to Middle Eastern countries, where instability has fed into increased risk of terror threats to Britain and across the West.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-is-now-the-second-biggest-arms-dealer-in-the-world-a7225351.html
Stockholm based Peace Research Institute interactive charts the who and where of arms supply.
https://www.sipri.org/commentary/blog/2017/state-major-arms-transfers-8-graphics
http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/toplist.php
It’s messed up:
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sorted-mi5-how-uk-government-sent-british-libyans-fight-gaddafi-1219906488
It’s reported that the father of Salman Abedi fled Libya in the 1990s. He got political asylum in the UK because the Gaddafi government was ‘after him’ for leaking operational matters to fanatics who were the subject of state investigations.
He went back to Libya after Gaddafi’s death and is now high up in the UN supported alternative government or some such.
Anyway. My point is that in the ’90s, no-one would have given much of a second thought to offering asylum to the likes of Ramadan Abedi (the father), but…
well, all this extremism was ‘contained’ by the security forces in countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria. They were the ones with skin in the game who kept tabs on shit, and western governments used their intel.
What I can’t figure is why ‘the west’ chose to overthrow the governments of those countries and bomb them back to the stone-age. They absolutely were (how to say?) providing a service – no matter how unintentionally. Fuck, when the US were using ‘black sites’ off the back of their rendition stuff, which countries were people sent to for interrogation? Libya and Syria and possibly Iraq. Why? Because the authorities in those countries knew the lie of the land – knew their shit. They had to insofar as they were defending their secular states against the very same forces we now see running riot all over Libya, Iraq and Syria.
I’d be thinking that Saudi Arabia has played a not insignificant role in shifting western policy in the region. And yes, Israel too.
heh
https://media.giphy.com/media/xUPGcpC28G9SwQbjwc/giphy.gif
Exactly fucked up PEOPLE not headchopper not subhuman not nonpeople. People who are fucked up.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Fair enough yet it exactly pertains to the point of the post where blame is attached to groups for no good reason just ignorance. And that blame which is attached to groups supports tgem getting unfairly treated because of labelling and othering.
Sorry marty. But if you want to ride your hobby horse against me on the basis you simply don’t like some of the things that I say, then you’re doing it over here.
We’ve been through this and you’ve singularly failed to rise above the level of personal abuse.
If you don’t like people being ascribed a label based on what they do, then offer up some reasonable argument as to why. If you think chopping peoples heads off is sub-human or indicative of being a non-person, then fine. I can’t follow why that would lead to objections over them being called by what they either do or condone. Maybe you could enlighten me on that front?
I havent abused you. I have put up a reason as to why using that term could be counter productive. You ignored that reason and didn’t offer up any alternative apart from ‘coz I wanna’ . The only reason I raised it again is because I thought it pertained to your comment. I am very happy to consider the subject closed – as to your final question – you answer it yourself – what people do is not what people are.
Edit anyway I don’t want you to have to waste time with me so I’ll pull my horns in.
I haven’t said it encapsulates all that they are.
But just like (as I explained yesterday) “Jones the postman” allowed the particular Jones to be identified in a community awash with the surname Jones, so “headchopper” allows identification in a region awash with warring factions.
edit – the term “daesh”, widely used in the region, plays a similar role insofar as it robs those identified as “daesh” of any respectable veneer of religion they try to construct.
My reading of Marty’s comment says he supports the view of the post from which his comment was moved. I’m assuming that post to be “Islam Incidental”.
NoRightTurn: I/S writes:
“There’s been a landmark decision from the Court of Appeal today, one which lawyers are saying changes the New Zealand constitution. The decision? The Court has ruled that the High Court was right to declare that National’s 2010 prisoner voting restrictions (the ones which were so shabby and shoddily passed that they brought Parliament into disrepute) were inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act.”
This tawdry stuff grinds on and on. National’s disgraceful actions are hidden from view only by the lag it takes to have them officially exposed.