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:
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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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On Friday the Hit and Run inquiry delivered a devastating report which found that NZDF had systematically misled Ministers over civilian deaths. The report called into question civilian control of the military (and indeed, military control of the military), a fundamental principle of our democracy. So you'd expect our politicians ...
Let's Do This Again: What else can Jacinda do in a political environment so bereft of imagination and courage but seek a continuance? If she trades upon the extraordinary personal qualities that she has, miraculously, carried with her into the office of Prime Minister, then I, for one, will offer ...
How corrupt are the New Zealand Police? This corrupt: On 10 February 2019, Police attended a family harm incident. The suspect attempted to run the attending officers over in a driveway with his car, narrowly missing them, before fleeing the scene. A short pursuit followed, ending when the suspect stopped ...
Parliament's triennial Review of Standing Orders was released today, and it contains a number of welcome, if minor, improvements. The ones that caught my are: A move to encourage "pre-legislative engagement" - the government consulting widely on legislation before it is introduced - by promising easier passage (e.g. with ...
Lauren Vargo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonGlaciers around the world are melting — and for the first time, we can now directly attribute annual ice loss to climate change. We analysed two years in which glaciers in New Zealand melted the most in at least four ...
Caroline Shaw, Anja MizdrakE-bikes are everywhere. Sales are booming and predicted to overtake sales of new cars in a few years. There were three times as many e-bikes and e-scooters imported into NZ in 2019 alone as there are e-cars in the entire country. You can’t go out in ...
New Zealand First is facing a difficult struggle to get re-elected, but Josh Van Veen, who was once a researcher for Winston Peters, argues that there is still a very significant section of cultural conservatives who oppose mass immigration and political correctness and might yet be won back over to ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Many Americans these days seem unable to avoid controversy on practically any topic, so why not embrace the discord and wade into the especially volatile arena of nuclear energy? Advocates claim it’s the only way to meet global climate goals, ...
Can we trust New Zealand’s military? There must now be serious doubt, given the landmark report released on Friday concluding the investigation into allegations made in the book Hit and Run by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson about a 2010 SAS killing raid in Afghanistan. The most recent Colmar Brunton ...
In New Zealand, we've just had the report of the Hit and Run inquiry, which found that a New Zealand led raid had accidentally killed civilians, including a child. meanwhile, around the same time, the British SAS was conducting its own raids in Afghanistan, and theirs were a hell of ...
In addition to establishing a process for setting emissions reductions plans, the Zero Carbon Act established a process for managing the risks of climate change. The first part of this is the preparation of regular risk assessments, looking at the risks to our economy, society, environment, and ecology. The first ...
Over on The spinoff, Amnesty International's Meg de Ronde has a response to Friday's release of the Hit and Run report. And in response to Attorney-General David Parker's claim that the government was being "transparent" by releasing the report, its titled "we shouldn’t have to work this hard to get ...
Story of the Week... Opinion of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Rising Seas Could Menace Millions Beyond Shorelines, Study FindsAs climate change raises sea levels, storm surges and high tides will ...
There's an election next month, so you'd be expecting political parties to be telling us what they stand for and what they'd do if they'd win. But while the Greens have given us a detailed policy platform, and National has talked about roads and austerity, Labour, currently leading the polls ...
"Who's youse accusin' of innference?" Without the timely intervention of a team of top American political consultants and campaign experts, Boris Yeltsin would never have won his second term as President of the Russian Federation. The Russians waited 20 years to return the favour.WHEN IT COMES to the disinformation game, ...
As polling day in the American presidential election draws closer, things are looking bad for Donald Trump. The polls show that he is tracking well behind his Democrat rival. Most people assume that the President will be striving might and main to avoid what looks increasingly likely to be a ...
Our health professionals do an amazing job. Image credit: Wikipedia – Cardiac surgery. Finally, I have got back to these rankings. A long period in hospital and computer problems meant the June 2020 rankings were abandoned. Now, with a new personal defibrillator implanted in my chest and a new hard ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 26 through Sat, Aug 1, 2020Editor's ChoiceThe four types of climate denier, and why you should ignore them allThe shill, the grifter, the egomaniac and the ideological ...
It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...
It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...
We've announced that we will expand the Flexi-wage programme to support up to 40,000 more people into work, or to help them start their own business. It's yet another way we're helping keep our economy moving by getting people into work and training. Read on to find out more ...
Business subsidy of on average $7500, and up to $22,000, to hire unemployed New ZealandersUp to 40,000 jobs to be supported by $311 million investment in keeping New Zealanders off the unemployment benefitRing-fenced fund to help unemployed start their own business ...
This week was the last of the 52nd Parliament: a major milestone for our Government and a great opportunity to look back at all the progress we've made for New Zealanders. This week, we increased support for businesses to take on apprentices, improved access to hospital care in Northland, and ...
Kia orana and kia ora koutou katoa. It is a privilege to be able to speak in this adjournment debate and to mark and acknowledge the fact that we are now two years and 10 months into the conclusion of a parliamentary term that has been extraordinary in so many ...
On 1 August, we marked the anniversary of Jacinda Ardern becoming the Leader of the Labour Party. On that day in 2017, Leader Andrew Little nominated Jacinda Ardern to succeed him and lead the party to victory.Now, three years on, we look back at some of the key moments ...
With the June 2020 quarter showing underemployment increasing, the Green Party is calling for a Guaranteed Minimum Income and an increase to the abatement threshold to ensure everyone has a dignified income. ...
We went hard and we went early in our health response to COVID-19, and we did everything we could to cushion the economic impact too. In fact, we can fill every letter of the alphabet with the steps we took to fight COVID-19 and ensure we were in a position ...
Investing in our people, backing businesses, and upgrading infrastructure and housing throughout the country - it's been another week of progress for New Zealanders as we deliver our plan to recover and rebuild. ...
July was another busy month, packed with key investments aimed at progressing our economic recovery as we rebuild New Zealand. We extended support for businesses, helped create jobs through local infrastructure projects, and kept working to clean up our waterways so Kiwis can access safe clean water. Check out the ...
The Green Party is calling for the Defence Force Chiefs in place between 2010-2017 to front up and explain how dishonesty, process and policy failures within the Defence Force led to ‘a series of incorrect statements in briefings to ministers and public releases’ regarding alleged breaches of international torture prevention ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
The Government is stepping up action to deal with environmentally harmful products – including plastic packaging, tyres and e-waste – before they become waste. ...
The Green Party are ensuring that New Zealanders who were overseas when COVID-19 hit will not be charged for the cost of isolation or quarantine if they return home to live. ...
It's been another week of creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and investing in infrastructure up and down the country - all of which are helping to keep our economy moving post-COVID-19. ...
Law changes to end tenure review and provide for better management of Crown pastoral lands in the South Island high country were considered by Parliament today with the first reading of the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill says Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage. ...
After 102 days we have our first cases of Covid-19 outside of a Managed Isolation or Quarantine facility in New Zealand. Shortly I will ask Dr Bloomfield to set out the details of the case. While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned ...
An iwi-Crown approach programme to restore the Raukūmara forest on the East Coast of the North Island and boost employment opportunities for whānau, particularly rangatahi/young people, will receive $34 million funding, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced. “Raukūmara Pae Maunga is a partnership with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and ...
Government agencies and partners are working closer together to provide more Māori Housing through the Te MAIHI o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI). MAIHI is a kaupapa Māori approach that drives a system change to give effect and impact on Māori ...
Site work is soon to begin on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway, the project to replace the former SH3 route through the Manawatū Gorge, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Phil Twyford was today in Woodville at the signing of a formal agreement by members of the Alliance ...
The Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) begins today and will focus on the major economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on the Pacific. FEMM is an important congregation of Economic Ministers and senior officials from around the region, and for the first time, the annual meeting will be ...
Cabinet has approved a formal apology and ex gratia payment to former soldier George Nepata, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. This payment is to recognise the New Zealand Defence Force’s failure to provide Mr Nepata with a safe system of work in April 1989 when, as a result of an ...
A report undertaken by Ministerial Services into Iain Lees-Galloway’s ministerial expenditure has found no evidence of any inappropriate transactions or spending. Ministerial Services undertook a line by line review of all his expenditure, including staff and spouse expenses for the period 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2020. “I commissioned ...
Managed isolation charges for returnees will come into force from 12.01am Tuesday 11th August, after they passed their last cabinet milestone today, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. “The new charging system balances the rights of New Zealanders to return home and helps reduce pressure on the managed isolation and quarantine ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Henry Puna have welcomed the completion of phase one in the establishment of a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Island. Negotiations on the text of an ‘Arrangement to Facilitate Quarantine-Free Travel ...
The Government has launched a new online, phone and onsite service to help New Zealanders connect to a range of employment support and products for workers and businesses affected by COVID-19, announced Minister of Education Chris Hipkins and Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. Connected.govt.nz is a one-stop-shop for jobseekers, ...
Security guards contracted to the Ministry of Social Development will be paid at least the Living Wage from next month supporting the Government’s commitment towards fair pay and employment conditions, announced Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “MSD was among the first government agencies to pay its employees the living ...
The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today launched Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy - a way forward that envisions Aotearoa New Zealand as a place where ecosystems are healthy and resilient, and people embrace the natural world. “Many of New Zealand’s plants and wildlife species ...
“Pacific languages, cultures and identity are essential to the health, wellbeing and lifetime success of our Pacific peoples and their communities in Aotearoa. The strength and resilience of Pacific Aotearoa is not only vital to their own prosperity but integral to the prosperity of all New Zealanders, and is particularly ...
· $38 million to help schools cover unexpected costs related to COVID-19 · $69 million upgrade for online learning · $107 million contingency funding to support school construction suppliers facing additional costs due to the lockdown. The Government is releasing $214 million from the COVID-19 response and recovery fund to ...
Despite the Government installing safety upgrades around the country, people should still take care around rail crossings, said Transport Minister Phil Twyford launching Rail Safety Week. Phil Twyford said installing safety infrastructure is crucial, but we are encouraging people to be more careful around trains too. “We’re making good progress ...
The Government is providing a cash injection to help Palmerston North City Council complete a programme to provide 78 social housing units for vulnerable tenants. The $4.7 million to build 28 units in the Papaioea Place redevelopment comes from the $3 billion set aside for infrastructure in the Government’s COVID-19 ...
A pest free Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū is one step closer with a $5.11 million boost to accelerate this project and create jobs, announced Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage in Canterbury today. “This is a game changer for this ambitious project to restore the native wildlife and plants on Ōtautahi/Christchurch’s doorstep ...
A Government grant of $6.4 million will expand the Pettigrew Arena in Taradale with new indoor courts of national standard. “The project is likely to take 18 months with approximately 300 people employed through the process,” Grant Robertson said. “The expansion will increase the indoor court space up to 11 ...
The Far North tourist destination of Mangonui is to receive Government funding to improve waterfront infrastructure, open up access to the harbour and improve water quality, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has announced. A total of $6.5 million from the $3 billion set aside in the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund ...
The Government has re-affirmed its commitment to supporting the hosting of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, which the ICC has delayed from 2021 to 2022. “This is obviously a disappointing decision for cricket players and fans around the world and for the White Ferns and their supporters here at ...
Cyclists and walkers will now have a safer way to get around Taupō, Tūrangi, and between Hamilton and Cambridge, with funding for shared paths and Te Awa River Ride, Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. “The Te Awa River Ride is the latest part of massive growth ...
Six major cycle routes will be completed in Christchurch thanks to funding from the Government’s investment in shovel-ready infrastructure as part of the COVID-19 recovery Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. $125 million will be invested to kick-start construction and fund the completion of the following cycleway ...
Plans are underway for a brand new state-of-the-art hub for Whanganui’s justice and social agencies, following confirmation the ageing Whanganui Central Police Station is to be replaced. Police Minister Stuart Nash has announced $25 million in new infrastructure spending to improve facilities for the wider community, and for staff who ...
An adjustment payment has been made to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu under the relativity mechanisms in their 1995 and 1997 Treaty of Waitangi settlements, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little announced today. The latest payments to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu are $2,700,000 and $2,600,000 respectively to ensure the ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Phil Twyford today kicked off the start of the Auckland NZ Upgrade Programme rail projects which will support over 400 jobs and help unlock our biggest city. Both ministers marked the start of enabling works on the third main rail line project ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment of $3.78 million in Wairoa will create much needed economic stimulus and jobs, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. PGF projects announced today include: $200,000 loan to Nuhaka Kiwifruit Holdings Ltd (operated by Pine Valley Orchard Ltd) to increase the productivity ...
Tenants in public and Māori housing may be benefiting from their own affordable renewable energy in future – a fund to trial renewable energy technology for public and Māori housing has today been announced by Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister for Housing (Māori Housing) Nanaia Mahuta. ...
Hokianga will receive $2.7 million to redevelop four of its wharves and upgrade its water supply, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Far North District Council will receive $1.8 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for the work on the wharves. “The work will include the construction of ...
A $350 million Residential Development Response Fund is being established to support the residential construction sector and to minimise the economic impact from COVID-19, the Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced. “The Residential Development Response Fund will help to progress stalled or at-risk developments that support our broader housing ...
As part of a broader plan to divert waste from landfill, the Government today announced $10.67 million for new infrastructure as part of the Resource Recovery Network across the Auckland region. “This key investment in Auckland’s community recycling network is part of the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group ‘shovel ready’ projects ...
The Government is investing $45 million in the first stage of an ambitious urban development project for Tauranga that will employ up to 250 people and help the region grow, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says the funding has been allocated out of the $3 billion ...
Getting low-emission trucks on the road is a step closer with investment in infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles, the Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods has announced. The Infrastructure Reference Group has provisionally approved $20 million for New Plymouth company Hiringa Energy to establish a nationwide network of hydrogen-fuelling stations. ...
A new trades training centre to upskill the local workforce will be built in the South Waikato town of Tokoroa through funding from the Government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. The Government will contribute $10.84 million from ...
The Government has agreed to repeal part of the Oranga Tamariki Act subsequent children provisions, Minister for Children Tracey Martin announced today. “There are times when children need to go into care for their safety – the safety and care of children must always be paramount,” Minister Martin said. “But ...
A $1.5 million boost to grow primary mental health and addiction services for Pacific peoples in Auckland, Hamilton and Canterbury will lead to better outcomes for Pacific communities, Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa says. Pasifika Futures has received funding to expand services through The Fono, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest by ...
Twenty-two projects to boost the sustainability and climate resilience of New Zealand’s food and fibres sector have been announced today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The $18m funding will deliver practical knowledge to help farmers and growers use their land more sustainably, meet environmental targets, remain prosperous, and better understand ...
Employment Minister Willie Jackson welcomes an initiative that assists employers to get mature workers into New Zealand small businesses. The disadvantages that older people face in the workplace was highlighted in the whole of Government Employment Strategy. In order to address this, a Mature Workers Toolkit has been developed and ...
New Zealand and Australia reaffirmed today the need for the closest possible collaboration as they tackle a global environment shaped by COVID-19, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said. “In these challenging times, our close collaboration with Australia is more vital than ever,” said Mr Peters. Mr Peters and his Australian ...
The recovery and forensic examination of the loader driven by survivor Russell Smith means the underground team are now moving into an area of the Pike River Mine that has not been seen since the explosion, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little said. “The fifth and last robot ...
The Government has confirmed a community-wide trial of CovidCard technology as it explores options for COVID-19 contact tracing. “Effective contact tracing is a vital part of the COVID-19 response,” Minister of Health Chris Hipkins said. “While manual processes remain the critical component for contact tracing, we know digital solutions can ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Resurgence plan triggered by Covid-19 community transmission, questions about what it will mean for the election, and Christchurch rest home lockdown appears to be unrelated.The first new cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation have been announced, triggering a resurgence ...
The only Kiwi woman to win an Olympic medal in swimming, Jean Hurring, has passed away in her 90th year. She was gentle and generous, teaching countless New Zealanders how to swim - but had a formidable, determined streak. Jean Hurring will be remembered as a kind, gentle and humble woman ...
Trade Me, New Zealand's largest online auction and classifieds market, had already integrated its core software tools into the Slack collaboration platform before Covid-19 hit, and saw the true value of that when it shifted seamlessly to remote working under lockdown. Paolo Ragone, chief technology officer for Trade Me, told Newsroom the ...
The Ruddelle case judgment reflects judicial recognition of how women in abusive relationships are caught in social and systemic entrapment, writes Julia Tolmie Women who use lethal defensive force against their violent partners are a rarity. Most women in abusive relationships, if there is a homicide, will be the ones ...
Toi Iti responds to a beautiful book of photographs of sparsely populated King Country towns Step one, take land. Strip it, stack the wood, start a farm. Now build a town! Post Office, school, chapel. Milk flowing? Build a dairy factory. Need a bank? Got it. Shop? Yep. Build some ...
Despite warnings, many Kiwis would not have expected the re-emergence of Covid-19 in the community. Now, the virus has put New Zealand on the back foot and added another election-year twist, Sam Sachdeva writes. It was an inevitability, New Zealand was told. Not if, “just a matter of when”. Director-General ...
With their party hovering on the 5 percent threshold in the polls, Greens co-leaders discussed their accomplishments in Government and the party's ambitious pitch to the electorate. ...
We think we've crushed Covid-19 - what other diseases are the country battling that could do with big injections of money and effort? New Zealand has more or less kicked Covid-19 to the kerb, but what about other diseases we're trying to eradicate? Today The Detail looks at where we’ve got ...
The return of Covid-19 to Auckland and the Level 3 lockdown are expected to hit hospitality and retail stocks, and play a part in the Reserve Bank's new Monetary Policy Statement ...
Beyond the direct and practical implications, more significant for the eventual outcome is the effect on the electorate’s psyche, writes Ben Thomas.It’s tempting to reach for easy metaphors with the re-emergence of Covid-19 just weeks before the election: a horror villain rising from the dead; a restless spirit summoned again, ...
Aotearoa surpassed 100 days without a case of community transmission of Covid-19. Last night that virus-free streak ended and we’re moving back up the alert levels. Siouxsie Wiles explains why that has to happen.For months now, we’ve been intercepting cases of Covid-19 at the border. But just as has happened ...
The confirmation of community transmission has prompted a swift move up the alert level ladder. Here are the critical questions about Auckland’s move to Covid-19 level three lockdown, answered.What are the new alert levels – and where do they apply?Auckland enters alert level three at midday today, Wednesday August 12. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Nationals are demanding major changes to the government’s controversial new higher education fee plan, declaring it would disadvantage regional communities and students as it stands. The Nationals party room on Monday discussed the JobReady ...
Auckland moves back into near-lockdown at Level 3 while the rest of the country shifts gears to Level 2. Here's a refresher course on what you'll have to do differently now. With Auckland moving to Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions, a range of public venues and workplaces will close in our largest ...
Analysis: Our testing regime for Covid-19 will often be several days or weeks behind, underscoring the need to act as if we're two weeks ahead of where we are, Marc Daalder reports On March 25, the day New Zealand moved into Level 4 lockdown, the official Covid-19 case tally was ...
The prime minister has announced Auckland will go into alert level three, and the rest of the country alert level two, after four cases of the coronavirus were detected in a family with no known link to overseas travel or existing cases. Via the Science Media Centre, the experts on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal government has clashed with the Royal Commission into Aged Care, strongly rejecting the claim by senior counsel assisting the inquiry Peter Rozen that it had no specific COVID-19 plan for the sector. Aged ...
Four positive cases of covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine have been reported and New Zealand has activated a resurgence plan. After 102 days without community transmission they are the first cases acquired from an unknown source, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced tonight. Ardern said New Zealand must take ...
Auckland will enter Level 3 at noon on Wednesday while the rest of the country moves to Level 2. How will the Government manage the logistics of a regional lockdown? In response to the confirmation of four cases of Covid-19 in Auckland, of unknown origins and with no known connection to ...
After 102 days without community transmission, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed New Zealand has its first Covid-19 case acquired from an unknown source. ...
After 102 days without community transmission, Jacinda Ardern confirmed New Zealand has its first Covid-19 case acquired from an unknown source. Look back over our live updates. ...
New Zealand has been shocked back into a state of Covid-19 infection with community transmission detected in four confirmed cases from one family in South Auckland outside the isolation and quarantine system. Auckland will be put into Level 3 alert from noon on Wednesday, with all schools closed, people required to work from ...
Auckland to move to alert Level 3 'lockdown' from Noon on Wednesday - with the rest of NZ put into Level 2 - after a community outbreak in South Auckland New Zealand has been shocked back into a state of Covid-19 infection with community transmission detected in four confirmed cases from one ...
After 102 days without community transmission, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed New Zealand has its first Covid-19 case acquired from an unknown source. ...
After 101 days without any reported community transmission in New Zealand, cases without any link to overseas travel have been reported.There are four cases of community transmission in one family, Ashley Bloomfield has announced.A man in his 50s with no link to overseas travel or other known cases tested positive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government and the Australian Defence Force are bracing for reputational damage to the military from damning findings in an imminent report on Australian Special Forces’ behaviour in Afghanistan. The report, expected within a month, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government and the Australian Defence Force are bracing for reputational damage to the military from damning findings in an imminent report on Australian Special Forces’ behaviour in Afghanistan. The report, expected within a month, ...
The National Party board will meet "as soon as possible" to discuss allegations surrounding its member Roger Bridge and a late-night call on talkback radio. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zachariah Wylde, Postdoctoral Researcher in Evolutionary Biology, UNSW As time passes, our fertility declines and our bodies start to fail. These natural changes are what we call ageing. In recent decades, we’ve come leaps and bounds in treating and preventing some of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janneke Berecki-Gisolf, Associate Professor, Accident Research Centre, Monash University COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria have had a marked effect on how and where we spend our time. For many people, home has become the workplace, and for most school-aged children, home is also ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Wilson, Associate Professor in Education, University of Sydney To fix inequality in Australian education, governments should fully fund all non-government primary schools, according to former former NSW Education Minister and now head of the UNSW Gonski Institute, Adrian Piccoli. In an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University Over the weekend, Victorian Education Minister, James Merlino, announced the individual impact of COVID-19 will be taken into account for every Year 12 student in the state when calculating their VCE score and ATAR. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Teaching Fellow and PhD candidate, University of Melbourne The arrest this week of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong reveals the repressive reality of the city’s new made-in-China national security law. It also sends a sharp signal to ...
NZ’s domestic economy is tracking much better than many predicted, as it adjusts to something closer to normality after the Covid-19 lockdown. Just how well may emerge when the Reserve Bank delivers its verdict this week on whether there is any need for new monetary policy moves. Bank economists are ...
With Jacinda Ardern staying quiet on how she'll vote in this year's cannabis referendum, Judith Collins is putting on the pressure, saying all of the National caucus will vote against it. ...
An Auckland psychic healer yesterday announced she would be running for parliament. Less than 24 hours later, she wasn’t. So what happened? And why is she accusing Jacinda Ardern of treason? Stewart Sowman-Lund investigates. It’s been a big year for Jeanette Wilson. In June, as the Covid-19 crisis was continuing to spiral ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. “I think you have to recognise money comes from somewhere. It doesn’t just come from a big money tree.” Judith Collins 2020 “Someone has to pay the bill – there aren’t little pixies at the bottom of the garden printing cash.” John Key 2009Keith ...
By RNZ News New Zealand has reported one new case of covid-19 in managed isolation today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the new case was a man in his 20s who arrived from Melbourne on July 30. He was in isolation at ...
National's newly released policy also includes the creation of two new national parks, establishing the Kermadec marine sanctuary, and revising Tahr management. ...
Content warning: This pieces includes discussion of harassment, stalking and violence.‘I don’t sleep. I’m terrified.’ Sophia shares her story with Emily Writes.Sophia* was 19 and a talented swimmer. She was teaching swimming lessons at an Auckland public pool with a gym attached and one day, while she was using the ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk As Guam’s health statistics continue to mount, covid-19 has hit the first family, reports the Pacific Island Times. Following Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s disclosure last night that she had tested positive for covid-19, her son Joaquin Cook, president of the Bank of Guam, revealed he has ...
Road safety charity Brake has launched a Virtual Fleet Exhibition for fleet operators and suppliers, celebrating fleet safety and sharing best practice. The exhibition is part of Brake’s Global Fleet Champions initiative and runs for the whole of ...
With more than 1,000 local businesses on its books, MyHR saw firsthand the pressure the Covid-19 fallout put on New Zealand’s SMEs, as well as having its own business model tested to the limit.New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown had a seismic effect on human resources departments. In order to stay afloat ...
In an interview on Monday, Ms Collins said: We will not let DHBs limit or allocate health treatment based on race, which is what we’ve seen Labour allow some DHBs to do. That is really important that we cannot have that. It has to be on need and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Gargett, NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Head of Women’s Health Theme, The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Hudson Institute Endometriosis is a debilitating, chronic condition that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide. It occurs when tissue which has similar properties ...
National leader Judith Collins says allegations surrounding the party's board member Roger Bridge is a matter for the party to deal with internally. ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is calling for submissions on the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill. The bill would establish a new random roadside oral fluid testing regime. The regime would sit alongside the existing compulsory ...
Have politicians lost control of big ratepayer-owned companies - or just failed to use their powers to keep them accountable to the public? Tim Murphy reports on an 'unvarnished' review of Auckland Council and its corporatised functions. The deepest inquiry yet into how Auckland's five council-owned companies are working finds major ...
The release today by the Problem Gambling Foundation of a report commissioned of NZIER that suggests gambling on gaming machines somehow costs jobs in the retail sector is nothing but tragic dog whistle politics. It’s an odd thing for a charity ...
jesseforparliament@gmail.com Facebook.com/JesseForParliament Jesseforparliament.nz (under construction) WELLINGTON – Last Saturday, the race for the Wellington Central electorate saw a new entrant, as Victoria University student Jesse Richardson announced ...
Merv Lee-Mather, Merv Thomas and Merv Manhire gather to discuss the most pressing issues of election 2020.With 39 days to go until New Zealand goes to the polls, talkback caller “Merv” has lit up the election campaign, delivering a deeply unmellow curtain-raiser to the National Party’s Auckland Central candidate selection. ...
Under New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (the Act), businesses must consider risk profiling of their customers and clients. The profiling is for the purpose of identifying those clients that present ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meagan Tyler, Senior lecturer, RMIT University The COVID-19 crisis has thrown up an array of new habits and coping mechanisms. But the fetishisation, and even sexualisation, of prominent health officials is one of our more unexpected pandemic pastimes. Is this trend equality ...
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Open Mike 26/05/2017 
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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.