A speaker in parliament who ensures difficult questions are stopped in the government and allows the government to get away with a lot.
The end of Ecan in Canterbury.
The refusal by ministers to answer questions on Morning Report and other serious media on important issues.
Also my opinions are genuinely-held and I don’t intend to spread discord and disruption with them
The first is no doubt true and highlights adam’s prefect description of you as uncompassionate and smug on another thread. This description is true of all supporters of the current government.
The second is a flat-out lie, which is also unsurprising behaviour from a supporter of the current government.
More war provocations, specifically…. “The announcement by the US Secretary of “Defense” that the US will will now pre-position arms and tanks for up to 5,000 soldiers in the Baltic states, along the Russian border. This is the first time in history that the US has ever placed military assets on the Russian border.”
Party at Muzza’s new pad, the big apple ‘New York’ July School Holidays. Govt Ministers, TPPA lobbyist’s, wealthy donators, A lister movie stars and super models.
For starters the rates increase has already been funded for anyone with a reasonable size mortgage on floating interest rates. The recent cut in the OCR has more than paid for the higher rates. And that’s not to mention the ginormous capital gains every Auckland homeowner has enjoyed over the last few years.
Investors are already using it as an excuse to raise rents and it’s worth pointing out that the recent fall in interest rates has not just paid investors for the rates increase but that lower interest rates means they should be reducing rents not raising them. That just goes to show how venal those people really are.
“Many of the city’s poorest suburbs, like Mangere, Otahuhu, Beach Haven and Glenfield, face increases of more than $300.”
Glenfield and Beach Haven poor suburbs? When did those pillocks from the Herald last visit there, 1990? Anyone who can afford a $500k mortgage is definitely not poor, nor is anyone who owns a house there.
I’m an Aucklander paying rates too. For starters rates on commercial properties aren’t going up much so your business argument doesn’t look valid. Secondly as I already mentioned rates are being used as an excuse to raise private rents they are not a reason to. Rents will go up whether rates increase or not.
The typical investor has a mortgage on their investment property. The last cut in the OCR reduced mortgage interest rates by about 0.25%. That gives every mortgage holder an extra $250 per year for every $100k they owe. Did your landlord give you a rent reduction when interest rates fell? I bet they didn’t.
You realise that 80% of mortgages are on fixed terms, and so the recent 0.25% interest rate cut will have made no difference to their repayments in the near term?
Something like 30-40% of mortgages are fixed for terms of 2+ years, so the OCR cut does squat for them.
It’s a pity that you’ve chosen not to address the point that the 0.25% interest rate fall will not impact on 80% of home owners in Auckland (at least – since not all homes have mortgages on them), but the rate rises will affect 95% of home owners in Auckland (a very few home owners will get a rates reduction).
There’s no need to address it, the answer is obvious. They’ll get their mortgage reduction eventually and rates don’t need to be paid immediately either. Many people will have mortgage debt over $200k and they’ll be saving $500 plus to pay a rates increase of $300. Not like renters who won’t be getting any rent reduction from the fall in interest rates…. just a specious excuse for putting rents up further.
And btw many investors have interest-only loans which often are not fixed, they’ll make hay immediately.
So you chose not to address:
1. People on fixed mortgages of terms of 2+ years, who won’t get their “mortgage reduction eventually” until after another 2 rounds of rate rises.
2. People who don’t have mortgages.
“And btw many investors have interest-only loans which often are not fixed, they’ll make hay immediately.”
How many investors do you know? The investors on Property Talk by-and-large go for fixed term mortgages, with as good a rates as they can get from the banks. Since they tend to have large portfolios, the banks keep them as clients and offer them good fixed rates.
Investing in rental property is a business, you’d be mad to leave your business to chance with floating rates, especially when they are always higher than fixed rates anyway.
If you have a small business, the one thing that is making a huge dent in earnings every year is rates, and insurance. So yes, i might be able to pay them, but a few other struggling businesses for them it might just be the final nail in the coffin. but its all good……those empty looking fringes don’t need to be rented, their value too increases every day thanks to speculation.
Rents will go up a bit more thanks to the rate increase. Before they just went up, now they really go up. Been there after the quake when rents suddenly really went up because the insurance for property owners went up. I guess its not just enough that these costs can be used as a business expense, no it must be a business expense that brings money.
SO yes, i expect a few more small businesses to close, i expect more people needing an Accommodation benefits to make up the rent increases, and we tax payers all pay for it.
i am not disagreeing with you, but yes Aucklanders – the majority of whom are not property investors with multiple properties and droppaing mortgage rates do have a reason to whinge. They are now out of pocket for what will be easily a grand or two in increased rent / rate spending, and thusly less debt paid back – more interest payments, less money saved – loss in interest payments to them, more borrowing etc etc etc.
You’re making a connection that just isn’t there. The Property Investors Association have been talking about rent increases for quite some months. Their justification for the increase was not rates but the increase in Auckland property values and the need for yield.
The rates increase will be an excuse for increasing rents; an appeasement. If you want to believe that’s the reason… well more fool you. They will increase rents because they can. No other reason.
You might also want to look wider afield and see just how much others are paying in rates before claiming Aucklanders are hard done by. Our neighbours down the Waikato/Hauraki are paying up to twice as much as we are on capital values…. try paying $2200 in rates on a property with a capital value of only $200k. We’re not doing it hard here.
Mad? I guess I am. I actually feel a little angry about the Auckland property market and that’s not me, property has never bothered me before. Everyone has their own way to make a buck and it’s not for me to say how others should do it.
I’ve got cash on call in the business account and the bank just cut the rates on that from 3.15% to 3%, a direct result of the OCR being cut. 0.15% doesn’t sound much to the maths-challenged but that’s a 5% reduction in the yield from cash in the bank.
When cash yields fall all other investment yields fall too, that’s how the market works, and it annoys me when I hear people making excuses for trying to increase their yield (put rents up) when I know it’s just self-interest driving them. They could at least be honest about it.
wait until NZ goes down the ZIRP route, penalising savers and pensioners, forcing people to play the property or financial markets games in order to try and keep some return coming in.
This one was linked yesterday but I found this line in it interesting:
He said New York property costs were high and growing, and it was determined that the purchase of a new property represented better long-term value to the taxpayer than leasing a property.
The point that the government as a whole seems to be missing is that the same can be said of every single building that the government uses most of which, after the privatisation of the 1980s onwards, are now leased.
Guess who’s benefiting from that privatisation and who’s paying for it.
“Guess who’s benefiting from that privatisation and who’s paying for it.”
While on the subject……
How many people know that Auckland is not (yet) a supercity? I bet few know that the Papakura Water contract is still in force and that Watercare isn’t the monopoly water provider it was supposed to be.
The Audit Office report on the privatisation of Papakura Water supply strongly urged that no contract with the private sector should be longer than 5yrs. The reasons are obvious; no-one knows what the future holds so you don’t commit yourself beyond the foreseeable future.
If all of Auckland’s local councils had a lot more private contracts it would have been impossible to create the new Auckland Council. That’s what the future holds for us; unbreakable long term contracts that will prevent local and national Govt from making any substantial changes.
the list of long Term mangement contracts issued across all regions since Keys crew started their agenda with ecan/akl etc makes for chilling reading if you can at all given the ‘commercial in confidence’ shroud over many.
Meanwhile the politics enter even National Radio. Changes? Yep. Watch your backs Morning Report. “More changes are expected at Radio NZ National. The latest Nielsen survey, for the first quarter of this year, showed no improvement after a big ratings slump at the end of 2014, and RNZ is looking at changes to Morning Report, Checkpoint and Afternoons.”
Campbell Live. Native Affairs. RNZ. Yahoo. Where are you all?
Ratings numbers are the best way of ‘justifying’ axing any in depth reporting over sensationalist celebrity shock jock focused offerings.
Their numbers probably drop after the GE as in times of major events/disasters etc the more trusted outlets see a rise in numbers which tail away when it’s past.
I’ve not looked at the numbers or dates from RNZ that’s purely anecdotal behaviour seen time and again in Oz by ABC/SBS news numbers.
Did anyone hear the RadioNZ shocker about Weetbix yesterday. A blatant advertorial on our national station. Accompanied by reporter Ruth Hill serving herself a weebix breakfast with complimentary comments while pouring milk on it. And the nub of the story – that some of the Weetbix that we get is sourced from Australia when demand here is high.
Armenian’s have taken to the streets for days to protest their Government’s electricity price rises. Somehow can’t see sleepy old NZ doing the same… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HKCGJrgn5Q
I wonder if Armenian Electricity is a private enterprise or Government controlled. If private then their Government like ours will just say, “Not our problem. We cannot make things better.”
Great to see that Armenian celebration of hope and democracy.
Most of the protest here in New Zealand are not celebratory, or joyful events.
Actually they are generally really earnest, dull, predictable, and if you live in Dunedin – fast, and boy does it put people off.
It seems the whole protest movement is stuck. It’s the same marches, the same speeches and the same old tired approach to things.
For example: why march up Queen street, when the majority of your supporters can’t even afford to get to Queen st in the first place?
Why not have many smaller protests spread all over our cities? And make them enjoyable – with dancing, talking, food, and music. Not the drone of poorly written speeches.
Don’t you sense any nasty or unfair dirty politics types of attacks going on here? or are you simply blinded by the fact that you have ‘no sympathy for him and his band of self righteous nutjobs’?
For me, fair is fair, irrespective of ‘who’ the person is and is more important than anything else. (It really is, but I am not perfect. No one is!)
@Clem
I agree Clem. The Nats did not want 4% wasted right wing vote at the next election again and so have put the knife in. Key has been unable to contain his glee at Colon’s demise.
But I wonder. This 4% can hardly be solid Nats, and may mean they split 3% NZF 1% Nats at the next election which would help the opposition.
NZ doesn’t need people getting to be politicians who ‘feel’ things about scientific matters just to be contrary. We need people who feel things about helping people, and getting better lives, livable, affordable homes, green jobs on green projects, non-lethal daylight jobs with part weekends, say from mid Saturday and all Sunday when they can actually be themselves, not poorly-paid lackeys.
Let fanciful fools do their thing but most must stick to the main points, there is no surety that we will make a blind bit of difference unless people keep their minds focussed on the right things for the whole of us, the vulnerable population Everything else is just a distracting sideshow for people who don’t yet understand the gravity of our present and pending future, or who are stuck in juvenile notions of untested idealism, which will collapse when faced with hard reality.
Well Clem the John Stringer who spoke out – most unusually for a board member who is not a chairperson – is very well linked to the Nats. So there is some credence to your speculation of yet another dirty tricks campaign. And I’m not a fan of Colin Craig either .
Sorry . Tried to watch but 15 seconds of Henry and I wanted to vomit.
Don’t care. Craig is a twit who ought to go away and count his money and do what he wants to do in private… not bleating his right wing nonsense to us awful lefties who really don’t care about him.
A good interview actually Clem. Into my dim bias filtered a possibility that Dirty Tricks is alive and well and that maybe Colin has been set up and executed.
John Stringer was a National candidate in Christchurch.
He has spoken very negatively about Colin who refutes the rumours. (This will come out true/false eventually.)
Stringer will earn brownie points with Key if he destroys the Conservative Party.
Watch Stringer when National start allocating candidate seats.
Just maybe?
the guy shooting off his mouth (Stringer?!?) has skin in this game. Even after being told not to speak out an that he wasn’t representative of the Board he’s kept on talking… leadership contender? Or are his Nat party roots kicking in and he is killing it off to move 4% back to National
Just some idiot trying to justify increased inequality in developed countries by saying that globally inequality is decreasing as the developing countries catch up. The latter may be happening but we’re seeing increased inequality in the developing nations as well.
Thus, what he seems to have done is taken the numbers and massaged them in a way to bring about his desired result. The way he seems to have done this is via over-generalisation.
Only if you summarise a decline from 2000-2008 followed by an upswing starting in 2008 or 2010 (depending on the graph) as being “While inequality across a range of measures rose from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, it has levelled off or declined since the mid-1990s, albeit with some variability.”
Look at the GINI time-series figures in the report: Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15. In other words, whether the summary matches the data is highly debatable. In more accurate words, the rest of the report and the media release are all trying very hard to convince people that what they’d see, should they choose to look at GINI levels over the years, is not actually what they should believe.
But then if Labour hadn’t addressed inequality, the kids in NZ would be even worse off and the nats would be saying “labour did it too”.
7 From HES 2011 to HES 2013 the gains from the recovery were shared reasonably evenly across income deciles, but the negative impact of the recession from HES 2009 to HES 2011 was a little greater for lower income deciles (deciles 1 to 6) than for higher ones.
8 As a result, from HES 2009 to 2013 the net change in average incomes for each of the lower 5 deciles was close to zero, whereas there was around a 5% net gain for the top five deciles.
(my bold)
Year-on-year income inequality has been volatile recently with the GFC shock impacting on investment returns, employment and wages over the four years from 2008. There is no evidence of any general rise or fall in income inequality using the Gini measure since the mid 1990s. The trend-line is almost flat.
.
Well, yes, the trendline is almost flat. Because when GINI’s rising, the data points are every two years (1988-1998, 2007-2009) or every one year (2009-2013), and during Lab5 the data points are every three years, which lessens the impact of year-on-year decreases (table D10, figure D14).
I actually really like Perry’s work and it’s a massive effort and incredibly valuable, but you can’t roll a turd ball in glitter and call it a jewel. And talking about “there is no evidence of any sustained rising or falling trend since the mid-1990s” also misses the point of the massive fucking rise since the 80s and the fact that it’s a slight “trend” down in lab5 and a slight “trend” up in the nat governments.
BTW, it’s not a scoop report, it’s a tory press release.
It’s not Scoop McFlock, it’s the CREDIBLE reports they reference.
As usual, anyone who wants to make an informed comment should go and read THE WHOLE THINGS for themselves, and then exercise their own critical faculties.
rather than rely on a couple of very selective out of context sound bites from ideologically compromised bloggers.
On euthanasia and assisted dying: brave woman and lawyer Lucretia Seales’ husband continues with her humanitarian campaign to help the dying take control and die in the way they want with dignity and love.
‘Lecretia Seales’ husband says end of life inquiry terms crucial’
“Matt Vickers, husband of Lecretia Seales, on the select committee inquiry into assisted dying – he says it’s crucial to get the terms of reference and shape of the inquiry right.”
A hundred Million Dollars into Urban cycleways???? from the Govt, to be matched by Local govt Thats a shit load of cash now for the creative accounting to start.
We all know that those who monopolize the Palestine Liberation Organization deal with this most important Palestinian institution, the PLO, as if it were a private farm of the “President,” Abu Mazen, and thus what is required is loyalty and obedience to him, the owner. This is a fact that cannot be denied. We do not say anything new when we note that the Palestinian arena is not an exception, nor is it far from the reality of the Arab regimes governed by the leader, the king or the prince, considering the king to embody the people and the nation, or from the logic of King Louis XIV, who declared in 1655, “L’etat, c’est moi!” [I am the state!]
I’ve been thinking. Why did Key announce the bike track funding just now? Usually he does this sort of thing to distract from unpleasant stuff. Maybe it is the detail of Sheepgate or the detail of punishment for transgressions in the Digital Communications Bill. Cynic am I!
During the last two Monday press conferences (as per the TV news channels) Key appeared jaded and even stressed. It made me wonder if something was going on behind the scenes which was causing him much angst – perhaps another major scandal or irrefutable evidence about an existing scandal is about to be revealed?
During the last two Monday press conferences (as per the TV news channels) Key appeared jaded and even stressed. It made me wonder if something was going on behind the scenes which was causing him much angst – perhaps another major scandal or irrefutable evidence about an existing scandal is about to be revealed?
“” If you find things that offend you and that the public has a right to know, then – with suitable care and thought – you can maybe do some good by working with a trustworthy investigative journalist to get that story told. “”
Jenny. I am fairly sure that Nicky Hager has his day in Court re the police seizing his belongings starting this week, or is it next week?
I guess the problem is that the “good” is in the eye of the beholder. Would Key see some good and support the public right to know re the Dirty Tricks? Or would he use his clout to block or deny its publication in some way.
“public interest” has some parameters through legislation and interpretation/application of case law over the years…
But I agree that “good” can be in the eye of the beholder but even ethics have theoretical frameworks… hence we can develop codes of conduct and code so ethics. That’s a way to measure “good” on one level.
That is why the “reasonable man” was invented, to make it more objective than subjective.
““There may be multiple forms of contraception, but I’m here to say that one fact remains. Those that practice abstinence have no chance of becoming pregnant,” Palin said at an appearance in 2010. “Abstinence is not about morality, it is about reality. It is the only thing that works every time. My message is a simple one: Don’t make the same decision I made, just wait. Young ladies, please hear me.”
Her work generated a bit of controversy in 2009 when her take-home pay for Candie’s was seven times what the charity actually brought in donations.
Forbes reported, “Apparently, the organization was only able to find $35,000 to grant to charities from the $1,242,476 donated from the public. Meanwhile, the young Ms. Palin managed to pull in a $262,500 paycheck for her role as an ambassador for their teen pregnancy prevention campaign in 2009.”
Bristol Palin continued to rack in the earnings from her appearances, making between $15,000 and $30,000 for every speech she made advocating abstinence-only policies, which the Daily Beast estimated to total about $100,000 per year.”
The unwed Palin is pregnant with her second child. She is not married.
There are some people who seem to know the right people to pay them even if they don’t do a damn thing or even do the exact opposite of what they preach. They are the quintessential example of corruption.
The spirit of Sir Paul lives on;
This time it’s alighted in Melbourne
An Indigenous girl who was racially abused as she lined up for a Frozen movie event in Melbourne has received a special message from her idol, Queen Elsa.
Samara Muir, 3, of Ballarat was waiting with her mother Rachel at a Melbourne shopping centre when she was brought to tears by a series of racist comments. Ms Muir said a woman in the line remarked; “I don’t know what that girl’s getting excited about because Elsa isn’t black”. The woman’s child also said to Samara that “black is ugly”.
Ms Muir shared her experience on social media, sparking both outrage and a massive wave of support for Samara.
But now the three-year-old Frozen fan may just have received her most exciting message yet — a video from Queen Elsa herself. …..
THE KILLING SEASON is Sarah Ferguson’s gripping three-part examination of the forces that shaped Labor during the Kevin Rudd / Julia Gillard leadership years. It is a documentary series like no other. Visually striking, scripted like the best political dramas, The Killing Season is an enthralling account of one of the most turbulent periods of Australian political history.
A comprehensive cast of the main players – including many of those still in parliament – speak frankly, providing a dramatic portrait of a party at war with itself.
You can watch all three episodes of The Killing Season on ABC iview and for international viewers abc.net.au/killingseason. Available for a limited period only.
The shocking lies of the mayor and councillors concerning rate rises and the misuse of rate payers money.
Rate rises up to 10% are not what was promised by the councillors when they were elected. It is unreasonable that an organisation that has a monopoly can put up rates at will to whatever level they want with no accountability for the misuse of the money they have already been paid.
The pressure on households to pay these unreasonable amounts is enormous. How are people on fixed incomes expected to pay that. People will be forced from their homes, away from friends and families and the support systems they need. Away for hospital facilities. THAT IS NOT FAIR. Many people protested about the valuations of their homes because those values are being used to justify unreasonable rate increases. The transport levy and the other increases have only been voted in by 1 vote.
WHAT REDRESS DO PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNING THIS BULLYING OF THE COUNCIL. They don’t even have a legal obligation to use the transport levy on public transport. It can be used for more secret rooms in Len Browns office or any other of the stupid wastefulness that this council has been known for.
THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR ARE MORALLY BANKRUPT. He is so obsessed with ensuring the rail loop will be attributed to him that he is putting the wellbeing of a huge amount of Aucklanders at risk.
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Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The slow death of democracy under Key.
A speaker in parliament who ensures difficult questions are stopped in the government and allows the government to get away with a lot.
The end of Ecan in Canterbury.
The refusal by ministers to answer questions on Morning Report and other serious media on important issues.
Yes, we heard you the first time.
No you didn’t. If you had you wouldn’t be in here defending this government.
Troll
Actually, paul seems to express genuinely-held opinion with no ulterior motive to spread discord and disruption amongst the thread, imo.
You… not so much
I think you’ll find my opinions have been pretty consistant as well but hes a troll
I never mentioned consistency as a criteria.
Also my opinions are genuinely-held and I don’t intend to spread discord and disruption with them
Your assurances aside, that does not seem to be the case.
Especially when you linkwhore for slater with no context or explanation.
The first is no doubt true and highlights adam’s prefect description of you as uncompassionate and smug on another thread. This description is true of all supporters of the current government.
The second is a flat-out lie, which is also unsurprising behaviour from a supporter of the current government.
Whether Burke actually said this or not, with Key in charge of NZ, it has never been truer:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Remember that a National Party boss said EXACTLY the same words when Helen Clark was in charge of NZ. What goes around, comes around.
Yes. He said it about lightbulbs and farmers paying for their emmissions.
Those were the days before we had an outright corrupt government.
McFlock: What will you do until 2020 or 2023 when Labour could regain power?
Count the sick and the dead.
Those were the days when we had a corrupt opposition.
two wrongs make a right…
http://www.tfmetalsreport.com/podcast/6941/more-jb-and-sfc
More war provocations, specifically….
“The announcement by the US Secretary of “Defense” that the US will will now pre-position arms and tanks for up to 5,000 soldiers in the Baltic states, along the Russian border. This is the first time in history that the US has ever placed military assets on the Russian border.”
Baltic states
Ukraine
It is the USA which is the aggressor, not Russia.
But we are ok with that aren’t we
Because there’s totally US flags flying in Sevastopol. Oh wait. Only three stripes.
wasn’t the Cuban missile crisis initiated when USA put nuclear weapons in Turkey prompting the U.S.S.R. to want to install the same in Cuba?
Party at Muzza’s new pad, the big apple ‘New York’ July School Holidays. Govt Ministers, TPPA lobbyist’s, wealthy donators, A lister movie stars and super models.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/69701478/nz-government-shells-out-11m-on-new-york-apartment-for-un-representative
I wish they would give us more info though…
How much are the BC fees each year
How much would it cost to rent a similar place
Why 3 bedrooms?
What did we use before?
and so on…
ensuring these stories have no context whatsoever is an MSM specialty
Is anyone else finding it hard to feel any sympathy for Aucklanders whining about their rates increase? Latest from the Herald here;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11471241
For starters the rates increase has already been funded for anyone with a reasonable size mortgage on floating interest rates. The recent cut in the OCR has more than paid for the higher rates. And that’s not to mention the ginormous capital gains every Auckland homeowner has enjoyed over the last few years.
Investors are already using it as an excuse to raise rents and it’s worth pointing out that the recent fall in interest rates has not just paid investors for the rates increase but that lower interest rates means they should be reducing rents not raising them. That just goes to show how venal those people really are.
AND the report was very confusing.
The average rate increase was $214
They also report that 1000s of rates are to increase by $1000
There needs to be a better analysis.
Well it is the Herald, try this doozy….
“Many of the city’s poorest suburbs, like Mangere, Otahuhu, Beach Haven and Glenfield, face increases of more than $300.”
Glenfield and Beach Haven poor suburbs? When did those pillocks from the Herald last visit there, 1990? Anyone who can afford a $500k mortgage is definitely not poor, nor is anyone who owns a house there.
The tiny group of ratepayers that the Herald and the right whingers on Council are wringing their hands about are shown on the right side of the graph in this tweet:
https://twitter.com/TransportBlog/status/614217809967497217
Most Auckland homeowners will see a rates increase that is a tiny fraction of how much their unearned equity has expanded in recent years.
are you talking about Aucklanders or Property Owners?
I am an Aucklander, paying the rates on my rental home and my rental business.
Can i afford increasing bills on what is pretty much a fixed income? No.
So expect more businesses to close, or to fail as they can not afford these hikes.
The investors don’t cry, only the owner occupiers or their tenants.
I’m an Aucklander paying rates too. For starters rates on commercial properties aren’t going up much so your business argument doesn’t look valid. Secondly as I already mentioned rates are being used as an excuse to raise private rents they are not a reason to. Rents will go up whether rates increase or not.
The typical investor has a mortgage on their investment property. The last cut in the OCR reduced mortgage interest rates by about 0.25%. That gives every mortgage holder an extra $250 per year for every $100k they owe. Did your landlord give you a rent reduction when interest rates fell? I bet they didn’t.
Your argument is very weird.
You realise that 80% of mortgages are on fixed terms, and so the recent 0.25% interest rate cut will have made no difference to their repayments in the near term?
Something like 30-40% of mortgages are fixed for terms of 2+ years, so the OCR cut does squat for them.
“Your argument is very weird.”
No it’s not weird. You’ve just taken a dislike to my commenting and you’ve decided to snipe & sneer when the opportunity presents itself.
I’m too old to take the bait.
It’s a pity that you’ve chosen not to address the point that the 0.25% interest rate fall will not impact on 80% of home owners in Auckland (at least – since not all homes have mortgages on them), but the rate rises will affect 95% of home owners in Auckland (a very few home owners will get a rates reduction).
There’s no need to address it, the answer is obvious. They’ll get their mortgage reduction eventually and rates don’t need to be paid immediately either. Many people will have mortgage debt over $200k and they’ll be saving $500 plus to pay a rates increase of $300. Not like renters who won’t be getting any rent reduction from the fall in interest rates…. just a specious excuse for putting rents up further.
And btw many investors have interest-only loans which often are not fixed, they’ll make hay immediately.
So you chose not to address:
1. People on fixed mortgages of terms of 2+ years, who won’t get their “mortgage reduction eventually” until after another 2 rounds of rate rises.
2. People who don’t have mortgages.
“And btw many investors have interest-only loans which often are not fixed, they’ll make hay immediately.”
How many investors do you know? The investors on Property Talk by-and-large go for fixed term mortgages, with as good a rates as they can get from the banks. Since they tend to have large portfolios, the banks keep them as clients and offer them good fixed rates.
Investing in rental property is a business, you’d be mad to leave your business to chance with floating rates, especially when they are always higher than fixed rates anyway.
If you have a small business, the one thing that is making a huge dent in earnings every year is rates, and insurance. So yes, i might be able to pay them, but a few other struggling businesses for them it might just be the final nail in the coffin. but its all good……those empty looking fringes don’t need to be rented, their value too increases every day thanks to speculation.
Rents will go up a bit more thanks to the rate increase. Before they just went up, now they really go up. Been there after the quake when rents suddenly really went up because the insurance for property owners went up. I guess its not just enough that these costs can be used as a business expense, no it must be a business expense that brings money.
SO yes, i expect a few more small businesses to close, i expect more people needing an Accommodation benefits to make up the rent increases, and we tax payers all pay for it.
i am not disagreeing with you, but yes Aucklanders – the majority of whom are not property investors with multiple properties and droppaing mortgage rates do have a reason to whinge. They are now out of pocket for what will be easily a grand or two in increased rent / rate spending, and thusly less debt paid back – more interest payments, less money saved – loss in interest payments to them, more borrowing etc etc etc.
You’re making a connection that just isn’t there. The Property Investors Association have been talking about rent increases for quite some months. Their justification for the increase was not rates but the increase in Auckland property values and the need for yield.
The rates increase will be an excuse for increasing rents; an appeasement. If you want to believe that’s the reason… well more fool you. They will increase rents because they can. No other reason.
You might also want to look wider afield and see just how much others are paying in rates before claiming Aucklanders are hard done by. Our neighbours down the Waikato/Hauraki are paying up to twice as much as we are on capital values…. try paying $2200 in rates on a property with a capital value of only $200k. We’re not doing it hard here.
“For starters the rates increase has already been funded for anyone with a reasonable size mortgage on floating interest rates.”
And for people who don’t have mortgages? Like many who are retired and own their own homes outright, and are on fixed incomes?
shit out of luck, but hey they can sell and move elsewhere.
If the can’t afford Auckland why should they live there? Yes, that is something i am hearing a lot.
Reduce rents??? My god are you mad? That would put the whole money making scheme, that is the Auckland housing debacle on the skids.
Mad? I guess I am. I actually feel a little angry about the Auckland property market and that’s not me, property has never bothered me before. Everyone has their own way to make a buck and it’s not for me to say how others should do it.
I’ve got cash on call in the business account and the bank just cut the rates on that from 3.15% to 3%, a direct result of the OCR being cut. 0.15% doesn’t sound much to the maths-challenged but that’s a 5% reduction in the yield from cash in the bank.
When cash yields fall all other investment yields fall too, that’s how the market works, and it annoys me when I hear people making excuses for trying to increase their yield (put rents up) when I know it’s just self-interest driving them. They could at least be honest about it.
wait until NZ goes down the ZIRP route, penalising savers and pensioners, forcing people to play the property or financial markets games in order to try and keep some return coming in.
This one was linked yesterday but I found this line in it interesting:
The point that the government as a whole seems to be missing is that the same can be said of every single building that the government uses most of which, after the privatisation of the 1980s onwards, are now leased.
Guess who’s benefiting from that privatisation and who’s paying for it.
“Guess who’s benefiting from that privatisation and who’s paying for it.”
While on the subject……
How many people know that Auckland is not (yet) a supercity? I bet few know that the Papakura Water contract is still in force and that Watercare isn’t the monopoly water provider it was supposed to be.
The Audit Office report on the privatisation of Papakura Water supply strongly urged that no contract with the private sector should be longer than 5yrs. The reasons are obvious; no-one knows what the future holds so you don’t commit yourself beyond the foreseeable future.
If all of Auckland’s local councils had a lot more private contracts it would have been impossible to create the new Auckland Council. That’s what the future holds for us; unbreakable long term contracts that will prevent local and national Govt from making any substantial changes.
the list of long Term mangement contracts issued across all regions since Keys crew started their agenda with ecan/akl etc makes for chilling reading if you can at all given the ‘commercial in confidence’ shroud over many.
The Nats are poisoning the wells…
Meanwhile the politics enter even National Radio. Changes? Yep. Watch your backs Morning Report.
“More changes are expected at Radio NZ National. The latest Nielsen survey, for the first quarter of this year, showed no improvement after a big ratings slump at the end of 2014, and RNZ is looking at changes to Morning Report, Checkpoint and Afternoons.”
Campbell Live. Native Affairs. RNZ. Yahoo. Where are you all?
Ratings numbers are the best way of ‘justifying’ axing any in depth reporting over sensationalist celebrity shock jock focused offerings.
Their numbers probably drop after the GE as in times of major events/disasters etc the more trusted outlets see a rise in numbers which tail away when it’s past.
I’ve not looked at the numbers or dates from RNZ that’s purely anecdotal behaviour seen time and again in Oz by ABC/SBS news numbers.
Did anyone hear the RadioNZ shocker about Weetbix yesterday. A blatant advertorial on our national station. Accompanied by reporter Ruth Hill serving herself a weebix breakfast with complimentary comments while pouring milk on it. And the nub of the story – that some of the Weetbix that we get is sourced from Australia when demand here is high.
I don’t care how much they donate to food for schools or the like, it doesn’t give them the right to free advertising. And if all is BAU they won’t be paying any company tax in NZ because they are a religious charity.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/277228/kiwi-kids-are-aussie-weet-bix-kids
You may like to find the item in the News – National slot and down the bottom take up the invitation to join the Lets Talk discussion.
Armenian’s have taken to the streets for days to protest their Government’s electricity price rises. Somehow can’t see sleepy old NZ doing the same…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HKCGJrgn5Q
I wonder if Armenian Electricity is a private enterprise or Government controlled. If private then their Government like ours will just say, “Not our problem. We cannot make things better.”
Great to see that Armenian celebration of hope and democracy.
The makings of another US sponsored ‘Color Revolution’ designed to destabilise Russia’s borders.
Most of the protest here in New Zealand are not celebratory, or joyful events.
Actually they are generally really earnest, dull, predictable, and if you live in Dunedin – fast, and boy does it put people off.
It seems the whole protest movement is stuck. It’s the same marches, the same speeches and the same old tired approach to things.
For example: why march up Queen street, when the majority of your supporters can’t even afford to get to Queen st in the first place?
Why not have many smaller protests spread all over our cities? And make them enjoyable – with dancing, talking, food, and music. Not the drone of poorly written speeches.
Colin Craig’s interview on TV3 :
I have just watched this on line. Actually, he comes across quite well here, in my opinion !
I am not a supporter of his party, but I am sensing that a very dirty campaign has been unleashed against him by some quarters for whatever reason.
Take a look if you haven’t already:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenry/interviews/colin-craig-where-did-it-all-go-so-wrong#axzz3e7BVNu7W,
sleep with dogs etc I have no sympathy for him and his band of self righteous nutjobs.
Don’t you sense any nasty or unfair dirty politics types of attacks going on here? or are you simply blinded by the fact that you have ‘no sympathy for him and his band of self righteous nutjobs’?
For me, fair is fair, irrespective of ‘who’ the person is and is more important than anything else. (It really is, but I am not perfect. No one is!)
@Clem
I agree Clem. The Nats did not want 4% wasted right wing vote at the next election again and so have put the knife in. Key has been unable to contain his glee at Colon’s demise.
But I wonder. This 4% can hardly be solid Nats, and may mean they split 3% NZF 1% Nats at the next election which would help the opposition.
+1
The Left has to be much more strategic about how it analyses these events.
Of course it’s probably nasty and unfair as are most things influenced by the cult of Key running through our parliament, media and nation.
Craig needs to pay attention, harden up and learn if he wants to be a player as politics is a contact sport and on the right they play for keeps.
NZ doesn’t need people getting to be politicians who ‘feel’ things about scientific matters just to be contrary. We need people who feel things about helping people, and getting better lives, livable, affordable homes, green jobs on green projects, non-lethal daylight jobs with part weekends, say from mid Saturday and all Sunday when they can actually be themselves, not poorly-paid lackeys.
Let fanciful fools do their thing but most must stick to the main points, there is no surety that we will make a blind bit of difference unless people keep their minds focussed on the right things for the whole of us, the vulnerable population Everything else is just a distracting sideshow for people who don’t yet understand the gravity of our present and pending future, or who are stuck in juvenile notions of untested idealism, which will collapse when faced with hard reality.
Probably the nats clearing the way for Winston !?
No
Well Clem the John Stringer who spoke out – most unusually for a board member who is not a chairperson – is very well linked to the Nats. So there is some credence to your speculation of yet another dirty tricks campaign. And I’m not a fan of Colin Craig either .
Sorry . Tried to watch but 15 seconds of Henry and I wanted to vomit.
Don’t care. Craig is a twit who ought to go away and count his money and do what he wants to do in private… not bleating his right wing nonsense to us awful lefties who really don’t care about him.
A good interview actually Clem. Into my dim bias filtered a possibility that Dirty Tricks is alive and well and that maybe Colin has been set up and executed.
John Stringer was a National candidate in Christchurch.
He has spoken very negatively about Colin who refutes the rumours. (This will come out true/false eventually.)
Stringer will earn brownie points with Key if he destroys the Conservative Party.
Watch Stringer when National start allocating candidate seats.
Just maybe?
@ianmac.
I believe there is much more to this than meets the eye.
the guy shooting off his mouth (Stringer?!?) has skin in this game. Even after being told not to speak out an that he wasn’t representative of the Board he’s kept on talking… leadership contender? Or are his Nat party roots kicking in and he is killing it off to move 4% back to National
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11466615
Quite interesting
Just some idiot trying to justify increased inequality in developed countries by saying that globally inequality is decreasing as the developing countries catch up. The latter may be happening but we’re seeing increased inequality in the developing nations as well.
Thus, what he seems to have done is taken the numbers and massaged them in a way to bring about his desired result. The way he seems to have done this is via over-generalisation.
http://www.cgdev.org/doc/commentary/birdsall/rising_inequality.pdf
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wess/wess_bg_papers/bp_wess2013_svieira1.pdf
http://www.oecd.org/els/soc/dividedwestandwhyinequalitykeepsrising.htm
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc123k.pdf
Yep; just another PR scheme by the 0.1% getting richer off making western workers poorer, and giving workers in developing countries shitty low wages.
But inequality in NZ is falling as well:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1506/S00282/inequality-falling-despite-rising-headlines.htm
Only if you summarise a decline from 2000-2008 followed by an upswing starting in 2008 or 2010 (depending on the graph) as being “While inequality across a range of measures rose from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, it has levelled off or declined since the mid-1990s, albeit with some variability.”
Look at the GINI time-series figures in the report: Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15. In other words, whether the summary matches the data is highly debatable. In more accurate words, the rest of the report and the media release are all trying very hard to convince people that what they’d see, should they choose to look at GINI levels over the years, is not actually what they should believe.
But then if Labour hadn’t addressed inequality, the kids in NZ would be even worse off and the nats would be saying “labour did it too”.
Some very interesting reading also in the Ministry of Social Development report referenced in the Scoop report.
http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/monitoring/household-incomes/index.html
The findings in those 2 reports make it very difficult to sustain the claim that Inequality is currently increasing in New Zealand.
Quite frankly, I do not believe anything published by the MSD since 2008.
“The findings”.
So, your response to McFlock explaining that the ‘findings’ don’t match the data is to believe the ‘findings’.
That centre-right kool-aid is powerful stuff, despite its stultifying effects.
Really?
Let’s look at the MSD report:
(my bold)
.
Well, yes, the trendline is almost flat. Because when GINI’s rising, the data points are every two years (1988-1998, 2007-2009) or every one year (2009-2013), and during Lab5 the data points are every three years, which lessens the impact of year-on-year decreases (table D10, figure D14).
I actually really like Perry’s work and it’s a massive effort and incredibly valuable, but you can’t roll a turd ball in glitter and call it a jewel. And talking about “there is no evidence of any sustained rising or falling trend since the mid-1990s” also misses the point of the massive fucking rise since the 80s and the fact that it’s a slight “trend” down in lab5 and a slight “trend” up in the nat governments.
BTW, it’s not a scoop report, it’s a tory press release.
+111
Well done.
It’s not Scoop McFlock, it’s the CREDIBLE reports they reference.
As usual, anyone who wants to make an informed comment should go and read THE WHOLE THINGS for themselves, and then exercise their own critical faculties.
rather than rely on a couple of very selective out of context sound bites from ideologically compromised bloggers.
Seems like you got shot out of the skies, mate
So no comment to the points I raised where the descriptions in the press release don’t match the data in the actual reports.
So now we know that your grip on reality is pretty tenuous, let me throw some more out of context quotes at you (my italics):
On euthanasia and assisted dying: brave woman and lawyer Lucretia Seales’ husband continues with her humanitarian campaign to help the dying take control and die in the way they want with dignity and love.
‘Lecretia Seales’ husband says end of life inquiry terms crucial’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201760018/lecretia-seales'-husband-says-end-of-life-inquiry-terms-crucial
“Matt Vickers, husband of Lecretia Seales, on the select committee inquiry into assisted dying – he says it’s crucial to get the terms of reference and shape of the inquiry right.”
Funny old racist USA.
Ah the tea party – just keeps on giving.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/06/23/17521/white-nationalist-group-influenced-alleged-charleston-shooter-subsidized-american
More to come on this racist scumbag and his connections.
Ummm. Is it just me or is the PM looking shaky and uncomfortable with his lines in this propaganda video.
I do wonder why, as it’s nothing more than a puff piece about cycling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBcStzVX4NA&feature=youtu.be
cycleways, that great recession busting, job creation scheme from early 2009…
That was what I was thinking.
You know one of my main concerns over this – It’s a very expensive exercise for just some lines on the road…
Yeah, this is just a relaunch of that famous and failed first policy of John Key’s. No one will remember though.
A hundred Million Dollars into Urban cycleways???? from the Govt, to be matched by Local govt Thats a shit load of cash now for the creative accounting to start.
Key always looks shaky and uncomfortable with his lines. He’s a disaster as an interviewee or public speaker, and nothing at all has changed there.
PFLP activist on the PLO top leadership
by Khaled Barakat
We all know that those who monopolize the Palestine Liberation Organization deal with this most important Palestinian institution, the PLO, as if it were a private farm of the “President,” Abu Mazen, and thus what is required is loyalty and obedience to him, the owner. This is a fact that cannot be denied. We do not say anything new when we note that the Palestinian arena is not an exception, nor is it far from the reality of the Arab regimes governed by the leader, the king or the prince, considering the king to embody the people and the nation, or from the logic of King Louis XIV, who declared in 1655, “L’etat, c’est moi!” [I am the state!]
Mimicking Louis XIV: the PLO leaders today
This is exactly the case of Mahmoud Abbas. . .
full at: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/06/25/palestinian-liberation-and-the-plo-a-critical-view-from-pflp-activist/
I’ve been thinking. Why did Key announce the bike track funding just now? Usually he does this sort of thing to distract from unpleasant stuff. Maybe it is the detail of Sheepgate or the detail of punishment for transgressions in the Digital Communications Bill. Cynic am I!
Re-announce the bike track funding do you mean? He announced it as his first item of business upon entering government.
Ianmac @ 14 – maybe to take attention away from the prospect of TPPA going thru / ? ?
During the last two Monday press conferences (as per the TV news channels) Key appeared jaded and even stressed. It made me wonder if something was going on behind the scenes which was causing him much angst – perhaps another major scandal or irrefutable evidence about an existing scandal is about to be revealed?
when you sell your soul, you pay in the end!
During the last two Monday press conferences (as per the TV news channels) Key appeared jaded and even stressed. It made me wonder if something was going on behind the scenes which was causing him much angst – perhaps another major scandal or irrefutable evidence about an existing scandal is about to be revealed?
interesting…your perceptions are usually pretty acute Anne
On a totally different subject – fascinating comment from Nicky Hager on why he is an investigative journalist and how he protects his sources :
https://overland.org.au/previous-issues/issue-219/feature-nicky-hager/
“” If you find things that offend you and that the public has a right to know, then – with suitable care and thought – you can maybe do some good by working with a trustworthy investigative journalist to get that story told. “”
Jenny. I am fairly sure that Nicky Hager has his day in Court re the police seizing his belongings starting this week, or is it next week?
I guess the problem is that the “good” is in the eye of the beholder. Would Key see some good and support the public right to know re the Dirty Tricks? Or would he use his clout to block or deny its publication in some way.
“public interest” has some parameters through legislation and interpretation/application of case law over the years…
But I agree that “good” can be in the eye of the beholder but even ethics have theoretical frameworks… hence we can develop codes of conduct and code so ethics. That’s a way to measure “good” on one level.
That is why the “reasonable man” was invented, to make it more objective than subjective.
maybe Nicky Hager is the reason for jonkey’s stress?
It seems Lecturing folks on Abstinence pays very well. Sadly abstinence doesn’t always prevent pregnancy, apparently
http://www.inquisitr.com/2203203/bristol-palin-made-close-to-1-million-pushing-abstinence-only-policies-now-is-pregnant-with-child-no-2/
““There may be multiple forms of contraception, but I’m here to say that one fact remains. Those that practice abstinence have no chance of becoming pregnant,” Palin said at an appearance in 2010. “Abstinence is not about morality, it is about reality. It is the only thing that works every time. My message is a simple one: Don’t make the same decision I made, just wait. Young ladies, please hear me.”
Her work generated a bit of controversy in 2009 when her take-home pay for Candie’s was seven times what the charity actually brought in donations.
Forbes reported, “Apparently, the organization was only able to find $35,000 to grant to charities from the $1,242,476 donated from the public. Meanwhile, the young Ms. Palin managed to pull in a $262,500 paycheck for her role as an ambassador for their teen pregnancy prevention campaign in 2009.”
Bristol Palin continued to rack in the earnings from her appearances, making between $15,000 and $30,000 for every speech she made advocating abstinence-only policies, which the Daily Beast estimated to total about $100,000 per year.”
The unwed Palin is pregnant with her second child. She is not married.
Nice work if you can get it.
There are some people who seem to know the right people to pay them even if they don’t do a damn thing or even do the exact opposite of what they preach. They are the quintessential example of corruption.
They tend to be rich and vote right-wing.
The spirit of Sir Paul lives on;
This time it’s alighted in Melbourne
An Indigenous girl who was racially abused as she lined up for a Frozen movie event in Melbourne has received a special message from her idol, Queen Elsa.
Samara Muir, 3, of Ballarat was waiting with her mother Rachel at a Melbourne shopping centre when she was brought to tears by a series of racist comments. Ms Muir said a woman in the line remarked; “I don’t know what that girl’s getting excited about because Elsa isn’t black”. The woman’s child also said to Samara that “black is ugly”.
Ms Muir shared her experience on social media, sparking both outrage and a massive wave of support for Samara.
But now the three-year-old Frozen fan may just have received her most exciting message yet — a video from Queen Elsa herself. …..
Read more….
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-26/frozen-queen-elsa-sends-support-3yo-racially-abused-melbourne/6575858
http://thestandard.org.nz/holmes-and-other-toxic-commentators/
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17072013/#comment-664190
That is uplifting.
And so is the fact Sir Paul will not be writing any more columns. Yay!
Although, it is a shame Hosking, Henry, and Laws are still able to.
This is an amazing documentary!…almost Shakespearean…and it has lessons for the NZLP (maybe we need a similar doco on the axing of Cunliffe?)
…also Kevin Rudd was a great Greenie on Climate Change…a world leader ( except in the wrong Party)…why didn’t the OZ Greens support him more?
….If only he had had the loyalty of Gillard , he could have been one of Australia’s greatest political leaders in so many ways…he was brilliant !
‘The Killing Season review: Ferguson’s Rudd-Gillard drama one of our great documentaries’.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-killing-season-review-fergusons-ruddgillard-drama-one-of-our-great-documentaries-20150623-ghutkm.html#ixzz3e9mUmyZ2
‘The Killing Season’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/killing-season/
THE KILLING SEASON is Sarah Ferguson’s gripping three-part examination of the forces that shaped Labor during the Kevin Rudd / Julia Gillard leadership years. It is a documentary series like no other. Visually striking, scripted like the best political dramas, The Killing Season is an enthralling account of one of the most turbulent periods of Australian political history.
A comprehensive cast of the main players – including many of those still in parliament – speak frankly, providing a dramatic portrait of a party at war with itself.
You can watch all three episodes of The Killing Season on ABC iview and for international viewers abc.net.au/killingseason. Available for a limited period only.
Episode 1 – The Prime Minister and his Loyal Deputy (2006-2009)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/killing-season/episode-1/
Episode 2 – Great Moral Challenge (2009 – 2010)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/killing-season/episode-2/
Episode 3 – The Long Shadow (2010-2013)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/killing-season/episode-3/
The shocking lies of the mayor and councillors concerning rate rises and the misuse of rate payers money.
Rate rises up to 10% are not what was promised by the councillors when they were elected. It is unreasonable that an organisation that has a monopoly can put up rates at will to whatever level they want with no accountability for the misuse of the money they have already been paid.
The pressure on households to pay these unreasonable amounts is enormous. How are people on fixed incomes expected to pay that. People will be forced from their homes, away from friends and families and the support systems they need. Away for hospital facilities. THAT IS NOT FAIR. Many people protested about the valuations of their homes because those values are being used to justify unreasonable rate increases. The transport levy and the other increases have only been voted in by 1 vote.
WHAT REDRESS DO PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNING THIS BULLYING OF THE COUNCIL. They don’t even have a legal obligation to use the transport levy on public transport. It can be used for more secret rooms in Len Browns office or any other of the stupid wastefulness that this council has been known for.
THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR ARE MORALLY BANKRUPT. He is so obsessed with ensuring the rail loop will be attributed to him that he is putting the wellbeing of a huge amount of Aucklanders at risk.