Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Selfish, greedy.
Max Key.
David Slack: ‘Greed, and hair gel, is good’
New Zealand. It might not be a great place to bring up children any more but it’s still a really good one to bring up Max. If he and his friends like the idea of a Wall Street career and aren’t too troubled by the deepening gulf between the vastly wealthy and the poor, we could hardly be shocked and ask: “where did that come from?”
He might say I’m judging him without really knowing him. Perhaps the next video will make things more clear. But there does seem to be a pattern and I’m not picking up much of a Buddhist monk vibe.
What the Max character seems to be saying is: “Greed, and hair gel, is good.” There’s no overt political statement in that, but in a funny kind of way, as his Dad likes to say, it’s political all the way through.’
Though Max does push himself into the front line with his father’s pride and his blessing. Otherwise who would mind what he did. Didn’t Thatcher have an errant son?
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
New Zealand property investors.
‘Housing ‘mess’ has spread from Auckland to Tauranga
New Zealand First leader and MP Winston Peters last night told a crowd of 150 people that Auckland’s “housing mess” had spread to Tauranga.
Speaking at Matua Hall, Mr Peters said Auckland’s problems had become Tauranga’s, with the influx of Aucklanders fleeing the housing shortage and creating one in Tauranga.
Property prices and rent prices were going through the roof and he acknowledged those in desperate situations, living in cars, tents and caravans.
Mr Peters said in the last quarter of 2015 figures showed 29 per cent of houses sold in Tauranga were to Aucklanders.’
The Reserve Bank have been tracking the same risks.
And yet, all the factors that are holding up Auckland’s real estate are still tracking there for quite a while.
1. Net immigration has tracked up, is still tracking up, and looks like it will continue for at least a couple more years.
2. There are not enough houses, either to rent or to buy. This has been building for years, and will take years of building to even out, just a little.
3. Inflation rates are at rock bottom, and tracking to stay this way for several more years.
4. Our tax regime is still highly favorable to real estate. This appears to be the case whoever is in power in 2017, so it’s stable for at least 4 years.
You all know these factors, they are not going away.
There’s a risk of an Auckland real estate crisis. Of course. But let’s not overplay it.
If Winston Peters has his way he’d drastically reduce the number of ‘immigrants’ coming from Auckland to the Hinterland and ‘interview’ every new-comer at the ‘borders’.
New Zealand is for all New Zealanders and Peters is preying on people’s fears again; same tune, same hymn sheet, same old same old.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
New Zealand property investors.
‘Market tough for renters
A Whangarei mother has “given up hope” searching for a rental because of high demand and a spike which has seen the average rent increase by about $30 per week over the past six months.
Kristie Lowe has been trying to find a rental closer to her family in Ruakaka so she is able to work full time. But an increase in rent prices has made the hunt difficult.
“It’s a pretty crap situation. If you apply for a house you can’t get one simply because you’re like me and have a bad credit rating, or you’re a single mum on the benefit,” she said.
“I’ve given up hope.”
Renee Wilkinson, new business consultant at Harcourts Just Rentals Whangarei, has been tracking the rent increase since January this year by going on Trade Me, adding rental prices of properties listed in Whangarei together and dividing that number by the number of houses listed. In January the average rent was $338.33 and up to the end of this week it was $368.20.
“In six months, that’s quite a large increase,” she said.
Ms Wilkinson said there were a number of things contributing to the price increase – including homeowners who had become “accidental” landlords after the market crashed in 2007 and have decided to sell and take advantage of the today’s housing market.
“Basically houses are being sold but there aren’t enough to go around. Based on what I’ve noticed, I can’t see it [the rent increase] is going to stop any time soon.”
……………
Ms Lowe said she had been to Housing New Zealand and was currently on a waiting list.’
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy, selfish, uncaring.
New Zealand’s private landlords
One of the worst years for housing problems, says union.
More people require emergency accommodation in Palmerston North but community members say housing options are too sparse.
About 20 people attended the Manawatu Tenants Union AGM on Friday, where various community members spoke of growing concerns about the city’s housing.
Social worker Debs Radley told Stuff she had seen an increase in people needing emergency accommodation in the city.
She was currently working with four families living in motels because of the city’s shortage of housing and emergency accommodation.
But big weekend events for the city, which increased tourism numbers, also booked out motel rooms that could be needed to accommodate homeless people.
These were people on the brink of homelessness with nowhere to go, she said.
In the meeting Massey University advocacy co-ordinator Kerry Howe said the price of increasing rent was still a growing concern for many students.
She said despite the increasing prices in rent there was little, if any, change to accommodation supplements for students and community members.
TradeMe property statistics show nationally, the median weekly rent has increased by 4.8 per cent over the year.
While rental prices in the Manawatu and Whanganui areas have increased by 8 per cent over the year.
In the meeting Manawatu Tenants Union co-ordinator Kevin Reilly said this year had been one of the worst years he had seen in terms of housing problems in the city.
He said issues ranged from people having problems with landlords and high rents to others in desperate need of social or emergency housing.’
Firstly: I do not condone child abuse (to preempt any facile splutterings), & trigger warnings aplenty for those who chose to follow the links (the quotes should be low impact).
Is anyone else uncomfortable by the way the Moko Rangitoheriri killing is being exploted? This was in this morning’s ODT:
Dunedin members of the Sensible Sentencing Trust will lead a peaceful march to the Dunedin courthouse on Monday… Co-ordinators of the Dunedin SST march, Amy Telfer Chiles and Robert Washick… A recent arrival from the United States, Mr Washick said New Zealand was “a paradise” and he wanted to ensure the country avoided going down a “bad road”.
Googling Washick shows that he is involved in Rotary, and works; “Yacht Buying, Selling and Chartering”. I wish I could be more certain that he had no involvement with Cerco &/or isn’t riding a cause for publicity. Monday the 27th of June is the day set for sentencing:
The man and woman accused of killing a Taupo 3-year-old have pleaded guilty to manslaughter and ill-treating a child.
The main contention of the SST seems to be that they should have been sentenced for murder. The problem is that murder implies intention and that doesn’t seem to have been provable in this case. This is supported by the police adding the lesser charges in February of this year, after the killers had plead not guilty to murder in September 2015. It reads more like a desperate covering up of abuse leading to death.
All kinds of trigger warnings if you follow this link:
Moko and his sister were left in the care of the couple on June 12 for what was expected to be a short period of time.
During the two months Moko was living with Haerewa and Shailer, their animosity towards the toddler grew.
Haerewa told police he “didn’t like [Moko’s] ways” and that he was “angry at him for taking us for granted”.
The couple began assaulting the toddler, with the severity of the assaults escalating…
On August 10 Shailer phoned 111 saying Moko had fallen from a wood pile the day before, sustaining severe bruising. She told the operator that he had been fine earlier in the day but was now “really cold, unconscious, not breathing properly and that his stomach was really hard”…
[The Mother] said Shailer was in regular contact until two weeks before Moko’s death.
“Her phone was off and I couldn’t call to talk to him. Those are signs that I should’ve picked up on.”
What makes me uncomfortable is that the Sensible Sentencing Trust were adamently opposed to the amendment of section 59. Their solution never seems to be prevention, only ever longer incarceration – I generally refer to them as “Predatory Prisoning”. Read this McVicar editorial from 2009 if you need confirmation:
This Unicef piece from 2014 seems to coincide with my understanding:
Along with the Section 59 law came increased public
awareness that violence against children shouldn’t
be tolerated. Increased awareness and reporting are
important for ensuring action is taken on behalf of children
living with violence. The law is part of creating social
norms that don’t tolerate physical punishment.
In the period 2008-2013 there was a dramatic increase
in notifications to Child, Youth and Family. There was a
60 percent increase in notifications (representing 60,000
additional notifications) and a 40 percent increase in
substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect…
However, child abuse is a complex problem requiring
complex solutions. Anyone interested in reducing child
abuse must focus on ensuring that the appropriate legal
protections are in place and we have a culture of respect
and care for children, that parents are equipped with child
management skills, that parents are well supported and
have good mental health, that alcohol and drug abuse are
reduced, and that families are not living with the constant
stress caused by poverty.
[Hmm, this is very long for OM – perhaps better suited as a post? The problem is that I’m only going to sporadically near a keyboard today to repond to comments. If someone else wants to take it up and put there own spin on it that’d be fine by me.]
Anyway, my suggestion is that anyone who agrees with me should go along to the marches with; “yay for Bradford!”, “Better funding for CYFs”, “Enforce s59” banners.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Yet there are people who still care and who are unselfish.
Marie Retimana represents the best of New Zealand.
A government that does not ensure its citizens are not paid enough to feed themselves represents the worst of New Zealand.
Helping the needy through social media
Tokoroa’s Kelly Marie Retimana and her family of six decided to gather extra food while doing their shopping last week to help out a family in need that they came across on Facebook.
Retimana said she made the “on the spot decision” while out doing her weekly shop.
She saw the specials and just bought extra for a food parcel.
Having felt the struggle themselves in the past, Retimana and her family were often giving to people in need.
“It feels good”, Retimana said.
“We (my family) have felt the struggle and it doesn’t feel nice, so when we do have enough to share we do so happily, every time.”
The number of people each week who struggle with buying food is high, Food Bank volunteer Ruth Ramea said.
Basic supplies are given in food parcels such non-perishable foods, flour rice and
recently milk powder, which is all funded through donations and trustees.
The situation is made worse because there are a lot of people moving from out of town, she said.
The Tokoroa Food Bank helps families from areas as far apart as Lichfield, Tokoroa and Atiamuri.
Ramea said the year is constant, but Christmas and school holidays are the busiest times.
The team of about 30 staff involving volunteers, trustees and helpers, buy and collect the food to put into parcels, but Ramea said more was always needed.
“We are always looking for donations.”
If you’re going to spam OM everyday by cut&pasting entire articles, could you at least learn how to use blockquotes (or even simple quotation marks). You surely don’t want to be a plagiarist – support journalism by leaving people a reason to click on the link to the original article.
I try and use quote marks.
I try and edit reports so only excerpts are used.
If you look at some of the stories I have referenced, they are in provincial papers, so hopefully, I am increasing the readership of these articles and creating greater awareness of these journalists’ work.
Have you a problem with my highlighting the housing crisis in New Zealand?
If that was your attempt at using quote marks, then it was an abject failure. Everything from; “Helping the needy…” in the third paragraph, through to; “…looking for donations” just before the link was a direct quote. The only quote marks are those in the original article which you then cut&pasted in total (the only change I could see is that you deleted the many spaces between paragraphs, which admittedly is an improvement).
What I have a problem with, is the way you mass dump your spam onto OM every single fucking day. Today you posted at; 6:55, 7:03, 7:09, 7:21, & 7:37 am, with barely enough original material between these five to fill one post. Your slogan does at least seem original (though just as cut&pasted), and is catchy enough:
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
See how easy that was; the FAQ in the header bar will tell you how. [Edit – here I’ve even found it for you:]
The problem with your spamming OM is that it makes everyone else’s comments less salient. Say there are 15 posts in OM in a day (probably more like 10 since you’ve been doing your little routine), that means a third (if not half) of today’s posts are yours. However, despite your obsessive firsting of this forum, you will see that your posts now generally have short discussion threads (especially by the last of them). Why? Because you are not saying anything new, or adding anything much beyond unattributed quotes.
If you think that you are highlighting anything for me anymore except the imminent RSI in my scrolling finger you are sadly mistaken.
I think Paul highlights the relentless failings of a uncaring incompetent government ………… they are a disgrace from which there is no hiding.
Once people read Dirty Politics they can understand why John Keys Government supports things like tax havens while hurting poor children and vulnrable families.
Freeze them in cars over winter ……………. poison them with fecal soup river water in summer.
Check out their values and jokes in parliament …..
“David Seymour: In what century did the wine-box inquiry take place?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: One so far back I can hardly remember it.”
Also note JKs admiration for a guy who attempted to steal $2.2 billion of revenue………………. That would have been a HUGE handout to the aussie banks.
– Be succinct
– You better have a clear and original twist if you’re using someone else’s material
– Be a punchy, not preachy, author
– Have a sense of humor (at least about yourself)
– Don’t take attacks personally, you might learn something
– Try and imagine being as good a writer as your favorite columnist. Bin the drafts that aren’t as good for a while.
I betcha if you can be a better author than the current authors, the quality of your writing will get more hits and hence be rewarded with better placement.
And if you can’t be as good as a current author, just admit it, and practise until you can be.
Paul I appreciate the watch you keep on some of the deteriorating social conditions in NZ. Your scanning and synopsis is very important. However I also agree with Ad, that it could be condensed into one post.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Yet there are people who still care and who are unselfish.
Park Up represents the best of New Zealand.
A government that does not house its citizens adequately represents the worst of New Zealand.
‘Park Up For Homes camp out on Beehive backdoor.
Around 150 people have gathered in Wellington, to sleep in their cars in a show of solidarity with those who have to.
The group Park Up For Homes has been joined by politicians, city councillors, the Child Poverty Action Group and everyday families, young and old for “Park Up Parliament.”
Spokeswoman Bex Rillstone said it’s just one part of a nation-wide campaign for better homes.
“We’re outside the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, which is just on the doorstep of the Beehive, and we are here to say to the Government that we need better housing policies.”‘
More expected at Park Up For Homes events
200 people are expected to attend each of the two Park Up For Homes events tonight.
One is being held at Wellington Cathedral, opposite The Beehive, and the other is taking place at the Otara Town Centre carpark in Auckland.
They follow one in Mangere last week that attracted around 1000 people.
Child Poverty Action Group housing spokesman Alan Johnson said it’s a chance for people to make their voices heard.
“If you’re not happy with the way in which we’re failing many tens of thousands of children with their housing, then just come up and participate in a quiet, peaceful protest.”
Mr Johnson said it’s also a chance to show support and acknowledge those who are doing it tough, living on the streets and in carparks.
He said ordinary New Zealanders are now starting to understand the problems poorer people are facing.
“And I think they’re becoming more concerned about that, and I think that’s starting to change the political response to this.”
Another Park Up For Homes event, organised by boxer David Tua, is scheduled for Onehunga on the 2nd of July.
Others are in the pipeline for Napier and Papakura.
“By comparison, the top 3 per cent of individual income earners, earning more than $150,000 a year, pay 24 per cent of all tax received.
Mark Keating, a senior lecturer in tax at the University of Auckland Business School, said the idea of “net tax” – the amount paid after credits and benefits were deducted – was hard for some people to get their heads around.
But he said people who received any benefit, or superannuation, as well as people who worked and met the criteria for Working for Families tax credits could end up with a net result that was negative or neutral.”
A tax lecturer and an accountant making misleading statements on net tax positions and conveniently ignoring half the forms of taxation and the impact of time……even the “balancing ” view fails to note this.
Slanted reporting, advertorial or sponsored piece.
“Gareth Kiernan, an economist at Infometrics, said the data showed that New Zealand did not have the same issues that had driven protests such as the Occupy Wall Street movement, which rallied against a rich “top 1 per cent”. ”
Should we dumb it down just a bit, for the reason any prospective people who visit the site, I would hope we all have a gut wish to show them National and capitalism, John Keys policies are failing and there are better options,
I wonder how many of the people who come here straight off understand the meaning of the intellectual conversations here? Antipathy?
It’s all great using big words and making out we are not stupid and know what the word economy is, but we should not lose our ability to make our points using language we commonly employ day to day
I don’t know what others think about what I said, it’s just a thought that’s been bothering me for some reason and keeps nagging at me to blurt out.
This is not a go at you either Pat , I have no issues with you at all mate, it just came out at this point of reading and seeing the word antipathy.
If antipathy is to be binned, then can we still use sympathy? Animosity is a bigger word, though roughly similar and widely understood. Not everyone uses language the same. Should we not use Māori terms because we want to; “dumb it down”? And our conflicting opinions and discussions might put “prospective people” off the site too – why don’t we all just endlessly type: “rugby is great, mate!”, at one another.
In response to your earlier comment Pat – evidently; “a sarc tab [was] necessary”. I should probably use one myself at that.
Marty means that I was spelling; “Pasupial”, as “Paupial”. Something I evidently do so often that the logo image doesn’t even change (which is a bit embarrassing).
Perhaps the fact I had not seen the word antipathy often, in my circle and had to check I knew the correct meaning was the reason I actually wrote that.
Bloody googling wastes to much time when your a commoner like me.
And some bloody spell checker here auto changes my typing. Sometimes when I re read I wonder how a certain word got there I never typed?
With wage growth being barely near inflation, if not on the lower side,
few workers will be affected by bracket creep. However, the fiction creation of the average wage in total statistics figures paints another picture.
In December 2014 John Key made a prediction that wages would rise in 2015 by 3.6%
I believe this was on the back of receiving reports about power company share sell of, and CEO’s pay rises, National have used this wonderful fictional creation statistic to crow about economic performance and workers income is wonderfully improving.
This also gives opportunity for overseas landlords to raise rents, .
Seems false equivalence to state the top 3% pay 24% of all tax as if the $$$ were what counted. Those that can, should.
As CV said, the problem lies not in the rebates paid to those who don’t earn enough to exist in our society, but that we have a society that is unable to remunerate a significant percentage of the population enough for them to exist in it without additional state benefits.
After nearly a decade of working for families rebates for the breeders, and Kiwisaver being used to offset wage increases, workers are now going backward without the compounding wage increases to counter rising living costs.
What more evidence is there that is needed why NZs productivity is low.
National are also relying on fictional economic prosperity in trade deals.
There is simply no evidence primary producers increase their employment costs on the back of higher export volumes, in fact the opposite happens.
Hence why there has been no media reports on the Dairy economy over the last decade, it will show employment costs reducing. Despite the Rock Star Economy preceding 2008, Did farmers employ more kiwi workers or immigrants.
Or do a report on apples, any increase in employment costs since the Aussie market opened up, meanwhile apples have tripled in price in the supermarket, for export rejected cases.
Meat works will all be automated with a decade, especially when the Chinese own all of them,
If non living entity corporations can be given legal status as a person, Reagan did this,
=then robots should be taxed,
overseas owned businesses are welfared off tax …
making corporations pay tax on their real profit will come to nothing.
I despair whenever I see this bullshit promulgated. It makes a mockery of our education system that so few people can immediately see through it. We all did percentages and averages at school, I expected it would be second nature for most of us.
The actual claims are false or misleading and the net tax concept they portray is worthless.
It’s patently absurd and dishonest. The overwhelming majority of beneficiaries are on low incomes so of course the low income households will show more Govt transfers than the high income households (yes their numbers include welfare beneficiaries)
@ Pat Quite frankly would not surprise me at all. The reality is that PAYE workers are one of the few groups paying tax. Those who are self employed, through trusts and businesses etc can manipulate their income legally and use copious legal loop holes to pay less tax. Obviously we seem to want to attract offshore investors who don’t pay GST… corporations that can manipulate their income so they make losses on millions in income…etc etc (sarc). Those on lower incomes are now propped up by the state for their employees with working for families, accommodation benefit etc
The problem is that the government are just not interested in looking at the 21st century globalism, and how to make tax fair again. They are certainly not interested in looking at why transnational profits are now one of our biggest exports. in front of milk powder and fishing.
one of the aspects of WFF that appears ignored is it is a temporary position….those receiving the benefit of it only receive it for a limited period and then return to a net positive tax position, often a very short period….this sort of framing (demonstrated in the linked article) pisses me off no end especially when so called experts are quoted and such outrageous bullshit is unchallenged by the journalist.
Ok I made a statement Corbyn was in the leave camp yesterday and this comes out.
I repeated this fact too mum, who explained in detail to me, Corbyn was definitely in the LEAVE camp personally, he was Pusauded by party members to vote remain, or back the remain camp.
She has just returned from ten years there and is also a UK citizen born there and lived there about half her life, she’s now 72. Basing m,y facts on mummy, but I have to go with her inside knowledge.
HE was always Pro Leave, on a personal basis, but party politics have meddled again.
Corbyn is closer to ordinary working people than most of his MPs. He should be forcing them to his beliefs not the other way around. He’ll be gone if he keeps this up.
Mum doesn’t like him, she’s saying he’s more a green than a Labour. She uses a lot of nasty words about him when I ask. throw back, cardy wearing lib, err. not nice stuff.
Unfortunately my mums a love Thatcher woman, something excited a lot of women about a woman rising to British PM. She’s from that era.
We have fun convo’s here, I have pretty much won the war with intellect and a better argument showing her outcomes of policies, she hates key now, can’t understand the policies and thinks he’s batshit crazy along with all the other National MP’s, she also uses the word arrogant a lot.
Not bad for a Tory to come here and in(3 weeks ish) hate national!!!!
The people of Britain just slapped that non elected body in Brussels a right slap in the face, and a great, grading on their performance. If Brussels was doing such a great job of running the EU perhaps the British may not have quit.
It’s also a giant slap in the face to Germany and Frau Merkel no one likes(gen) and especially how She seems to be running the purse strings. Politically correct or not, most grass roots Britain’s despise Germany having ANY power.
A giant slap over Brussels and immigration. The thing they feared came true as soon as it happened mass immigration and people coming to claim instant benefits.
Immigration policies that Key thinks are different but the grass roots feelings are the same here.
To many immigrants changes from interest in their culture, to crikey they are everywhere.
“Now they have won and what Kipling said of the demagogues of his age applies to Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage.
I could not dig; I dared not rob:
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young?
Sign up to our EU referendum morning briefing
Read more
The real division in Britain is not between London and the north, Scotland and Wales or the old and young, but between Johnson, Gove and Farage and the voters they defrauded. What tale will serve them now? On Thursday, they won by promising cuts in immigration. On Friday, Johnson and the Eurosceptic ideologue Dan Hannan said that in all probability the number of foreigners coming here won’t fall. On Thursday, they promised the economy would boom. By Friday, the pound was at a 30-year low and Daily Mail readers holidaying abroad were learning not to believe what they read in the papers. On Thursday, they promised £350m extra a week for the NHS. On Friday, it turns out there are “no guarantees”.
If we could only find a halfway competent opposition, the very populist forces they have exploited and misled so grievously would turn on them. The fear in their eyes shows that they know it.”
Poor England. So scared of the rest of the world, and still not being able to escape it.
I am assuming, your assuming the people actually heard these broadcasts, promises, and that the people who did, believed every word of it.
People are way past the point we trust a word spoken from Media and Politicians, the planet is full of sceptics right now. IMHO
Truth being people voted more on the right to self direction and control, and immigration. These two issues were totally a failure of Brussels and that’s where any blame lies.
Let’s not forget the body that controlled the EU. They don’t get to sit there holier than thou.
actually yes, i would assume that many did listen to Farrage and the likes. Just like in NZ they listen to Hoskins, the other jerk and Key and his mates.
and yes, fear is the biggest killer of them all.
lower, middle class England saw their benefits eroded, bedroom tax installed, draconic sanctions handed out to everyone who ever dared to be unemployed, being declared fit for work while dying of cancer two weeks later, schools being turned into academies, NHS being prepped to be offered for a coin to the next crony or bestie of Cameron, Ian Duncan Smith – aint he a lovely fellow, and so on and so on and so on.
So yes, i would assume that the English would have listend to the ones that offered easy ways out, Namely Make Britain Great Again….tell me when was it ever great? Under Queen Elisabeth 1? Under Queen Victoria? Under Thatcher?
Blame the Polish builder? The Hungarian fruit pickers? Or rather blame their own elected officials, which btw. like in NZ the wast majority of people elected several times in a row? No, that would not happen, that would mean the voters actually have to take responsibility for their votes and the consequences. A bit like the tory voter who realised that after the unemployed, the handicapped, the sick and unable to work, they are now coming for their tax credits and benefits….(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11935413/Ex-Tory-voter-breaks-down-on-Question-Time-over-tax-credit-cuts.html) . Pretty much what now is happening in NZ…..oh noes i did vote to have the benefits cut of the lazy bludger, of the slutty mother of many who is not married, of the pretend sick who should go work, and so on and so on, but i did not vote for my children to not find an affordable house or a decent paying job.
You know what, they listended and they voted. And with it they removed a lot of options from their young one (just like they did in NZ), namely to work in 27 countries without needing a visa, being able to start a business anywhere within the EU, being able to access health care and the likes anywhere in the EU, and so on and so on.
but yeah, lets be scared of Germany being made Great again. And worry about the Polish geezer coming to seek work in England, cause no English Fellow did the same.
they fucked over their young ones. Just like they did in NZ…..and they voted for it. Several times in a row did they vote for the fine English Man and Women that fucked them over every day of the year, just like they did in NZ.
You are still ignoring the main point about all this raging against polititians and the likes, namely that people vote for them, and that voting has consequences.
I was very young when the EEC, EU started , I cannot comment on how it started, mums saying the Brits refused to join for ages, but the French kept pressuring and finally Tory Ted Heath signed up.
What was said to promote it by Heath I have no idea, I certainly see the outcomes of the choices those voters made, and should it not now be the right for the generations who have lived this choice and seen it’s effects to now evaluate and have a choice in their future? Who says anything is binding on future generations?
They made their choice it’s done now, we can sit back and criticize in the negative or we can positively support them, using positivity and look at the good not just the bad.
1963 Britain’s first attempt to join the Common Market was vetoed by Charles de Gaulle, who was said to be worried about English taking over as Europe’s main language.
1967: A second UK attempt to join was blocked by President de Gaulle.
So what was the real story about GB joining the EU Pete, I need a wider circles perspective then, obviously mums at that age then when she’s getting a tad mixed up… walks off to label the salt and sugar jars., and the one I keep the Ajax in.
.
Thanks pete, bloody De Gaulle eh, wise man or fool?
then Heath became Prime Minister after winning the 1970 election. In 1971 he oversaw the decimalisation of British coinage and in 1972, he reformed Britain’s system of local government, reducing the number of local authorities and creating a number of new metropolitan counties. Possibly most significantly, he took Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973. Heath’s Premiership also oversaw the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with the suspension of the Stormont Parliament and the imposition of direct British rule. Unofficial talks with Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) delegates were unsuccessful, as was the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973, which caused the Ulster Unionist Party to withdraw from the Conservative whip.
Heath also tried to curb the trade unions with the Industrial Relations Act 1971, and had hoped to deregulate the economy and make a transfer from direct to indirect taxation. However, rising unemployment in 1972 caused Heath to reflate the economy, attempting to control the resulting high inflation by a prices and incomes policy. Two miners’ strikes, in 1972 and at the start of 1974, damaged the government, the latter causing the implementation of the Three-Day Week to conserve energy. Heath eventually called an election for February 1974 to obtain a mandate to face down the miners’ wage demands, but this instead resulted in a hung parliament in which Labour, despite winning fewer votes, had four more seats than the Tories. Heath resigned as Prime Minister after trying in vain to form a coalition with the Liberal Party.
immigrants work cheaper and harder because the locals cant live on the wages.
Bill English admitted this when he said we are lazy or unable to work because of a certain lifestyle, how many unemployed have they tested and kicked of the benefit, they cant call the policy a success because the numbers are so low,
And then Max Key does a music video, saying how wonderful it is in Paradise,
only for the rich, or subliminally, i have another girlfriend,
I am just about Brexited out having read just about every tortured piece of analysis on the Guardian . . . but Nick Cohen’s j’accuse to Gove and Johnson is a must:
”The media do not damn themselves, so I am speaking out of turn when I say that if you think rule by professional politicians is bad wait until journalist politicians take over. Johnson and Gove are the worst journalist politicians you can imagine: pundits who have prospered by treating public life as a game. Here is how they play it. They grab media attention by blaring out a big, dramatic thought. An institution is failing? Close it. A public figure blunders? Sack him. They move from journalism to politics, but carry on as before. When presented with a bureaucratic EU that sends us too many immigrants, they say the answer is simple, as media answers must be. Leave. Now. Then all will be well.”
There is a petition being mounted in Britain to limit the final result of Brexit. And call for another Referendum whereby the winning numbers would have to be 60%+
2 million have signed the petition already!
(Some voted for Brexit not expecting it the exit to happen???)
PS “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-petition-latest-eu-referendum-rules-change-force-second-vote-poll-government-a7102486.html
I think you should read the individual results, In Brittain apart from London the leave poll was so much higher the two people who wasted there vote won’t matter, nor do I think the poll will.
The percentage of Britons is far higher to leave than the overall voting including scotland.
Got a feeling Scotland will soon be independent Nation under the Eu, the split has been now forced upon them. Good luck Scotland I mean that Sincerely.
As the Chinese say, “it is fortunate to live in interesting times”
More likely this is a deeply thought out response more about stability and not about personal preference, as PM in waiting his answer would be of a governmental position. No Government I think would want an unstable Europe where we have had the conflicts of the past IE 2 world wars.
Globalization is the only way, that doesn’t mean that people should quietly accept unelected rulers like the eu and or being run by corperates and their rent boys like key , but once you sulk off the field your out of the game.
Look at the austerity and poverty that has been forced on to the people of Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal from Brussels right over the tops of their sovereign parliaments. So the answer is yes, definitely.
Yes I agree that the final effect in terms of austerity and human suffering may be the same, but the democratic aspect of it, i.e. whether the harmful decisions come from fellow citizen politicians you elected or from foreign bureaucrats whose names you don’t even know, who have never even been to your home town, its quite different.
But communities/nations did elect their representatives in the EU. That’s the democratic bit. Nor are the bureaucrats citizens of some foreign place called EU, they’re from the nations that make up the EU.
Your point that people may prefer elected neo-lib representatives and anonymous bureaucrats closer to home to destroy their lives is valid. But if they were these closer to home representatives that’s not more democratic. If the point is about geography, local issues and visibility the argue that point. I guess I just get tired of seeing framing through shorthand phrases that sound like they mean something, but don’t and are often fudging the truth. The EU is democratically elected and executive has no more power, some times less, than the national governments of the EU countries.
The left and other supporters of the people who are suffering under austerity should be up in arms about what is being done to the less well-off people and their communities. I wish they would think about what’s behind these right wing phrases instead of parroting them.
Question – what if Yanis Varoufakis put himself up for election to the EU parliament and won, and then got his parliamentary group to reject the executive who are the purveyors of austerity measures. Meanwhile George Osborne became PM in the UK and continued with his destruction of social support and the NHS. Would you still be complaining about the anti-democratic, unelected and faceless bureaucrats in the EU, or start talking about the validity of policies and which should be implemented?
You do understand that elected MEPs have zero power over the ECB, IMF and Euro Group don’t you?
That’s why it is utterly undemocratic. Schaubles attitude has always been: Greek voters and the Greek Parliament have zero say over what economic and monetary policies are to be implemented in Greece. The rights of the creditors is ultimate.
Clearly the EU structure has defects when assessed by the normal standards of Western democracy – but I would argue that the British parliament, with its unelected House of Lords and an unrepresentative House of Commons (in terms of the balance of political parties to votes cast), is even less democratic.
Eurosceptics have for a long time questioned the legitimacy of the EU – but that charge is difficult to sustain. Of course national parliaments have all agreed to pool sovereignty in the EU institutions, but they are entitled to do that and have done so with their eyes wide open. Many even asked their citizens to vote on the decision in a referendum.
What’s more, national governments, through the Council of Ministers, are still the most powerful collective influence in shaping EU decisions – not the European Parliament. They have the right to raise a yellow card about EU legislation, which can cause the Commission to change it.
And the EU is in the process of strengthening the ability of national parliaments to call a halt to EU legislation if they object to it.
So all in all, the EU is, or is at least working to be, a democratic organisation. It has its failings but national governments have just as many – if not more.
I understand the point you are making but do not believe that that is the end of it.
Tell me, did the EU intercede on behalf of one of its member states, Greece, to protect it from the undemocratic actions taken by the ECB, IMF and Euro Group against the people of Greece which included interfering in elections, undermining the elected government, overruling decisions made by the elected government, etc.?
You do know that the Euro Group of finance ministers are all finance ministers of EU nations right? They were also pivotal to fucking over fellow EU member Greece.
As you know, even working class British yobs have visited the Greece and the Greek Islands. I bet you they noticed how the poor of Greece was being treated by these EU Finance Ministers and the ECB.
In terms of Greece making its own financial decisions it would have to leave the Eurozone. This discussion has been had before and I think we pretty much agreed that it was disappointing the Greece didn’t do that.
I also know, from listening in at a meeting in Brussels, that the Social Democratic group was extremely sympathetic to the Greek position and made that clear. However, in parliament there are several other blocks and they too had their own view, as obviously happens in most democratic parliamentary organisations most of the time.
I’m not arguing with the points you’re making about Greece – this situation is an on-going neo-lib nightmare (and yes, I have seen the evidence of that first-hand) – It doesn’t relate to the question of whether the EU is a less democratic organisation than the UK Tory government that has devastated its own communities though.
The evidence is that the EU is least as democratic.
Whether that is democratic enough is a whole other issue and stands for national as well as supranational governance.
Yes, a number of MEPs (including Farage…) expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Greeks.
In general terms the global elite seem keen to weaken the effectiveness of individual sovereign governments, and hand power to supranational/transnational arrangements and institutions.
In specific terms, it appears now that a majority in both Italy and France now want EU membership referendums to be held.
If the EU want to impress ordinary citizens of Europe with positive and democratic changes, now would be a good time.
The Herald reports ‘Balmy June heading for a record’ and manages to avoid mentioning climate change. Rather than discussing this topic at a serious level, it turns a climate change issue into a ski report.
‘The unseasonably mild winter has been good news for some – but not if you are a skier.
Nearly all the snow that fell on the Coronet Peak ski field, near Queenstown, earlier in the month has melted, and the “Big Defreeze” has impacted on the the town’s annual 10-day Winter Festival, which began on Friday.
The lack of snow meant some events had to relocate.’
There were a couple of winters in late 80’s early 90’s that were as dire, one had a huge fall in May and then almost nothing, then another a couple of years alter when Coronet was only open for about a week all season, and keeping Remarkables open took a heroic effort, we were trucking snow down the mountain. It was pretty tough for the staff that year. There were other dry or warm years before that too. When they got into snow making in a big way it gave more reliability in dry years, but can’t do much in warm years. I was involved with snow making in the early years and remember weather figures that showed about 1 in 20 or 30 year return for a winter too warm for reliable snow making on Coronet. It was like 8 in 10 where it was too cold and dry for natural snow to maintain the snowpack.
The traditional start of season was early July pre snow making. The changes to school holidays from late August to early July created an imperative to try and bring things forward, with a corresponding redefinition of normal by the media.
The sign of a warming climate here will be snow making at Coronet becoming redundant or ineffective. (as the atmosphere warms it can carry more moisture, so more snow, to a point) I’ll reserve my judgement on that as it’s going to take 10 or so years to show a statistical variation, but the last couple of years have got my attention.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Selfish, greedy.
Max Key.
David Slack: ‘Greed, and hair gel, is good’
New Zealand. It might not be a great place to bring up children any more but it’s still a really good one to bring up Max. If he and his friends like the idea of a Wall Street career and aren’t too troubled by the deepening gulf between the vastly wealthy and the poor, we could hardly be shocked and ask: “where did that come from?”
He might say I’m judging him without really knowing him. Perhaps the next video will make things more clear. But there does seem to be a pattern and I’m not picking up much of a Buddhist monk vibe.
What the Max character seems to be saying is: “Greed, and hair gel, is good.” There’s no overt political statement in that, but in a funny kind of way, as his Dad likes to say, it’s political all the way through.’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/social-networking/81397094/david-slack-greed-and-hair-gel-is-good
it is creepy being so concerned about the son.
Yes he is 100% distraction so criticism just gives it oxygen when it needs to be ignored along with all the others celebrity reality BS.
Though Max does push himself into the front line with his father’s pride and his blessing. Otherwise who would mind what he did. Didn’t Thatcher have an errant son?
“it is creepy being so concerned about the son”
Yes, i have thought Pauls obsession with the Key boy is very creepy.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
New Zealand property investors.
‘Housing ‘mess’ has spread from Auckland to Tauranga
New Zealand First leader and MP Winston Peters last night told a crowd of 150 people that Auckland’s “housing mess” had spread to Tauranga.
Speaking at Matua Hall, Mr Peters said Auckland’s problems had become Tauranga’s, with the influx of Aucklanders fleeing the housing shortage and creating one in Tauranga.
Property prices and rent prices were going through the roof and he acknowledged those in desperate situations, living in cars, tents and caravans.
Mr Peters said in the last quarter of 2015 figures showed 29 per cent of houses sold in Tauranga were to Aucklanders.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11663358
Hamilton also
yep buying up of houses in Hamilton for investment is huge at the moment.
I saw a headline from Bryan Gould predicting house price bubble burst, but can’t find it now.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/81379799/housing-bubble-about-to-pop-bryan-gould-predicts
There you go, ianmac. 🙂
The Reserve Bank have been tracking the same risks.
And yet, all the factors that are holding up Auckland’s real estate are still tracking there for quite a while.
1. Net immigration has tracked up, is still tracking up, and looks like it will continue for at least a couple more years.
2. There are not enough houses, either to rent or to buy. This has been building for years, and will take years of building to even out, just a little.
3. Inflation rates are at rock bottom, and tracking to stay this way for several more years.
4. Our tax regime is still highly favorable to real estate. This appears to be the case whoever is in power in 2017, so it’s stable for at least 4 years.
You all know these factors, they are not going away.
There’s a risk of an Auckland real estate crisis. Of course. But let’s not overplay it.
If Winston Peters has his way he’d drastically reduce the number of ‘immigrants’ coming from Auckland to the Hinterland and ‘interview’ every new-comer at the ‘borders’.
New Zealand is for all New Zealanders and Peters is preying on people’s fears again; same tune, same hymn sheet, same old same old.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
New Zealand property investors.
‘Market tough for renters
A Whangarei mother has “given up hope” searching for a rental because of high demand and a spike which has seen the average rent increase by about $30 per week over the past six months.
Kristie Lowe has been trying to find a rental closer to her family in Ruakaka so she is able to work full time. But an increase in rent prices has made the hunt difficult.
“It’s a pretty crap situation. If you apply for a house you can’t get one simply because you’re like me and have a bad credit rating, or you’re a single mum on the benefit,” she said.
“I’ve given up hope.”
Renee Wilkinson, new business consultant at Harcourts Just Rentals Whangarei, has been tracking the rent increase since January this year by going on Trade Me, adding rental prices of properties listed in Whangarei together and dividing that number by the number of houses listed. In January the average rent was $338.33 and up to the end of this week it was $368.20.
“In six months, that’s quite a large increase,” she said.
Ms Wilkinson said there were a number of things contributing to the price increase – including homeowners who had become “accidental” landlords after the market crashed in 2007 and have decided to sell and take advantage of the today’s housing market.
“Basically houses are being sold but there aren’t enough to go around. Based on what I’ve noticed, I can’t see it [the rent increase] is going to stop any time soon.”
……………
Ms Lowe said she had been to Housing New Zealand and was currently on a waiting list.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11662998
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy, selfish, uncaring.
New Zealand’s private landlords
One of the worst years for housing problems, says union.
More people require emergency accommodation in Palmerston North but community members say housing options are too sparse.
About 20 people attended the Manawatu Tenants Union AGM on Friday, where various community members spoke of growing concerns about the city’s housing.
Social worker Debs Radley told Stuff she had seen an increase in people needing emergency accommodation in the city.
She was currently working with four families living in motels because of the city’s shortage of housing and emergency accommodation.
But big weekend events for the city, which increased tourism numbers, also booked out motel rooms that could be needed to accommodate homeless people.
These were people on the brink of homelessness with nowhere to go, she said.
In the meeting Massey University advocacy co-ordinator Kerry Howe said the price of increasing rent was still a growing concern for many students.
She said despite the increasing prices in rent there was little, if any, change to accommodation supplements for students and community members.
TradeMe property statistics show nationally, the median weekly rent has increased by 4.8 per cent over the year.
While rental prices in the Manawatu and Whanganui areas have increased by 8 per cent over the year.
In the meeting Manawatu Tenants Union co-ordinator Kevin Reilly said this year had been one of the worst years he had seen in terms of housing problems in the city.
He said issues ranged from people having problems with landlords and high rents to others in desperate need of social or emergency housing.’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/81431262/one-of-the-worst-years-for-housing-problems-says-union
Firstly: I do not condone child abuse (to preempt any facile splutterings), & trigger warnings aplenty for those who chose to follow the links (the quotes should be low impact).
Is anyone else uncomfortable by the way the Moko Rangitoheriri killing is being exploted? This was in this morning’s ODT:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/388037/sentencing-group-march
Googling Washick shows that he is involved in Rotary, and works; “Yacht Buying, Selling and Chartering”. I wish I could be more certain that he had no involvement with Cerco &/or isn’t riding a cause for publicity. Monday the 27th of June is the day set for sentencing:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/381774/pair-admit-taupo-boys-manslaughter
The main contention of the SST seems to be that they should have been sentenced for murder. The problem is that murder implies intention and that doesn’t seem to have been provable in this case. This is supported by the police adding the lesser charges in February of this year, after the killers had plead not guilty to murder in September 2015. It reads more like a desperate covering up of abuse leading to death.
All kinds of trigger warnings if you follow this link:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/383481/mokos-mother-speaks-out-about-sons-death
What makes me uncomfortable is that the Sensible Sentencing Trust were adamently opposed to the amendment of section 59. Their solution never seems to be prevention, only ever longer incarceration – I generally refer to them as “Predatory Prisoning”. Read this McVicar editorial from 2009 if you need confirmation:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=10984999
This Unicef piece from 2014 seems to coincide with my understanding:
https://www.unicef.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/11281/Section59informationsheet.pdf
[Hmm, this is very long for OM – perhaps better suited as a post? The problem is that I’m only going to sporadically near a keyboard today to repond to comments. If someone else wants to take it up and put there own spin on it that’d be fine by me.]
Anyway, my suggestion is that anyone who agrees with me should go along to the marches with; “yay for Bradford!”, “Better funding for CYFs”, “Enforce s59” banners.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Yet there are people who still care and who are unselfish.
Marie Retimana represents the best of New Zealand.
A government that does not ensure its citizens are not paid enough to feed themselves represents the worst of New Zealand.
Helping the needy through social media
Tokoroa’s Kelly Marie Retimana and her family of six decided to gather extra food while doing their shopping last week to help out a family in need that they came across on Facebook.
Retimana said she made the “on the spot decision” while out doing her weekly shop.
She saw the specials and just bought extra for a food parcel.
Having felt the struggle themselves in the past, Retimana and her family were often giving to people in need.
“It feels good”, Retimana said.
“We (my family) have felt the struggle and it doesn’t feel nice, so when we do have enough to share we do so happily, every time.”
The number of people each week who struggle with buying food is high, Food Bank volunteer Ruth Ramea said.
Basic supplies are given in food parcels such non-perishable foods, flour rice and
recently milk powder, which is all funded through donations and trustees.
The situation is made worse because there are a lot of people moving from out of town, she said.
The Tokoroa Food Bank helps families from areas as far apart as Lichfield, Tokoroa and Atiamuri.
Ramea said the year is constant, but Christmas and school holidays are the busiest times.
The team of about 30 staff involving volunteers, trustees and helpers, buy and collect the food to put into parcels, but Ramea said more was always needed.
“We are always looking for donations.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/south-waikato-news/80479414/helping-the-needy-through-social-media
Paul
If you’re going to spam OM everyday by cut&pasting entire articles, could you at least learn how to use blockquotes (or even simple quotation marks). You surely don’t want to be a plagiarist – support journalism by leaving people a reason to click on the link to the original article.
Paupial
I try and use quote marks.
I try and edit reports so only excerpts are used.
If you look at some of the stories I have referenced, they are in provincial papers, so hopefully, I am increasing the readership of these articles and creating greater awareness of these journalists’ work.
Have you a problem with my highlighting the housing crisis in New Zealand?
Paul
If that was your attempt at using quote marks, then it was an abject failure. Everything from; “Helping the needy…” in the third paragraph, through to; “…looking for donations” just before the link was a direct quote. The only quote marks are those in the original article which you then cut&pasted in total (the only change I could see is that you deleted the many spaces between paragraphs, which admittedly is an improvement).
What I have a problem with, is the way you mass dump your spam onto OM every single fucking day. Today you posted at; 6:55, 7:03, 7:09, 7:21, & 7:37 am, with barely enough original material between these five to fill one post. Your slogan does at least seem original (though just as cut&pasted), and is catchy enough:
See how easy that was; the FAQ in the header bar will tell you how. [Edit – here I’ve even found it for you:]
http://thestandard.org.nz/faq/comment-formatting/#quoting
The problem with your spamming OM is that it makes everyone else’s comments less salient. Say there are 15 posts in OM in a day (probably more like 10 since you’ve been doing your little routine), that means a third (if not half) of today’s posts are yours. However, despite your obsessive firsting of this forum, you will see that your posts now generally have short discussion threads (especially by the last of them). Why? Because you are not saying anything new, or adding anything much beyond unattributed quotes.
If you think that you are highlighting anything for me anymore except the imminent RSI in my scrolling finger you are sadly mistaken.
He’s the new Penny Bright.
I think Paul highlights the relentless failings of a uncaring incompetent government ………… they are a disgrace from which there is no hiding.
Once people read Dirty Politics they can understand why John Keys Government supports things like tax havens while hurting poor children and vulnrable families.
Freeze them in cars over winter ……………. poison them with fecal soup river water in summer.
Check out their values and jokes in parliament …..
“David Seymour: In what century did the wine-box inquiry take place?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: One so far back I can hardly remember it.”
Also note JKs admiration for a guy who attempted to steal $2.2 billion of revenue………………. That would have been a HUGE handout to the aussie banks.
Did shewan support the wine box tax scam? http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8515361/Money-trail-leads-home-to-New-Zealand
Nah, it’s boring spamming.
Same article, video posted again and again, seriously you’ve got to wonder if Paul isn’t a bot.
whereas we do not have to wonder if BM is a miserable troll.
I keep asking you to drink a glass of Johns river water while wearing white disco pants ……….
just to show how full of shit you are……
Lots of different articles.
All showing up the wretched government you defend.
Be a better author:
– Be succinct
– You better have a clear and original twist if you’re using someone else’s material
– Be a punchy, not preachy, author
– Have a sense of humor (at least about yourself)
– Don’t take attacks personally, you might learn something
– Try and imagine being as good a writer as your favorite columnist. Bin the drafts that aren’t as good for a while.
I betcha if you can be a better author than the current authors, the quality of your writing will get more hits and hence be rewarded with better placement.
And if you can’t be as good as a current author, just admit it, and practise until you can be.
Time to step up to the plate Paul.
Good advice sensei !
Paul I appreciate the watch you keep on some of the deteriorating social conditions in NZ. Your scanning and synopsis is very important. However I also agree with Ad, that it could be condensed into one post.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Yet there are people who still care and who are unselfish.
Park Up represents the best of New Zealand.
A government that does not house its citizens adequately represents the worst of New Zealand.
‘Park Up For Homes camp out on Beehive backdoor.
Around 150 people have gathered in Wellington, to sleep in their cars in a show of solidarity with those who have to.
The group Park Up For Homes has been joined by politicians, city councillors, the Child Poverty Action Group and everyday families, young and old for “Park Up Parliament.”
Spokeswoman Bex Rillstone said it’s just one part of a nation-wide campaign for better homes.
“We’re outside the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, which is just on the doorstep of the Beehive, and we are here to say to the Government that we need better housing policies.”‘
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/park-up-for-homes-camp-out-on-beehive-backdoor/
More expected at Park Up For Homes events
200 people are expected to attend each of the two Park Up For Homes events tonight.
One is being held at Wellington Cathedral, opposite The Beehive, and the other is taking place at the Otara Town Centre carpark in Auckland.
They follow one in Mangere last week that attracted around 1000 people.
Child Poverty Action Group housing spokesman Alan Johnson said it’s a chance for people to make their voices heard.
“If you’re not happy with the way in which we’re failing many tens of thousands of children with their housing, then just come up and participate in a quiet, peaceful protest.”
Mr Johnson said it’s also a chance to show support and acknowledge those who are doing it tough, living on the streets and in carparks.
He said ordinary New Zealanders are now starting to understand the problems poorer people are facing.
“And I think they’re becoming more concerned about that, and I think that’s starting to change the political response to this.”
Another Park Up For Homes event, organised by boxer David Tua, is scheduled for Onehunga on the 2nd of July.
Others are in the pipeline for Napier and Papakura.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/more-expected-at-park-up-for-homes-events/
Strong community support for Park Up Otara
https://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/strong-community-support-park-otara
Why they voted ‘leave’.
Meet 10 Britons who voted to leave the EU
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/25/meet-10-britons-who-voted-to-leave-the-eu
the pressure is showing….they are really working this one hard …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/81429047/small-number-of-taxpayers-bear-the-brunt-of-new-zealand-tax-bill
“By comparison, the top 3 per cent of individual income earners, earning more than $150,000 a year, pay 24 per cent of all tax received.
Mark Keating, a senior lecturer in tax at the University of Auckland Business School, said the idea of “net tax” – the amount paid after credits and benefits were deducted – was hard for some people to get their heads around.
But he said people who received any benefit, or superannuation, as well as people who worked and met the criteria for Working for Families tax credits could end up with a net result that was negative or neutral.”
A tax lecturer and an accountant making misleading statements on net tax positions and conveniently ignoring half the forms of taxation and the impact of time……even the “balancing ” view fails to note this.
Slanted reporting, advertorial or sponsored piece.
if the courtiers to the power elite want more people to pay more income tax, then the dickheads should increase the income of ordinary people.
That would be to bloody logical for these people CV.
Everyone including the dump rat knows wages need to rise dramatically.
Sit back and listen to the stupid, weak and crazy excuses they make for not doing it.
Why is it National, seem to work for an entity called business, and not a person who actually votes.
there is no antipathy between the haves and the have nots in NZ, it is an overseas problem.
If you say so
“Gareth Kiernan, an economist at Infometrics, said the data showed that New Zealand did not have the same issues that had driven protests such as the Occupy Wall Street movement, which rallied against a rich “top 1 per cent”. ”
was a sarc tab necessary?
one word: Talleys
Should we dumb it down just a bit, for the reason any prospective people who visit the site, I would hope we all have a gut wish to show them National and capitalism, John Keys policies are failing and there are better options,
I wonder how many of the people who come here straight off understand the meaning of the intellectual conversations here? Antipathy?
It’s all great using big words and making out we are not stupid and know what the word economy is, but we should not lose our ability to make our points using language we commonly employ day to day
I don’t know what others think about what I said, it’s just a thought that’s been bothering me for some reason and keeps nagging at me to blurt out.
This is not a go at you either Pat , I have no issues with you at all mate, it just came out at this point of reading and seeing the word antipathy.
my apologies….hadnt considered antipathy an intellectual word, and computers provide instant access to explanation if any are unsure.
I was expressing my disgust at what passes for journalism now….among other things.
If antipathy is to be binned, then can we still use sympathy? Animosity is a bigger word, though roughly similar and widely understood. Not everyone uses language the same. Should we not use Māori terms because we want to; “dumb it down”? And our conflicting opinions and discussions might put “prospective people” off the site too – why don’t we all just endlessly type: “rugby is great, mate!”, at one another.
In response to your earlier comment Pat – evidently; “a sarc tab [was] necessary”. I should probably use one myself at that.
Have you lost your ‘s’?
Privatised? Bloody austerity culture, grrrr.
Shouldn’t you have put a sarc. tab after that misspelling of ‘yours’?
Marty means that I was spelling; “Pasupial”, as “Paupial”. Something I evidently do so often that the logo image doesn’t even change (which is a bit embarrassing).
Touché (D’oh!)
Ouch.. but damn good reply.. lol damn good.
Perhaps the fact I had not seen the word antipathy often, in my circle and had to check I knew the correct meaning was the reason I actually wrote that.
Bloody googling wastes to much time when your a commoner like me.
And some bloody spell checker here auto changes my typing. Sometimes when I re read I wonder how a certain word got there I never typed?
With wage growth being barely near inflation, if not on the lower side,
few workers will be affected by bracket creep. However, the fiction creation of the average wage in total statistics figures paints another picture.
https://home.kpmg.com/nz/en/home/insights/2016/05/nz-budget-2016-bracket-creep.html
In December 2014 John Key made a prediction that wages would rise in 2015 by 3.6%
I believe this was on the back of receiving reports about power company share sell of, and CEO’s pay rises, National have used this wonderful fictional creation statistic to crow about economic performance and workers income is wonderfully improving.
This also gives opportunity for overseas landlords to raise rents, .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11466255
It would be nice to see some challenges to National in Parliament when they make these fictional economic claims, but their is none.
Because I belong to a union, we are getting a begrudged 2% pay increase next year, the first one hopefully above inflation, since 2008
Seems false equivalence to state the top 3% pay 24% of all tax as if the $$$ were what counted. Those that can, should.
As CV said, the problem lies not in the rebates paid to those who don’t earn enough to exist in our society, but that we have a society that is unable to remunerate a significant percentage of the population enough for them to exist in it without additional state benefits.
Wouldn’t personal tax be trivial compared to the tax take from businesses for the governments coffers, ?
If this is in fact so, dropping the business tax rate effected the coffers far more than any changes to people’s personal tax rates.
Secondly switching business up a percent would probably allow us to drop personal tax more.
If the above is true this could be used to curry voter favour if spun correctly.
After nearly a decade of working for families rebates for the breeders, and Kiwisaver being used to offset wage increases, workers are now going backward without the compounding wage increases to counter rising living costs.
What more evidence is there that is needed why NZs productivity is low.
National are also relying on fictional economic prosperity in trade deals.
There is simply no evidence primary producers increase their employment costs on the back of higher export volumes, in fact the opposite happens.
Hence why there has been no media reports on the Dairy economy over the last decade, it will show employment costs reducing. Despite the Rock Star Economy preceding 2008, Did farmers employ more kiwi workers or immigrants.
Or do a report on apples, any increase in employment costs since the Aussie market opened up, meanwhile apples have tripled in price in the supermarket, for export rejected cases.
Do automated milking sheds increase or decrease staff costs?
Automation is the enemy of personal employment.
Meat works will all be automated with a decade, especially when the Chinese own all of them,
If non living entity corporations can be given legal status as a person, Reagan did this,
=then robots should be taxed,
overseas owned businesses are welfared off tax …
making corporations pay tax on their real profit will come to nothing.
I despair whenever I see this bullshit promulgated. It makes a mockery of our education system that so few people can immediately see through it. We all did percentages and averages at school, I expected it would be second nature for most of us.
The actual claims are false or misleading and the net tax concept they portray is worthless.
The last chart I saw can be found here…
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Net_Tax_Paid_by_Households,_estimated_for_the_tax_year_ending_31_March_2015.png
It’s patently absurd and dishonest. The overwhelming majority of beneficiaries are on low incomes so of course the low income households will show more Govt transfers than the high income households (yes their numbers include welfare beneficiaries)
Net tax, excluding petrol tax, user pays fees, GST etc etc is meaningless, but looks good in reinforcing the right wing narrative.
GST has been spectacularly regressive.
As is petrol tax.
And school fees.
Mr Keating would do well to show the full cumulative weight of all taxes, then work that weifht out across all income brackets.
Just a couple of intelligent bar graphs would do it.
But no, he would rather just make a political point.
@ Pat Quite frankly would not surprise me at all. The reality is that PAYE workers are one of the few groups paying tax. Those who are self employed, through trusts and businesses etc can manipulate their income legally and use copious legal loop holes to pay less tax. Obviously we seem to want to attract offshore investors who don’t pay GST… corporations that can manipulate their income so they make losses on millions in income…etc etc (sarc). Those on lower incomes are now propped up by the state for their employees with working for families, accommodation benefit etc
The problem is that the government are just not interested in looking at the 21st century globalism, and how to make tax fair again. They are certainly not interested in looking at why transnational profits are now one of our biggest exports. in front of milk powder and fishing.
one of the aspects of WFF that appears ignored is it is a temporary position….those receiving the benefit of it only receive it for a limited period and then return to a net positive tax position, often a very short period….this sort of framing (demonstrated in the linked article) pisses me off no end especially when so called experts are quoted and such outrageous bullshit is unchallenged by the journalist.
Gun,…meet foot
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/25/hilary-benn-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership-eu-referendum-brexit
Ok I made a statement Corbyn was in the leave camp yesterday and this comes out.
I repeated this fact too mum, who explained in detail to me, Corbyn was definitely in the LEAVE camp personally, he was Pusauded by party members to vote remain, or back the remain camp.
She has just returned from ten years there and is also a UK citizen born there and lived there about half her life, she’s now 72. Basing m,y facts on mummy, but I have to go with her inside knowledge.
HE was always Pro Leave, on a personal basis, but party politics have meddled again.
Hope that clears it up.
Corbyn is closer to ordinary working people than most of his MPs. He should be forcing them to his beliefs not the other way around. He’ll be gone if he keeps this up.
Mum doesn’t like him, she’s saying he’s more a green than a Labour. She uses a lot of nasty words about him when I ask. throw back, cardy wearing lib, err. not nice stuff.
Unfortunately my mums a love Thatcher woman, something excited a lot of women about a woman rising to British PM. She’s from that era.
We have fun convo’s here, I have pretty much won the war with intellect and a better argument showing her outcomes of policies, she hates key now, can’t understand the policies and thinks he’s batshit crazy along with all the other National MP’s, she also uses the word arrogant a lot.
Not bad for a Tory to come here and in(3 weeks ish) hate national!!!!
ha very well done!!!
I know, CV, and like me she is no slouch in the upstairs dept. But the one thing that helped and I had not seen it before or thought of it this way.
Too a British born Tory, it appeared after she got to know things, John Key is not a Tory, Nor does it appear he rolls the Tory way..if you get it.
The BIGGEST epiphany is John Key is a Tory Hoon, he acts as PM like they imagine a Labour leader would behave.
He has no dignity, He does not hold himself as a Tory would in power. He is a fact a common born YOB.
HA
Real Tories don’t run and hide. refuse interviews. At All. Thatcher did not hide.
Common born and state house raised. Neuveau riche, even worse. Clearly wasn’t taught the ‘proper’ etiquette and demeanour from youth.
An interesting observation you’ve made here.
I got as gut feeling from the way mum goes on about him, he’s toast, he’s not viable, he’s a joke.
His party is heavily divided over him, he has to go. Apprently
Perhaps today is a day to rejoice.
The people of Britain just slapped that non elected body in Brussels a right slap in the face, and a great, grading on their performance. If Brussels was doing such a great job of running the EU perhaps the British may not have quit.
It’s also a giant slap in the face to Germany and Frau Merkel no one likes(gen) and especially how She seems to be running the purse strings. Politically correct or not, most grass roots Britain’s despise Germany having ANY power.
A giant slap over Brussels and immigration. The thing they feared came true as soon as it happened mass immigration and people coming to claim instant benefits.
Immigration policies that Key thinks are different but the grass roots feelings are the same here.
To many immigrants changes from interest in their culture, to crikey they are everywhere.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/25/boris-johnson-michael-gove-eu-liars?CMP=fb_gu
“Now they have won and what Kipling said of the demagogues of his age applies to Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage.
I could not dig; I dared not rob:
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young?
Sign up to our EU referendum morning briefing
Read more
The real division in Britain is not between London and the north, Scotland and Wales or the old and young, but between Johnson, Gove and Farage and the voters they defrauded. What tale will serve them now? On Thursday, they won by promising cuts in immigration. On Friday, Johnson and the Eurosceptic ideologue Dan Hannan said that in all probability the number of foreigners coming here won’t fall. On Thursday, they promised the economy would boom. By Friday, the pound was at a 30-year low and Daily Mail readers holidaying abroad were learning not to believe what they read in the papers. On Thursday, they promised £350m extra a week for the NHS. On Friday, it turns out there are “no guarantees”.
If we could only find a halfway competent opposition, the very populist forces they have exploited and misled so grievously would turn on them. The fear in their eyes shows that they know it.”
Poor England. So scared of the rest of the world, and still not being able to escape it.
I am assuming, your assuming the people actually heard these broadcasts, promises, and that the people who did, believed every word of it.
People are way past the point we trust a word spoken from Media and Politicians, the planet is full of sceptics right now. IMHO
Truth being people voted more on the right to self direction and control, and immigration. These two issues were totally a failure of Brussels and that’s where any blame lies.
Let’s not forget the body that controlled the EU. They don’t get to sit there holier than thou.
actually yes, i would assume that many did listen to Farrage and the likes. Just like in NZ they listen to Hoskins, the other jerk and Key and his mates.
and yes, fear is the biggest killer of them all.
lower, middle class England saw their benefits eroded, bedroom tax installed, draconic sanctions handed out to everyone who ever dared to be unemployed, being declared fit for work while dying of cancer two weeks later, schools being turned into academies, NHS being prepped to be offered for a coin to the next crony or bestie of Cameron, Ian Duncan Smith – aint he a lovely fellow, and so on and so on and so on.
So yes, i would assume that the English would have listend to the ones that offered easy ways out, Namely Make Britain Great Again….tell me when was it ever great? Under Queen Elisabeth 1? Under Queen Victoria? Under Thatcher?
Blame the Polish builder? The Hungarian fruit pickers? Or rather blame their own elected officials, which btw. like in NZ the wast majority of people elected several times in a row? No, that would not happen, that would mean the voters actually have to take responsibility for their votes and the consequences. A bit like the tory voter who realised that after the unemployed, the handicapped, the sick and unable to work, they are now coming for their tax credits and benefits….(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11935413/Ex-Tory-voter-breaks-down-on-Question-Time-over-tax-credit-cuts.html) . Pretty much what now is happening in NZ…..oh noes i did vote to have the benefits cut of the lazy bludger, of the slutty mother of many who is not married, of the pretend sick who should go work, and so on and so on, but i did not vote for my children to not find an affordable house or a decent paying job.
You know what, they listended and they voted. And with it they removed a lot of options from their young one (just like they did in NZ), namely to work in 27 countries without needing a visa, being able to start a business anywhere within the EU, being able to access health care and the likes anywhere in the EU, and so on and so on.
but yeah, lets be scared of Germany being made Great again. And worry about the Polish geezer coming to seek work in England, cause no English Fellow did the same.
they fucked over their young ones. Just like they did in NZ…..and they voted for it. Several times in a row did they vote for the fine English Man and Women that fucked them over every day of the year, just like they did in NZ.
Yeah it’s silly, but that’s how the grass roots talk.
I think studies have been done on this particular social behaviour.
You are still ignoring the main point about all this raging against polititians and the likes, namely that people vote for them, and that voting has consequences.
I was very young when the EEC, EU started , I cannot comment on how it started, mums saying the Brits refused to join for ages, but the French kept pressuring and finally Tory Ted Heath signed up.
What was said to promote it by Heath I have no idea, I certainly see the outcomes of the choices those voters made, and should it not now be the right for the generations who have lived this choice and seen it’s effects to now evaluate and have a choice in their future? Who says anything is binding on future generations?
They made their choice it’s done now, we can sit back and criticize in the negative or we can positively support them, using positivity and look at the good not just the bad.
You’ve been incorrectly informed.
1963 Britain’s first attempt to join the Common Market was vetoed by Charles de Gaulle, who was said to be worried about English taking over as Europe’s main language.
1967: A second UK attempt to join was blocked by President de Gaulle.
So what was the real story about GB joining the EU Pete, I need a wider circles perspective then, obviously mums at that age then when she’s getting a tad mixed up… walks off to label the salt and sugar jars., and the one I keep the Ajax in.
.
You could start looking on google.
Here’s the first one that came up after searching for ‘britain’s attempts to join the eec’
http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/political-guides-eu-history-timeline-of-key-eu-events-politi
Thanks pete, bloody De Gaulle eh, wise man or fool?
then Heath became Prime Minister after winning the 1970 election. In 1971 he oversaw the decimalisation of British coinage and in 1972, he reformed Britain’s system of local government, reducing the number of local authorities and creating a number of new metropolitan counties. Possibly most significantly, he took Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973. Heath’s Premiership also oversaw the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with the suspension of the Stormont Parliament and the imposition of direct British rule. Unofficial talks with Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) delegates were unsuccessful, as was the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973, which caused the Ulster Unionist Party to withdraw from the Conservative whip.
Heath also tried to curb the trade unions with the Industrial Relations Act 1971, and had hoped to deregulate the economy and make a transfer from direct to indirect taxation. However, rising unemployment in 1972 caused Heath to reflate the economy, attempting to control the resulting high inflation by a prices and incomes policy. Two miners’ strikes, in 1972 and at the start of 1974, damaged the government, the latter causing the implementation of the Three-Day Week to conserve energy. Heath eventually called an election for February 1974 to obtain a mandate to face down the miners’ wage demands, but this instead resulted in a hung parliament in which Labour, despite winning fewer votes, had four more seats than the Tories. Heath resigned as Prime Minister after trying in vain to form a coalition with the Liberal Party.
immigrants work cheaper and harder because the locals cant live on the wages.
Bill English admitted this when he said we are lazy or unable to work because of a certain lifestyle, how many unemployed have they tested and kicked of the benefit, they cant call the policy a success because the numbers are so low,
And then Max Key does a music video, saying how wonderful it is in Paradise,
only for the rich, or subliminally, i have another girlfriend,
+1 Sabine.
and all this because a few old public school boys had a bit of a power play.
I am just about Brexited out having read just about every tortured piece of analysis on the Guardian . . . but Nick Cohen’s j’accuse to Gove and Johnson is a must:
”The media do not damn themselves, so I am speaking out of turn when I say that if you think rule by professional politicians is bad wait until journalist politicians take over. Johnson and Gove are the worst journalist politicians you can imagine: pundits who have prospered by treating public life as a game. Here is how they play it. They grab media attention by blaring out a big, dramatic thought. An institution is failing? Close it. A public figure blunders? Sack him. They move from journalism to politics, but carry on as before. When presented with a bureaucratic EU that sends us too many immigrants, they say the answer is simple, as media answers must be. Leave. Now. Then all will be well.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/25/boris-johnson-michael-gove-eu-liars?CMP=share_btn_fb
There is a petition being mounted in Britain to limit the final result of Brexit. And call for another Referendum whereby the winning numbers would have to be 60%+
2 million have signed the petition already!
(Some voted for Brexit not expecting it the exit to happen???)
PS “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-petition-latest-eu-referendum-rules-change-force-second-vote-poll-government-a7102486.html
I think you should read the individual results, In Brittain apart from London the leave poll was so much higher the two people who wasted there vote won’t matter, nor do I think the poll will.
The percentage of Britons is far higher to leave than the overall voting including scotland.
Got a feeling Scotland will soon be independent Nation under the Eu, the split has been now forced upon them. Good luck Scotland I mean that Sincerely.
As the Chinese say, “it is fortunate to live in interesting times”
changing the goal posts, that sound familiar,
Little said he would have preferred Britain to stay in the EU.
Surely Little is aware how anti-democratic the EU is, thus does his position imply he is anti-democratic at heart?
Thoughts?
Thoughts? You should try having one that wasn’t stoopid.
It was a question, not a thought. Don’t attack the player.
So it was a thoughtless question? That changes everything …
Far from it.
Ponder this. Some say voters are still getting to know Little. What kind of impression do you think they’ll get from a comment such as that?
One would expect a Labour Party leader to be supportive of such a move.
More likely this is a deeply thought out response more about stability and not about personal preference, as PM in waiting his answer would be of a governmental position. No Government I think would want an unstable Europe where we have had the conflicts of the past IE 2 world wars.
More about stability opposed to sovereignty?
Surely a nation is more stable when making it’s own decisions?
Leaving the EU doesn’t impact the NATO agreement.
Winston Peters has long spoke up in favour of a Brexit, putting him at odds with Little.
Shaw, on the other hand, said he was quite sad about the decision to leave. Therefore, can we take it he’s another that is anti-democratic at heart?
Thoughts?
Shaw’s CV and professional skills fit right in with the City of London corporate scene so no surprise there.
Perhaps Little wishes the EU were worth staying with.
Globalization is the only way, that doesn’t mean that people should quietly accept unelected rulers like the eu and or being run by corperates and their rent boys like key , but once you sulk off the field your out of the game.
Is the EU more anti-democratic than a Tory FPP government in the UK?
Thoughts?
Look at the austerity and poverty that has been forced on to the people of Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal from Brussels right over the tops of their sovereign parliaments. So the answer is yes, definitely.
Fair call. But that’s not more anti-democratic. That’s undeniably vicious decision-making from a democratic institution.
The UK Tory government has done exactly the same to its people (as has the NZ government) without the EU.
Yes I agree that the final effect in terms of austerity and human suffering may be the same, but the democratic aspect of it, i.e. whether the harmful decisions come from fellow citizen politicians you elected or from foreign bureaucrats whose names you don’t even know, who have never even been to your home town, its quite different.
But communities/nations did elect their representatives in the EU. That’s the democratic bit. Nor are the bureaucrats citizens of some foreign place called EU, they’re from the nations that make up the EU.
Your point that people may prefer elected neo-lib representatives and anonymous bureaucrats closer to home to destroy their lives is valid. But if they were these closer to home representatives that’s not more democratic. If the point is about geography, local issues and visibility the argue that point. I guess I just get tired of seeing framing through shorthand phrases that sound like they mean something, but don’t and are often fudging the truth. The EU is democratically elected and executive has no more power, some times less, than the national governments of the EU countries.
The left and other supporters of the people who are suffering under austerity should be up in arms about what is being done to the less well-off people and their communities. I wish they would think about what’s behind these right wing phrases instead of parroting them.
Question – what if Yanis Varoufakis put himself up for election to the EU parliament and won, and then got his parliamentary group to reject the executive who are the purveyors of austerity measures. Meanwhile George Osborne became PM in the UK and continued with his destruction of social support and the NHS. Would you still be complaining about the anti-democratic, unelected and faceless bureaucrats in the EU, or start talking about the validity of policies and which should be implemented?
You do understand that elected MEPs have zero power over the ECB, IMF and Euro Group don’t you?
That’s why it is utterly undemocratic. Schaubles attitude has always been: Greek voters and the Greek Parliament have zero say over what economic and monetary policies are to be implemented in Greece. The rights of the creditors is ultimate.
That’s about as much power as the House of Commons has over the Bank of England, IMF and Euro Group… and cabinet.
Once again, is it more undemocratic than the Tory government, or as you suggested earlier, more culturally and geographically distant?
I’d pick rule by the NZ National Government any day of the week ahead of rule by the EU, ECB and German finance heads like Schauble.
At least David Cameron, a Tory, acknowledges the validity of the BREXIT poll result, unlike all the tap dancing lefties on this site.
“I’d pick rule by the NZ National Government any day of the week ahead of rule by the EU, ECB and German finance heads like Schauble.”
Obviously that’s your prerogative.
And I have not argued the validity of the result. Save that criticism for when you find someone who did thanks.
“Is the EU more anti-democratic than a Tory FPP government in the UK?”
It sure is. And one would assume Little is aware of this.
another link
and just in case it’s too long…
Given this, I wonder if the EU is about to increase the say of the Greek people in their own economy and their own country. No? OK.
EU and Eurozone (and IMF) are exactly the same thing. No? OK.
I understand the point you are making but do not believe that that is the end of it.
Tell me, did the EU intercede on behalf of one of its member states, Greece, to protect it from the undemocratic actions taken by the ECB, IMF and Euro Group against the people of Greece which included interfering in elections, undermining the elected government, overruling decisions made by the elected government, etc.?
You do know that the Euro Group of finance ministers are all finance ministers of EU nations right? They were also pivotal to fucking over fellow EU member Greece.
As you know, even working class British yobs have visited the Greece and the Greek Islands. I bet you they noticed how the poor of Greece was being treated by these EU Finance Ministers and the ECB.
In terms of Greece making its own financial decisions it would have to leave the Eurozone. This discussion has been had before and I think we pretty much agreed that it was disappointing the Greece didn’t do that.
Did the MEPs intercede? They certainly discussed the situation with Tsipras at least once and seemed to get Junker to concede to mistakes… as always, with a democratic institution there was a wide range of opinions
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20150706STO74708/Greece-MEPs-debate-the-country%E2%80%99s-situation-with-Prime-Minister-Tsipras
I also know, from listening in at a meeting in Brussels, that the Social Democratic group was extremely sympathetic to the Greek position and made that clear. However, in parliament there are several other blocks and they too had their own view, as obviously happens in most democratic parliamentary organisations most of the time.
I’m not arguing with the points you’re making about Greece – this situation is an on-going neo-lib nightmare (and yes, I have seen the evidence of that first-hand) – It doesn’t relate to the question of whether the EU is a less democratic organisation than the UK Tory government that has devastated its own communities though.
The evidence is that the EU is least as democratic.
Whether that is democratic enough is a whole other issue and stands for national as well as supranational governance.
Yes, a number of MEPs (including Farage…) expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Greeks.
In general terms the global elite seem keen to weaken the effectiveness of individual sovereign governments, and hand power to supranational/transnational arrangements and institutions.
In specific terms, it appears now that a majority in both Italy and France now want EU membership referendums to be held.
If the EU want to impress ordinary citizens of Europe with positive and democratic changes, now would be a good time.
“If the EU want to impress ordinary citizens of Europe with positive and democratic changes, now would be a good time.”
Absolutely.
And if media organisations decided to take the EU parliament seriously and give it a bit more scrutiny that would be right too.
You should read this from Frank Macskasy, apart from being very depressing the easy which this national government and it’s ministers can lie.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/26/tdb-exclusive-investigation-cyf-the-hollowing-out-of-a-state-agency/
The mad drive to ideological purity has kicked up a notch.
And no one is safe.
Good work by Frank.
Lots of action in the British Labour cabinet over the weekend.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36632539
Who will be left standing?
Forget road tolls – Auckland needs free public transport
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/25/forget-road-tolls-auckland-needs-free-public-transport/
The media is a major part of the problem.
The Herald reports ‘Balmy June heading for a record’ and manages to avoid mentioning climate change. Rather than discussing this topic at a serious level, it turns a climate change issue into a ski report.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11663518
@Paul – Maybe the business roundtable gives Granny an extra bonus if they avoid the word ‘climate change’.
It would be interesting to see who its major sponsors are.
There were a couple of winters in late 80’s early 90’s that were as dire, one had a huge fall in May and then almost nothing, then another a couple of years alter when Coronet was only open for about a week all season, and keeping Remarkables open took a heroic effort, we were trucking snow down the mountain. It was pretty tough for the staff that year. There were other dry or warm years before that too. When they got into snow making in a big way it gave more reliability in dry years, but can’t do much in warm years. I was involved with snow making in the early years and remember weather figures that showed about 1 in 20 or 30 year return for a winter too warm for reliable snow making on Coronet. It was like 8 in 10 where it was too cold and dry for natural snow to maintain the snowpack.
The traditional start of season was early July pre snow making. The changes to school holidays from late August to early July created an imperative to try and bring things forward, with a corresponding redefinition of normal by the media.
The sign of a warming climate here will be snow making at Coronet becoming redundant or ineffective. (as the atmosphere warms it can carry more moisture, so more snow, to a point) I’ll reserve my judgement on that as it’s going to take 10 or so years to show a statistical variation, but the last couple of years have got my attention.
Bee’s lives matter!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160624135849.htm
Will it be too much to ask for Unidos Podemos and the Socialists to get their shit together and take Spain together, this time around?
Hmm, another one. Have to say I’m disappointed, I had an idea that Foster-Bell is/was a religious man at least back in University days when he was my residential assistant and seemed like a nice enough guy then.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81474280/high-turnover-of-staff-in-national-mps-office-and-claims-of-bullying
Don’t think religiosity is correlated with non bullying. Quite the contrary.
Delightful antidote to some of the shit going on right now.
https://twitter.com/i/moments/746845931434287104