A strange seeming ‘flip-flop’ from Shane Jones who as early as Friday was reported as saying that He didn’t see Himself as Leader of the Party,
Having entered the Parliament with big wraps based around His Oxford University education Jones hasn’t impressed and His time on the front Bench under David Shearer made Him conspicuous only by His deafening silence,
Could He match it in the House with Slippery the Prime Minister, my opinion would say No and Slippery would simply make Him a laughing stock by ruthlessly exploiting Jone’s ‘baggage’,
In a contest where everyone could be said to have ‘a chance’ i would be so rude as to give Shane Jones none…
agreed, that’s what I thought he said too. Is this his way of projecting that HE doesn’t see himself as leader but others do so he is being a good team player????
He’s there to take votes off Cunliffe, thereby increasing Robertson’s chances. Don’t think it will work, but shows there is still an anti-Cunliffe mindset with the ABCer’s who are not yet ready to let that go.
This is something I would like to know: will the numbers of votes from the caucus, unions and members be made public? It would be quite outrageous if, say, two thirds of the members were overridden by two thirds of the caucus and just over half of the union vote. This would deepen divisions rather than heal them. At the same time, refusing to publish the results would breed mistrust. There are supposed to be 10 days of public meetings, and a caucus genuinely seeking unity would pay close attention to the members’ responses at those meetings.
It may however prove divisive at a time when unity is desired, and lend evidence to claims that Labour politicians are out of touch with their members.
It’s a STV situation where people vote for their first and second preference. If people vote first-preference for Shane and he comes 3rd in the race, his votes are distributed to the 2nd preference nominated by his voters. So ultimately it doesn’t change the race.
Lanth, you will have to have patience to explain that to the myriad of commenters who see Jone’s in the election only as part of the dark plotting of the ABCer’s…
He made a good point, that the labour party lost a huge chunk of its vote, and having a much more pro-active leadership – like him – would attract back those voters. As a green voter I agree, labour would do better, but under Shearer-Robertson the Labour party has been a wet fish. So the question is, whose to be Cunliffe’s deputy?
And fairly bland, poli-speak, cliched performances from both Jones and Robertson on Firstline this morning.
God spare us! Still – I’ve already decided to put my vote elsewhere, so the outcome of the contest is really a question of whether or not Labour will get either a party or electorate vote back (bearing in mind I’m in Robertson’s electorate).
Is it just me or is Shane Jones a bit of a misogynist? Doesn’t he mistake careless put-downs for plain speech? Didn’t I hear him refer to women as geldings during the “manban” fuss? And last November didn’t he compare Cunliffe’s expulsion to the backbenches to getting rid of a maggot or termite eating away at the wood of the meeting house? I was indignant at the time because he had achieved nothing in politics while Cunliffe …
I’m off to the Greens forever if Cunliffe doesn’t win this contest. Robertson is great but not ready. Oh dear.
Jones the boofhead. What the fuck is he doing throwing his hat in the ring? It is clearly a manoeuvre, which surely all those entitled to vote in this process will recognise in a flash. I predict the slug will declare well before the vote.
Just listened to RadioNZ National interview a ‘Professor’ of politics for some strange reason, Her claim is that Labour even if the Party changes Leaders cannot win the 2014 election,
i have to wonder where ‘they’ find these people as i found this particular Prof’s analysis to be that of a simpleton and it seems tragic that University’s have such people in front of New Zealand kids supposedly giving them a decent education,
Her analysis, and good on RadioNZ for pointing this out to Her, was totally flawed in that Her belief is that Labour have to claw support off either National or the Green Party to ‘win’ the next election,
The fact that there are some 800,000 registered voters out there who last election did not cast a vote seemed to have escaped the ‘Prof’ and the new Labour leader need only engage 1-3% of these non-voters to topple the present government…
I heard part of it live and there was no reference to the connection. However since that time she appeared on Q&A in her role as a political scientist. She was biased in her musings and haven’t seen her on the programme for a couple of years.
Massey University
Dr Claire Robinson heads the Institute of Communication Design in Massey University’s College of Creative Arts. Claire has a PhD in politics and is an occasional media commentator on New Zealand politics. Her area of research expertise is in political advertising, political marketing, leadership image and election campaigns. Prior to her academic career she spent time as a New Zealand foreign service officer and as a Private Secretary for the Minister of
Women’s Affairs (the Rt Hon Jenny Shipley). Claire is also a graphic designer and paints on canvas in her spare time. Claire has two children.
Watever she is Robinson’s certainly capable of sharp arrogance when challenged.
I recall emailing her within the last couple of years about some idiotically facile piece of National Party apologism she was up to on Q + A I think. I guess I wasn’t exactly gushing in my email but her response – ” Get fucked ! ” – completely trumped my vigour.
Massey Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey agreed with my subsequent email to him in which I suggested it was inappropriate for such rubbish-girl talk to come from the mouth of a publicly paid “associate” professor as she then was.
It might be “enough said” fo you but fairness, and accuracy would require that you point out that her job for Shipley was in a public servant role, and had NO political connotations.
On the other hand I was not impressed at all with her analysis and her making fairly sweeping conclusions on a sample of 5 elections. Of those five 2 (1999 and 2008) were where we had tired out governments and 2 (2002 and 2011) were ones where the opposition party didn’t seem to even realise that continuing with the same old policies and faces wasn’t going to hack it.
Interestingly in 84, labour won mainly because Jones’s party took a large % of the vote from the nats as I recall.
I wonder if the outlier in this is the Craig party.
Although they would take votes from act and nats BUT provide an collation partner for Nats- not an option in 84.
It highlights that the winning candidate should be developing a campaign that is the first step in next year’s election campaign. Robertson & Jones are more focused on just winning the leadership: Short termism.
Hopefully Team Cunliffe is taking time working out their (2014) election strategy.
@karol
When it comes to having a team, can Cunliffe have a preference for a Deputy which he then discusses with caucus, can he have a short-list of his own, or is it up to the caucus only? It would seem that having someone he could work with and rely on would be the best partnership for the top two.
Her argument does seem a bit weak! The polls don’t show any clear winner at the moment and the interest that a Labour leadership challenge is generating will likely counter out any negative views about Shearer resigning. As a side note, the non vote at the last election had nothing to do with Shearer.
I don’t agree that the non voter will miraculously come back to Labour just because of a change in leader. Poverty and hardship are the main reasons people don’t vote, both of which have increased markedly under a National government. Many people simply don’t have the time or resources to be engaged in politics anymore.
The other issue here is that Labour appears to be divided. It will take time for Labour to show that it is unified and ready to govern. It will also take a considerable effort to convince many that Labour can work constructively with the Greens and NZ First. Whether 15 months is enough time is yet to be seen.
So at the moment I’m picking another three years of National, as per the usual cycle.
I’m talking about the right vs left polling phillip ure, which is too close to call. I think there’s little doubt that David Cunliffe would win the Labour leadership race. Has he announced he’s standing yet?
There is of course enough time for Labour to get its act together, but whether that time is used constructively is yet to be seen.
If Labour can show that it’s united behind their new leader, they convey their policy well to the public (especially non voters) and are able to develop enough interest is yet to be seen. A biased media is still their biggest hurdle in many ways. Until they do all those things, then it’s likely National will have another term in power.
National have always had three terms except for the second National government, which had four.
“Poverty and hardship are the main reasons people don’t vote”
Must have been the rich who voted the first Labour government in. Maybe because they didn’t like to see the poverty and hardship of the depression inflicted on their fellow Kiwis?
“I don’t agree that the non voter will miraculously come back to Labour just because of a change in leader.”
Who has said that they will? Most people I’ve seen are saying that Labour will need to make specific efforts to engage the non-voters. Implication is that that wasn’t going to happen under Shearer or the ABCs.
Her argument as I remember it was that no party has ever come from a position behind this far out from an election as Labour is now.
My immediate reaction is to think of the Roy Morgan poll which gives Labour/Greens a majority at the moment.
The only question for me is whether the two will actually agree to a coalition in 2014, rather than the Greens go with National who I expect will be still the largest party then. Conventional wisdom seems to indicate that Labour/Greens is far more likely, if they command a majority or can find a majority between them.
Though there is still just a little bit of work to be done ‘twixt then and now. First, the Labour leadership ( I will enjoy my vote) and then into electioneering mode. Ah, the smell and sound of the guns are calling…………
Anyone supporting Jones wants a Tory government. He should be expelled. Even he must realise he’s damaged goods. Where the hell do these people get their egos from?
I heard that James Caygill, son of David, is thinking of standing in Christchurch seat. Would Labour accept the son or daughter of an axe murderer? A little discernment of past connections and what the name reflects is needed here, even if he is a rabid social democrat, which is unlikely. (I have commented before on the large amount of men’s names that come from the bible. Do they come from wealthier families where the names seems to provide gravitas, probity and conformity with values – so good for conveying confidence in tv endorsements?)
Talking about David Cunliffe with family, he hasn’t made a real impression yet. If he gets the Leader position and decides on the policies to push and has the methods and cost and outcomes worked out, he can then stress these strongly and who and how they will help all NZs and also employment. Those would be winning words.
Also promise tighter controls with caps and detailed scrutiny on government expenditure going on each IT project. What a bloody way to throw money down the gurgler. The extent of mismanagement and feckless spending in some notable cases seems to indicate corruption or at the least extreme incompetence, resulting from the Peter Principle. And generally sizing up our present situation with IT, the results show corruption of the theories and scenarios fed to us about how helpful and useful an aid this technology would be.
In the interests of site performance, I’ve dropped the feed thumbnails until I look at why it is slowing the site down so much. I may turn off the feed entirely again later if it still causes issues.
Don’t know if it’s related but I was running the ghostery plug in on fire fox and noticed my quad core was running at 30-40% at idle.
Disabled it and problem solved
I tracked it down to the bit of code that was causing the server side problem. The plugin is caching the images held for the various feeds at the server – good. However it is not caching the thumbnails that it is producing at 48×48 – bad. Furthermore because of how the images were being called, it was also bypassing the caching on both the APC memory cache and the CDN – *very bad*.
Consequently whenever the anyone viewed the page, all of the images on the Feed were being reduced and clipped down to 48x48px images. A horrendously expensive and completely unnecessary operation that sucked server CPU when you are doing a hundred or so of them for every page view.
The front page does exactly the same thing for its thumbnails. However they are prebuilt and stored in the media library. So they don’t cause the same problems.
Ok that worked really really well. Here is the main web server CPU averages over 15 minute periods over the last two weeks. Date/times are in UTC, so they’re about 12 hours behind.
I’d already been concerned earlier in the week with the GCSB debates with the average CPU. Prior to the last two weeks it seldom went over 50% on this system.
You can see the rapid increase on the afternoon of the 22nd with the shearer announcement (spiked on teh announcement followed by the site getting overwhelmed) and that continued throughout friday despite beefing up the caching and putting in refresh rationing.
On Friday night (well Saturday morning) I kicked in another server which helped a bit on saturday and sunday. But it was max 50% capacity of the main server. It was pretty clear I hadn’t figured out the actual problem.
This morning I looked at the colossal rise. The debugging code I put in allowed me to pin it down to the RSS Feed, so I turned off the most recent update to that – the images. The CPU dropped away and despite having a lot more traffic than we had on friday, the server started acting well. Cut the second server out after midday, and dropped the cache time down (the spike is mostly due to the cache reloading). Still handled the Cunliffe announcement without problems.
It was a hot day – not a desperate one. Damn good thing as I was pulling off RC1 for the next release at work and didn’t have time to baby anything.
Its got all the signs of being a false flag. Launching a chem attack on civilians a day or two after UN inspectors arrive in the country? When the inspectors were staying just a few km’s away?
Assad knows that chem weapon use is the perfect reason for NATO to go postal on him, and such an action is the last thing he would want to provoke.
There is little doubt that a chemical weapon attack has taken place. The Syrian government is blaming terrorists. They have however allowed the UN inspectors into the area where approximately 300 people have died from the attack. This is not the first attack where chemical weapons are likely to have been used on Syrian civilians and rebel forces.
The UN chemical weapons inspectors have been in Syria since at least May 2013. The Syrian government had previously tried to keep them out of the country.
You’re assuming that Assad has control of what his forces do and that they respect NATO enough to not initiate war? I can assure you that they have very little respect for foreign forces and there is very little strategy to this war…there is really only hatred.
It is more likely that Syrian government forces have used the chemical weapons and less likely that those fighting against the regime have used the weapons on their own forces to initiate NATO’s involvement. It is very unlikely that western forces have used chemical weapons against civilians in a false flag event as an excuse to go to war.
Unlike Iraq, there is very little for the US to gain. The humanitarian reason hasn’t been enough so far to initiate NATO joining the war. If there is proof that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, then NATO would be fighting the Syrian regime alongside al-Qaeda operatives who have come over the boarder from Iraq. The Al Nusra Front or Al-Qaeda affiliated Syrian Rebels have vowed revenge for the chemical attack.
In this case, the age old saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ doesn’t apply. That’s why the Syrian atrocities have been allowed to continue without proper intervention for so long.
It is very unlikely that western forces have used chemical weapons against civilians in a false flag event as an excuse to go to war.
it is a mere coincidence that the insurgents from Jordan who had been undertaking chemical weapons training with UK/US asymmetric instructors, entered the area 4 days prior along with the simultaneous bombings of mosques in the Lebanon.
Not a very reputable source Poission. The article states the U.S. training to Syrian rebels was in anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons…nothing about chemical weapons training.
These soldiers have been getting trained since at least 2012. They have not been deployed into the area just before the chemical weapon attack occurred. Your long bow appears to have snapped!
you are so quick to jump to judgement there jackal..and are peddling american empire spin..
..some facts for you..
..those attacked were in damascus..(ie..under the control of assads’ troops..)
..the assad regime..had asked for the un inspectors to come back into syria..in an attempt to clear the previous allegations against them..
..and they actually arrived in the country the day before this attack..
..so to accept your yapping along with the views of the dogs of war..
..we have to believe the assad regime launched a chemical-weapons-attack..on their own people/supporters..
..the day after un inpectors..there at the request of the assad regimeto clear their name of previous allegations..arrived in the country to investigate..
Actually, the chemical weapon attack happened in Eastern Ghouta. That’s an area with strong opposition leanings, and is a major supply route to the front lines in the fighting in east Damascus.
I don’t see any Syrian regime soldiers amongst those wounded or dying?
There are war atrocities occurring phillip ure. Negotiations have completely failed. How do you propose to stop those atrocities against civilians from occurring if NATO isn’t to intervene?
Is that just a slip of the tongue there P’s b? Don’t include New Zealand or me or those around me in that “west” thanks. That “west” are a bunch of war-mongering murderers just like ghengis khan, the british empire, hitler’s attempts, te rauparaha, or any other prick intent on expansion or grabbing what belongs to someone else. i.e. pretty much every arsehole human who has ever lived.
When you talk of the US or the UK or the French, that is them, it is not “us”.
Why on earth would “we” consider doing god knows what in Syria?
Why would you express that thought in that way?
What on earth was going through your mind when you tapped that?
Why didn’t “we” do something to stop the atrocity that was Iraq? Or Afghanistan?
When the western govts intervene via nato or something else, as far as I’\m concerned that’s ‘western intervention’. I might not approve, you might not. But it’s still the west.
It’s not wrong to say ‘the US’ invaded Iraq because Michael Moore opposed it.
But if an argument is being made that NATO, or whoever, should intervene, but we shouldn’t, then that’s just cowardice.
Why the fuck should anyonebe advocating that some other buggers should fix something?
Personally, I think Syria is a clusterfuck. But that doesn’t change
a) what’s happening,
b) what people in the west reckon when it hits there teevee screens, or
c) the pressure that puts on our governments.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the complications:
What I’m saying is, before we ‘do something’ we should have a clear idea of what we want to achieve, what that would take, and think about whether or not we’re prepared to do that.
I reckon the answer to that final question is “no”. So we shouldn’t do anything because we won’t be able to do anything good.
I see what you’re trying to say, sort of… but this doesn’t necessarily follow at all “But if an argument is being made that NATO, or whoever, should intervene, but we shouldn’t, then that’s just cowardice. ”
Why would that follow?
Other countries take full advantage of their advantages, be they geographical or military or something else, and so should we. We live right at the end of the world ffs, not in the middle east. We can afford to stay well out of pretty much everything and so we should. There is also far smaller case to be made for ‘standing next to your mates’ than is nearly always made out.
Ffs, the British were going to abandon us to the Japs in WWII. The same pommy bastards also failed to stand by us following our most recent terrorist attack by the French government in the centre of bloody Auckland. And then they had the further gall to harangue us over not standing next to them over the Salman Rusdie death threats.
Friends like that we do not need.
Are there any factual acts by the poms (for example) to counter those fact acts which point to them never standing next to us in the same way? I would like to hear them if they exist….
Yeah well, it’s opinion. But I reckon that if someone is making a moral argument that someone has to send their youth off to to die in a meat grinder to prevent something from happening, then it follows that they should support sending their own youth.
Can’t see how you can get form ‘x is bad and must be stopped’, to ‘so therefore those guys should sacrifice to stop it but not me’.
“if someone is making a moral argument that someone has to send their youth off to to die in a meat grinder to prevent something from happening, then it follows that they should support sending their own youth”
True completely, perhaps we were talking across each others bows.
But, curiousity, you seem to have a pretty good grasp of things international – what do you think of the point just above regarding the poms treatment of us relative to our treatment of them since, well, probably Gallipoli if not before… or since forever actually…
A couple of recent posts highlighted the fact that what is here in NZ from England is the Crown, nothing else. And the Crown is its own entity separate from the british people and certainly entirely separate from us people here. So much so that ‘our’ armed forces are not ours at all and belong to the crown and serve to look after that crown first and foremost (this has been demonstrated too as I understand it – during the Fiji coup where ‘directions’ from lange were ignored because they had not come from the crown (i.e. G-G)).
..and are you seriously telling me..that from your keyboard wherever..you are able to discern fact from spin..
Which is essentially what you’re also doing phillip ure.
The initial retarded argument was that because Bush lied about WMD’s, that automatically makes the reports about the Syrian regime killing Syrian’s with chemical weapons lies as well.
You might note that Germany was also under the control of the Nazi’s when they committed similar atrocities against Polish, Romany and Jewish people in Germany. The area of control has very little significance compared to the people in it.
Your argument is that the Syrian regime categorically hasn’t used chemical weapons on civilians in Eastern Ghouta. Mine is that they likely have, mainly because the rebels wouldn’t kill their own families.
I’ve seen no evidence that western operatives or those they’ve trained have killed hundreds of innocent civilians in Syria with chemical weapons just to initiate a war. You have nothing to base such an argument on apart from historic references to western agent provocateurs.
Let’s wait and see what the UN inspectors have to say eh!
“The initial retarded argument was that because Bush lied about WMD’s, that automatically makes the reports about the Syrian regime killing Syrian’s with chemical weapons lies as well.”
It was no such argument at all actually mr jackal, if you had read carefully…. it was a question, around an organisations credibility when its credibility has proved to be non-existent in the past. Like anything John Key says. kapiche?
And I just love the way that folk seemingly in touch with the details of who what where in some far flung war torn land equate that ‘knowledge’ with some superior understanding of the human condition and its history (rolly eyes thingy..)
The US and the west in general has zero appetite for getting involved. Countries act in their percieved best interest right? So what interest is there in getting dragged into that clusterfuck? What would they be hoping to achieve, and how could they eventually get the outcome they would want?
The US simply can’t afford to deploy the forces necessary to control the outcome, particulalrly given that the war isn’t contained within Syria.
Far more likely is that Assad recognises that NATO isn’t going to do anything more than fire a few missiles (which in the context of a civil war isn’t all that scary) and has decided to use chems for about the only thing they are good for; Scaring the shit out his opponents’ civilian base.
The US and the west in general has zero appetite for getting involved. Countries act in their percieved best interest right? So what interest is there in getting dragged into that clusterfuck?
Any discussion on Western motives and interests in the ME needs to include two words: Israel, and Iran.
and has decided to use chems for about the only thing they are good for; Scaring the shit out his opponents’ civilian base.
Assad has been making good military gains using plain old conventional means. Going to unconventional warfare is neither helpful nor necessary to his cause.
This of course is speculation and doesn’t mean that he didn’t do it, or that out of control elements in his military didn’t do it.
“Assad has been making good military gains using plain old conventional means. ”
In some areas, and losing ground in other areas. But the insurgency is still raging. The idea that either side is on the ascendency is pretty weak. Using chems sends a signal that no one is coming to help his opponents and that he can do what he wants.
The US approved the shipment of heavy arms to the rebels a couple of months ago and has also been moving carrier groups into the area. Israel has also launched several airstrikes against Assad facilities. I think those are pretty clear signs of help for Assad’s opponents.
But a) that’s vastly different from wanting to be involved in a shooting war, and b) they did so after umming and ahing for over a year, and c) Israel’s actions are not aimed at ‘helping the rebels’ but at detering Assad from trying to use attacks on Israel to bloster support.
And carrier groups are used for airstrikes, which are coming and will achieve 2/5 of fuck all in Syria, but will stop western calls to ‘do something’.
Read the KB post and comments on this ‘expose’ last night when TS was down – and still cannot decide whether I am gobsmacked – or really just don’t care.
Still, it will be interesting to see what Key has to say – and the general public – when it goes mainstream news here!
Comment from Facebook says it better than the Daily Mail ever could:
“Must have a publicist, this is derivative crap that has been done better so many times before, fucking rich kids “look at me” moment, will get art pimp soon”
Yes, the Paris College of Art is totally risking its reputation by promoting at Paris Design Week a student whose work is terrible just because her daddy is the premier of a country they don’t give a fuck about.
That is a completely plausible situation. The idea that tastes in art may vary is blasphemy.
That’s a bit simplistic, the wealthy and powerful always pass some of that on to their children no matter how old or what gender. They carry the mantle and only with a violent effort can they throw it off.
hmmmmm. i didn’t think the picture was at all erotic in any sense at all …more clumsy and cartoonish so it never occurred to me. i thought it was a kind of pun about the only time he needed to use his panic room … maybe I’m wrong.
If Cunliffe wanted to play the long devious game he could
not enter race stating he wants to help unify the party
say he supports Robertson
solidifies his reputation with the public at large by churning out reasonable press releases, interviews, backing Robertson etc etc
Because Labour under Robertson would lose the next election he could then (regretfully and with great humility of course) step up and accept the leadership of the Labour party and almost guarantee being the PM of NZ in 2017
Whereas even if he becomes leader of Labour its not that certain Labour will win the next election…
Granted Labour has a better chance under Cunliffe than Robertson but might be a better option for Cunliffe to play healer rather than leader
I have been getting my comments wiped when I have made a reply. Error… I hadn’t put my details – but I had. And usually I don’t need to as I am greeted with them in the identity window. This is a new comment and I have the identity window with my details showing. So does making a reply more likely to result in rejection?
I just mention it in case anybody has had difficulty. Off to do the chores anyway. Perhaps the system provides a comment lock to stop over-use sort of like a diet control on the refrigerator!!
Anyway CV what I was trying to do was thank you for a very clear explanation on the direction from which Labour has moved and the change that has resulted. (Would interest everyone on here –
see 26/8/13 Robertson throws his hat in ring Colonial Viper …
26 Aug 2013 at1:26am
(He has really been burning the after-midnight oil.)
I picked up a book at random – Death of a Cad MC Beaton. And came on this piece which seems to echo CV’s comments on the liberal elite and their broken connection with the working class. The playwright Henry Withering…was beloved by the Communists, Trotskyites, Marxists, and Liberals. To them, he was what they wanted most, a genuine ex-Eton schoolboy, son of a landed family who had opted to join the class war.
Yesterday’s public meeting in Johnsonville, “No more Dunne deals”, hosted by Ohariu People Power went really well. There was a reasonable turnout and the speakers were fantastic. They covered four aspects of Dunne’s influential voting on bills that have passed and bills yet to be passed.
Adi Leason, one of the Ploughshares 3 that brought down the Waihopai spy domes spoke about the GCSB, and his personal experience of that day, the trial and other events. What a privilege to hear this humble and easy going man speak. I’ve always admired and respected what they did.
Helen Kelly spoke about the current employment law changes. One thing that stood out to me was the way in which Helen explained how the govt has manipulated the narrative around the worker – boss relationship, how they have used this time of unemployment and job insecurity as leverage against the worker and created a feeling that the worker should be grateful for work, no matter how appalling the conditions or pay. “you’ll accept what you’re given and be grateful” sort of thing. She spoke of the narrative that the employer is seen as being a charity provider and how this power imbalance creates a climate in which such draconian law can be past with greater ease. (my understanding of Helen’s words, not an actual quote)
Ian (didn’t catch his last name) from the Salvation Army spoke of the SkyCity deal and how this will affect their most vulnerable clients who are gambling addicts and talked of the rise of cases of gambling addiction in NZ over the years and gambling’s link with poverty and family break down.
John Maynard, president of the Postal Worker’s Union and one of the organisers of O.P.P spoke of the TPPA and gave some back ground about their work around asset sales opposition.
It look s like there will be a follow up meeting in two weeks to discuss idea’s around further activity. Being fairly new to this electorate I left feeling more hopeful, and uplifted. There was a sense of that positive constructive anger arising from the audience, that you sometimes feel at meetings such as this.
If you missed this meeting and you live in this electorate and would like to get involved check out this:
No worries karol. There was a lot more to the meeting but unfortunately I forgot my notebook and only had the back of a tiny shopping list to scrawl notes on. Thanks to authors/mods of the Standard for allowing me to discuss it…..another blog never replied to my request to post the meeting info…….
Also, big ups to all those busy people around the country quietly going about their activist work and political/social activities in general. I wonder how much work goes under the radar. Am starting to reconsider my facebook ban as I think there is info there that I’m missing out on.
I find facebook useful. Provided you remember that it is a completely public forum beloved by (amongst others) jonolists and creeps like Whaleoil and Judith Collins you won’t have a problem. I also find it useful for bringing certain people’s blood pressure to the explosive level with some barbed comments that someone will forward to the recipient…
“I also find it useful for bringing certain people’s blood pressure to the explosive level with some barbed comments that someone will forward to the recipient…”
Chuckle:-)
I do recall you mentioning the usefulness of facebook to another commenter a while ago who was wanting to find sources of info and news. Hmm. Might have to consider getting over my hang ups with fb, part of which is creepy lurkers such as you mention.
i don’t live in the electorate but did think of coming over for that meeting, my suggestion, if you have access to a photocopier and paper, start a guerilla campaign of letterbox anti-Dunne leafleting,
You don’t necessarily have to ‘do’ the whole of the electorate in the one hit, so a few packets of copy paper will go a long way until you can access your next supply….
Thats a good idea bad12. I wonder to what degree the residents of the electorate know or care about the list of Dunne’s ill’s. If not they need educating via leaflet drops, maybe posters, and by other means, what ever they may be. He still continues to be talked up in the local free papers, so there needs to a be counter to that.
It’s a large and relatively conservative electorate it seems, with a mix of wealth and genuine poverty. (just in my neighbourhood theres a sharp contrast between wealth and poverty, but entire suburbs seem to have either an affluent, average of poor vibe going on) Hope to learn more from the more long term residents of the area at the next meeting.
Rosie, talking of Dunne’s electorate i just got back from a little mission out Johnsonville way, to your question whether the average head in the Ohariu electorate cares i am ever the optimist,
At one time Ohariu was said to be the most monied and most degreed electorate in New Zealand, whether this still holds true isn’t a matter i have put much research into, but as you probably know Ohariu could be said to be one of the crucial electorates along with Epsom for National at the 2014 election,
The beauty of an anti-Dunne campaign in Ohariu is that while crucial that seat does not need to elect a Labour representative in order to topple this National Government, a National representative being elected in Ohariu could well spell the death of the present National Government,
i have been there befor, in the Ohariu electorate with a nasty little piece of politicing after the 1991 National benefit cuts, with a crew of 6 we managed to leaflet most of the electorate with what could be best described as an extremely nasty piece of anti-National Party propoganda, in a single day,
How ‘well’ we did with our little Ohariu campaign i cannot scientifically judge and Lolz, in a life is stranger than fiction twist of fate i am now hoping that Dunne is toppled in 2014 and am only slightly concerned that with the departure of Charles Chauvel National could win the seat…
Interesting bad12. (Supreme effort with your leafleting back in ’91 as well!)
I agree that the priority is to get rid of Dunne in 2014, he is the thorn in the side of NZ. In saying that, Katrina Shanks NAT, came third behind CC in the last two elections, so maybe it’s possible with a really good candidate Labour may be able to win it.
Would Epsom ever dump ACT, my opinion, Yes in the blink of an eye if Banks fails to get the ‘nod’ from Slippery the Prime Minister in another ‘chimps tea party’ akin to the fiasco of 2011,
Given a free rein to campaign a National candidate is likely to wipe the floor with the abysmal Banks although there has to be many in that electorate with enough smarts to know that a National win in that seat,(as well as Ohariu), would leave National struggling to form a Government,
The arithmetic based upon the 2011 election numbers says that if National candidates were to win both those seats they would have the same number of seats in the house as they have now, made up of +2 electorate MP’s and -2 List MP’s,
With regards to Ohariu, perhaps as another commenter suggested a David Cunliffe lead Labour Party can entice Charles Chauvel back from the UN…
Hooten this morning
“Cunliffe with his extremist environmental views”.
Comment please – Is this correct? What are they? Extreme, measured against what? Is it exaggerated and mischievous comment from Trumpet?
Is it a putdown to make Cunliffe sound flaky to the rabid do-nothings-environmentally on the right?
Hooton is a joke, he panders out the latest line from a right wing think tank. You know you can’t trust anything he says, one way or other, because he attacks himself. for example, when undermining the anti-GSCB debate he said only politically activists watch Campbell live, and care about privacy. I can think of a whole list of non-activist groups very wary of government encroachment from the far right, business, to criminal gangs, who most particularly won’t be watching campbell live.
You’re still paying attention to what Hollow Matthew says? You think it has any substantial basis?
Translated, the lying shill is saying that the Right is crapping themselves because they know Cunliffe will probably be Labour leader, and they know he can kick the shit out of them.
Key is now familiar to the country and his liar mentality is all to ever present to many. Labour lost a lot of votes, people want more than tinkering badly at the edges just too look like he Key is doing something. The case is clear, NZ reliance on food exports alone, in a world when increasing added value means everyone on the food chain has to be paid well, is hardly going to be led by a man who does not believe in paying living wages. An integrated world economy means better models of redistribution of wealth than we have yet to see. Neither, Saudi welfare, or neo-liberal non-welfare models are efficient or stable.
Just read that speech. Strikes me as reasonably hard headed and honest – within the obvious limitations of a social democratic context. It’s the Hooten’s of the world who are reckless and extremist. Fuck them.
As Cunliffe says in that speech in relation to achieving necessary change/shifts in perception in spite of vested interests and their insistence of a the three monkey mentality (see, hear and speak no ‘evil’) ;-
… is it possible to take on the bastards and win? Yes it is. Who gains when we do this? Everyone.
“Hooten this morning
“Cunliffe with his extremist environmental views”.”
The environmental extremists in New Zealand would have to be people who willingly eat the environment today rather than nurture it to provide for today and tomorrow.
The environmental extremist tag belongs firmly with the right wing and especially this National government.
Calling the greens arrogant and a ‘fringe’ party, what a cheek. Apparently 15% is fringe yet he wasn’t labelling nzfirst or act as fringe. He clearly would prefer Labour won outright or work with wintson rather than having the greens in coalition.
I think he’s scared to see the Greens in government, become popular with the NZ public and therefore destroy any chances of future National/right-wing governments.
I think what’s holding the greens down around 12-13% in the polls is the idea that they’re crazy nutters; something that Key tries to reinforce every chance he gets. I don’t think they’re crazy nutters, and once they get into government they can prove it.
bad12
You do take the tone here down more than a peg (of whisky perhaps). /sarc
A peg is an informal unit of measurement of alcoholic spirits; it is similar to a jigger more used in cocktails.) All good fodder for binding politicians together and loosening political restraints. A few, plus a few more, and everything will seem possible. Everything except what is most needed in our society and that is restraints on drinking hours and bottle stores and sale points.
On this good news day, here is another piece .. never thought I would be thanking the tobacco companies for delaying TPPA until next year !! It’s stuck — maybe we can have another chance now stub it out for good .. especially with David Cunliffe in charge …
Indeed, the chair of yesterdays public meeting in J’ville, Sandra Grey, jokingly said you can bypass the prying eyes of the spy’s under the new GCSB Act AND save the postal service at the same by posting all your communications in the mail!
Roads are built for cars, pavements for pedestrians. A basic right to life should be afforded cyclists, since we build pavements, roads, to best protect walkers and road users. Its wrong to allow cyclists to cycle on dual carriageways, or past parked cars whose doors fly out. State highways should be for heavy freight, not for cyclists. Pavements should have speed limits for cyclists, i.e. running speed of a professional runner. Road furniture, signage, should be removed as technology allows, and city centers become car deserts. As a cyclist to see cyclist in Australia on a three lane carriageway was shocking, what are they thinking, that is so dumb. Hilly roads should never have a cycle lane, its absurd, counter to the purpose of a bicycle, low energy movement. New thoroughfares should be built for the needs of cyclists.
That has to be the stance of someone who doesn’t mind if Labour gets to form the next govt or not. Maybe he likes being in opposition. Does he get paid more if he gets to be Deputy?
A group of disgruntled red-zone residents, calling themselves the Quake Outcasts and Fowler Developments Limited, have won their High Court battle against the Government over the Crown’s offer for their land.
The Quake Outcasts group, representing about 40 residents, sought a judicial review of the Government’s compensation policy for red-zoned land. They called the offer an “abuse of power”.
A High Court decision from Justice Graham Panckhurst, released this afternoon, sided with the residents and criticised both Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) chief executive Roger Sutton for their part in the issue.
Brownlee says government will be appealing. If this wasn’t such a compelling defeat then maybe we could accept this. But it is a compelling decision and government shouldn’t be appealing. Government will lose this case at the Court of Appeal, that’s fine, but what’s next is legislation. When this government loses anything in the courts it legislates to overturn the result it doesn’t agree with. That’s not right because the more this happens the weaker our democracy becomes. In this case we’ve got average struggling people who’ve done average things like buy a bit of land, who’ve then been treated unfairly. That’s clear. This government then wants to change this to ensure these people are treated unfairly. It’s as if the government thinks it’s there to defeat citizens, not represent their interests. This just cannot be a society that anyone would want to live in – where government wants to oppose or destroy anything that’s good for it’s citizens. It’s as if government has declared war on its people.
Native Affairs right now – if there’s one thing that makes me puke it’s the fabulously botoxed and face-worked Tamakis, male and female, dining out on being Maori !
And as for the Bogus Bishop’s prideful raving about being invited to the US by Martin Luther King’s daughter (was it the daughter, Bernadine ?), I saw her the other night on TV lambasting all the
evil “-isms” and the “-ias” – homophobia being one of her targets.
Wonder if she’s aware of the homophobia and the hatred by which the Bogus Bishop remunerates himself so handsomely ?
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
Another year, and the government has announced another enormous government "surplus". And just like last year, its nothing of the sort. When we have people homeless and sick and hungry, when we have schools and hospitals still falling down, when we have underpaid public servants and infrastucture unmaintained or unbuilt, ...
James Forsyth at The Spectator (I know, I know) has tapped one of his contacts inside Number Ten for an insight into the Johnson administration's thinking and strategy.It is fascinating, unsettling and quite, quite mad. Some key points:Negotiations have stalled and the Johnson administration are keen to blame the EU: ...
Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
Another round of tactical talks about forming a Government of National Unity have come to nothing with the Liberal Democrats still refusing countenance putting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street:Opposition talks on Monday made little headway over when to try and vote down Boris Johnson's government and who might succeed him as ...
by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Press release by Speak Up For Women Lesbians from women’s rights group Speak Up For Women are furious at reports that Rainbow Tick are threatening Massey University with the removal of their ‘tick’ if they let the group’s event go ahead. The group has been under attack from trans ...
By Duncan Garner Before you jump down my throat, nobody cares about the environment more than me. I have a garden, and since my wife and I broke up, I’ve let it grow wildly out of control, so please don’t tell me I’m not doing enough for plants. They’re ten ...
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today announced Major General Evan Williams of the New Zealand Defence Force has been selected as the commander of a significant, longstanding peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. In December, Major General Williams takes over as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers ...
A record number of nurses are now working to deliver health services to New Zealanders as the Government’s increased funding and new initiatives rebuild key workforces start to show results, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. • 1458 more DHB nurses since the Government took office • 106 more midwives ...
Farmer and former Nuffield scholar Mel Poulton has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, announced today. The position supports key Government objectives, including raising the value of New Zealand agricultural goods and services. Mel is ...
New Zealand’s Pacific and Māori voyaging heritage is acknowledged and celebrated today as waka of the Tuia 250 voyage flotilla arrive in Tūranga / Gisborne. “Today we celebrate Tangata Whenua, the first people of Aotearoa, and the triumphs of the voyaging tradition that brought our ancestors here from Polynesia 1000 ...
“Fijian Language Week starts on Sunday and the theme reminds us how important it is that we each have something to anchor ourselves to, something that can help us pause and feel in control in a rapidly changing world,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “Family, culture, faith, ...
The Government is establishing an Airspace Integration Trials Programme to support the safe testing and development of advanced unmanned aircraft and accelerate their integration into the aviation system, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods announced today. The Government will work with leading, innovative aviation industry partners to test and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...
By Michael Andrew and Sri Krishnamurthi The true story of one of the Pacific’s great waka builders and sailor has been captured in a stirring and visually gripping documentary. Loimata: The Sweetest Tears follows the final years of Ema Siope, a Samoan born kiwi who endured a tumultuous past ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Around one-third of Australians living with hepatitis C have been cured in the last four years. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is ...
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Image AsiaPacificReport.nz/RNZ.Commentators across the political spectrum seem to agree – the Labour-led Government’s popularity is being damaged by its failure to deliver in Jacinda Ardern’s self-proclaimed “Year of Delivery”. Instead, the delivery of bad news to Labour and the Government has come in ...
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Polls Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern now dependent on Peters Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern still standing, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Austin, Professor UNSW Canberra Cyber, UNSW This is part of a new series looking at the national security challenges facing Australia, how our leaders are responding to them and how these measures are impacting society. Read other stories in the series ...
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government’s first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people. Seven months later, the second tranche of this process ...
The nine members for the next three year term of the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB) for Auckland have been appointed by the statutory Selection Body. Their appointments begin on 1 November 2019 and continue to 31 October 2022. Mana Whenua ...
“If we are truly to solve the challenge of poverty within the Te Ao Maori world we must lift our people from the low wage and low skills growth side of the economy. At the same time we must continue to ensure our people, no matter where they are, ...
Alex Casey asks Rose Stewart from Family Planning every single question she can think of about New Zealand’s new free IUDs. Listen up, womb-owners who love free shit and long-term contraceptive options: Pharmac announced that they will be fully funding two new long-lasting, reversible contraceptives in New Zealand from November 1, ...
Patients are increasingly being turned away for treatment and there can be no more excuses from the Government over properly funding district health boards to boost specialist numbers in public hospitals, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ...
Today’s Council of Trade Unions’ report, Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness , provides a much-needed pathway to fair wages and conditions across several major industries, and the Government must deliver on its promise to introduce FPAs ...
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the four years since the Paris climate agreement was adopted, countries have debated the fine print of how emissions reduction should be tracked and ...
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...
In recent weeks Responsible Campers Association Incorporated (RCAi) has become involved in some high level discussions about our right to camp. This began out of discussion about the disabled who which to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. ...
In their quest for a cashless society the Japanese have beaten New Zealand to its own next-gen shopping experience.New Zealanders are missing out to the Japanese on a Kiwi technology that is set to eliminate supermarket queues.The first store to implement the SmartCart cashierless shopping system will be in Osaka, ...
If you don’t like Shortland Street, or you’re unconvinced that Michael Galvin actually is a doctor, does that mean all New Zealand television is rubbish? Some say yes. Tara Ward says an emphatic no. The world is our TV oyster, but lately it seems not everyone in Godzone is feeling the ...
The National Party is accusing the Immigration Minister of a "Sroubek 2.0" after revelations he granted residence to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions. ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu urges the Crown to ensure that the Establishment Board of the newly formed Institute of Skills and Technology meets its Treaty obligations and addresses the statutory role of iwi as Treaty partners in redesigning the education ...
The top-selling food magazine in New Zealand is closing its print operation. Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide‘s former editor, reflects on the challenges the title faced.The news that after 14 years and 176 issues Healthy Food Guide magazine is closing its print operation came as a shock to some. It ...
A unique deal saw Sky buy the rugby rights and sell some of itself to NZ Rugby. Trevor McKewen breaks down what it all means.The news came thick and fast over a remarkable five-day corporate slugfest, starting last Thursday. First, Spark Sport struck, gobbling up New Zealand Cricket’s domestic broadcasting ...
In what’s thought to be the last piece of writing Peter Wells completed before he died, he wonders about his great-grandfather, and the locket he wore all his life. ‘The Story of a Locket’ is published in part here, and features in the extraordinary collection of essays Queer Objects, released this ...
Relationship expert Holly Dixon explains why the entire Married at First Sight franchise is based on bunk science.As the third MAFS NZ season has come to an end, I thought it relevant to answer the question upon which the entire MAFS enterprise is built: Is it possible to predict attraction and ...
SkyCity Casino workers will be on strike and picketing today as Rob Campbell, the Chair of SkyCity Casino talks to other employers about making pay fair at a “Wellbeing at Work” conference today. ...
He was the prototypical high school nerd, hanging on Don Brash’s every word. Then the financial world turned upside down. This is the story of how Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr became a most unconventional economist.In 2008, Jarrod Kerr was working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia when the global financial crisis ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriela D’Souza, Affiliate, Monash department of business statistics and econometrics, Monash University For most people the second week in October probably doesn’t hold much promise. Longer days for some, perhaps. But for those is us in the economics profession, come the second ...
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...
A monument to Winston Peters and Think Big projects would both boost the economy, but Argentina learned the hard way they can also impoverish a nation, writes Tony Burton.Everyone who loves New Zealand should visit Argentina. There are more similarities than you might think – large areas of wild natural ...
The Salvation Army foodbank in Waitakere ran out of food last week; an indication of the strain many New Zealand whanau are under as they struggle to afford the cost of living. Wednesday, October 16 is World Food Day, and as demand for services offered ...
Phil Goff was re-elected by a huge margin on Saturday. How will he put that mandate to use this term? Hayden Donnell asks the questions.Phil Goff is once again Auckland’s mayor. Preliminary local election results show him with a lead of nearly 100,000 votes over his nearest challenger, John Tamihere. ...
Catherine Bindon from Ban the Boom has created these colourful and positive posters for you to use to show you don't support the use of fireworks in your neighbourhood over the next few weeks distressing our animals and birds. ...
On Tuesday morning the Operation Burnham inquiry hearing resumed after it was suspended three weeks ago. The hearing is being held at Royal Society of New Zealand, 11 Turnbull St, Thorndon, Wellington on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland It’s not uncommon for science and religion to be framed as two opposing forces. The Catholic church has famously struggled to accommodate scientific research in its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cat Pausé, Senior Lecturer in Human Development, Massey University The British Psychological Society is calling for changes for how we talk about fatness, suggesting we should no longer use the phrase “obese people”, but instead, “people with obesity” or “people living with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The federal government’s much-vaunted Snowy Hydro expansion is supposed to smooth out the bumps in electricity supply as Australia transitions to renewables. But not only is the project a bad deal for taxpayers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By María Yanotti, Lecturer of Economics and Finance Tasmanian School of Business & Economics, University of Tasmania The housing market is moving again. In the past month, national prices have climbed 0.9%. What matters most to buyers (and especially to investors), along with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, University of Melbourne It seems appropriate that a painting titled Feng Shui dominates the new exhibition of Guan Wei’s work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Matthews, Lecturer in Digital Media and Popular Culture Researcher, Auckland University of Technology According to a recent study, the sixth leading cause of death for young men in the United States is the warranted and unwarranted use of police force. With ...
The Council of Trade Unions has today released its report - Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness . The report details the six key principles needed for Fair Pay Agreements to deliver real change for working people, and democratic agreements ...
Too many New Zealanders endure poor working conditions in jobs that don’t pay enough and offer few opportunities for career progression, and the union movement is calling for change. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the latest polls which show a drop in support for Labour are not a concern when it comes to forming a government. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A pair of polls put pressure on the Labour Party, a wild night of weather in the North Island, and Shane Jones snapped brandishing a semi-automatic.Parliament resumes today after a fortnight recess, and MPs were given a welcome-back present in ...
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...
Given the vast impacts that poor diet have had on global health, a deficit in nutrition education in medicine represents a big problem, writes Dr Jennifer Crowley. ...
Any time Olympian Luuka Jones needs advice or encouragement in her pursuit of more canoe slalom success, she doesn’t have to look far. Jones’ coach, Campbell Walsh, is also her partner. ...
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...
The Wellington suburb’s successful opposition to a proposed Bottle-O shows how the system is biased towards communities with the organisation, capacity and resources to protest effectively, says Jenesa Jeram.For those unfamiliar with Wellington geography, Khandallah is a Very Nice place to live (Aucklanders: think Remuera). So when it was reported ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conducted an inquiry into mortgage pricing as recently as last year. Now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has asked it to do another, broader one, in order to ensure the banks’ ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsThe results of the local government elections appear to show that New Zealanders are generally supportive of a more diverse range of representatives, having voted in greater numbers for candidates from traditionally under-represented groups. The elections have therefore modernised our councils in a small but very significant ...
The Inquiry has today published Minute No 21. This Minute sets out how the Inquiry intends to proceed given that the Attorney-General the Hon David Parker has agreed to extend the Inquiry’s reporting date by three months to 31 March 2020. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Skrzypiec, Senior Lecturer, Flinders University Many Australian students don’t know the difference between banter and bullying, with some saying they joke about wishing their friend would “drown” or “die in a car crash”. More than 800 Australian students aged 11-16 took ...
But he did play a crucial role in helping journeyman Andy Foster knock over Justin Lester. Team Gone By Lunchtime size up the local elections, gaze plaintively at the dramas in the NZ First Party, and ask how bad the new poll is for Jacinda Ardern.Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and ...
In the fifth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect Artificial Intelligence has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ben Reid, executive director of the AI Forum, about the role of government in embracing and regulating AI.Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below.To ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Local government Henry Cooke (Stuff): How to lose an election: Over-promise or under-deliver Simon Collins ...
By RNZ Pacific A Solomon Islands province has agreed to lease a large island to a Chinese developer to develop into a special economic zone, weeks after the country opened diplomatic ties with China. But already cracks abound; there has been no official announcement and the provincial premier says the ...
Open mike 26/08/2013 
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...8 hours ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...9 hours ago
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...10 hours ago
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...15 hours ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...4 days ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...5 days ago
https://mailchi.mp/7d9133add053/closing-the-gap-october-2019-newsletter ...5 days ago
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...6 days ago
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...2 weeks ago
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...10 hours ago
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...11 hours ago
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...3 hours ago
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...6 hours ago
The proceeds from the sale of Trump-style "Make Ardern Go Away" hats are being used to promote far right Facebook pages. ...7 hours ago
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Jones has declared, every race needs an outsider!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11114293
A strange seeming ‘flip-flop’ from Shane Jones who as early as Friday was reported as saying that He didn’t see Himself as Leader of the Party,
Having entered the Parliament with big wraps based around His Oxford University education Jones hasn’t impressed and His time on the front Bench under David Shearer made Him conspicuous only by His deafening silence,
Could He match it in the House with Slippery the Prime Minister, my opinion would say No and Slippery would simply make Him a laughing stock by ruthlessly exploiting Jone’s ‘baggage’,
In a contest where everyone could be said to have ‘a chance’ i would be so rude as to give Shane Jones none…
agreed, that’s what I thought he said too. Is this his way of projecting that HE doesn’t see himself as leader but others do so he is being a good team player????
He’s there to take votes off Cunliffe, thereby increasing Robertson’s chances. Don’t think it will work, but shows there is still an anti-Cunliffe mindset with the ABCer’s who are not yet ready to let that go.
You are on the money, Kenny.
Jones has no chance but does have a price.
The ABCs are buying votes with promises.
There are a number of MPs who need a high list position if they are to get back into Parliament, They are the ones who are in the pocket of Robertson.
This is something I would like to know: will the numbers of votes from the caucus, unions and members be made public? It would be quite outrageous if, say, two thirds of the members were overridden by two thirds of the caucus and just over half of the union vote. This would deepen divisions rather than heal them. At the same time, refusing to publish the results would breed mistrust. There are supposed to be 10 days of public meetings, and a caucus genuinely seeking unity would pay close attention to the members’ responses at those meetings.
“It would be quite outrageous if, say, two thirds of the members were overridden by two thirds of the caucus and just over half of the union vote.”
No it wouldn’t. That’s the rules of the game.
It may however prove divisive at a time when unity is desired, and lend evidence to claims that Labour politicians are out of touch with their members.
“will the numbers of votes from the caucus, unions and members be made public?”
No, according to Mike Williams on Nine to Noon this morning.
Thanks Weka – I did not listen to the radio this morning.
It’s a STV situation where people vote for their first and second preference. If people vote first-preference for Shane and he comes 3rd in the race, his votes are distributed to the 2nd preference nominated by his voters. So ultimately it doesn’t change the race.
So if one doesn’t want him to win, is it better to not rank Jones on the voting paper at all, or to put him as far down the list as possible?
Make him 3rd preference.
only if an incomplete ballot invalidates the vote (i.e. all those wonderfuls who’d put a name in the top slot and leave the rest of the form blank).
Lanth, you will have to have patience to explain that to the myriad of commenters who see Jone’s in the election only as part of the dark plotting of the ABCer’s…
Personally I don’t see Shane entering as an ABC plot, but merely him wanting to get the Deputy position.
I think if Cunliffe wins he’ll give it to Grant, but if Grant wins there’s a good chance he’d give it to Shane.
Apparently caucus chooses the deputy.
Yes, but I think that’s more of a negotiation, rather than either the leader or the caucus choosing someone without regards for what the other wants.
He made a good point, that the labour party lost a huge chunk of its vote, and having a much more pro-active leadership – like him – would attract back those voters. As a green voter I agree, labour would do better, but under Shearer-Robertson the Labour party has been a wet fish. So the question is, whose to be Cunliffe’s deputy?
“Jones’ hat in ring
List MP Shane Jones is entering the race for the Labour leadership, saying he believes he can attract blue-collar workers back to the fold.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11114293
If he wins, a disaster for progressive politics in New Zealand.
Jones is a not an Electorate MP.
Jones lacks the strength the comes from fighting, winning and holding a seat.
Jones would be a disaster for the Labour Party.
@ Boadicea….plus Jones wouldnt attract the 50% women vote
And fairly bland, poli-speak, cliched performances from both Jones and Robertson on Firstline this morning.
God spare us! Still – I’ve already decided to put my vote elsewhere, so the outcome of the contest is really a question of whether or not Labour will get either a party or electorate vote back (bearing in mind I’m in Robertson’s electorate).
if you think they were a dire pair of clowns on firstline..go to the radio nz website..and listen to their appearances on nine-to-noon..
..despite being asked repeatedly about policies to differentiate from national..
..robertson said:..’oh..!..we’ve got lots..!’..then he said..’i haven’t got any specific ones for you..but we will be rolling them out..’..
..and the rest of it was just wall-to-wall unadulterated aspirational bullshit..
..and yes..of course jones is there at the bidding of the right in labour..
..it is an attempt to muddy the waters of what is an otherwise clear two-horse race..
..and i hafta say..having seen robertson on both firstline and nine-to-noon..i am totally over him..
..and electing such a non-person as leader of the labour party will be a disaster/cluster-fuck of epic proportions..for labour..
..and will provide a major vote-burst for both the green party..and mana..
..so if that is what labour wants..?..that is what they will get with robertson..
..phillip ure..
It’s obvious. The devious, “no-show” Jones is there to game the preferences process, to (the ABCs’ hope) Cunliffe’s disadvanatge.
As for this “blue collar” bullshit, in reality the man’s a pompous, right leaning elitist cynically selling illusions.
Is it just me or is Shane Jones a bit of a misogynist? Doesn’t he mistake careless put-downs for plain speech? Didn’t I hear him refer to women as geldings during the “manban” fuss? And last November didn’t he compare Cunliffe’s expulsion to the backbenches to getting rid of a maggot or termite eating away at the wood of the meeting house? I was indignant at the time because he had achieved nothing in politics while Cunliffe …
I’m off to the Greens forever if Cunliffe doesn’t win this contest. Robertson is great but not ready. Oh dear.
Agreed completely.
Jones the boofhead. What the fuck is he doing throwing his hat in the ring? It is clearly a manoeuvre, which surely all those entitled to vote in this process will recognise in a flash. I predict the slug will declare well before the vote.
Jones is only worth ignoring.
Boofhead. Apt description of the day:-)
Agree all. No idea how he got a reputation as some kind of masterful orator.
Actually yes I do, there are always going to be a certain number of idiots who are easily impressed by superficial waffle for waffle’s sake.
Utterly useless bastard.
+100,000,000,000 %
Just listened to RadioNZ National interview a ‘Professor’ of politics for some strange reason, Her claim is that Labour even if the Party changes Leaders cannot win the 2014 election,
i have to wonder where ‘they’ find these people as i found this particular Prof’s analysis to be that of a simpleton and it seems tragic that University’s have such people in front of New Zealand kids supposedly giving them a decent education,
Her analysis, and good on RadioNZ for pointing this out to Her, was totally flawed in that Her belief is that Labour have to claw support off either National or the Green Party to ‘win’ the next election,
The fact that there are some 800,000 registered voters out there who last election did not cast a vote seemed to have escaped the ‘Prof’ and the new Labour leader need only engage 1-3% of these non-voters to topple the present government…
Claire Robinson?
[audio src="http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20130826-0815-political_analyst_thinks_labours_left_leader_change_too_late-048.mp3" /]
Claire Robinson worked in Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley’s office as a political strategist (or some such thing) in the late 1990s. Enough said.
not listening to the interview but was that connection divulged?
I heard part of it live and there was no reference to the connection. However since that time she appeared on Q&A in her role as a political scientist. She was biased in her musings and haven’t seen her on the programme for a couple of years.
Thanks for the tip: Here is a profile of Claire Robinson:
Indeed enough said, no wonder i describe that particular piece of political analysis from that particular ‘Prof’ as the work of a simpleton…
Watever she is Robinson’s certainly capable of sharp arrogance when challenged.
I recall emailing her within the last couple of years about some idiotically facile piece of National Party apologism she was up to on Q + A I think. I guess I wasn’t exactly gushing in my email but her response – ” Get fucked ! ” – completely trumped my vigour.
Massey Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey agreed with my subsequent email to him in which I suggested it was inappropriate for such rubbish-girl talk to come from the mouth of a publicly paid “associate” professor as she then was.
Had the misfortune of working with her at Massey some years ago. Not especially bright, no imagination, unable to put together a coherent argument.
Alas, not the worst of the management there by a long shot.
It might be “enough said” fo you but fairness, and accuracy would require that you point out that her job for Shipley was in a public servant role, and had NO political connotations.
On the other hand I was not impressed at all with her analysis and her making fairly sweeping conclusions on a sample of 5 elections. Of those five 2 (1999 and 2008) were where we had tired out governments and 2 (2002 and 2011) were ones where the opposition party didn’t seem to even realise that continuing with the same old policies and faces wasn’t going to hack it.
That lady don’t know shit from clay. She based her assumptions by looking back to 1990. She should have looked back to 1984.
Interestingly in 84, labour won mainly because Jones’s party took a large % of the vote from the nats as I recall.
I wonder if the outlier in this is the Craig party.
Although they would take votes from act and nats BUT provide an collation partner for Nats- not an option in 84.
It highlights that the winning candidate should be developing a campaign that is the first step in next year’s election campaign. Robertson & Jones are more focused on just winning the leadership: Short termism.
Hopefully Team Cunliffe is taking time working out their (2014) election strategy.
@karol
When it comes to having a team, can Cunliffe have a preference for a Deputy which he then discusses with caucus, can he have a short-list of his own, or is it up to the caucus only? It would seem that having someone he could work with and rely on would be the best partnership for the top two.
Sure there will be discussions, but it comes down to a caucus vote in the end.
a caucus vote only in this case ?
For the deputy position, its a caucus vote only, yes.
Interesting .. thx CV
Her argument does seem a bit weak! The polls don’t show any clear winner at the moment and the interest that a Labour leadership challenge is generating will likely counter out any negative views about Shearer resigning. As a side note, the non vote at the last election had nothing to do with Shearer.
I don’t agree that the non voter will miraculously come back to Labour just because of a change in leader. Poverty and hardship are the main reasons people don’t vote, both of which have increased markedly under a National government. Many people simply don’t have the time or resources to be engaged in politics anymore.
The other issue here is that Labour appears to be divided. It will take time for Labour to show that it is unified and ready to govern. It will also take a considerable effort to convince many that Labour can work constructively with the Greens and NZ First. Whether 15 months is enough time is yet to be seen.
So at the moment I’m picking another three years of National, as per the usual cycle.
“..The polls don’t show any clear winner at the moment ..”
(um..!..the tvone-poll showing cunnliffe at 29%..ardern second..and robertson a distant 4th..?..10% wasn’t it..?..)
..sand i don’t buy into yr bleak inevitability predictionof another key term..
..between now and the end of next year is plenty of time for cunnliffe to both see off key..
.. articulate a coherent new direction for labour/for the voters..
..phillip ure….
I’m talking about the right vs left polling phillip ure, which is too close to call. I think there’s little doubt that David Cunliffe would win the Labour leadership race. Has he announced he’s standing yet?
There is of course enough time for Labour to get its act together, but whether that time is used constructively is yet to be seen.
If Labour can show that it’s united behind their new leader, they convey their policy well to the public (especially non voters) and are able to develop enough interest is yet to be seen. A biased media is still their biggest hurdle in many ways. Until they do all those things, then it’s likely National will have another term in power.
National have always had three terms except for the second National government, which had four.
“Poverty and hardship are the main reasons people don’t vote”
Must have been the rich who voted the first Labour government in. Maybe because they didn’t like to see the poverty and hardship of the depression inflicted on their fellow Kiwis?
“I don’t agree that the non voter will miraculously come back to Labour just because of a change in leader.”
Who has said that they will? Most people I’ve seen are saying that Labour will need to make specific efforts to engage the non-voters. Implication is that that wasn’t going to happen under Shearer or the ABCs.
Her argument as I remember it was that no party has ever come from a position behind this far out from an election as Labour is now.
My immediate reaction is to think of the Roy Morgan poll which gives Labour/Greens a majority at the moment.
The only question for me is whether the two will actually agree to a coalition in 2014, rather than the Greens go with National who I expect will be still the largest party then. Conventional wisdom seems to indicate that Labour/Greens is far more likely, if they command a majority or can find a majority between them.
Though there is still just a little bit of work to be done ‘twixt then and now. First, the Labour leadership ( I will enjoy my vote) and then into electioneering mode. Ah, the smell and sound of the guns are calling…………
Shane Jones and Robertson presenting a united front on RNZ right now.
Hmm….
A deal done over the weekend in an attempt to shut cunliffe out?
Anyone supporting Jones wants a Tory government. He should be expelled. Even he must realise he’s damaged goods. Where the hell do these people get their egos from?
I heard that James Caygill, son of David, is thinking of standing in Christchurch seat. Would Labour accept the son or daughter of an axe murderer? A little discernment of past connections and what the name reflects is needed here, even if he is a rabid social democrat, which is unlikely. (I have commented before on the large amount of men’s names that come from the bible. Do they come from wealthier families where the names seems to provide gravitas, probity and conformity with values – so good for conveying confidence in tv endorsements?)
Talking about David Cunliffe with family, he hasn’t made a real impression yet. If he gets the Leader position and decides on the policies to push and has the methods and cost and outcomes worked out, he can then stress these strongly and who and how they will help all NZs and also employment. Those would be winning words.
Also promise tighter controls with caps and detailed scrutiny on government expenditure going on each IT project. What a bloody way to throw money down the gurgler. The extent of mismanagement and feckless spending in some notable cases seems to indicate corruption or at the least extreme incompetence, resulting from the Peter Principle. And generally sizing up our present situation with IT, the results show corruption of the theories and scenarios fed to us about how helpful and useful an aid this technology would be.
Is he standing for National?
In the interests of site performance, I’ve dropped the feed thumbnails until I look at why it is slowing the site down so much. I may turn off the feed entirely again later if it still causes issues.
Don’t know if it’s related but I was running the ghostery plug in on fire fox and noticed my quad core was running at 30-40% at idle.
Disabled it and problem solved
From what I’ve read the new version has a few bugs, apparently one is causing pages in tabs to load in an infinite loop.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/
Maybe you could ask everyone to disable it on the standard and see if that improves performance?
I tracked it down to the bit of code that was causing the server side problem. The plugin is caching the images held for the various feeds at the server – good. However it is not caching the thumbnails that it is producing at 48×48 – bad. Furthermore because of how the images were being called, it was also bypassing the caching on both the APC memory cache and the CDN – *very bad*.
Consequently whenever the anyone viewed the page, all of the images on the Feed were being reduced and clipped down to 48x48px images. A horrendously expensive and completely unnecessary operation that sucked server CPU when you are doing a hundred or so of them for every page view.
The front page does exactly the same thing for its thumbnails. However they are prebuilt and stored in the media library. So they don’t cause the same problems.
Ok that worked really really well. Here is the main web server CPU averages over 15 minute periods over the last two weeks. Date/times are in UTC, so they’re about 12 hours behind.
I’d already been concerned earlier in the week with the GCSB debates with the average CPU. Prior to the last two weeks it seldom went over 50% on this system.
You can see the rapid increase on the afternoon of the 22nd with the shearer announcement (spiked on teh announcement followed by the site getting overwhelmed) and that continued throughout friday despite beefing up the caching and putting in refresh rationing.
On Friday night (well Saturday morning) I kicked in another server which helped a bit on saturday and sunday. But it was max 50% capacity of the main server. It was pretty clear I hadn’t figured out the actual problem.
This morning I looked at the colossal rise. The debugging code I put in allowed me to pin it down to the RSS Feed, so I turned off the most recent update to that – the images. The CPU dropped away and despite having a lot more traffic than we had on friday, the server started acting well. Cut the second server out after midday, and dropped the cache time down (the spike is mostly due to the cache reloading). Still handled the Cunliffe announcement without problems.
It was a hot day – not a desperate one. Damn good thing as I was pulling off RC1 for the next release at work and didn’t have time to baby anything.
I’ll fix the Feed thumbnails later in the week.
Hands up who believes the US allegation that Syria has used chemical weapons? Wasn’t that one heard before around WMD in Iraq?
Obama the Key-wise liar.
Big boys and certainly big toys but at the end of the day they are simply bullies in the playground, nothing more.
Its got all the signs of being a false flag. Launching a chem attack on civilians a day or two after UN inspectors arrive in the country? When the inspectors were staying just a few km’s away?
Assad knows that chem weapon use is the perfect reason for NATO to go postal on him, and such an action is the last thing he would want to provoke.
There is little doubt that a chemical weapon attack has taken place. The Syrian government is blaming terrorists. They have however allowed the UN inspectors into the area where approximately 300 people have died from the attack. This is not the first attack where chemical weapons are likely to have been used on Syrian civilians and rebel forces.
The UN chemical weapons inspectors have been in Syria since at least May 2013. The Syrian government had previously tried to keep them out of the country.
You’re assuming that Assad has control of what his forces do and that they respect NATO enough to not initiate war? I can assure you that they have very little respect for foreign forces and there is very little strategy to this war…there is really only hatred.
It is more likely that Syrian government forces have used the chemical weapons and less likely that those fighting against the regime have used the weapons on their own forces to initiate NATO’s involvement. It is very unlikely that western forces have used chemical weapons against civilians in a false flag event as an excuse to go to war.
Unlike Iraq, there is very little for the US to gain. The humanitarian reason hasn’t been enough so far to initiate NATO joining the war. If there is proof that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, then NATO would be fighting the Syrian regime alongside al-Qaeda operatives who have come over the boarder from Iraq. The Al Nusra Front or Al-Qaeda affiliated Syrian Rebels have vowed revenge for the chemical attack.
In this case, the age old saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ doesn’t apply. That’s why the Syrian atrocities have been allowed to continue without proper intervention for so long.
It is very unlikely that western forces have used chemical weapons against civilians in a false flag event as an excuse to go to war.
it is a mere coincidence that the insurgents from Jordan who had been undertaking chemical weapons training with UK/US asymmetric instructors, entered the area 4 days prior along with the simultaneous bombings of mosques in the Lebanon.
Got a link for that? Also, I think travellerev might have a nice used tinfoil hat to sell you.
No problem
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Syrian-rebel-forces-trained-by-West-are-moving-towards-Damascus-324033
Not a very reputable source Poission. The article states the U.S. training to Syrian rebels was in anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons…nothing about chemical weapons training.
These soldiers have been getting trained since at least 2012. They have not been deployed into the area just before the chemical weapon attack occurred. Your long bow appears to have snapped!
Yes and what were they getting trained in,
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/09/sources-defense-contractors-training-syrian-rebels-in-chemical-weapons/
‘To train Syrian rebels on how to secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria’ that belonged to the Syrian regime.
What is trying to be ascertained is are the rebels recidivist criminals.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/05/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE94409Z20130505
Seems like 2013 is the year that the Tinfoil Hat Wearers won the internet.
http://www.infowars.com/us-trained-rebels-moved-towards-damascus-days-before-chemical-attack/
lol
the internet has always been the domain of tinfoil hat wearers.
Reality is the elusive ground for them. What’s the scorecard, in your opinion?
you are so quick to jump to judgement there jackal..and are peddling american empire spin..
..some facts for you..
..those attacked were in damascus..(ie..under the control of assads’ troops..)
..the assad regime..had asked for the un inspectors to come back into syria..in an attempt to clear the previous allegations against them..
..and they actually arrived in the country the day before this attack..
..so to accept your yapping along with the views of the dogs of war..
..we have to believe the assad regime launched a chemical-weapons-attack..on their own people/supporters..
..the day after un inpectors..there at the request of the assad regimeto clear their name of previous allegations..arrived in the country to investigate..
..really..?
..phillip ure..
Actually, the chemical weapon attack happened in Eastern Ghouta. That’s an area with strong opposition leanings, and is a major supply route to the front lines in the fighting in east Damascus.
I don’t see any Syrian regime soldiers amongst those wounded or dying?
There are war atrocities occurring phillip ure. Negotiations have completely failed. How do you propose to stop those atrocities against civilians from occurring if NATO isn’t to intervene?
The question is, how would western intervention stop the atrocities?
There is no point putting our toes in unless we are prepared to commit, and I don’t see that comitment coming.
“… putting our toes in …”
Is that just a slip of the tongue there P’s b? Don’t include New Zealand or me or those around me in that “west” thanks. That “west” are a bunch of war-mongering murderers just like ghengis khan, the british empire, hitler’s attempts, te rauparaha, or any other prick intent on expansion or grabbing what belongs to someone else. i.e. pretty much every arsehole human who has ever lived.
When you talk of the US or the UK or the French, that is them, it is not “us”.
Why on earth would “we” consider doing god knows what in Syria?
Why would you express that thought in that way?
What on earth was going through your mind when you tapped that?
Why didn’t “we” do something to stop the atrocity that was Iraq? Or Afghanistan?
fucking hell
Yeah that could have been clearer.
When the western govts intervene via nato or something else, as far as I’\m concerned that’s ‘western intervention’. I might not approve, you might not. But it’s still the west.
It’s not wrong to say ‘the US’ invaded Iraq because Michael Moore opposed it.
But if an argument is being made that NATO, or whoever, should intervene, but we shouldn’t, then that’s just cowardice.
Why the fuck should anyonebe advocating that some other buggers should fix something?
Personally, I think Syria is a clusterfuck. But that doesn’t change
a) what’s happening,
b) what people in the west reckon when it hits there teevee screens, or
c) the pressure that puts on our governments.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the complications:
What I’m saying is, before we ‘do something’ we should have a clear idea of what we want to achieve, what that would take, and think about whether or not we’re prepared to do that.
I reckon the answer to that final question is “no”. So we shouldn’t do anything because we won’t be able to do anything good.
I see what you’re trying to say, sort of… but this doesn’t necessarily follow at all “But if an argument is being made that NATO, or whoever, should intervene, but we shouldn’t, then that’s just cowardice. ”
Why would that follow?
Other countries take full advantage of their advantages, be they geographical or military or something else, and so should we. We live right at the end of the world ffs, not in the middle east. We can afford to stay well out of pretty much everything and so we should. There is also far smaller case to be made for ‘standing next to your mates’ than is nearly always made out.
Ffs, the British were going to abandon us to the Japs in WWII. The same pommy bastards also failed to stand by us following our most recent terrorist attack by the French government in the centre of bloody Auckland. And then they had the further gall to harangue us over not standing next to them over the Salman Rusdie death threats.
Friends like that we do not need.
Are there any factual acts by the poms (for example) to counter those fact acts which point to them never standing next to us in the same way? I would like to hear them if they exist….
Yeah well, it’s opinion. But I reckon that if someone is making a moral argument that someone has to send their youth off to to die in a meat grinder to prevent something from happening, then it follows that they should support sending their own youth.
Can’t see how you can get form ‘x is bad and must be stopped’, to ‘so therefore those guys should sacrifice to stop it but not me’.
“if someone is making a moral argument that someone has to send their youth off to to die in a meat grinder to prevent something from happening, then it follows that they should support sending their own youth”
True completely, perhaps we were talking across each others bows.
But, curiousity, you seem to have a pretty good grasp of things international – what do you think of the point just above regarding the poms treatment of us relative to our treatment of them since, well, probably Gallipoli if not before… or since forever actually…
A couple of recent posts highlighted the fact that what is here in NZ from England is the Crown, nothing else. And the Crown is its own entity separate from the british people and certainly entirely separate from us people here. So much so that ‘our’ armed forces are not ours at all and belong to the crown and serve to look after that crown first and foremost (this has been demonstrated too as I understand it – during the Fiji coup where ‘directions’ from lange were ignored because they had not come from the crown (i.e. G-G)).
“.That’s an area with strong opposition leanings.”
..but it is under assad control..so assad attacked his own area of control..?
..the day after the weapons-inspectors arrived..(invited by the regime..)..?
..in an attempt by the regime to ‘clear its’ name of such allegations..?
..care to address that..?..(2nd attempt here..)
..and are you seriously telling me..that from your keyboard wherever..you are able to discern fact from spin..
..and in yr mind there is no way this was done by the american-backed/supplied forces..
..as a (fact-indicating) clumsy attempt to discredit assad/justify cruise-missile attacks..?
..really..?
..no doubt you also supported the invasion of libya..?
..and you can’t see the similar patterns of mis-information/propaganda..?
..again being used to justify military-intervention by the american empire..and their mercenaries..?
..(..many of those mercenaries the same ones america used in libya..?..)
..really..?
phillip ure..
phillip ure
Which is essentially what you’re also doing phillip ure.
The initial retarded argument was that because Bush lied about WMD’s, that automatically makes the reports about the Syrian regime killing Syrian’s with chemical weapons lies as well.
You might note that Germany was also under the control of the Nazi’s when they committed similar atrocities against Polish, Romany and Jewish people in Germany. The area of control has very little significance compared to the people in it.
Your argument is that the Syrian regime categorically hasn’t used chemical weapons on civilians in Eastern Ghouta. Mine is that they likely have, mainly because the rebels wouldn’t kill their own families.
I’ve seen no evidence that western operatives or those they’ve trained have killed hundreds of innocent civilians in Syria with chemical weapons just to initiate a war. You have nothing to base such an argument on apart from historic references to western agent provocateurs.
Let’s wait and see what the UN inspectors have to say eh!
“The initial retarded argument was that because Bush lied about WMD’s, that automatically makes the reports about the Syrian regime killing Syrian’s with chemical weapons lies as well.”
It was no such argument at all actually mr jackal, if you had read carefully…. it was a question, around an organisations credibility when its credibility has proved to be non-existent in the past. Like anything John Key says. kapiche?
And I just love the way that folk seemingly in touch with the details of who what where in some far flung war torn land equate that ‘knowledge’ with some superior understanding of the human condition and its history (rolly eyes thingy..)
Are you saying the US launched the Chem attack?
Please.
The US and the west in general has zero appetite for getting involved. Countries act in their percieved best interest right? So what interest is there in getting dragged into that clusterfuck? What would they be hoping to achieve, and how could they eventually get the outcome they would want?
The US simply can’t afford to deploy the forces necessary to control the outcome, particulalrly given that the war isn’t contained within Syria.
Far more likely is that Assad recognises that NATO isn’t going to do anything more than fire a few missiles (which in the context of a civil war isn’t all that scary) and has decided to use chems for about the only thing they are good for; Scaring the shit out his opponents’ civilian base.
Any discussion on Western motives and interests in the ME needs to include two words: Israel, and Iran.
Assad has been making good military gains using plain old conventional means. Going to unconventional warfare is neither helpful nor necessary to his cause.
This of course is speculation and doesn’t mean that he didn’t do it, or that out of control elements in his military didn’t do it.
“Assad has been making good military gains using plain old conventional means. ”
In some areas, and losing ground in other areas. But the insurgency is still raging. The idea that either side is on the ascendency is pretty weak. Using chems sends a signal that no one is coming to help his opponents and that he can do what he wants.
The US approved the shipment of heavy arms to the rebels a couple of months ago and has also been moving carrier groups into the area. Israel has also launched several airstrikes against Assad facilities. I think those are pretty clear signs of help for Assad’s opponents.
But a) that’s vastly different from wanting to be involved in a shooting war, and b) they did so after umming and ahing for over a year, and c) Israel’s actions are not aimed at ‘helping the rebels’ but at detering Assad from trying to use attacks on Israel to bloster support.
And carrier groups are used for airstrikes, which are coming and will achieve 2/5 of fuck all in Syria, but will stop western calls to ‘do something’.
Cockburn reckons this could be the unravelling of the colonial divvy up.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n11/patrick-cockburn/is-it-the-end-of-sykes-picot
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/patrick_cockburn_covering_syrias_complicated_civil_war_20130731/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement
NZ100%Pure Key …. poor child .. now I am speechless …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401561/Does-know-shes-Daughter-New-Zealand-Prime-Minister-bizarre-erotic-photoshoot-posing-octopus-Big-Macs.html
Each to their own, I suppose …………
Read the KB post and comments on this ‘expose’ last night when TS was down – and still cannot decide whether I am gobsmacked – or really just don’t care.
Still, it will be interesting to see what Key has to say – and the general public – when it goes mainstream news here!
I don’t think her work or work choices should be judged by who her father is. Plenty to judge in the art itself 😉
(an ffs Daily Mail, 20 yr old women are no longer owned by their fathers).
Comment from Facebook says it better than the Daily Mail ever could:
“Must have a publicist, this is derivative crap that has been done better so many times before, fucking rich kids “look at me” moment, will get art pimp soon”
Like father like daughter?
Exactly what I think of her photos, OAK. I’m loathe to even call them art.
Yes, the Paris College of Art is totally risking its reputation by promoting at Paris Design Week a student whose work is terrible just because her daddy is the premier of a country they don’t give a fuck about.
That is a completely plausible situation. The idea that tastes in art may vary is blasphemy.
That’s a bit simplistic, the wealthy and powerful always pass some of that on to their children no matter how old or what gender. They carry the mantle and only with a violent effort can they throw it off.
Another distraction, she can do what she wants, who cares.
She appears to have always shunned family pic’s when shonkey is flogging the homely image, at least he knows where she is.
Here is a laugh – Kim Dotcom has tweeted that he want the picture where she has a cherry in her mouth and a red gun for his red “panic room”.
“This is my “red room” aka panic room. Look at Stephanie’s artwork. It’s a perfect match with the red hair & red gun. pic.twitter.com/1akU1Poa8t
I would like to buy this artwork by Stephanie Key. Who can put me in touch with her agent? pic.twitter.com/5l0Upxggt6 “
EDIT – hope these photo links work
http://t.co/1akU1Poa8t
http://t.co/5l0Upxggt6
best laugh in ages !! I love KDC’s constant front footing Key .. may it remain all the way thru the high coiurts next year !
He wants erotica of John Key’s daughter in his panic room? Bit creepy.
hmmmmm. i didn’t think the picture was at all erotic in any sense at all …more clumsy and cartoonish so it never occurred to me. i thought it was a kind of pun about the only time he needed to use his panic room … maybe I’m wrong.
“i thought it was a kind of pun about the only time he needed to use his panic room …”
Sorry, not quite getting that…???
If Cunliffe wanted to play the long devious game he could
not enter race stating he wants to help unify the party
say he supports Robertson
solidifies his reputation with the public at large by churning out reasonable press releases, interviews, backing Robertson etc etc
Because Labour under Robertson would lose the next election he could then (regretfully and with great humility of course) step up and accept the leadership of the Labour party and almost guarantee being the PM of NZ in 2017
Whereas even if he becomes leader of Labour its not that certain Labour will win the next election…
Granted Labour has a better chance under Cunliffe than Robertson but might be a better option for Cunliffe to play healer rather than leader
Awww, little concern tr0ll, how kind of you.
What makes you think Cunliffe would sacrifice Labour and the left for his own personal career development?
No concern really, just what I’d be advising Cunliffe…sacrifice Robertson and become the beloved saviour of Labour
winsome’s woeful wanderings wherein weakness is willingly worrying …
yeshe
Deserves a 😀
why thank you, greywarbler !
Too risky. By 2015 he could easily have Little and Ardern snapping at his heels.
Greywarbler 14
26 August 2013 at 10:32 am
I have been getting my comments wiped when I have made a reply. Error… I hadn’t put my details – but I had. And usually I don’t need to as I am greeted with them in the identity window. This is a new comment and I have the identity window with my details showing. So does making a reply more likely to result in rejection?
I just mention it in case anybody has had difficulty. Off to do the chores anyway. Perhaps the system provides a comment lock to stop over-use sort of like a diet control on the refrigerator!!
Anyway CV what I was trying to do was thank you for a very clear explanation on the direction from which Labour has moved and the change that has resulted. (Would interest everyone on here –
see 26/8/13 Robertson throws his hat in ring Colonial Viper …
26 Aug 2013 at1:26am
(He has really been burning the after-midnight oil.)
I get a wee bit excitable over this politics stuff and seem to do my best thinking in the evenings 🙂
CV
Thank goodness someone (you and TS too) get interested enough, in bland, stoic, resilient NZ, to get thinking and exercised about politics.
I picked up a book at random – Death of a Cad MC Beaton. And came on this piece which seems to echo CV’s comments on the liberal elite and their broken connection with the working class.
The playwright Henry Withering…was beloved by the Communists, Trotskyites, Marxists, and Liberals. To them, he was what they wanted most, a genuine ex-Eton schoolboy, son of a landed family who had opted to join the class war.
Greywarber, sir/ma’am
With my recommendations – Chris Hedges – it’s a long video but even if you watch 15 mins I think you will get something worthwhile from it.
Has anyone seen a link to the interview on National Radio this morning with Grant Robertson and Shane Jones this morning?
[audio src="http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20130826-0910-the_labour_party_leadership_battle-048.mp3" /]
Mike Williams just said that Cunliffe will be making a statement this afternoon at 2.30pm from his New Lynn electorate office.
David Cunliffe, via Mike Williams on RadioNZ National is said to be making a statement from His New Lynn electorate office at 2.30 this afternoon…
Yesterday’s public meeting in Johnsonville, “No more Dunne deals”, hosted by Ohariu People Power went really well. There was a reasonable turnout and the speakers were fantastic. They covered four aspects of Dunne’s influential voting on bills that have passed and bills yet to be passed.
Adi Leason, one of the Ploughshares 3 that brought down the Waihopai spy domes spoke about the GCSB, and his personal experience of that day, the trial and other events. What a privilege to hear this humble and easy going man speak. I’ve always admired and respected what they did.
Helen Kelly spoke about the current employment law changes. One thing that stood out to me was the way in which Helen explained how the govt has manipulated the narrative around the worker – boss relationship, how they have used this time of unemployment and job insecurity as leverage against the worker and created a feeling that the worker should be grateful for work, no matter how appalling the conditions or pay. “you’ll accept what you’re given and be grateful” sort of thing. She spoke of the narrative that the employer is seen as being a charity provider and how this power imbalance creates a climate in which such draconian law can be past with greater ease. (my understanding of Helen’s words, not an actual quote)
Ian (didn’t catch his last name) from the Salvation Army spoke of the SkyCity deal and how this will affect their most vulnerable clients who are gambling addicts and talked of the rise of cases of gambling addiction in NZ over the years and gambling’s link with poverty and family break down.
John Maynard, president of the Postal Worker’s Union and one of the organisers of O.P.P spoke of the TPPA and gave some back ground about their work around asset sales opposition.
It look s like there will be a follow up meeting in two weeks to discuss idea’s around further activity. Being fairly new to this electorate I left feeling more hopeful, and uplifted. There was a sense of that positive constructive anger arising from the audience, that you sometimes feel at meetings such as this.
If you missed this meeting and you live in this electorate and would like to get involved check out this:
https://www.facebook.com/events/191126214392342
Thanks, Rosie. Excellent report about an important campaign.
+1
No worries karol. There was a lot more to the meeting but unfortunately I forgot my notebook and only had the back of a tiny shopping list to scrawl notes on. Thanks to authors/mods of the Standard for allowing me to discuss it…..another blog never replied to my request to post the meeting info…….
Also, big ups to all those busy people around the country quietly going about their activist work and political/social activities in general. I wonder how much work goes under the radar. Am starting to reconsider my facebook ban as I think there is info there that I’m missing out on.
I find facebook useful. Provided you remember that it is a completely public forum beloved by (amongst others) jonolists and creeps like Whaleoil and Judith Collins you won’t have a problem. I also find it useful for bringing certain people’s blood pressure to the explosive level with some barbed comments that someone will forward to the recipient…
“I also find it useful for bringing certain people’s blood pressure to the explosive level with some barbed comments that someone will forward to the recipient…”
Chuckle:-)
I do recall you mentioning the usefulness of facebook to another commenter a while ago who was wanting to find sources of info and news. Hmm. Might have to consider getting over my hang ups with fb, part of which is creepy lurkers such as you mention.
i don’t live in the electorate but did think of coming over for that meeting, my suggestion, if you have access to a photocopier and paper, start a guerilla campaign of letterbox anti-Dunne leafleting,
You don’t necessarily have to ‘do’ the whole of the electorate in the one hit, so a few packets of copy paper will go a long way until you can access your next supply….
Thats a good idea bad12. I wonder to what degree the residents of the electorate know or care about the list of Dunne’s ill’s. If not they need educating via leaflet drops, maybe posters, and by other means, what ever they may be. He still continues to be talked up in the local free papers, so there needs to a be counter to that.
It’s a large and relatively conservative electorate it seems, with a mix of wealth and genuine poverty. (just in my neighbourhood theres a sharp contrast between wealth and poverty, but entire suburbs seem to have either an affluent, average of poor vibe going on) Hope to learn more from the more long term residents of the area at the next meeting.
Rosie, talking of Dunne’s electorate i just got back from a little mission out Johnsonville way, to your question whether the average head in the Ohariu electorate cares i am ever the optimist,
At one time Ohariu was said to be the most monied and most degreed electorate in New Zealand, whether this still holds true isn’t a matter i have put much research into, but as you probably know Ohariu could be said to be one of the crucial electorates along with Epsom for National at the 2014 election,
The beauty of an anti-Dunne campaign in Ohariu is that while crucial that seat does not need to elect a Labour representative in order to topple this National Government, a National representative being elected in Ohariu could well spell the death of the present National Government,
i have been there befor, in the Ohariu electorate with a nasty little piece of politicing after the 1991 National benefit cuts, with a crew of 6 we managed to leaflet most of the electorate with what could be best described as an extremely nasty piece of anti-National Party propoganda, in a single day,
How ‘well’ we did with our little Ohariu campaign i cannot scientifically judge and Lolz, in a life is stranger than fiction twist of fate i am now hoping that Dunne is toppled in 2014 and am only slightly concerned that with the departure of Charles Chauvel National could win the seat…
Interesting bad12. (Supreme effort with your leafleting back in ’91 as well!)
I agree that the priority is to get rid of Dunne in 2014, he is the thorn in the side of NZ. In saying that, Katrina Shanks NAT, came third behind CC in the last two elections, so maybe it’s possible with a really good candidate Labour may be able to win it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Chariu
Would Epsom ever dump ACT?
Would Epsom ever dump ACT, my opinion, Yes in the blink of an eye if Banks fails to get the ‘nod’ from Slippery the Prime Minister in another ‘chimps tea party’ akin to the fiasco of 2011,
Given a free rein to campaign a National candidate is likely to wipe the floor with the abysmal Banks although there has to be many in that electorate with enough smarts to know that a National win in that seat,(as well as Ohariu), would leave National struggling to form a Government,
The arithmetic based upon the 2011 election numbers says that if National candidates were to win both those seats they would have the same number of seats in the house as they have now, made up of +2 electorate MP’s and -2 List MP’s,
With regards to Ohariu, perhaps as another commenter suggested a David Cunliffe lead Labour Party can entice Charles Chauvel back from the UN…
Hmmm. Thanks for your knowledgeable analysis of the scenario. Feels to me there is a sense of hope returning.
Hooten this morning
“Cunliffe with his extremist environmental views”.
Comment please – Is this correct? What are they? Extreme, measured against what? Is it exaggerated and mischievous comment from Trumpet?
Is it a putdown to make Cunliffe sound flaky to the rabid do-nothings-environmentally on the right?
Hooten trumpeted for Shearer to be leader
Hooton is a joke, he panders out the latest line from a right wing think tank. You know you can’t trust anything he says, one way or other, because he attacks himself. for example, when undermining the anti-GSCB debate he said only politically activists watch Campbell live, and care about privacy. I can think of a whole list of non-activist groups very wary of government encroachment from the far right, business, to criminal gangs, who most particularly won’t be watching campbell live.
You’re still paying attention to what Hollow Matthew says? You think it has any substantial basis?
Translated, the lying shill is saying that the Right is crapping themselves because they know Cunliffe will probably be Labour leader, and they know he can kick the shit out of them.
Kick the shit of Key, not likely but it will certainly be a lot more even…which means interesting
as you say winsome, ‘not likely’ .. more simply just guaranteed that David Cunliffe will kick the proverbial out of your beloved liar.
Key is now familiar to the country and his liar mentality is all to ever present to many. Labour lost a lot of votes, people want more than tinkering badly at the edges just too look like he Key is doing something. The case is clear, NZ reliance on food exports alone, in a world when increasing added value means everyone on the food chain has to be paid well, is hardly going to be led by a man who does not believe in paying living wages. An integrated world economy means better models of redistribution of wealth than we have yet to see. Neither, Saudi welfare, or neo-liberal non-welfare models are efficient or stable.
This, according to Hooton.
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/speech-the-dolphin-and-the-dole-queue
Good on Lynn Freeman for standing up to Hooton’s blatant anti-GP spin.
Just read that speech. Strikes me as reasonably hard headed and honest – within the obvious limitations of a social democratic context. It’s the Hooten’s of the world who are reckless and extremist. Fuck them.
As Cunliffe says in that speech in relation to achieving necessary change/shifts in perception in spite of vested interests and their insistence of a the three monkey mentality (see, hear and speak no ‘evil’) ;-
Indeed.
“Hooten this morning
“Cunliffe with his extremist environmental views”.”
The environmental extremists in New Zealand would have to be people who willingly eat the environment today rather than nurture it to provide for today and tomorrow.
The environmental extremist tag belongs firmly with the right wing and especially this National government.
Hooten on RadioNZ National talking up Shane Jones vis a vis Jones and Winston Peters get along socially,
The narrative running through my mind as Hooten was speaking was to ponder whether the 2, Jones and Peters are Porn watching, Whisky drinking Wankers,
Perhaps wee Matty might enjoy joining such a duo…
Yes…. so much spinning going on there from MH, and narrow thinking by MW, I’m getting dizzy.
Lolz, Hooten is such a concern tr0ll this morning.
Hooton’s second name from this morning can be spelt P-a-n-i-c.
Gawd he cant stand the greens can he.
Calling the greens arrogant and a ‘fringe’ party, what a cheek. Apparently 15% is fringe yet he wasn’t labelling nzfirst or act as fringe. He clearly would prefer Labour won outright or work with wintson rather than having the greens in coalition.
I think he’s scared to see the Greens in government, become popular with the NZ public and therefore destroy any chances of future National/right-wing governments.
I think what’s holding the greens down around 12-13% in the polls is the idea that they’re crazy nutters; something that Key tries to reinforce every chance he gets. I don’t think they’re crazy nutters, and once they get into government they can prove it.
bad12
You do take the tone here down more than a peg (of whisky perhaps). /sarc
A peg is an informal unit of measurement of alcoholic spirits; it is similar to a jigger more used in cocktails.) All good fodder for binding politicians together and loosening political restraints. A few, plus a few more, and everything will seem possible. Everything except what is most needed in our society and that is restraints on drinking hours and bottle stores and sale points.
Lol. Thats a highly disturbing mental image bad12…………….
Lol Rosie, my Doctor will be overjoyed to have such a second opinion which backs up His observation that i present a highly disturbed mental image…
hooton has or still is doing work for the mining companies.
i think we need to move onto more grave matters than the trivialities of ego/politics..
…and to (wo)man-up to a serious problem facing the nation..
..namely..the chronic overuse of that punctuation-abomination/tautology..
..the sniveling/insinuating/craven blight on the written word..that is the comma..
..something needs to/must be done..!
..matters are getting out of control..
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/elmore-leonard-i-hated-the-film-adaptations-of-my-books-comment-ed-and-why-i-have-much-disdain-for-both-the-semi-colon-and-the-comma-neither-of-which-i-use/
phillip ure..
Cunliffe is standing. Great.
On this good news day, here is another piece .. never thought I would be thanking the tobacco companies for delaying TPPA until next year !! It’s stuck — maybe we can have another chance now stub it out for good .. especially with David Cunliffe in charge …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/9088198/Tobacco-clause-might-burn-free-trade-agreement
Thanks for that link. Great – anything to delay and hopefully destroy the TPPA negotiations is welcome.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9088516/Early-retirement-option-unveiled
– In other news, if the costings make sense then this should happen
Mike Williams on RadioNZ National just now, ”Labour Party members will be able to vote in the upcoming contest ‘online’,
You will get a postal vote with a personal code which will allow you to cast the vote via the internet,
Good skills Labour…
Mind you a moment after i posted that comment i thought of the poor old postal workers who are facing cuts,
Save a postal workers job, vote in the Labour leadership election by snail mail!!!…
Indeed, the chair of yesterdays public meeting in J’ville, Sandra Grey, jokingly said you can bypass the prying eyes of the spy’s under the new GCSB Act AND save the postal service at the same by posting all your communications in the mail!
Roads are built for cars, pavements for pedestrians. A basic right to life should be afforded cyclists, since we build pavements, roads, to best protect walkers and road users. Its wrong to allow cyclists to cycle on dual carriageways, or past parked cars whose doors fly out. State highways should be for heavy freight, not for cyclists. Pavements should have speed limits for cyclists, i.e. running speed of a professional runner. Road furniture, signage, should be removed as technology allows, and city centers become car deserts. As a cyclist to see cyclist in Australia on a three lane carriageway was shocking, what are they thinking, that is so dumb. Hilly roads should never have a cycle lane, its absurd, counter to the purpose of a bicycle, low energy movement. New thoroughfares should be built for the needs of cyclists.
Anyone doubts that Shane Jones is a fucking idiot should listen to this: http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20130826-0910-the_labour_party_leadership_battle-048.mp3
in which he says that Labour needs to win “in the high 40s” to be able to “govern with moral authority”.
FFS can someone take this useless nag behind the barn and put him out of his misery?
ps Grant comes very fucking close to saying the same thing too, and unlike Jones he’s supposed to be smart enough to know better.
That has to be the stance of someone who doesn’t mind if Labour gets to form the next govt or not. Maybe he likes being in opposition. Does he get paid more if he gets to be Deputy?
Embarrassing defeat for government in court.
Brownlee says government will be appealing. If this wasn’t such a compelling defeat then maybe we could accept this. But it is a compelling decision and government shouldn’t be appealing. Government will lose this case at the Court of Appeal, that’s fine, but what’s next is legislation. When this government loses anything in the courts it legislates to overturn the result it doesn’t agree with. That’s not right because the more this happens the weaker our democracy becomes. In this case we’ve got average struggling people who’ve done average things like buy a bit of land, who’ve then been treated unfairly. That’s clear. This government then wants to change this to ensure these people are treated unfairly. It’s as if the government thinks it’s there to defeat citizens, not represent their interests. This just cannot be a society that anyone would want to live in – where government wants to oppose or destroy anything that’s good for it’s citizens. It’s as if government has declared war on its people.
Native Affairs right now – if there’s one thing that makes me puke it’s the fabulously botoxed and face-worked Tamakis, male and female, dining out on being Maori !
And as for the Bogus Bishop’s prideful raving about being invited to the US by Martin Luther King’s daughter (was it the daughter, Bernadine ?), I saw her the other night on TV lambasting all the
evil “-isms” and the “-ias” – homophobia being one of her targets.
Wonder if she’s aware of the homophobia and the hatred by which the Bogus Bishop remunerates himself so handsomely ?