Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”. Wonder if there is significance in that given the awful exposure of stuff-ups re Christchurch School Reorganisation last night on Campbell Live?
Yep, useless. In fact so incompetent that the suspicioun of ulterior motive is now paramount.
Ministry of Education – liars and incompetents.
Minister John Banks – liar and law-breaker.
Prime Minister John Key – liar and incompetent.
Minister David Carter – liar and deceptionist re Ecan and destroyer of democracy. Can’t even look his community in the eyes
Nick Smith – liar re Wyatt Creech report on Ecan
Wyatt Creech – liar.
Winz – complete incompetence
ACC – complete incompetence.
Police force – liars, law-breakers and committers of perjury. Utterly untrustworthy.
Spy agencies – liars and law-breakers
Is there anything left?
Deceptive liars and utterly untrustworthy is this government.
edit: I forgot Bill English but he is so far gone he sort of gets forgotten. Let’s see – double dipping the system for personal gain. And today in the Press lying about the Christchurch City Council and its finances – bare-faced lie (as Mayor Parker confirms) to suit this govts agenda. Liar.
Actually that Brownlee article is quite reassuring, in a sense – they clearly run their personal business lives as badly as they run the country.
Perhaps they are just totally incompetent and not corrupt after all.
Idiot/Savant raises some good question in his post Fools
But what is also gives us is another insight into National’s patronage network. This was first exposed in the ACC / Bronwyn Pullar saga, where Michelle Boag and other National party figures were deployed in an effort to gain a payout from ACC. And now we’re seeing more of it: a tight little oligarchy which sorts out board positions for its mates, no matter how questionable the business. In this case, its blown up in their faces. But you really have to wonder how many of our business decisions are made like this, on patronage, not merit – and whether its a factor in the overall poor performance of our business community.
“left after a few weeks.” Wonder how long is a few weeks and why did he leave. Often a vague “few weeks” used to hide from much longer bigger involvement.
Crikey. Worrying list, veets. Wee Dunnokey better watch out, only a short step…. if he signs a painting for charity or sits in the back of a speeding car, the Farrascists will start endlessly shrieking the most corrupt govt in history and the herald will run a red front page comparing him to Adolf…..
And how long before the Nats ‘need’ an Education Minister ? Are they going to let her anywhere near that portfolio again, or give it to someone else ? Now who in that Nats has a political death wish, as it looks like that’s what Education has become. A far cry from what it used to be.
Why not mickey they’ve done it before and are often having to rush through patches under urgency to gaps in prior legislation.
The question is do they have the skill to slip it under the radar like they tried with alot of the supershity shonks.
Between the police and the judiciary’s ugly side lately WTF is going on ? It never used to be this bad with these usually reliable bastions of the state.
On the page above you can find:
– article on privacy issues and MSD
– radio interview (12mins) about the same
– invite to share your story with Selwyn Manning about your experience with WINZ and privacy
Needs to be a royal commission on this ASAP. Not just into WINZ, but the public service in general. Seems that every second week there has been a case of public sector workers ‘looking people up’ in their databases. I personally know of several instances of this happening.
Who is Selwyn Manning and why would a beneficiary want to talk to him? What privacy/anonymity guarantees is he giving for people that share their story?
Fonterra projects a price drop of around $ 0.50 per litre of milk next year leaving countless Farmers facing ruin.
Here is an Infograph showing why that might be. Imagine a breadline of 45 million people and you are beginning to get the drift.
Whatever happened to the farmer who used to plan for the rainy day ?
Price fluctuations for primary industry products is older than we all are. Am I missing something ?
Watched a few country calendars that clearly show a better model of dairy farming is to be more hollistic and run a closed system rather than push the land and herds to the point of diminishing returns.
The farmer voting for a bankster thinking that banks were his best friends was busy buying fraudulent Derivatives thinking they were and insurance against a rainy day and is now finding out that with the LIBOR rate kept artificially low to help the speculating banksters, he is being robbed by John Key’s mates except he is so woefully underinformed by the corporate owned MSM and pushed on his toxic shame button, he actually thinks he’s to blame for his demise and judging by TC that is what a lot of really ignorant people are going to think.
Here is what is happening with small and middle size businesses in England who bought into the CDO/CDS Derivatives scam by the most dangerous financial journalists Max and Stacey
Thanks for the link. I didn’t realise it was to your blog.
I also don’t know why you assume that all 44 1/2 million people with the SNAP cards shop at Walmarts. Walmarts are quite common in rural and lower socioeconomic areas, but not nearly as common in the bigger cities, where actually quite a few of the SNAP card people will be living (since everything is expensive in the big cities and you need lots of money to survive).
Did you bother to check the Infograph? This is one from a group who specialising in making clear how bad the situation is in v.e.r.y s.i.m.p.l.e pictures.
So far with every single one of them they were right on the money. (no pun intended)
It is they who used the Wall mart connection to make the size of the Bread line in America easy to understand. But it appears nowhere near simple enough for you.
For those of you interested in other Infographs on the financial Armageddon we are facing here is the link to more terrifying statistics made easy.
Sweet arrangement, bankrupt the producers who make up the primary exports of NZ, then come swooping in buy cheap, keep the farms going, repatriate profits offshore, and have control of yet more resources, which would keep NZ from being self sustaining.
Couldn’t feed ourselves – Dont own it
Couldn’t power ourselves – Don’t own it
Couldn’t sell mineral/oil/gas resources – don’t it
Water, what about the water – who owns that
Manufacturing – Not much here
How does a concentration of ownership equate to cleaner rivers? You thinking dairy farms are going to be bought and converted to something else? Not bloody likely.
Uh-huh. Maybe. Or then again, maybe some deliberate loss making facets of a business covering ‘x’ number of farms to shuffle profits around in (or however it’s done) with the intent of avoiding tax payments or whatever?
Been thinking about the Warrant of Fitness changes that National want to bring in. Where is the scam? Must be the trucking Lobby via Friedlander, more trucks on more roads and a relaxing of the regulations re safety of these trucks. Mayhem in the making. Money first, people second.
Have National done anything to benefit all of NZ? Have National done anything that is not a scam?
Agree, we actually need to be tougher rather than more lax. I got a WOF the other week in a garage where I’m pretty sure they didn’t have the right gear to do a proper brake test.
Going down a steep hill over the weekend under braking that steel on steel sound confirmed my suspicions.
I’ve been struggling with the logic of reducing the safety checking, ie WOF checks on cars older than 6 years. So far when interviewed (I think it was Simon Bridges) and questioned as to why they would want to change the current regulation the only answer was a feeble “its expensive for people to get a WOF every 6 months”. What the? The cost of living is expensive and is increasing , our wages are low – do something about that then!
The MTA are running a campaign to keep the the WOF requirements as they are. You know when a conservative industry group like that has to run a campaign against national govt intended regulation changes that there is something very odd going on.
I actually think it’s a sensible idea, but I don’t think extending out to cars of 12 years is a good idea. I’d go mid-way at 9, and make the WOF checks a bit more stringent to help offset it a bit.
Changing the WOF for older cars? That would be suicidal for some unfortunate travellers.
This NACT government is determined to reduce all regulations until death or horrific damage occurs, then consider having some standards that are checked and enforced. The precautionary principle just doesn’t measure up on a cost-efficiency basis to them. We are watching (helplessly?) the degradation of our society by this cursed RWNJ machiavellian mob.
A $50 WOF check and a $210 brake repair isn’t that much compared with the costs incurred when your car ends up plowing into a pole because aforementioned breaks dont work. We may grumble about the costs of getting a car warranted, but the costs are much greater when you have an accident.
Probably better to reduce people’s dependence on cars anyway, ie more public transport, decentralised cities with amenities within walking distance, perhaps even bring back long distance passenger trains.
Probably better to reduce people’s dependence on cars anyway, ie more public transport, decentralised cities with amenities within walking distance, perhaps even bring back long distance passenger trains.
The only reason that the MTA is running their campaign is that their organisation makes hundreds of millions of dollars from the present system.
You do know that the MTA owns VTNZ don’t you?
“Murph”, who fronts the campaign, lives in Australia where they have vastly simpler requirements.
There is also evidence, and I’m sorry but I can’t find a link, that the majority of cases where the car’s condition was to blame for the accident were cars that didn’t have a WOF in the first place.
Yes, like most things, the worst offenders are those who opt out of the system anyway. Time and money are both contributing factors to people opting out, so an argument could be made that by reducing WOF requirements, we’ll increase the likelihood of people getting WOFs.
Yes this is yet another decision which will be horrible for commuter – The mind boggles at the ferocity and genuine hatred that the current government have for human life.
NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time between check, and as you point out the safety of the cars from trucks on our raods, given the carnage they create is set to be lowered, should this scenario play out.
One can’t help but think that there is some plan sitting behind what will lead to a rise in the road toll, accidents and general road safety. The toll has been falling in real time, and there would be “benefits & opportunities” to derive from it rising again!
Also given the attack on the ad campaign featuring Greg Murphy, one can be certain, there is more going on than face value!
“NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time in between checks………”
Exactly. I’ve got a 1994 model and the last WOF check with a new mechanic showed up some real horrors. We’re saving up to get brake hoses replaced and some thingo replaced in the steering column. (Among other less serious issues) They will hold out to the next WOF but what if it had been left a year? I’ve already been involved in a serious crash (caused by a drunk driver, not a dodgy car)so I’m really keen on being safe on the road. Like you say, to paraphrase, it makes you wonder if they’re tryting to kill us off, at a time when our road toll is decreasing.
Apologies for repetitive posting of this “are you serious” meme image but time and again it sums up my response to anything that has come out of the mouth of the PM or his ministers since 08.
Hi Rosie, yeah since I heard about this one, I thought it over, and was like, sure the AA, and other inspection companies are making money from the frequency of the checks, and that is likely a large reason they have the campaign, but at the end of the day its about making environments safe for all who use the roads, cars, bikes, trucks, motorbikes, pedestrians etc.
The state of cars on our roads is awful by n large, in akl I have never seen so many cars missing a front headlights, which to me signals that people don’t have the money, don’t care, or are not getting their cars tested as it is..
Why would the govt, who are supposed to provide environments which allow the people of this country to be “safe and secure”, are dismantling these structures at pace. They are actively attacking so many people now, its crazy!
This will lead to more people dying, its as simple as that!
I’ve taken on board comments re the MTA responding to a potential loss of income (via VTNZ) but they DO provide an important safety service – its not in the same order as British American Tobacco having an insidious emotionally charged framed argument for opposing a govt proposal to get them to plain package their product. One organisation is in the business of reducing risk and the other is in the business of killing people.
Incidentially AA members were polled on this question: “Do you think the Warrant of Fitness for vehicles over six years of age should be reduced from six-monthly to annually?” 86% said YES, 14% said NO. How about that? So much for safety conscious AA members.
19 per cent supported an annual check for vehicles over 18 years
Well Rosie, that just goes to show how little thought people bother to give their own safety, or that of others I guess.
It just does not make any logical sense really, there is few positives to be seen coming from this one, should it come about, and as it will kill and or maime people, it stands a better than average chance!
Oh Look. Pete George manufacturing conflict where there isn’t any. I receive the Greens weekly newsletter. There is nothing underhand at all about their “take the step to end child poverty” campaign. Its very clear that they are asking for donations to fund their campaign – as it is quoted in this article. I don’t know how you could twist that, but PG did.
PG is a dick. I also got the email and it’s perfectly obvious that the campaign is a political one and that the donations are going to a political party to fund political solutions to child poverty.
A Minister on the Board of a Company wanting to roll SkyCity. SkyCity being a Company the PM decided needs to build a massive new Casino. No, nothing to see here.
So,look out if your clothes aren’t up to scratch and your shoes are scruffy, you will immediately be under suspicion of ,oh, I don’t know, anything?Bu–er, will have to stay indoors now until I upgrade my wardrobe.
Another example of this NACT government lacking in integrity. Trying to ignore the real needs of their interpreters and guides in Afghanistan, then only offering a home to those presently working with a cap on 76 people for the 26 allowed to come here. The interpreters will have extended family, perhaps up to ten for an individual.
And those who have been working for NZ there for years, one to a decade, are being denied any opportunity to escape the Taliban. They already receive threats to their safety. NZ is putting them in an intolerable situation. It makes us look despicable not noble helpers of a poor war-torn country. We should be acting in a real-world way not doing the minimum that allows us to make self-satisfied comments about fair behaviour which will happen even if we only brought two people here. We see this sort of low behaviour from govmnt all the time.
One man who is living here was interviewd on Radionz Nine toNoon this a.m. and explained the situation.
And Youth One Stop Shops to support the young people in our community who have many troubles and uncertainties and can be helped through free health services with some advice as well. NACT is allowing these and other helpful community services to die away because of lack of funds.
Can we ever get back to a government that gives more than just a damn for all the people, especially those who are struggling with the crappy conditions that successive governments have themselves facilitated through past and ongoing bad decisions?
The real stupid thing is that after the raid, the police were declaring Operation Explorer the most successful undercover operation to date. How things have changed…
Another week of Labour’s media strategy – keep the leader away from the national spotlight, get him into the local press instead. It’s nice and light, no interviewers eating him alive.
Unfortunately he still manages to put his foot in it …
Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great. It is the most dismal stretch of all – the Wellington hills all the way through the Manawatu and past Wanganui. If you are ever going to get rained on or blown over between Wellington and Auckland it is along this stretch. It should be expresswayed all the way through. But then I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder blah blah…
Hi vto. “Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great”
I reckon “Save Kapiti” might want to prove you wrong:)
The plans have changed several times over the years but either way the expressway would involve bulldozing a number of homes through the Kapiti region. As well as that owners and tennants of properties affected whose homes aren’t being bulldozed have issues about the proximity of their houses to the 4 lane expressway and have legitimate concerns for their health and well being. Its not an just an expressway out in the country. It goes through coastal neighbourhoods.
No one on the coast denies theres a problem with traffic congestion and major delays at holiday times but many feel that the expressway isn’t the wisest or most necessary way of dealing with it.
Actually, it’s a reasonable position just not well put forward. He should have said that Labour would can it depending upon if it was started or not. I have NFI where he gets the idea that there’s any natural justice involved in continuing it because consents had been granted. Consents are nothing.
He did provide an argument (in fact two arguments) and provided a link for others to see what he was talking about. All you did was to waste a few precious minutes of my moderating time. I’d suggest that you do not do that again. ]
He said what?? That is truly bewildering!!
He should be locked in his office with his guitar.
But, with his strumming, I fear he would be Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Well, Grant Robertson had a hand in installing him.
Now, Grant can help get him replaced.
With someone who has real calibre.
Jim Nald 12 1 1 1
Can’t think who to replace Shearer with. But your words seem to indicate a Country guitar stringing, gun slinging singer of great calibre. Is it one of the David’s?
The comments, surprise surprise, don’t match the headline.
But basic lessons for Shearer et al:
familiarise yourself with local issues before doing a local photo-op;
a leader being non-committal will be printed as a party flip-flop;
complex answers need to be book-ended with clear and concise commitments to current policy.
I really do recommend reading Yes Minister (as I recall it takes the form of Woolley’s memoirs). Cynical as hell, but it’s gotten me out of one or two scrapes even in office or institutional politics 🙂
“Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”” This morning on Morning Report about 7:15am the discussion was about Education: Drugs in Schools. They phoned the Ministers Office for comment but the Minister’s Office said that. “Minister Parata was on Personal Leave today.” Could be a tangi, Health problem, or perhaps stress. Maybe just a day off? Who knows
In the next 15 days (3 weeks) she has to visit 38 schools which spins out to 2 to 3 hours per school.
Parata hasn’t time to have time off.
On the Campbell live report school are being refused OIA request for the info that the ministry holds.
One school was told don’t put in a request and you will get it faster!!!
I do not understand WHY were/are they not just given to the schools?
Another principal in a meeting with the ministry, said nearly every question they asked the ministry person had to leave the room to get the answer!!!!
And you have the bizarre ‘don’t release what you have to the schools’ ‘instruction’ the CCC.
There’s not a lot of sympathy out there for public servants. The general impression of them seems to be either they are a bunch of do-nothings engaged in cushy Glide-Time or a load of Sir Humphreys undermining the representatives of the people. They are dismissed as bureaucrats whose sole purpose is tie-up progress.
That’s the general background animosity that public servants have learnt to live with – after all, the terms of their employment demand nothing more than silent, stoic endurance, and they do hold to the ideal of impartially carrying out the policies of the government of the day. Often they really are working out of a sense of vocation, in the true spirit of public service. Public servants, like anyone else, look to find meaning in their work. It’s a hard time to be one, though – be they in Greece, the United Kingdom or New Zealand. It’s not a good feeling when the government you serve regards you and your colleagues with more disdain than something you might find on the sole of your shoe. This has the unsurprising effect of jading many of the best of the public service, who are already looking to move on. Figures from the State Services Commission already show that core unplanned turnover – the number of state servants who are quitting their jobs rather than being made redundant – has already recovered from its historic low of 9.2% in 2010 to 10.9% in 2011. This departure of talent, combined with a de-facto sinking-lid policy will result in a downward spiral resulting leaving behind an ineffective and demoralised public service. A vortex of suck.
________________________
So the vortex has grown as more staff get fed up and decide it’s time to move on. It’s particularly evident in Women’s Affairs (39%), Science and Innovation (29%), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (25%) and Ministry of Defence (24%). These weren’t redundancies, these were people deciding their jobs weren’t for them any more. Something is going wrong when so many choose to leave, despite a poor economy. Further, the loss of talent damages the effectiveness of government administration.
Speaking of rats, to all the rat-bastard capitalist scum who tell us all to “reach out and touch someone” or “be there” – these love crafty suckers are trying to turn us into a scrunched-up blood-drained pathetic crippled little cog in the death-machine of the human soul;
Fight them this weekend I urge you – simply by meeting with friends, not visiting a mall or a supermarket, not consuming even media – but to enjoy friendship –
– do that and you will have triumphed over the most pernicious conspiracy in society today
– the conspiracy to turn us into a living corpse overcaffeinated by the terror of scarcity and envy – to turn us into ghosts haunting our own brains…
Actual personal analogue friendship and contact and conversation, in the next 48 hours, will form a little bubble of freedom and relief around you.
the national bank is changing over to ANZ systems this weekend so customers won’t be able to use their accounts … that should reduce rampant commercialism a bit
so customers won’t be able to use their accounts …
Oh dear! Thanks for the warning… Lucky I always make sure I have plenty of cash.. and this should be a lesson for whoever it was (months ago!) who insisted here that cash was unnecessary!
Vicky I rang them and they said that you can still use your eftpos card or draw cash from an ATM, but you can neither get a balance nor set up an automatic payment.
Auto payments probably don’t go out (or in) on weekends. I was in the National Bank today to close an account (just switched to Kiwibank as I’m not that keen on ANZ and anyway it’s well past time to put my money where my mouth is re banking profits staying in NZ etc) the teller told me the whole thing is more of a reverse takeover with ANZ adopting much of National Bank’s systems. But what was most interesting was the attitude I encountered as news that I was closing my accounts due to the merger and moving to Kiwibank (who have been excellent with the switchover by the way) filtered along the line of tellers. Without exception they all sneered and said “Come back and see us when you’re sick of the queue next door” (Nat Bank and Kiwibank are next door to each other in Queenstown).
Auto payments probably don’t go out (or in) on weekends.
It’s my rent, which for some insane reason goes out after midnight Friday/Saturday, to Housing NZ, who are likely to throw a giant wobbly if it’s so much as a day later than their system expects.
and this should be a lesson for whoever it was (months ago!) who insisted here that cash was unnecessary!
That would have been me and, guess what, cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we get rid of it completely.
cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day,
In tnis case, luckily, it seems that eftpos and ATMs will still work – but what if there was another 6 week powercut such as there was in Auckland in 1998?
Fortunately for us, we lived just outside the zone (Pt Chevalier) and didn’t use eftpos anyway, but if we had, we’d have been seriously affected.
No, I always make sure that I have sufficient cash squirrelled away in case of any necessity, for instance, about a year ago, I lost my card, and was without it for a week. I’d done the clever thing, and reported it lost within 15 minutes, only to find it an hour later… too late, she’d cancelled it and I had to wait a week for the new one.
Lucky I’d withdrawn my cash just beforelosing the card (I thought someone had half-inched it from the ATM, it had actually fallen into an open book in my bag!)
That would have been me and, guess what, cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we get rid of it completely.
This has to be one of your more ignorant comments B
Actually ANZ customers are changing over to National’s system.
Not really keen on being a ANZ customer myself, enjoyed being with National Bank, the only bad thing about it as that if you lost your eftpos card, you had to have one mailed out to you, whereas TSB give you a new one on the spot. And the overdraft facility leads to an end of being caught short at the supermarket checkout.
Thought about joining the Co-op bank, I like co-ops, Shearer should put them at the front and centre of his party’s economic poilicy, but they salami slice fee after fee after fee.
As a change from the relentless Shearer hatred to be found here, I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public, on Facebook tonight. Very refreshing!
Neither funny nor clever. Whereas the chattering classes hate Shearer, the public like him, and I don’t care if that hacks you off. The guy in question is a teenager and pretty left-wing.
“I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public,”
A member of the public? One?
“Very refreshing”
Don’t you think that getting one person praising a leader of a political party occurring being a “refreshing event” is somewhat cause for concern?
I was happy with Mr Shearer being voted in as leader and considered him to have a lot of good qualities for the job. It is clear he needs time to settle into the role, and that he likely would be good at that point, however, it has been a year now and are we prepared to risk more time trusting that in the fullness of time, he will start to draw numbers? What if that doesn’t occur? Would it perhaps not be better to get in someone with more experience from the outset?
I am sorry to take this line of reasoning, and be a bit critical of Mr Shearer, however, I am really genuinely concerned that we get a left-wing government in the next election and we don’t even know that it won’t be an early election; judging by the chaos surrounding our governance at present, I believe this is a real possibility.
That takes in the period when David Shearer – and presumably his strategy team – had a brain fart and went public about… what JK said to the GCSB staff in their cafeteria. It doesn’t matter it was likely to be true. Shearer did it without back-up evidence. Very disappointing.
Second poll in a row where Roy Morgan states that a Labour/Greens/NZF coalition would be most likely to form a government. So that’s nice.
Labour? Well, Shearer’s just had his ‘show me the money’ moment. Unlike Goff, he has time to put it right. But not too much time now, I reckon.
Dunnokeyo knows he’s not just dead behind the eyes, he’s dead in the water. Just drifting aimlessly along, springing leaks every time a Cabinet Minister has to go on telly apologising for some fresh incompetence.
Labour and National are both 5 points short of where they need to be to be sure of leading the next government. My bet is that Labour can lift to mid thirties a lot easier than National can get to the high forties.
Yeah, maybe ‘not good’. But entirely predictable. Dead ducks to the right of us, dead ducks to the left of us and a lot of open water. People want a bird that can fly ffs. And we ain’t got none at the moment.
It would be great if that were true, but is that enough justification for hope? Beware wishful thinking. If we have to start making excuses for the polls, especially when this government is so vile, so incompetent and so visibly vile and incompetent, then something is very wrong with the opposition.
I remember people here looking at the polls and saying “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen” all through the last term – and then Labour under Goff was still unable to form a government.
The dip is very steep which by itself its something to be concerned about given the Government is continuing by default to present itself as weak and incompetent. I am not sure Shearers “Show me the money” moment whilst embarrassing in fact provided much public traction for the Government. If the pattern is not repeated in the other polls then this is probably a one off. However the fact that John Key and National are still able to garner a good 40% level of support should be of concern…
At last, a Labour supporter who is not doing a ‘victory lap’ in the face of entrenched low polling.
Something has to be done about this. The thing about Labour is that it isnt even coming up with any fresh ideas that can even be seen as viable to the mainstream.
The Greens seem to be holding their own at 13%. While there are legitamite concerns about the Reserve Bank Act — ie strict inflation targets = low wages and hospital closures, Russel Norman going on about QE was probably the same as Jeanette Fitzsimons 10 years earlier going on about how her party would pull the rug out from Labour if it allowed GE.
Unsure if this article has been posted and discussed yet
It is about a proposal for a new plan written for the IMF
…is to replace our system of private bank-created money — roughly 97pc of the money supply — with state-created money….Specifically, it means an assault on “fractional reserve banking”. If lenders are forced to put up 100pc reserve backing for deposits, they lose the exorbitant privilege of creating money out of thin air.
The nation regains sovereign control over the money supply. There are no more banks runs, and fewer boom-bust credit cycles. Accounting legerdemain will do the rest. That at least is the argument.
Ah! I have viewed a number of good articles over the last couple of days and hadn’t noted where I got them from; which I must learn to do 🙁 Great article: I would have probably got it from you thanks!
Am I noticing a shift that something like this could be proposed to the IMF, or do the IMF get a range of papers written for them all the time, I wonder?
I left the link hoping to hear others’ views on the substance of the report.
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Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
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Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”. Wonder if there is significance in that given the awful exposure of stuff-ups re Christchurch School Reorganisation last night on Campbell Live?
Yep, useless. In fact so incompetent that the suspicioun of ulterior motive is now paramount.
Ministry of Education – liars and incompetents.
Minister John Banks – liar and law-breaker.
Prime Minister John Key – liar and incompetent.
Minister David Carter – liar and deceptionist re Ecan and destroyer of democracy. Can’t even look his community in the eyes
Nick Smith – liar re Wyatt Creech report on Ecan
Wyatt Creech – liar.
Winz – complete incompetence
ACC – complete incompetence.
Police force – liars, law-breakers and committers of perjury. Utterly untrustworthy.
Spy agencies – liars and law-breakers
Is there anything left?
Deceptive liars and utterly untrustworthy is this government.
edit: I forgot Bill English but he is so far gone he sort of gets forgotten. Let’s see – double dipping the system for personal gain. And today in the Press lying about the Christchurch City Council and its finances – bare-faced lie (as Mayor Parker confirms) to suit this govts agenda. Liar.
And Brownlee is a fool:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7866958/Brownlee-was-on-fraud-accuseds-board
Actually that Brownlee article is quite reassuring, in a sense – they clearly run their personal business lives as badly as they run the country.
Perhaps they are just totally incompetent and not corrupt after all.
That would certainly be true of most of them. Unfortunately, the truly corrupt ones are directing the incompetent ones.
Idiot/Savant raises some good question in his post Fools
Uneconomic RoNS perhaps?
“left after a few weeks.” Wonder how long is a few weeks and why did he leave. Often a vague “few weeks” used to hide from much longer bigger involvement.
Crikey. Worrying list, veets. Wee Dunnokey better watch out, only a short step…. if he signs a painting for charity or sits in the back of a speeding car, the Farrascists will start endlessly shrieking the most corrupt govt in history and the herald will run a red front page comparing him to Adolf…..
And how long before the Nats ‘need’ an Education Minister ? Are they going to let her anywhere near that portfolio again, or give it to someone else ? Now who in that Nats has a political death wish, as it looks like that’s what Education has become. A far cry from what it used to be.
David. Bring back Trevor Mallard. He was a seriously good Minister.
Thank you for giving me a good laugh on a Friday morning.
Trevor is far to busy as an aspiring professional cyclist to waste time on politics.
>>Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave
Where did you get that Ian?
Parata has written to the 38 schools most affected by the proposals, offering to meet parents and the schools’ communities over the next three weeks.
That is 38 schools in 15 days, O r 2 to 3 schools a day.
So that is about 2 hours per school.
She hasn’t got time for personal leave.
So maybe she has a convenient mini breakdown (personal time) for a month, and ooppss sorry no time to see the schools.
Yes, because I’m entirely sure all those letters were individually hand-crafted. And she has no staff to do these things for her.
A thought about the recent disclosure of the police committing forgery, making a false declaration and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
I wonder if consideration is being given to the enactment of urgent legislation to permit that which has been ruled illegal?
Why not mickey they’ve done it before and are often having to rush through patches under urgency to gaps in prior legislation.
The question is do they have the skill to slip it under the radar like they tried with alot of the supershity shonks.
Between the police and the judiciary’s ugly side lately WTF is going on ? It never used to be this bad with these usually reliable bastions of the state.
http://livenews.co.nz/2012/10/state-of-it-with-selwyn-manning-wtfmsd-a-systemic-failure-or-acceptable-human-error/
Work and Income privacy issues
On the page above you can find:
– article on privacy issues and MSD
– radio interview (12mins) about the same
– invite to share your story with Selwyn Manning about your experience with WINZ and privacy
Needs to be a royal commission on this ASAP. Not just into WINZ, but the public service in general. Seems that every second week there has been a case of public sector workers ‘looking people up’ in their databases. I personally know of several instances of this happening.
Who is Selwyn Manning and why would a beneficiary want to talk to him? What privacy/anonymity guarantees is he giving for people that share their story?
Fonterra projects a price drop of around $ 0.50 per litre of milk next year leaving countless Farmers facing ruin.
Here is an Infograph showing why that might be. Imagine a breadline of 45 million people and you are beginning to get the drift.
Whatever happened to the farmer who used to plan for the rainy day ?
Price fluctuations for primary industry products is older than we all are. Am I missing something ?
Watched a few country calendars that clearly show a better model of dairy farming is to be more hollistic and run a closed system rather than push the land and herds to the point of diminishing returns.
At a guess, I’d say too busy speculating on asset prices.
Banks pushing easy debt hold the majority of the blame.
Here is the link L, my bad!
The farmer voting for a bankster thinking that banks were his best friends was busy buying fraudulent Derivatives thinking they were and insurance against a rainy day and is now finding out that with the LIBOR rate kept artificially low to help the speculating banksters, he is being robbed by John Key’s mates except he is so woefully underinformed by the corporate owned MSM and pushed on his toxic shame button, he actually thinks he’s to blame for his demise and judging by TC that is what a lot of really ignorant people are going to think.
Here is what is happening with small and middle size businesses in England who bought into the CDO/CDS Derivatives scam by the most dangerous financial journalists Max and Stacey
Thanks for the link. I didn’t realise it was to your blog.
I also don’t know why you assume that all 44 1/2 million people with the SNAP cards shop at Walmarts. Walmarts are quite common in rural and lower socioeconomic areas, but not nearly as common in the bigger cities, where actually quite a few of the SNAP card people will be living (since everything is expensive in the big cities and you need lots of money to survive).
Did you bother to check the Infograph? This is one from a group who specialising in making clear how bad the situation is in v.e.r.y s.i.m.p.l.e pictures.
So far with every single one of them they were right on the money. (no pun intended)
It is they who used the Wall mart connection to make the size of the Bread line in America easy to understand. But it appears nowhere near simple enough for you.
For those of you interested in other Infographs on the financial Armageddon we are facing here is the link to more terrifying statistics made easy.
Your link doesn’t go anywhere.
Yep. It’s going to be very shit next year, for a lot of farmers, and consequently for a lot of provincial centres.
Add the kiwifruit industry in there too.
Colour me cynical, but if a whole lot of dairy farmers go bankrupt in the next year, who will be buying the land/taking over the farms?
American Film directors and banksters hoping to get out of the way when their scams implode?
Sweet arrangement, bankrupt the producers who make up the primary exports of NZ, then come swooping in buy cheap, keep the farms going, repatriate profits offshore, and have control of yet more resources, which would keep NZ from being self sustaining.
Couldn’t feed ourselves – Dont own it
Couldn’t power ourselves – Don’t own it
Couldn’t sell mineral/oil/gas resources – don’t it
Water, what about the water – who owns that
Manufacturing – Not much here
Nothing happening, toddle along….
The people that rigged the market so that they could buy up all the land and resources making everyone else dependent upon them – the banksters.
although to be fair our rivers might get a bit cleaner
How does a concentration of ownership equate to cleaner rivers? You thinking dairy farms are going to be bought and converted to something else? Not bloody likely.
The less profitable dairy farming is, the more likely the land will go to other uses.
Uh-huh. Maybe. Or then again, maybe some deliberate loss making facets of a business covering ‘x’ number of farms to shuffle profits around in (or however it’s done) with the intent of avoiding tax payments or whatever?
Possibly.
But e.g. if a movie star buys the land to farm alpacas and saffron close to their mcmansion, the nitrate/faecal contamination would dwindle.
Well I can see this being a new Greens policy, then.
Agreed. Most likely the smaller, family-owned farms that go under will be bought up by agribusiness* and dairying intensification will continue.
*locally owned or foreign.
Been thinking about the Warrant of Fitness changes that National want to bring in. Where is the scam? Must be the trucking Lobby via Friedlander, more trucks on more roads and a relaxing of the regulations re safety of these trucks. Mayhem in the making. Money first, people second.
Have National done anything to benefit all of NZ? Have National done anything that is not a scam?
Agree, we actually need to be tougher rather than more lax. I got a WOF the other week in a garage where I’m pretty sure they didn’t have the right gear to do a proper brake test.
Going down a steep hill over the weekend under braking that steel on steel sound confirmed my suspicions.
I’ve been struggling with the logic of reducing the safety checking, ie WOF checks on cars older than 6 years. So far when interviewed (I think it was Simon Bridges) and questioned as to why they would want to change the current regulation the only answer was a feeble “its expensive for people to get a WOF every 6 months”. What the? The cost of living is expensive and is increasing , our wages are low – do something about that then!
The MTA are running a campaign to keep the the WOF requirements as they are. You know when a conservative industry group like that has to run a campaign against national govt intended regulation changes that there is something very odd going on.
I actually think it’s a sensible idea, but I don’t think extending out to cars of 12 years is a good idea. I’d go mid-way at 9, and make the WOF checks a bit more stringent to help offset it a bit.
Changing the WOF for older cars? That would be suicidal for some unfortunate travellers.
This NACT government is determined to reduce all regulations until death or horrific damage occurs, then consider having some standards that are checked and enforced. The precautionary principle just doesn’t measure up on a cost-efficiency basis to them. We are watching (helplessly?) the degradation of our society by this cursed RWNJ machiavellian mob.
A $50 WOF check and a $210 brake repair isn’t that much compared with the costs incurred when your car ends up plowing into a pole because aforementioned breaks dont work. We may grumble about the costs of getting a car warranted, but the costs are much greater when you have an accident.
Probably better to reduce people’s dependence on cars anyway, ie more public transport, decentralised cities with amenities within walking distance, perhaps even bring back long distance passenger trains.
Absolutely right! Especially the trains…
The only reason that the MTA is running their campaign is that their organisation makes hundreds of millions of dollars from the present system.
You do know that the MTA owns VTNZ don’t you?
“Murph”, who fronts the campaign, lives in Australia where they have vastly simpler requirements.
There is also evidence, and I’m sorry but I can’t find a link, that the majority of cases where the car’s condition was to blame for the accident were cars that didn’t have a WOF in the first place.
Yes, like most things, the worst offenders are those who opt out of the system anyway. Time and money are both contributing factors to people opting out, so an argument could be made that by reducing WOF requirements, we’ll increase the likelihood of people getting WOFs.
I wonder how many guys in coveralls are going to be made redundant. Nats putting more people out of work since 2008.
Yes this is yet another decision which will be horrible for commuter – The mind boggles at the ferocity and genuine hatred that the current government have for human life.
NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time between check, and as you point out the safety of the cars from trucks on our raods, given the carnage they create is set to be lowered, should this scenario play out.
One can’t help but think that there is some plan sitting behind what will lead to a rise in the road toll, accidents and general road safety. The toll has been falling in real time, and there would be “benefits & opportunities” to derive from it rising again!
Also given the attack on the ad campaign featuring Greg Murphy, one can be certain, there is more going on than face value!
Hey Muzza.
“NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time in between checks………”
Exactly. I’ve got a 1994 model and the last WOF check with a new mechanic showed up some real horrors. We’re saving up to get brake hoses replaced and some thingo replaced in the steering column. (Among other less serious issues) They will hold out to the next WOF but what if it had been left a year? I’ve already been involved in a serious crash (caused by a drunk driver, not a dodgy car)so I’m really keen on being safe on the road. Like you say, to paraphrase, it makes you wonder if they’re tryting to kill us off, at a time when our road toll is decreasing.
Apologies for repetitive posting of this “are you serious” meme image but time and again it sums up my response to anything that has come out of the mouth of the PM or his ministers since 08.
http://makeyourmeme.ru/default/instance_18/556488/original.jpg
I’m actually printing this image on to a t shirt.
Hi Rosie, yeah since I heard about this one, I thought it over, and was like, sure the AA, and other inspection companies are making money from the frequency of the checks, and that is likely a large reason they have the campaign, but at the end of the day its about making environments safe for all who use the roads, cars, bikes, trucks, motorbikes, pedestrians etc.
The state of cars on our roads is awful by n large, in akl I have never seen so many cars missing a front headlights, which to me signals that people don’t have the money, don’t care, or are not getting their cars tested as it is..
Why would the govt, who are supposed to provide environments which allow the people of this country to be “safe and secure”, are dismantling these structures at pace. They are actively attacking so many people now, its crazy!
This will lead to more people dying, its as simple as that!
Indeed.
I’ve taken on board comments re the MTA responding to a potential loss of income (via VTNZ) but they DO provide an important safety service – its not in the same order as British American Tobacco having an insidious emotionally charged framed argument for opposing a govt proposal to get them to plain package their product. One organisation is in the business of reducing risk and the other is in the business of killing people.
Incidentially AA members were polled on this question: “Do you think the Warrant of Fitness for vehicles over six years of age should be reduced from six-monthly to annually?” 86% said YES, 14% said NO. How about that? So much for safety conscious AA members.
http://www.aa.co.nz/about/newsroom/media-releases/safety/aa-members-support-less-frequent-wof/
Well Rosie, that just goes to show how little thought people bother to give their own safety, or that of others I guess.
It just does not make any logical sense really, there is few positives to be seen coming from this one, should it come about, and as it will kill and or maime people, it stands a better than average chance!
Nope, they’ve only done things that benefit rich people. They really don’t a stuff about anybody else.
Oh Look. Pete George manufacturing conflict where there isn’t any. I receive the Greens weekly newsletter. There is nothing underhand at all about their “take the step to end child poverty” campaign. Its very clear that they are asking for donations to fund their campaign – as it is quoted in this article. I don’t know how you could twist that, but PG did.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7865387/Greens-say-funding-ploy-is-Obama-style
The original post:
http://yournz.org/2012/10/25/green-party-politics-of-poverty/
Irritation levels increasing.
Should have just read the dom post article, and backed away slowly and popped the kettle on.
The sad UF’er has to do something with his empty schedule of meaningful things to do.
It’s just PG trying to make himself look important. I’m amazed that a newspaper even reported it…
…Ok, I was lying, I’m not really as newspapers have just become cheap rumour mills.
PG is a dick. I also got the email and it’s perfectly obvious that the campaign is a political one and that the donations are going to a political party to fund political solutions to child poverty.
A comment from the sewer:
Brownlee “I did no research”. Pretty well sums up his performance as a so called Minister.
Brownlee was on fraud-accused’s board | Stuff.co.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7866958/Brownlee-was-on-fraud-accuseds-board
A Minister on the Board of a Company wanting to roll SkyCity. SkyCity being a Company the PM decided needs to build a massive new Casino. No, nothing to see here.
So,look out if your clothes aren’t up to scratch and your shoes are scruffy, you will immediately be under suspicion of ,oh, I don’t know, anything?Bu–er, will have to stay indoors now until I upgrade my wardrobe.
not our sort of person – i.e. not a tasteless oik who masturbates to conspicuous consumption.
Another example of this NACT government lacking in integrity. Trying to ignore the real needs of their interpreters and guides in Afghanistan, then only offering a home to those presently working with a cap on 76 people for the 26 allowed to come here. The interpreters will have extended family, perhaps up to ten for an individual.
And those who have been working for NZ there for years, one to a decade, are being denied any opportunity to escape the Taliban. They already receive threats to their safety. NZ is putting them in an intolerable situation. It makes us look despicable not noble helpers of a poor war-torn country. We should be acting in a real-world way not doing the minimum that allows us to make self-satisfied comments about fair behaviour which will happen even if we only brought two people here. We see this sort of low behaviour from govmnt all the time.
One man who is living here was interviewd on Radionz Nine toNoon this a.m. and explained the situation.
And Youth One Stop Shops to support the young people in our community who have many troubles and uncertainties and can be helped through free health services with some advice as well. NACT is allowing these and other helpful community services to die away because of lack of funds.
Can we ever get back to a government that gives more than just a damn for all the people, especially those who are struggling with the crappy conditions that successive governments have themselves facilitated through past and ongoing bad decisions?
The devil’s in the detail
The real stupid thing is that after the raid, the police were declaring Operation Explorer the most successful undercover operation to date. How things have changed…
Another week of Labour’s media strategy – keep the leader away from the national spotlight, get him into the local press instead. It’s nice and light, no interviewers eating him alive.
Unfortunately he still manages to put his foot in it …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapiti-observer/7863210/Labour-unlikely-to-put-brakes-on-Kapiti-expressway
So, a clear shift in Labour’s position since the last election. Decided by who? When?
Need. More. Roads. Way. Of. Future.
Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great. It is the most dismal stretch of all – the Wellington hills all the way through the Manawatu and past Wanganui. If you are ever going to get rained on or blown over between Wellington and Auckland it is along this stretch. It should be expresswayed all the way through. But then I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder blah blah…
Hi vto. “Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great”
I reckon “Save Kapiti” might want to prove you wrong:)
http://savekapiti.co.nz/
Check it out.
The plans have changed several times over the years but either way the expressway would involve bulldozing a number of homes through the Kapiti region. As well as that owners and tennants of properties affected whose homes aren’t being bulldozed have issues about the proximity of their houses to the 4 lane expressway and have legitimate concerns for their health and well being. Its not an just an expressway out in the country. It goes through coastal neighbourhoods.
No one on the coast denies theres a problem with traffic congestion and major delays at holiday times but many feel that the expressway isn’t the wisest or most necessary way of dealing with it.
Actually, it’s a reasonable position just not well put forward. He should have said that Labour would can it depending upon if it was started or not. I have NFI where he gets the idea that there’s any natural justice involved in continuing it because consents had been granted. Consents are nothing.
Roadworks aside – ffs, tell me the last two lines of that link weren’t an indication that Hughs was going to be taken back into the fold.
It did rather look like a toe-dipping, yes…
speak for yourself gobsmacked.
why are you hiding behind a link.
cant you frame a proper argument?
[lprent: Huh? What in the hell are you talking about? Can I presume (FFS: use the bloody reply!) that you are talking about
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26102012/comment-page-1/#comment-538666
He did provide an argument (in fact two arguments) and provided a link for others to see what he was talking about. All you did was to waste a few precious minutes of my moderating time. I’d suggest that you do not do that again. ]
How does one hide behind a link? That’s a neat trick.
It’s called “evidence”. As opposed to just making things up.
So now you know what Shearer said. Do you agree or disagree with his comments?
I disagree. They are confused and waffly and at best unhelpful, at worst a flip-flop.
You?
+1 to agreeing with all your comments, gobsmacked.
Shearer really sucks 🙁
He said what?? That is truly bewildering!!
He should be locked in his office with his guitar.
But, with his strumming, I fear he would be Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Well, Grant Robertson had a hand in installing him.
Now, Grant can help get him replaced.
With someone who has real calibre.
Jim Nald 12 1 1 1
Can’t think who to replace Shearer with. But your words seem to indicate a Country guitar stringing, gun slinging singer of great calibre. Is it one of the David’s?
Hmmm.
The comments, surprise surprise, don’t match the headline.
But basic lessons for Shearer et al:
familiarise yourself with local issues before doing a local photo-op;
a leader being non-committal will be printed as a party flip-flop;
complex answers need to be book-ended with clear and concise commitments to current policy.
I really do recommend reading Yes Minister (as I recall it takes the form of Woolley’s memoirs). Cynical as hell, but it’s gotten me out of one or two scrapes even in office or institutional politics 🙂
“Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”” This morning on Morning Report about 7:15am the discussion was about Education: Drugs in Schools. They phoned the Ministers Office for comment but the Minister’s Office said that. “Minister Parata was on Personal Leave today.” Could be a tangi, Health problem, or perhaps stress. Maybe just a day off? Who knows
In the next 15 days (3 weeks) she has to visit 38 schools which spins out to 2 to 3 hours per school.
Parata hasn’t time to have time off.
On the Campbell live report school are being refused OIA request for the info that the ministry holds.
One school was told don’t put in a request and you will get it faster!!!
I do not understand WHY were/are they not just given to the schools?
Another principal in a meeting with the ministry, said nearly every question they asked the ministry person had to leave the room to get the answer!!!!
And you have the bizarre ‘don’t release what you have to the schools’ ‘instruction’ the CCC.
So the State Services Commission’s Human Resources Capability Survey 2012 (PDF) has been released and shows a core unplanned turnover rate of 11.4% – an increase on last year’s rate. As I commented in February:
________________________
There’s not a lot of sympathy out there for public servants. The general impression of them seems to be either they are a bunch of do-nothings engaged in cushy Glide-Time or a load of Sir Humphreys undermining the representatives of the people. They are dismissed as bureaucrats whose sole purpose is tie-up progress.
That’s the general background animosity that public servants have learnt to live with – after all, the terms of their employment demand nothing more than silent, stoic endurance, and they do hold to the ideal of impartially carrying out the policies of the government of the day. Often they really are working out of a sense of vocation, in the true spirit of public service. Public servants, like anyone else, look to find meaning in their work. It’s a hard time to be one, though – be they in Greece, the United Kingdom or New Zealand. It’s not a good feeling when the government you serve regards you and your colleagues with more disdain than something you might find on the sole of your shoe. This has the unsurprising effect of jading many of the best of the public service, who are already looking to move on. Figures from the State Services Commission already show that core unplanned turnover – the number of state servants who are quitting their jobs rather than being made redundant – has already recovered from its historic low of 9.2% in 2010 to 10.9% in 2011. This departure of talent, combined with a de-facto sinking-lid policy will result in a downward spiral resulting leaving behind an ineffective and demoralised public service. A vortex of suck.
________________________
So the vortex has grown as more staff get fed up and decide it’s time to move on. It’s particularly evident in Women’s Affairs (39%), Science and Innovation (29%), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (25%) and Ministry of Defence (24%). These weren’t redundancies, these were people deciding their jobs weren’t for them any more. Something is going wrong when so many choose to leave, despite a poor economy. Further, the loss of talent damages the effectiveness of government administration.
Thanks to No Right Turn who found the Campbell Live program from last night over the OIA and the MOE. NRT has a good write up of the importance of this issue. (MOE told the Christchurch City Council to lie that they had no information about the school closures.)
http://www.3news.co.nz/Too-many-mistakes-with-Christchurch-schools/tabid/367/articleID/274105/Default.aspx
and NRT http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/the-purpose-of-freedom-of-information.html
Speaking of rats, to all the rat-bastard capitalist scum who tell us all to “reach out and touch someone” or “be there” – these love crafty suckers are trying to turn us into a scrunched-up blood-drained pathetic crippled little cog in the death-machine of the human soul;
Fight them this weekend I urge you – simply by meeting with friends, not visiting a mall or a supermarket, not consuming even media – but to enjoy friendship –
– do that and you will have triumphed over the most pernicious conspiracy in society today
– the conspiracy to turn us into a living corpse overcaffeinated by the terror of scarcity and envy – to turn us into ghosts haunting our own brains…
Actual personal analogue friendship and contact and conversation, in the next 48 hours, will form a little bubble of freedom and relief around you.
the national bank is changing over to ANZ systems this weekend so customers won’t be able to use their accounts … that should reduce rampant commercialism a bit
I am a Nat bank customer, you’re joking, right?
Hmmmmmm looks like you better check out the National bank website.
Oh dear! Thanks for the warning… Lucky I always make sure I have plenty of cash.. and this should be a lesson for whoever it was (months ago!) who insisted here that cash was unnecessary!
Vicky I rang them and they said that you can still use your eftpos card or draw cash from an ATM, but you can neither get a balance nor set up an automatic payment.
But I suppose one that is already set up is okay? I hope so…
Auto payments probably don’t go out (or in) on weekends. I was in the National Bank today to close an account (just switched to Kiwibank as I’m not that keen on ANZ and anyway it’s well past time to put my money where my mouth is re banking profits staying in NZ etc) the teller told me the whole thing is more of a reverse takeover with ANZ adopting much of National Bank’s systems. But what was most interesting was the attitude I encountered as news that I was closing my accounts due to the merger and moving to Kiwibank (who have been excellent with the switchover by the way) filtered along the line of tellers. Without exception they all sneered and said “Come back and see us when you’re sick of the queue next door” (Nat Bank and Kiwibank are next door to each other in Queenstown).
It’s my rent, which for some insane reason goes out after midnight Friday/Saturday, to Housing NZ, who are likely to throw a giant wobbly if it’s so much as a day later than their system expects.
NZ’s National Bank’s systems were by far the better ones years ago, when ANZ took them over. It was simply a matter of ANZ having the deeper pockets.
That would have been me and, guess what, cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we get rid of it completely.
I’m working on that all the time.
In tnis case, luckily, it seems that eftpos and ATMs will still work – but what if there was another 6 week powercut such as there was in Auckland in 1998?
Fortunately for us, we lived just outside the zone (Pt Chevalier) and didn’t use eftpos anyway, but if we had, we’d have been seriously affected.
No, I always make sure that I have sufficient cash squirrelled away in case of any necessity, for instance, about a year ago, I lost my card, and was without it for a week. I’d done the clever thing, and reported it lost within 15 minutes, only to find it an hour later… too late, she’d cancelled it and I had to wait a week for the new one.
Lucky I’d withdrawn my cash just before losing the card (I thought someone had half-inched it from the ATM, it had actually fallen into an open book in my bag!)
This has to be one of your more ignorant comments B
Nope. Done through government so that it’s accountable and it becomes a way to prevent the fraud and other BS that goes on in the high finance sector.
You view fragile systems way too optimistically.
Systems are only fragile if they’re made that way.
EDIT: What you and others don’t seem to understand is that cash is just as fragile and may be even more so – just in different ways.
Actually ANZ customers are changing over to National’s system.
Not really keen on being a ANZ customer myself, enjoyed being with National Bank, the only bad thing about it as that if you lost your eftpos card, you had to have one mailed out to you, whereas TSB give you a new one on the spot. And the overdraft facility leads to an end of being caught short at the supermarket checkout.
Thought about joining the Co-op bank, I like co-ops, Shearer should put them at the front and centre of his party’s economic poilicy, but they salami slice fee after fee after fee.
Hmmm.
Labour down to 29% in the latest Roy Morgan. Not good …
Nah, what would be “not good” is if it didn’t bounce back a bit next time, contrary to the trend.
Time to let Shearer loose with that guitar to save the polls !
Its time for a rethink of Shearer’s strategy…maybe Parker on the side with a tambourine?
As a change from the relentless Shearer hatred to be found here, I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public, on Facebook tonight. Very refreshing!
matthew hooton’s trolling facebook now?
🙂
Neither funny nor clever. Whereas the chattering classes hate Shearer, the public like him, and I don’t care if that hacks you off. The guy in question is a teenager and pretty left-wing.
…I thought it was really very funny and clever.
Come on Vicky32 You say:
“I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public,”
A member of the public? One?
“Very refreshing”
Don’t you think that getting one person praising a leader of a political party occurring being a “refreshing event” is somewhat cause for concern?
I was happy with Mr Shearer being voted in as leader and considered him to have a lot of good qualities for the job. It is clear he needs time to settle into the role, and that he likely would be good at that point, however, it has been a year now and are we prepared to risk more time trusting that in the fullness of time, he will start to draw numbers? What if that doesn’t occur? Would it perhaps not be better to get in someone with more experience from the outset?
I am sorry to take this line of reasoning, and be a bit critical of Mr Shearer, however, I am really genuinely concerned that we get a left-wing government in the next election and we don’t even know that it won’t be an early election; judging by the chaos surrounding our governance at present, I believe this is a real possibility.
Labour sitting between 28% and 32%. For the last year. Great trend to look out for.
yeah, that’s the trend
Not if you’re looking at leadership.
Poll taken between Oct. 8th – Oct. 24th.
That takes in the period when David Shearer – and presumably his strategy team – had a brain fart and went public about… what JK said to the GCSB staff in their cafeteria. It doesn’t matter it was likely to be true. Shearer did it without back-up evidence. Very disappointing.
Relevant quote from Napolean Bonaparte:
Do not interrupt your enemy, while he is making a mistake.
Please forward to Labour HQ.
Second poll in a row where Roy Morgan states that a Labour/Greens/NZF coalition would be most likely to form a government. So that’s nice.
Labour? Well, Shearer’s just had his ‘show me the money’ moment. Unlike Goff, he has time to put it right. But not too much time now, I reckon.
Dunnokeyo knows he’s not just dead behind the eyes, he’s dead in the water. Just drifting aimlessly along, springing leaks every time a Cabinet Minister has to go on telly apologising for some fresh incompetence.
Labour and National are both 5 points short of where they need to be to be sure of leading the next government. My bet is that Labour can lift to mid thirties a lot easier than National can get to the high forties.
Thanks to the Greens, and especially to Winston, for pulling their weight.
Yeah, maybe ‘not good’. But entirely predictable. Dead ducks to the right of us, dead ducks to the left of us and a lot of open water. People want a bird that can fly ffs. And we ain’t got none at the moment.
Looks like under-sampling of Labour coupled with oversampling of MP and maybe NZFirst. So I’m not too concerned.
Probably just a rogue poll
It would be great if that were true, but is that enough justification for hope? Beware wishful thinking. If we have to start making excuses for the polls, especially when this government is so vile, so incompetent and so visibly vile and incompetent, then something is very wrong with the opposition.
I remember people here looking at the polls and saying “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen” all through the last term – and then Labour under Goff was still unable to form a government.
The dip is very steep which by itself its something to be concerned about given the Government is continuing by default to present itself as weak and incompetent. I am not sure Shearers “Show me the money” moment whilst embarrassing in fact provided much public traction for the Government. If the pattern is not repeated in the other polls then this is probably a one off. However the fact that John Key and National are still able to garner a good 40% level of support should be of concern…
Is it just me, or are there a lot more polls these days given where we are in the political cycle? There seems to be one every fortnight or so.
A poll-glut one might say…
Morgan poll is usually about every two weeks. The others are somewhat sporadic
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4833/
At last, a Labour supporter who is not doing a ‘victory lap’ in the face of entrenched low polling.
Something has to be done about this. The thing about Labour is that it isnt even coming up with any fresh ideas that can even be seen as viable to the mainstream.
The Greens seem to be holding their own at 13%. While there are legitamite concerns about the Reserve Bank Act — ie strict inflation targets = low wages and hospital closures, Russel Norman going on about QE was probably the same as Jeanette Fitzsimons 10 years earlier going on about how her party would pull the rug out from Labour if it allowed GE.
Now this is the type of story we should be aiming to produce:
Except for the bit about having to import waste.
Peak Garbage, excellent 😈
Vienna powers it’s heating the same way. Useful given the politics of gas between Russia and the Ukraine.
Unsure if this article has been posted and discussed yet
It is about a proposal for a new plan written for the IMF
~IMF’s epic plan to conjure away debt and dethrone bankers
It’s been posted a number of times (by me) but I haven’t yet seen anyone comment on it.
Yep, a new plan written in 1936.
Ah! I have viewed a number of good articles over the last couple of days and hadn’t noted where I got them from; which I must learn to do 🙁 Great article: I would have probably got it from you thanks!
Am I noticing a shift that something like this could be proposed to the IMF, or do the IMF get a range of papers written for them all the time, I wonder?
I left the link hoping to hear others’ views on the substance of the report.
I’ve done that a few times
I also found this article heartening, for similar reasons (as above): that experts are coming out and saying such things:
Iraq War and Afghan Conflict Harmed The Economy
Are the worms beginning to turn?
Hope so
Broken link, is this the one you were talking about?
Yes thanks. 🙂
(green smiley was cool by the way)