Open mike 26/12/2015
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, December 26th, 2015 - 79 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
79 comments on “Open mike 26/12/2015 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2025
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications: Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...10 hours ago - Whatever Happened to Cactus Kate?
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...10 hours ago - Sovereign capability can benefit Australia—up to a point
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...11 hours ago - David Seymour’s Charter School Rort
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...11 hours ago
- Flexibility and awareness will help India deal with Trump (again)
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...12 hours ago
- Inflation data confirms real terms minimum wage cut
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...13 hours ago - Climate Change: Kicking the can down the road again
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...14 hours ago - The Spirit for Australia: why Canberra should pursue the B-2 bomber
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...15 hours ago
- A bit more unpicking of RB spending and the Funding Agreement
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...15 hours ago - A successful COP31 needs Pacific countries at the table
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...17 hours ago
- Brown unveils unfunded health plan for small NZ
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...18 hours ago - Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that ...19 hours ago
- NZ Must Undertake a Peacekeeping Role in Trump’s Wars
Donald Trump’s return to the White House and aggressive posturing is undermining global diplomacy, and New Zealand must stand firm in rejecting his reckless, fascist-driven policies that are dragging the world toward chaos.As a nation with a proud history of peacekeeping and principled foreign policy, we should limit our role ...19 hours ago
- Donald Trump’s first three months: rude, raucous and rogue
Sunday marks three months since Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. What a ride: the style rude, language raucous, and the results rogue. Beyond manners, rudeness matters because tone signals intent as well as personality. ...20 hours ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Left’s Electability Crisis, And The Abundance Ecotopia
There are any number of reasons why anyone thinking of heading to the United States for a holiday should think twice. They would be giving their money to a totalitarian state where political dissenters are being rounded up and imprisoned here and here, where universities are having their funds for ...1 day ago - Taiwan: the sponge that soaks up Chinese power
Taiwan has an inadvertent, rarely acknowledged role in global affairs: it’s a kind of sponge, soaking up much of China’s political, military and diplomatic efforts. Taiwan soaks up Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that ...1 day ago
- Women in combat roles strengthen our defence force
The Ukraine war has been called the bloodiest conflict since World War II. As of July 2024, 10,000 women were serving in frontline combat roles. Try telling them—from the safety of an Australian lounge room—they ...1 day ago
- China targets Canada’s election—and may be targeting Australia’s
Following Canadian authorities’ discovery of a Chinese information operation targeting their country’s election, Australians, too, should beware such risks. In fact, there are already signs that Beijing is interfering in campaigning for the Australian election ...1 day ago
- Climate Adam: Climate Scientist Reacts to Elon Musk
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From "founder" of Tesla and the OG rocket man with SpaceX, and rebranding twitter as X, Musk has ...1 day ago
- Rattus Interneticus: Otago’s Internet Saga
Back in February 2024, a rat infestation attracted a fair few headlines in the South Dunedin Countdown supermarket. Today, the rats struck again. They took out the Otago-Southland region’s internet connection. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360656230/internet-outage-hits-otago-and-southland Strictly, it was just a coincidence – rats decided to gnaw through one fibre cable, while some hapless ...1 day ago - Spin (and obfuscation)
I came in this morning after doing some chores and looked quickly at Twitter before unpacking the groceries. Someone was retweeting a Radio NZ story with the headline “Reserve Bank’s budget to be slashed by 25%”. Wow, I thought, the Minister of Finance has really delivered this time. And then ...2 days ago
- Little’s pitch
So, having teased it last week, Andrew Little has announced he will run for mayor of Wellington. On RNZ, he's saying its all about services - "fixing the pipes, making public transport cheaper, investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, and developing more housing". Meanwhile, to the readers of the ...2 days ago
- Our Rough Beast.
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming, 1921ALL OVER THE WORLD, devout Christians will be reaching for their bibles, reading and re-reading Revelation 13:16-17. For the benefit of all you non-Christians out there, these are the verses describing ...2 days ago - What does India Want? What is New Zealand willing to give?
2 days ago
- President Trump is redefining America’s international role, and Australia has influence
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...2 days ago
- Simeon Brown Gaslights Doctors
Yesterday, 5,500 senior doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand voted overwhelmingly to strike for a day.This is the first time in New Zealand ASMS members have taken strike action for 24 hours.They are asking the government to fund them and account for resource shortfalls.Vacancies are critical - 45-50% in some regions.The ...2 days ago - ACT’s “Tough on Crime” Facade Crumbles with Jago’s Appeal
2 days ago
- Judith Collins’ Hypocrisy: War Drums Over Welfare
Judith Collins is a seasoned master at political hypocrisy. As New Zealand’s Defence Minister, she's recently been banging the war drum, announcing a jaw-dropping $12 billion boost to the defence budget over the next four years, all while the coalition of chaos cries poor over housing, health, and education.Apparently, there’s ...2 days ago
- Making the most of it
I’m on the London Overground watching what the phones people are holding are doing to their faces: The man-bun guy who could not be less impressed by what he's seeing but cannot stop reading; the woman who's impatient for a response; the one who’s frowning; the one who’s puzzled; the ...2 days ago - Maranga Ake
You don't have no prescriptionYou don't have to take no pillsYou don't have no prescriptionAnd baby don't have to take no pillsIf you come to see meDoctor Brown will cure your ills.Songwriters: Waymon Glasco.Dr Luxon. Image: David and Grok.First, they came for the Bottom FeedersAnd I did not speak outBecause ...2 days ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday, April 16
The Health Minister says the striking doctors already “well remunerated,” and are “walking away from” and “hurting” their patients. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Wednesday, April 16:Simeon Brown has attacked1 doctors striking for more than a 1.5% pay rise as already “well remunerated,” even ...2 days ago - Strengthening Australia’s space cooperation with South Korea
The time is ripe for Australia and South Korea to strengthen cooperation in space, through embarking on joint projects and initiatives that offer practical outcomes for both countries. This is the finding of a new ...2 days ago
- They Can Only Talk About One Thing
Hi,When Trump raised tariffs against China to 145%, he destined many small businesses to annihilation. The Daily podcast captured the mass chaos by zooming in and talking to one person, Beth Benike, a small-business owner who will likely lose her home very soon.She pointed out that no, she wasn’t surprised ...2 days ago - National’s Inflation Shame: Kiwis Pay the Price
National’s handling of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis is an utter shambles and a gutless betrayal of every Kiwi scraping by. The Coalition of Chaos Ministers strut around preaching about how effective their policies are, but really all they're doing is perpetuating a cruel and sick joke of undelivered promises, ...2 days ago
- Winston’s Mate Rhys Williams Has Been Unmasked
Most people wouldn't have heard of a little worm like Rhys Williams, a so-called businessman and former NZ First member, who has recently been unmasked as the venomous troll behind a relentless online campaign targeting Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle.According to reports, Williams has been slinging mud at Doyle under ...2 days ago
- Idiocy, Opportunity
Illustration credit: Jonathan McHugh (New Statesman)The other day, a subscriber said they were unsubscribing because they needed “some good news”.I empathised. Don’t we all.I skimmed a NZME article about the impacts of tariffs this morning with analysis from Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr. Kerr, their Chief Economist, suggested another recession is the ...2 days ago - US allies must band together in weapons development
Let’s assume, as prudence demands we assume, that the United States will not at any predictable time go back to being its old, reliable self. This means its allies must be prepared indefinitely to lean ...2 days ago
- I’ve been reading
Over the last three rather tumultuous US trade policy weeks, I’ve read these four books. I started with Irwin (whose book had sat on my pile for years, consulted from time to time but not read) in a week of lots of flights and hanging around airports/hotels, and then one ...2 days ago
- This is not the time for increasing Indonesia’s defence spending
Indonesia could do without an increase in military spending that the Ministry of Defence is proposing. The country has more pressing issues, including public welfare and human rights. Moreover, the transparency and accountability to justify ...3 days ago
- FSU Supports Chris Milne’s Right to Make Death Threats
3 days ago
- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...3 days ago
- Winston is inciting terrorism
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...3 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...3 days ago
- Why has Hamish Campbell Gone Into Hiding?
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...3 days ago
- The Government is cutting, just as the economic recovery is stalling
The economy is not doing what it was supposed to when PM Christopher Luxon said in January it was ‘going for growth.’ Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short from our political economy on Tuesday, April 15:New Zealand’s economic recovery is stalling, according to business surveys, retail spending and ...3 days ago - For a safer Symonds Street
This is a guest post by Lewis Creed, managing editor of the University of Auckland student publication Craccum, which is currently running a campaign for a safer Symonds Street in the wake of a horrific recent crash. The post has two parts: 1) Craccum’s original call for safety (6 ...3 days ago - Tuesday 15 April
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff has published an opinion piece which makes the case for a different approach to economic development, as proposed in the CTU’s Aotearoa Reimagined programme. The number of people studying to become teachers has jumped after several years of low enrolment. The coalition has directed Health New ...3 days ago
- As China’s AI industry grows, Australia must support its own
The growth of China’s AI industry gives it great influence over emerging technologies. That creates security risks for countries using those technologies. So, Australia must foster its own domestic AI industry to protect its interests. ...3 days ago
- Luxon’s Economic Mismanagement
Unfortunately we have another National Party government in power at the moment, and as a consequence, another economic dumpster fire taking hold. Inflation’s hurting Kiwis, and instead of providing relief, National is fiddling while wallets burn.Prime Minister Chris Luxon's response is a tired remix of tax cuts for the rich ...3 days ago
- Girls and Boys
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girlsWho do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boysAlways should be someone you really loveSongwriters: Damon Albarn / Graham Leslie Coxon / Alexander Rowntree David / Alexander James Steven.Last month, I wrote about the Birds and Bees being ...3 days ago - Australia can learn from Britain on cyber governance
Australia needs to reevaluate its security priorities and establish a more dynamic regulatory framework for cybersecurity. To advance in this area, it can learn from Britain’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which presents a compelling ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On Why The US Stands To Lose The Tariff Wars
Deputy PM Winston Peters likes nothing more than to portray himself as the only wise old head while everyone else is losing theirs. Yet this time, his “old master” routine isn’t working. What global trade is experiencing is more than the usual swings and roundabouts of market sentiment. President Donald ...3 days ago - Why is there no progress in Ukrainian war peace talks?
President Trump’s hopes of ending the war in Ukraine seemed more driven by ego than realistic analysis. Professor Vladimir Brovkin’s latest video above highlights the internal conflicts within the USA, Russia, Europe, and Ukraine, which are currently hindering peace talks and clarity. Brovkin pointed out major contradictions within ...3 days ago - Ani O’Brien has Zero Credibility
In the cesspool that is often New Zealand’s online political discourse, few figures wield their influence as destructively as Ani O’Brien. Masquerading as a champion of free speech and women’s rights, O’Brien’s campaigns are a masterclass in bad faith, built on a foundation of lies, selective outrage, and a knack ...3 days ago
- Australian policy does need more Asia—more Southeast Asia
The international challenge confronting Australia today is unparalleled, at least since the 1940s. It requires what the late Brendan Sargeant, a defence analyst, called strategic imagination. We need more than shrewd economic manoeuvring and a ...3 days ago
- EGU2025 – Picking and chosing sessions to attend on site in Vienna
This year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will take place as a fully hybrid conference in both Vienna and online from April 27 to May 2. This year, I'll join the event on site in Vienna for the full week and I've already picked several sessions I plan ...3 days ago
- Bookshelf: How China sees things
Here’s a book that looks not in at China but out from China. David Daokui Li’s China’s World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict is a refreshing offering in that Li is very much ...4 days ago
- The Mirage of Chris Luxon’s Pre-Election Promises
The New Zealand National Party has long mastered the art of crafting messaging that resonates with a large number of desperate, often white middle-class, voters. From their 2023 campaign mantra of “getting our country back on track” to promises of economic revival, safer streets, and better education, their rhetoric paints ...4 days ago
- To counter anti-democratic propaganda, step up funding for ABC International
A global contest of ideas is underway, and democracy as an ideal is at stake. Democracies must respond by lifting support for public service media with an international footprint. With the recent decision by the ...4 days ago
- What was the story re Orr’s resignation?
It is almost six weeks since the shock announcement early on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 March that the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr, was resigning effective 31 March, and that in fact he had already left and an acting Governor was already in place. Orr had been ...4 days ago
- Monday 14 April
The PSA surveyed more than 900 of its members, with 55 percent of respondents saying AI is used at their place of work, despite most workers not being in trained in how to use the technology safely. Figures to be released on Thursday are expected to show inflation has risen ...4 days ago
- How to spot AI influence in Australia’s election campaign
Be on guard for AI-powered messaging and disinformation in the campaign for Australia’s 3 May election. And be aware that parties can use AI to sharpen their campaigning, zeroing in on issues that the technology ...4 days ago
- David Seymour – Arsehole of the Week
Strap yourselves in, folks, it’s time for another round of Arsehole of the Week, and this week’s golden derrière trophy goes to—drumroll, please—David Seymour, the ACT Party’s resident genius who thought, “You know what we need? A shiny new Treaty Principles Bill to "fix" all that pesky Māori-Crown partnership nonsense ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and Pick ‘n’ Mix for Monday, April 14
Apple Store, Shanghai. Trump wants all iPhones to be made in the USM but experts say that is impossible. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortist from our political economy on Monday, April 14:Donald Trump’s exemption on tariffs on phones and computers is temporary, and he wants all iPhones made in the ...4 days ago - Unmasking the National Party’s Fascism
Kia ora, readers. It’s time to pull back the curtain on some uncomfortable truths about New Zealand’s political landscape. The National Party, often cloaked in the guise of "sensible centrism," has, at times, veered into territory that smells suspiciously like fascism. Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter about hyperbole, ...4 days ago
- Open Letter to Auckland Transport about Project K
This is a letter we will be sending to Auckland Transport to ask they return to the original consulted plans on the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project, after they released significant changes to designs last week. If you would like to be added as a signatory, please reach out to ...4 days ago
- The gas plan that’s sailing Australia into strategic peril
Australia’s east coast is facing a gas crisis, as the country exports most of the gas it produces. Although it’s a major producer, Australia faces a risk of domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply shortfalls ...4 days ago
- Amateur Hour!
Overnight, Donald J. Trump, America’s 47th President, and only the second President since 1893 to win non-consecutive terms, rolled back more of his “no exemptions, no negotiations” & “no big deal” tariffs.Smartphones, computers, and other electronics1 are now exempt from the 125% levies imposed on imports from China; they retain ...4 days ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 6, 2025 thru Sat, April 12, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...4 days ago
- World Domination
Just one year of loveIs better than a lifetime aloneOne sentimental moment in your armsIs like a shooting star right through my heartIt's always a rainy day without youI'm a prisoner of love inside youI'm falling apart all around you, yeahSongwriter: John Deacon.Morena folks, it feels like it’s been quite ...5 days ago - “I think I was, at that time, the only girl in Taranaki who ever wrote a line”
“It's a history of colonial ruin, not a history of colonial progress,” says Michele Leggott, of the Harris family.We’re talking about Groundwork: The Art and Writing of Emily Cumming Harris, in which she and Catherine Field-Dodgson recall a near-forgotten and fascinating life, the female speck in the history of texts.Emily’s ...5 days ago - Fact brief – Is the sun responsible for global warming?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is the sun responsible for global warming? Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, not solar variability, is responsible for the global warming observed ...5 days ago
- A Baptism in the Forest: Accepted
Hitherto, 2025 has not been great in terms of luck on the short story front (or on the personal front. Several acquaintances have sadly passed away in the last few days). But I can report one story acceptance today. In fact, it’s quite the impressive acceptance, being my second ‘professional ...5 days ago - Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 12
Six long stories short from our political economy in the week to Saturday, April 12:Donald Trump exploded a neutron bomb under 80 years of globalisation, but Nicola Willis said the Government would cut operational and capital spending even more to achieve a Budget surplus by 2027/28. That even tighter fiscal ...6 days ago - Budget 2025: delivering for whom?
On 22 May, the coalition government will release its budget for 2025, which it says will focus on "boosting economic growth, improving social outcomes, controlling government spending, and investing in long-term infrastructure.” But who, really, is this budget designed to serve? What values and visions for Aotearoa New Zealand lie ...6 days ago
.jpg){kind=link}
- Release: Boot camps blog post fails to provide clarity
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...14 hours ago - Release: Inflation rises and families feel the squeeze
Inflation is rising again and it’s landing hardest on families already stretched thin. ...15 hours ago
- Release: Govt doesn’t know how to fund new hospitals
The Government’s health infrastructure plan is big on promises but coy on where the money is coming from. ...2 days ago
- Release: $10 million for only 215 students in charter schools
David Seymour is pouring $10 million into charter schools that only have 215 students enrolled. ...2 days ago
- Release: Food prices further stretching the family budget
Families already stretched by rising costs will struggle with the news food prices are going up again. ...2 days ago
- Release: Mental health staff and patients at risk without plan
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...4 days ago
- Release: Driver licensing proposal doesn’t put safety first
The Government’s proposal to change driver licensing rules is a mixed bag of sensible and careless. ...4 days ago
- Release: Students struggling as Govt sits on hands
The Government is continuing to sit on its hands as students struggle to pay rent due to delays with StudyLink. ...7 days ago
- Release: More must be done to stop children going hungry
More children are going hungry and statistics showing children in material hardship continue to get worse. ...7 days ago
- Greens continue to call for Pacific Visa Waiver
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...7 days ago - More children going hungry under Coalition govt
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...7 days ago
- Release: Longer wait for treatment under National
New Zealanders have waited longer to get an appointment with a specialist and to get elective surgery under the National Government. ...7 days ago
- Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins speech: Treaty Principles Bill second reading
Normally, when I rise in this House to speak on a bill, I say it's a great privilege to speak on the bill. That is not the case today. ...1 week ago
- Release: End to the Treaty Principles Bill, but challenges remain ahead for Aotearoa
Ka mate te pire I te rā neiThe bill dies today ...1 week ago
- Ka mate te Pire, ka ora Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty Principles Bill dead, Te Tiriti o Waitangi m...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...1 week ago
- Member’s Bill an opportunity for climate action
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Bill to make trading laws fairer passes first hurdle
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Reserve Bank acts while Govt shrugs
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...1 week ago
- Release: Property Law Amendment Bill pulled from ballot
A Bill to protect first home buyers and others from bad faith property vendors has been drawn from the Member’s Ballot. ...1 week ago
- Release: More children at risk of losing family connections
Karen Chhour is proposing to scrap Oranga Tamariki targets which aim to connect more children under state care with family and their culture. ...1 week ago
- Release: David Parker made a difference – Hipkins
The Labour Leader today acknowledged and celebrated David Parker’s 23-year contribution to the Labour Party and to Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: David Parker to step down from Parliament
Long-serving Labour MP and former Minister David Parker has today announced his intention to leave Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Flaws in Govt’s climate strategy will cost us money
The Government’s plan to achieve our climate goals falls short, and will cost New Zealanders money and jobs. ...1 week ago
- Green Party differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill
Read the Green Party's differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill, prepared by Tamatha Paul. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori Urges Governor-General to Block Repeal of 7AA
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Abortion care quietly shelved amid staff shortage
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt guts Kāinga Ora, third of workforce under axe
The gutting of Kāinga Ora shows public housing is not a priority for this Government as it removes a third of the roles at the housing agency. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Thousands of submissions excluded from Treaty Principles Bill report
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uncertainty remains over the impact of tariffs
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Worst February for building consents in over a decade
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports Willie Apiata’s selfless act
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt health and safety changes put workers at risk
Changes to New Zealand’s health and safety laws will strip back key protections for small businesses and put working Kiwis at greater risk. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Kiwis worse off this April thanks to Govt choices
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Three more years for Interislander ferries
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Myanmar junta must stop the airstrikes
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National failing to deliver on supermarkets
National is paying lip service to its promises to bring down the cost of living, failing to make any meaningful change in the grocery sector. ...3 weeks ago
No feed items found.
- Why Kinshasa keeps flooding – and why it’s not just about the rain
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gode Bola, Lecturer in Hydrology, University of Kinshasa The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in ...17 minutes ago - Grattan on Friday: Peter Dutton’s tax indexation ‘aspiration’ has merit – so why didn’t we...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big “aspirational” commitment at the back end of this campaign. He says he wants to see a move to indexing personal income ...6 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Barbecued Hamburgers and Churchill’s Bestie
Essay by Keith Rankin. Operation Gomorrah may have been the most cynical event of World War Two (WW2). Not only did the name fully convey the intent of the war crimes about to be committed, it, also represented the single biggest 24-hour murder toll for the European war that I ...7 hours ago
- Public toilets could be the jewels in our cities’ crowns – if only governments would listen
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously ...9 hours ago
- Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists
Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360info ANALYSIS: By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure ...10 hours ago
- Why do scientists want to spend billions on a 70-year project in an enormous tunnel under the Swiss ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Charles, Accelerator Physicist, Monash University An artist’s impression of the tunnel of the proposed Future Circular Collider. CERN The Large Hadron Collider has been responsible for astounding advances in physics: the discovery of the elusive, long-sought Higgs boson as well as ...10 hours ago
- Could you accidentally sign a contract by texting an emoji? Here’s what the law says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McKay, Professor in Business Law, University of South Australia Parkova/Shutterstock Could someone take you to court over an agreement you made – or at least appeared to make – by sending a “👍”? Emojis can have more legal weight ...10 hours ago
- Why healthy eating may be the best way to reduce food waste
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide Stokkete, Shutterstock Australians waste around 7.68 million tonnes of food a year. This costs the economy an estimated A$36.6 billion and households up to $2,500 annually. ...11 hours ago
- Government Takes Fight Against Poverty To People In Poverty
Pushing people off income support doesn’t make the job market fairer or more accessible. It just assumes success is possible while unemployment rises and support systems become harder to navigate. ...11 hours ago - The Boy in the Water update: Coroner to release findings
A year since the inquest into the death of Gore three-year-old Lachlan Jones began and the Coroner has completed his provisional findings. Interested parties have been provided with a copy of Coroner Ho’s provisional findings and have until May 16 to respond.The Coroner has indicated the final decision will be delivered on June 3 in Invercargill, citing high ...11 hours ago - Why can’t I keep still after intense exercise?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Do you ever feel like you can’t stop moving after you’ve pushed yourself exercising? Maybe you find yourself walking around in circles when you come off the pitch, ...11 hours ago
- ‘We get bucketloads of homework’: young people speak about what it’s like to start high school
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Stevens, PhD Candidate, Education, Murdoch University Rawpixel.com Starting high school is one of the most significant transitions young people make in their education. Many different changes happen at once – from making new friends to getting used to a new ...11 hours ago
- Hone Harawira criticises former Te Pāti Māori candidate Pere Huriwai-Seger for confronting Casey C...
The activist and MP has criticised Pere Huriwai-Seger, who ran on list in 2023, after an exchange with the NZ First MP. ...12 hours ago - How to tackle the ‘gender play gap’: 4 ways to encourage young women back into sport
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Kay, PhD Candidate at the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University matimix/Shutterstock Women’s sport has recently enjoyed unprecedented success in Australia. We have seen the Matildas sell out 16 successive home games, a world-record attendance for ...13 hours ago
- Want straighter teeth or a gap between? Don’t believe TikTok – filing them isn’t the answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland After decades of Hollywood showcasing white-picket-fence celebrity smiles, the world has fallen for White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth.Wood was bullied for ...13 hours ago
- 1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachelle Martin, Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation & Disability, University of Otago Getty Images Disabled people encounter all kinds of barriers to accessing healthcare – and not simply because some face significant mobility challenges. Others will see their symptoms not investigated properly ...13 hours ago- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 17, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 17, 2025. Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thriveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Marie Jackson, PhD Candidate, School of Veterinary and ...13 hours ago- Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thrive
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Marie Jackson, PhD Candidate, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University _Lasioglossum dotatum_ kerrysturat/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC-ND Of the more than 20,000 bee species in the world, 70% nest in the ground. And like many of their counterparts that nest above ...14 hours ago- Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Westerners, in particular, have been ...14 hours ago- In the trade war, China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize the momen...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, Technology and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney China has placed curbs on exports of rare germanium and gallium which are critical in manufacturing. Shutterstock In the escalating trade war between the United States and China, one notable ...14 hours ago- ‘The pay is not worth the stress’: research finds 10% of lawyers plan to quit within a year
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivien Holmes, Emerita Professor, Australian National University Momentum studio/Shutterstock No one goes into the legal profession thinking it is going to be easy. Long working hours are fairly standard, work is often completed to tight external deadlines, and 24/7 availability to ...14 hours ago- Contemporary television is rarely as good as The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Prime The Narrow Road to the Deep North stands as some of the most visceral and moving television produced in Australia in recent memory. Marking a new accessibility and confidence to ...14 hours ago- How to spend four days stuck in your own home with children
The forecast for Easter weekend in much of the country is pretty shitty. Here are some ideas for having a nice time indoors. Ex-tropical cyclone Tam might have been downgraded to a subtropical low, but it has already unleashed heavy rain, high winds and power outages on the upper North ...14 hours ago- NZ’s over-reliance on roads for freight means natural disasters hit even harder. But there is a fi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cécile L’Hermitte, Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Waikato In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the driving time between Napier and Wairoa stretched from 90 minutes to over six hours, causing major supply chain delays. Retail prices rose ...15 hours ago- Event noticeboard: folk in a church hall, whimsical sculpture and a 1995 party
The Spinoff’s top picks of events from around the motu. This week some sad research landed in my inbox. A report found that 75% of New Zealanders are tightening their purse strings when it comes to socialising. The casualties are dining out, going to cafes, weekend getaways and going to ...15 hours ago- Hone Harawira criticises Te Pāti Māori candidate Pere Huriwai-Seger for confronting Casey Costello
The activist and MP has criticised Pere Huriwai-Seger, who ran on Te Pāti Māori's list in 2023 for after exchange with the NZ First MP. ...15 hours ago- Does hollow chocolate taste better than solid chocolate? A definitive ruling
The same ingredients with a wildly different outcome. I’m at the ready to answer life’s big questions. Should you dump him? Yes. What happens when we die? Worms. What is time? Quick. Will I ever be happy? Yes. Do Easter eggs taste better than a block of chocolate? Yes. No. ...16 hours ago- New Zealand To Nearly Double Military Spending
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made clear that even more money will be made available, telling the media the $12 billion figure “is the floor, not the ceiling, of funding for our defence force.” ...16 hours ago- ‘Best farmers in the world’: Christopher Luxon praises New Zealand’s agriculture s...
"We are the best farmers in the world," the prime miister says. ...17 hours ago- ‘I’ll dedicate it to David Seymour’: Taite Music Prize winner Mokotron on what comes next
The day after winning the Taite Music Prize, Tiopira McDowell aka Mokotron tells Lyric Waiwiri-Smith about his dreams of turning his ‘meth lab’ looking garage into a studio, and why he might dedicate his next record to the leader of the Act Party. A music awards ceremony one day, a ...18 hours ago- What mould means: exploring the connection between housing and health
Housing is one of the main determinants of health, but it’s not always straightforward to fix. Keeping our houses dry, warm and draught-free may not be something that, when the sun is high in the sky and our winter clothing is packed away, many of us are busy thinking about. ...18 hours ago- Help Me Hera: How do I come out as a ‘Disney Millennial’?
I’m sick of feeling ashamed of something that brings me so much joy. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, When I think of my childhood, I think of Disney. One of my earliest memories was getting dressed up as Snow White and prancing around for my ...19 hours ago- Govt considers compensating Chathams for ‘confiscated’ fishing quota
Islanders have long memories of Wellington politicians denying them their land, their autonomy, even their vote – but the modern-day seizure of their fisheries is a raw wound The post Govt considers compensating Chathams for ‘confiscated’ fishing quota appeared first on Newsroom. ...19 hours ago- ‘They are like my children’: research reveals 4 types of indoor plant owners. Which one are you?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia maramorosz/Shutterstock Walk into any home or workplace today, and you’re likely to find an array of indoor plants. The global market for indoor plants is growing fast – projected to ...19 hours ago- Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Reserve Bank to ‘show some restraint’ as budget sla...
The budget has been slashed by about 25 percent. ...19 hours ago- Cracks in social cohesion – the major parties must commit to reinvigorating multiculturalism
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney In the run up to the May 3 election, questions are being raised about the value of multiculturalism as a public policy in Australia. They’ve been prompted by community tensions arising from ...20 hours ago- State of the states: six experts on how the campaign is playing out around Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The federal election campaign has passed the halfway mark, with politicians zig-zagging across the country to spruik their policies and achievements. Where politicians choose to visit (and not visit) give us ...20 hours ago- People are ‘microdosing’ weight-loss drugs. A GP explains what to watch out for
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Yates, General Practitioner, PhD Candidate, Bond University MillaF/Shutterstock Injectable medications originally developed for the treatment of diabetes are also effective for weight loss, and have surged in popularity for this purpose around the world. In Australia, Ozempic is approved for ...20 hours ago- With the end of Flybuys NZ, what happens to the personal data of nearly 3 million Kiwis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Doctoral Candidate, Business School, University of Sydney JuSun/Getty Images After almost three decades in New Zealand, loyalty programme Flybuys announced it would be closing in 2024. The company behind the scheme, Loyalty New Zealand, has since entered ...20 hours ago- New Aussie film The Correspondent is an extraordinary retelling of Peter Greste’s story
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Jean Baker, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash University Maslow Entertainment The Correspondent is a film every journalist should see. There are no spoiler alerts. It is based on the globally-publicised jailing in Cairo in 2013 of Australian journalist Peter ...20 hours ago - 1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
I see the Herald is trying again to make Max Key relevant. Article about him pining in Hawaii for little girlfriend. Complete with photo of the back of daddy’s head while watching the sea. Why????
The herald appears to have decided some time ago that it’s easier and cheaper to be a broadsheet version of the woman’s weekly with a couple of cut and paste jobs from overseas journalists/real newspapers to maintain the illusion that they are still a real newspaper.
Pieces on max key are about identifying with the non voting youth to eek a few more votes out for daddy’s side.
It’s about being a messenger for the rulers with position pieces like this, smear, dog whistling, repeating CT spin handed out by NACT and being a willing player in the dirty politics caper.
If the backers wanted granny to do serious pieces it would so what you see is exactly what is required of granny….dumb it down and pass on this govts BS without any serious critique including the facade of Key and family being ordinary kiwis.
Fortunately the girl child is in Paris furthering her “artistic career”, so we are spared the details of what she wears, and what the gossip columnists think she feels.
The Herald is the National Party Daily Tabloid, it complements 7 Sharp and Mike Hoskins who preaches National Party Propaganda.
The Herald now sources its news from Twitter and Instagram feeds from ‘celebrities’.
Why?
Because…
1. it’s easy to get hold of
2. It’s clickbait.
3. The Herald’s owners and editor want a dumbed down populace.
@Paul
4) They don’t employ any journalists anymore.
to Paul at 1.2 “The Herald’s owners want a dumbed down populace” So did, as I heard in one of his tetchy comments, Rob Muldoon.
Because Granny Herald is an appalling partisan rag with all the integrity of a balsa wood chair. Also today we have one of their infamous anonymous editorials basically saying, “Hooray! The fat German should bugger off to the US! We can trust the Americans to deal with him fairly… no, really, we can, honest.”
And then we have John Roughan, who opens his mouth and causes the entirety of God’s creation to simultaneously shriek in anguish. Seriously, whenever I read anything by him I’m overwhelmed with a desire to punch myself repeatedly in the face for being such a hopeless masochist. And yes, I do appreciate the irony of that statement.
real journalism takes real money. which nobody in news has got much of anymore.
Don’t give The Herald any oxygen at all, don’t look it up or subscribe to it – I confess I sometimes look it up online and each and every time I think, “you stupid bugger why do you bother its just crap”. They haunt us on the phone to re-subscribe and again I just email them a letter explaining very plainly why they are just crap. I believe the Herald is struggling for subscribers so if enough people do this it will be like Channel 3 bleeding slowly to death. Death by lack of blood and or oxygen, how nice. Just like “no name” I have decided to give our leader a “no name” for a title for this year. It feels like a huge weight off my shoulders. Why give the little s…. even his name – “no name” sounds really great – it could start a trend!!!!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays if you are lucky to not be working. Keep away from the Boxing Day sales as well – another entity which needs to be starved of oxygen. I have just had a wander around my rustic garden, breathed in the new air of the day, watched the birds pecking in our vegie patch and thank God for small mercies. So many of us do not even get that opportunity and for them I have sadness in my heart and hope life will eventually get better in this country. I am forever an optimist – I am a Saggi and they are optimists so they say.
To connect two of your thoughts.
Your ideas on the Herald and Boxing Day sales.
Pope Francis attacks consumerism
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/25/pope-francis-midnight-mass-vatican-catholic
The Herald promotes consumerism
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11566098
This is worth some quiet pondering….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75443924/international-tourism-overtakes-dairy-to-regain-top-spot-as-our-biggest-export-earner
I’d think the majority of tourists come here largely because it’s safe and because the natives are friendly. No Government of the last thirty years can take any credit for that.
It’s ironic really, that our economy is surviving in spite of our politicians not because of them. Without that tourism revenue we’d likely be a third world country by now.
Sadly we don’t have a government known for its quiet pondering.
Sadly in spite of the money, it seems sad that our clean green country is being swamped by spectators. This helps destroy the very quality that they come to look at. But how fragile is Tourism. A blink and they stop coming leaving facilities and people unemployed. Prefer a production economy.
And the Herald celebrates our being bought out by foreign billionaires….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11565728
Spectators and property speculators – that’s us. And tourism as the main industry in a country is more indicative of a slide toward third world status than something to brag about.
More rivers in Canterbury unsafe to swim in
I’m pretty sure that we’ll find that the farmers in the area are quite happy now that other people don’t have a say in how their environment is kept.
That’ll help bring more tourists in.
Clean Green NZ.
What a joke!
Look! The Minister of Tourism can always find a scientist to say that it is perfectly safe to swim in that river – The scientist may be retired and in receipt of a large envelope with money from an anonymous donor – but hey! It’s safe!
JK can take all the credit for the huge growth in the Tourism Sector after all he is Minister of Tourism?
Inasmuch as he could fairly take the credit for the growth in other sectors? Like unemployment, crime, road deaths? He is after all the Minister in charge of other Ministers.
Well if can if he want’s to take credit for “crashing” the NZD from 0.85 to 0.65 against USD. That’s all that’s making tourism work right now, and why it was bloody hard work for the previous 5 years. When our dollar went through 0.70 US it was like the lights came on.
The best thing a government can do for tourism is a low, stable exchange rate.
So key is responsible for the rise of the Chinese middle class, who make up most of the new tourists to nz,??, Interesting theory!!
@ Tautuhi (3.2.4) – Funny that isn’t it? Because the very same Minister of Tourism doesn’t do holidays in NZ!
Instead he prefers propping up the local economy in Hawaii, vacationing at his luxury apartment on the island of Maui, doing chit chat, informing and playing golf with the US President!
What will FJK do when Obama leaves his position late 2016? Wonder if he will bother finding out where the next President takes his/her holidays?
Donald Trump in South Florida for Christmas
http://www.local10.com/news/trump-in-south-florida-for-the-holidays
Approximately 3m tourists last year, one third from Australia, most Ausies say, after visiting NZ that the scenery is beautiful but very expensive.
@DH
Sadly, in many respects, we are already a third world country, resembling a banana republic.
Don’t be silly leftie, while we certainly have a less than ideal government we are in no respect a third world country by the current definitions.
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world_countries.htm
@tinfoilhat
“less than ideal government” doesn’t go far enough to describe the abject failures of the self serving Key National government who have woefully let the people and country down, and badly. We have gone backwards not forward. Open your eyes to the mess this country is in, my initial comment is not silly at all.
” low economic development, high levels of poverty, low utilization of natural resources, and heavy dependence on industrialized nations” coupled with an unprecedented level of government debt, not to mention that we should be doing way better on infant mortality than what we are pretty much describes New Zealand under the Key National government, wouldn’t you say?
We are a milk-powder
republicdominion of the British realm (not that the last bit does us any good these days) and we have to fork out for expensive visits by “you know who” to help boost the polling for he who shall not be named.Well I hope we’ve been a bit friendlier to Zahra Ramadani than Peder Duddon’s mob.
“Without that tourism revenue we’d likely be a third world country by now.”
I really don’t think so. We weren’t a third world country before the tourism boom and there is no reason why we can’t make a living in other ways. The push to industrial tourism was part of the neoliberal capture of NZ in the 80s as primary industry was disbanded and sent overseas. We don’t need tourism (at least not the kind we have now) and we certainly can’t afford it. Consider what will happen to the NZ economy in a big oil shock. Tourism in NZ appears to not even recognise that climate change and peak oil exist. It’s dangerous.
Evidence of climate change…..
New York at 74F/23 C
http://nypost.com/2015/12/24/its-the-warmest-christmas-eve-in-nyc-history/
London at 63F/17 C
‘The European ski season is suffering the consequences of the mild weather’
‘In Scotland, daffodils, usually a harbinger of spring, are in full bloom’
‘Weird weather confuses nature as wasps seen sunbathing’
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Weird-weather-confuses-nature-wasps-seen/story-28420299-detail/story.html#ixzz3vMjUdxoc
Follow us: @WMNNews on Twitter | westernmorningnews on Facebook
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/12057600/UK-weather-Christmas-storms-to-disrupt-travel-for-millions-live.htm
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Weird-weather-confuses-nature-wasps-seen/story-28420299-detail/story.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11566225
It seems as if Paris was too little, too late.
Watch this film
Paris was about how bad it’s going to get in fifty years and beyond. Realistically it was already “too late” by 2000 or earlier, depending on how you feel about the survival of Arctic ecosystems.
And the other really big issue, population control, still isn’t getting anywhere near the attention needed.
Population control
Is there not enough war and ecomonic activity terminating lives at a fast enough rate for you, Andre?
Yeah, the population density of Monaco, for example, is off the scale, and don’t get me started on Vatican City!
The most worrying population explosion for the planet is in domesticated livestock, as George Monbiot highlights.
Given current polling and the complete inability of Labour/Greens to exceed 45% i suppose the hope of the Left is that NZF get over 5% and that Winston suddenly trusts the Greens. Wishful thinking. There is no certainty that Winston will even be alive in late 2017. What are the issues that will persuade 200,000 National voters to switch to Labour. Charismatic leader, Nope. Empty promises of jobs and houses for all. Nope.
Christmas is a time for dreams. Happy dreams folks.
what happens after the housing bubble pops?
the herd of clark-to-key swing voters won’t be unified anymore by their fantastical pursuit of real estate investment wealth.
i do hope that whatever capital they have left they’ll decide to plough into productive, healthy investment, but they have probably by now fried whatever imaginations they started out with.
links please.
“My noble African name is sacred”.
Citation please. No amount of earnest good faith Googling on my part can verify that statement.
Try looking under the Chitumbuka language.
In other words you don’t care to back up your assertion. Thanks, that means I can choose not to care about it too.
There also seems to be a conceptual problem as to why anybody would sow such utter bullshit whilst using as a pseudonym a name they hold sacred.
Indeed. I thought I might call myself ‘Siddhartha Gautama’ so that when I express some outrageous opinion and someone slaps me down for it by fucking with my handle I can claim that my name is too sacred to be attacked by potty mouthed mortals.
Nah, just claim that the name “Grant” is sacred somewhere on the planet and that therefore the slightest disrespect towards yourself is a hate crime.
Thankyou. Much easier..
Not to mention why they’d post completely different explanations of it at the Sewer.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Zzzzzzzzzzz to your persistent and boring zzzzzzzzzz, if you are going use a put down some orinality pauly, please, we come here to entertained by wacky thoughts and deranged Fjk comment. Zzzzz is boring
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Does anyone know how to set up a campaign on givealittle?
I think we need to set up something that will provide Paul with lots and lots of the character “z”. His keyboard must be running out of them.
He needs more of them so he can continue with comments like “zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz” which are certainly the most incisive, and intelligent, that he has made all year.
As insightful as the trolling by Red Delusion and others.
Winston is currently at about 11% heading to 15%, should be 20% + by next election time, people have had enough of the uneducated, attention seeking JK, Labour are the ones that need to get their acts together, they need to put a stake in the sand and say who they support in today’s society, rather than having a dollar each way?
“Coalitions: This is crucial, says Seymour. “Most people on the [political] Right don’t want to see Winston Peters destroy a third Government. “”http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/75365336/Rising-housing-prices-in-2015-put-pressure-on-politicians
This is the meme that will grow in strength over the next 15 months to take Winston out.
“Winston is currently at about 11% heading to 15%”
As both Sabine and Grant would say “Citation please”.
As far as I can find Winston and his party are on about half that figure.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/75465142/Italian-shops-have-been-selling-cocaine-tea-for-years
So they’ve be selling a natural tea for years with no harmful effects but in stead of considering the pros and Cons of leaving things as they are they immediately ban it. Dim thinking pollies are the same the world over,!!
better ban those poppy seeds while they’re at it!
Did you no that if you crush half a kilo of poppy seeds and eat them you’ll not need to eat again for at least half a day. Merry Christmas. 🙂
ha ha. Merry day after Boxing Day to you too b 🙂
Found this Blue Rodeo video while looking for something else, song written for another Crosby/Textor Prime Minister – Steven Harper. But eerily relevant:
Do the loony left have a global dress code ?
razor or hair brushes also appear very unpopular 😀
Your potty training is showing dear. 😡
Hey disillusioned for your information as a socilaist This morning
I. Showered and as a looney I knew how to turn the fucking taps on
2. Shaved and as a looney lefty I used the correct end of the razor
3. Don’t own a hair brush as I am bald. but I find the towel works just as well .
But at lest my mother potty trained me more than can be said for that disgusting fucking hair pulling spiv you worshop.
Bald, but cute as!
the hirsute infidel
#gasp
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nothing like a black leather jacket and a buzz cut to bring out the right in you a mate.
I’m guessing the left are more likely to be aware of The True Cost of fashion 🙂 – but they are usually well ahead of the game in that respect.
At least they don’t all dress like white collar criminals,
all you RWNJ’s like to dress like there’s a stick up your arse,
emulating your corrupt Wall St heroes
2015 in sport and nzpol – great snark by Greg Bruce:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11566135
One other thing disillusioned I agree with Paul
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
If Andrew Little fails to get Labour above 35% all though 2016 when does Grant Robertson host the barbeque. The only way to exclude the unions again choosing the leader would be depose the leader a few months before the election.
10% of people vote purely on wanting to be on the winning side, if Little gets labour to 35% key’ll be rideing a landslide to the bottom of the hill.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@fisiani
Are you obsessed with Labour and Andrew Little? who couldn’t have won the leadership on the union vote alone. The unions didn’t choose the leader, and why exclude them? Labour was founded on the unions. The unions only have 20% of the vote. The remaining 80% is made up of caucus and the membership.
What’s your beef with the unions anyway? Don’t you believe that workers should have rights, and get a fair pay so as to be able to look after themselves and their families? Do you believe in slavery then, and think workers should be exploited and work for free?
Woody Guthrie – John Henry.
https://ia800504.us.archive.org/5/items/WoodyGuthrie129Songs/Woody%20Guthrie%20-%20John%20Henry.mp3
Woodie Guthrie archive (download/streaming)
https://archive.org/details/WoodyGuthrie129Songs
Where are you hiding?