I have learned to assume the worst of our politicians…its easier that way as it avoids that awful feeling of betrayal when manifesto promises are broken and hopes for a kinder and more fair New Zealand are dashed…again.
Heavy sigh this am as the Natrad Bedwetters Club featured the news of Green Party Co Leader James Shaw's announcement of an $11.7 million handout to a Taranaki private school.
…and those millions would have gone a long way towards rectifying some of the infrastructure issues faced by many Taranaki schools. Some of these issues involve leaky, damp buildings which is ironic as the major business magnates behind this private school made their fortune from selling ventilation systems.
Doubly ironic as I clearly remember a phone conversation with a telemarketer for said company. He waffled on about cold and damp and how much I needed a home ventilation system to circulate the air around our home. I politely informed helpful gentleman that we already had a ventilation system…windows and doors…
I digress. The cynic in me suspects that James, the co -leader of the party I had just about committed to voting for again, thinks the average Joe or Jane will hear "Green" and assume all is sound and ethically well with this funding and it must fit within the Party's code. Big mistake, James.
The alternative is possibly worse. James has turned traitor and has decided to torpedo the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience.
Your final sentence is nonsense, Rosemary. Funding a school is a laudable action. The question is; does it contravene Green Party policy and if so, how concerned should we be about that. I'd be very interested to hear from The Greens and James especially, for their explanation, before scuppering the boat I float in.
Suspend your judgement till you have heard from those most closely involved, I reckon. Funding a school is not a damning act, it's a well-intentioned, widely supported action. The Greens did say ‘Public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools,” (says the party’s current education policy.) but there's nothing yet to prevent them doing so. It is though, at this point, an awkward situation. I certainly don't see it as a "debacle" or even the echo of one.
Mr Guyton, I am well acquainted with the Green policies, but thank you for the link. Others here may find it helpful, although I suspicion the reading of manifesto and policy statements do not always feature as preparation to casting one's precious vote.
I fear that even here, amoungst the assumed politcally aware, there is a tendency to vote "Labour" or "Green" or goddess forbid "NZ First" just because.
Hurry up James! Rattle your dags sunshine and please explain!
Someone tending toward voting Green is unlikely to swerve violently away at the news that The Greens facilitated funding for a school, I'd have thought!
Unless they're one of those people, and there are a few about, who look as hard as they can for any reason to avoid voting lab/grn, so they can back a sub 1% party and cling to the notion they're doing the right thing by the country, even though every wasted vote brings the prospect of a nat led government closer.
"James is proud and loud over this" doesn't seem like a "back-room deal" then does it, or something The Greens wished to slip in unnoticed by the public. Seems kinda "up-front" wouldn't ya say?
Many of those people, The Al1en, are presently backing Billy Te Kihaka's conspiracy party now, and loudly declaring that The Greens have sold out to the Man, or whatever. I hear "The Greens support the use of 1080 so it's all over between me and Them!" and so on, levering their exit around any one of a hundred issues The Greens are "ignoring", 5G, compulsory vaccination, mask-wearing, and so on and so on. It's a phenomenon of the startlable-Left, unfortunately. Gotta learn to live with it. For people who profess to support The Greens to immediately declare, "I'm off" at the news of this school support, fits that picture, imo. Consequently, I agree with the sentiment of your comment.
Might need to do another post on 1080 and what the GP actually say on that.
I kind of understand the reactionary, emotional vote, but I mostly don't get it. We have to have someone in parliament and government, who should that be this time? It's not a hard thing to figure out, despite any disappointments along the way (and I have my own about the Greens).
The expectation that a political party could perfectly represent the needs of anyone at all, is a pipe-dream. Those who toy-toss at the slightest bump in the road seem flakey to me. Will they just as easily return to the fold if the next issue suits them better, or will they stay stubbornly out in the cold because "the party" betrayed them? This issue is de minimis, in my opinion, in the big picture; I compare it with National's most recent "the water quality regulations will be gone by lunchtime" scandal and ask myself, wtf are Green supporters thinking, throwing in the towel at the sniff of something they don't agree with (or fully understand)? Funding for a school!?! The horror!!!
I was listening yesterday to a group of young Maori men discussing Billy TK and his prophecies. Very disturbing that they have taken as Gospel his comments about 5 G / Covid conspiracies etc. They feel that because Billy TK is a great musician then he must be correct about the "ride to hell we are currently on". I fear for the vulnerable young people of NZ.
I attended a meeting of such people last night, Patricia. I don't recommend such an experience. I have been engaging in discussion/dialogue/debate with various (younger) people in my town over "Billy" and his ways, pointing out his efforts to align with Hanna Tamaki (spurned) and Jamie-Lee Ross (accepted) as well as his most recent expulsion from the White Ribbon movement because of his "separation from reality", or some such. I mentioned the very poor turnout at the Auckland "5G and everything else" march, which contradicted the followers claims that "the uprising is massive and will turn the country on its head", and have, as yet, made zero progress, despite my careful strategising and genuine concern for their wellbeing
Someone tending toward voting Green is unlikely to swerve violently away at the news that The Greens facilitated funding for a school, I'd have thought!
But it is not just any old school is it Robert?
It is a very special Private School for the offspring of the Very Wealthy of Aotearoa, and especially Overseas.
At a time when state schools are desperate for funding for remedial work to be done…which would surely have the potential to employ as many, if not more than just this one school.
Paul Goulter, NZEI Te Riu Roa national secretary said it came as a “complete surprise”.
“This comes as a complete surprise to us given the Greens’ own clear policy against public funding of private schools.
“We just can’t understand why the Government would go ahead and fund a private school with public money at a time when public schools in the Taranaki region are crying out for this type of investment,” he said.
The sheer scale of the funding is significant. When the Government announced a $400 million package to upgrade New Zealand’s ageing public school infrastructure, it was capped at $400,000. The grant to the Green School would be enough to fund nearly 30 schools at that rate.
Just up the road from Green School, New Plymouth Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools each received $400,000.
It's shit like this that makes me think of myself as a labour voter who sometimes goes green, rather than a green voter. Funding a private school is fucked, but because it has "green" in the name they'll throw out the socioeconomic principles they allegedly have.
Basically, a comprehensive and holistic platform is compromised for a single pet project because they like the vibe. Private education is capitalist, and capitalism is the enemy of the environment. An elitist enviro-wank school is the equivalent of champagne socialism.
Labour supported the choice via their local candidate.
We still don't know if the Greens wanted this, or if there wasn't much choice. I can't imagine the Greens would choose this over funding state schools or any number of other projects, so I'm guessing it came from the Infrastructure Reference Group in charge of the shovel-ready projects. That's run by Twyford and Jones afaik.
Labour are predictable in their policy blindspots.
The Greens tend to be pretty solid, then do a random announcement on some issue.
Apparently Shaw announced it as a minister – fair call, maybe it's a all-govt thing, but I've difficulty seeing which portfolio makes him the responsible cheerleader for this decisions. Associate minister of finance? Surely they could have given the role of announcing this project to someone else, given that it's in direct contradiction to Green policy?
still guessing, but yes Assoc Finance portfolio, *and the GP (according to Hipkins) advocated for it, but I'm betting it was from a pool of projects that Twyford and Jones had shortlisted.
So if the Greens had the opportunity to lobby for specific projects for the fund, and it was a choice between say a new road/coal fired power plant or a private school that has a strong green focus, what would they do?
Might still be a politically naive thing to have done of course, instead of choosing nothing.
Totally speculating here, because I'm just so sick of the whole purity politics stuff, as well as the jumping to conclusions before we even know what happened.
If people want the Greens to stick to their kaupapa the best way to ensure that is to give them more power in government. We will never get a GP or any party that is perfect for us, but I just do not believe that this idea came from the Greens originally when they would be more naturally interested in actual green projects.
and, if it turns out the Greens chose this over all the worthy green projects needing done that wouldn't have made it past Twyford and Jones, then I will rightly condemn the Greens too. I'll still vote for them though, because climate change is going to monkeys of us all for a very long time after purity ceases to be a pressing concern. Oh yeah, and because their welfare policy outstrips anything else in parliament. And their fresh water policy. And most things when it comes down to it.
If they had a list of crappy projects, they should have chosen nothing. The projects would have been done one way or the other, it's not like the Greens could have vetoed the entire list.
Or at least let Jones and Twyford announce their crappy projects.
yes, probably. But we have no idea what happened, so I'd rather wait before slagging off the Greens or changing my vote or whatever. If people want to change their vote because the Greens aren't political players, they can do that, but it's a different thing, and we still need them in govt. It's not like they have policies that will intentionally keep lots of people in poverty, that would be Labour.
at the least Shaw is bungling the PR on this. No idea if that’s because he thinks funding this school is a brilliant idea and has completely misread the room, or if there’s something more pragmatic going on.
I guess the issue for me with the discussion is why people would throw out the lovely policy, along with lots of other lovely policy, over this one thing. Not least because that means voting for a party that won’t be in parliament or one that will but has worse policy. I understand the principle of the thing thing (I have my own bottom lines), but this looks like something else. Post brewing about how people still don’t trust the Greens and look for any weakness as proof of that.
Yeah I agree with that – anyone who's an enthusiastic supporter of the Greens and then ditches it because of one decision is being a bit precious, at best, in the current NZ political climate.
But then there's more the "meh, what the hell" voter. By which I mean that up to the election I look at policy and the people involved (grassroots as well as the parliamentarians), but my vote might be up in the air between a couple of parties, and it just depends on what the polls think the result will be and what my preferred result might be. I don't really know for sure what I will tick while I'm picking up the forms, and might be inclined to do something different when I leave the polling station.
I mean, I know I won't be voting National, but say labgrn looks pretty solid, maybe I won't vote either if there's a <1% party on the left – give them an extra vote, and thereby a tiny little bit more credibility. Dunno who any decent trace-element parties at the moment are, though, but there's a couple of months yet.
How often will a local candidate not support spending government money in their district? I mean, a west coast Green candidate might oppose the government subsidising the start up of a coal mine, or a Nat might object to a bit of funding to entice the Worldwide Collective Association of Socialist Parties to set up headquarters in their district. But short of something like that, a local politician will always support more jerbs in their district funded by the government.
I've been aware of this school for sometime. One of the investors is a brother of an acquaintance of mine, and as she is involved in childhood education she was invited to go and view the site and meet the founders last year.
The idea and the kaupapa make for good soundbites, but primarily from my perspective – as Rosemary suspects – it is a school that is intended to create opportunities for green entrepreneurs. And the "green" aspect is fluid.
If our society is dedicated to providing a good, quality universal education, that priority needs to be achieved first before educational funding such as this is allocated.
We are nowhere near providing a good, quality universal education. We should focus on that.
"it is a school that is intended to create opportunities for green entrepreneurs."
And that's a bad thing???
Surely, it's a school for the promotion of environmentally-friendly learning, yes? A school for children? You're attacking the worth of the school, but I would think its value and values were closely looked-at by James Shaw et al before they swung in to support the funding of it; who to believe, who to trust???
"Surely all schools should be funded to deliver such laudable learnings Robert?"
Well, yes, Rosemary but should all other progress stall until that happens? Shall we cancel the Enviroschools programme till every school has signed on? How would that work?
why, have the Green nothing to say about this in the government of which they are part?
or is it simply dumb and tone deaf to announce the waste of some 10 millions to a private school, while other schools in NZ are build of shacks? Oh, its the green focus of that school? Well if that is the case I hope that the Green Party will promote teh idea that all the other schools in NZ specifically the public schools should get the same amount to 'teach green focus' in school.
fucks sake. The GP don't control either the Education funding or the Shovel funding. That's NZF and Labour.
Looks like the GP fucked up on this, either via their PR or by their decision on the project. Tell you what, don't vote for them, or vote Labour, that will get you a way better govt /drippingsarc
And ffs, go and learn how government actually works, because this fairy dust, magic wand shit is tedious.
You missed an important part in my comment Robert: And the "green" aspect is fluid.
" Surely, it's a school for the promotion of environmentally-friendly learning, yes? A school for children? "
No surely about it. It is promoted as…
And it is accessible only to a small number of monied students. Our government funding for environmental education should be able to be accessed by all.
Do I trust James Shaw is not the question. I can see where his perspective lies from actions like this.
Cripes Molly the country has to move in different directions than in the past. Better education is not just returning to what we had in the 1980/90s but something that fits our needs today, more machine-minds and tech, less jobs, poor wages etc. We need to learn less about how to criticise and more on how to thing creatively and practically. Good on the Greens, if they get started then they can tune up to what is needed, change the tune, fine-tune. And at the same time ensure everyone can read, understand what they read, discuss its effect, learn psychology and how to get on with each other, and look up any facts needed on google.
Thanks for talking us down to earth quietly Robert G. I thought we were leaving Ground Zero by too far a distance there.
Thinking of getting high, has everyone else caught up with the fact that dirigibles are the thing being worked on around Europe? This was a piece from The Telegraph. I stop at the paywall, might do occasional donations though as they give gen that I don't always get here.
The UK, a leader in the airship revival, is going head to head with France in an escalating global race. Zeppelins and dirigible airships are now promising to provide the future of green transport, and if all goes well, as Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes in this fascinating column, we will be able to hop virtuously from Liverpool to Belfast in point-to-point travel.
Shaw's only comment seems to be that the spend will result in 200 jobs. What rubbish. These jobs will be temporary jobs while the build happens and not permanent new jobs. Every indication is that because the word "Green" is in the title of the school that this is the reason the funding – which equates apparently to $200k per pupil – was granted. A shonky and suspect decision.
@ Rosemary McDonald , Thanks for writing that response to this shameful hypocrisy, it saves me the time of writing pretty much the same thing.
Funnily enough I had just said on Sunday here on open mike (6.2.1.) that I would probably vote Greens, but lamented the day the Greens didn't choose Bradford as co leader, mainly because of her deeply held values and uncrossable lines in the sand…well this episode just proves that point, Shaw is a pragmatic centrist who is (like so many greens) willfully blind to the class war that rages all around him, and like all centrists end up entrenching a class based society further.
They lost your vote because they funded a school? They did indicate that, "‘Public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools," – the term, "phased out" doesn't mean "immediately ceased", so their support does not baldly contravene their policy as is being claimed here and on Kiwiblog.
Again, they lost your vote because they funded a school?
Was it an evil school? A school that teaches subversive, anti-Kiwi values? A school that is nothing more than a front for…whatever?
But I'm guessing the justifications you have given us this morning are the same the Green Party will trot out. And those of us lesser mortals are just closet righties if we have a problem with this gross corporate welfare.
I have a pile of sleeper sized maccy to cut and wrestle into raised garden beds today…I've said my piece.
A tune for your day Sir…you've sung the Green's hymn well.
I'm teasing, Rosemary. And "we" is plural, not singular. In any case, some time in the corner, thinking about what you have done, will do you no harm . I'm going to do the same, except I'll do it outside and prune apple trees instead. It would be good to have some more comment from The Greens before we wade deeper into the issue.
Robert – are you aware that many teachers feel very strongly about state money being generously thrown at private schools? This particular private school charges over $20,000 per NZ student, and over $40,000 per foreign student…
This is against the spirit of Green Education Policy. When The Alliance disappeared, I, as a teacher, looked at all the parties' Education policies, liked the Greens' the most, and have party-voted Green since.
I am now in doubt. I will definitely continue my donations to Greenpeace, but I now wonder about Party vote Green. How are the Greens going to make 5% by losing any of their considerable teacher support? I do not want to waste my Party vote on a party that does not seem bothered about failing to reach 5%.
Greens need to do some damage control about this, I fear. Ill-considered..
the 5% issue existed before this, and it's entirely on left wing voters whether the GP are in parliament or not after the election. Ditto in government.
If this is a real deal breaker for you, I'd be interested to know what Labour's policy is.
In Vino – yes, and as an ex-teacher (early childhood, primary, secondary, special needs and tertiary) I feel the same way. My only argument here is for restraint around dumping on the Party before their reasons have been published. Do you know why The Greens have made this decision that surely must have tested their attachment to their policy and principles? My experience is that they don't do anything thoughtlessly. I'd like to hear what they have to say on the issue. My immediate reaction is not one I'm arguing for, as I need to hear what James and co. have to say. Perhaps they have reneged, perhaps they have rationalised their action for the furtherance of their principles; that's what I'd like to know. Thick as molasses, my decision-making machinery!
Understood, Robert, but I think some gesture of damage control will be needed for the more short-fused and less contemplative types that there are in many school staff-rooms. I hope that James Shaw can come up with something convincing.
It is an irony that Righties attack the Greens for being 'red on the inside', but the Greens then do something that would actually please the Righties, rather than their own supporters.
To me this looks like something that appeals to a small (but possibly vocal) segment of hard-core Greens. It's possible Shaw himself is firmly in that segment. But those in the Greens that made the decision to push for this totally misread how the wider public would take it.
For instance, the opportunity to (fairly) cry "hypocrisy" is always going to trump any positive feelings the right may have over any Green support for a private initiative.
I agree entirely, In Vino and would add "the more short-fused and less contemplative types" here on The Standard and across the comment-o-sphere. It'll be gleeful fun for The Greens' opponents to whip this up but it disturbs me when up-till-now supporters turn-tail so easily before the discussion has been had. Avoiding this sort of gotcha moment close to an election is, in my view, impossible; look at how many National has suffered recently! This single instance for The Greens, whether earned or not, should be measured against those various scandals/outrages. Given also, that The Greens are in Government and actually doing things, rather than say, The ACT Party who do nothing but gripe and are therefore harder to "expose", it's to be expected that a storm of some sort would whip up. This one, where the worst charge that might stick is one of hypocrisy, shouldn't really phase Green supporters, or those who were "considering" voting Green. The damage control will indeed be needed, even if the damage wasn't self-inflicted, but instead, manufactured from without. I'm as keen as anyone to hear a response from James Shaw but significantly less keen to throw in my Green towel and march indignantly off
nope, cause there is really nothing that would make wasting this much tax payer money on one PRIVATE school good and decent, specifically in these times where everyone else is supposed to do with less, some with nothing, and here the Green Party is giving 10 millions away for bumkins. But they get to feel all ‘Green’.
John Hardy's Green Schools are in fact not inline with "Kiwi Values"…being a touch expensive..hence the large percentage of overseas pupils..and I don't mean kids from the pacific islands…. We in fact already have schools that cover the whole plethora of "Kiwi Values" many of which include environmental and social aspects of which you might approve.
They are all desperate for funding for these programmes…infact with increased funding even more schools would embrace the very programmes we urgently need to educate ALL our NZ youngsters.
John Hardys Green Schools are well patronised by some very wealthy individuals..who I am sure could philanthropically fund his vision to their hearts content. Failing that they could organise a cake raffle…
They have also lost my vote, because it's a fucking private school. I don't care if they promote left wing views if you send your kids to private school you should pay for everything.
By the sounds of it, the parents are paying plenty enough "for it". Perhaps there is benefit in supporting the establishment of such a school, for the wider community? Assisting them over the initial "bump" with money that will indeed stimulate the economy through jobs, will benefit everyone through creating a precedent for green public schools and I expect that's what The Greens have deduced. Your reaction, "public school or bust" sounds … reactionary.
It might not be just one thing. For those of us looking at which party has the least unattractive pile of peaches and dead rats to choke down in order to vote for them, this may be the big dead rat tossed on top that pushes the overall balance away from the Greens.
Yep. But it's expected behaviour for the other parties, so it doesn't change their pile. Whereas for the Greens it removes the peach labelled "principle" and adds a dead rat labelled "featherbedding their special buddies".
"Green School CEO Chris Edwards has thanked Green Party co-leader and Associate Finance Minister James Shaw for his support. "
Shaw's "support"? Is that what Shaw gave? You mean, this wasn't a Green initiative, driven through Parliament relentlessly, in contradiction to the Green's kaupapa? That in fact, Shaw supported something along the way? It gets even worse for the duplicitous Greens – support! Scandalous!
You could find an objection to any one project. The point is it's a portfolio of infrastructure and construction projects that’s designed to keep the economy rolling in that field
Reading the Stuff piece, questions I have are this:
given this comes from Shaw as a Minister and not Shaw as GP co-leader, did the Labour/NZF caucus approve this project?
given the funding was for shovel-ready projects, what were the constraints on that?
who was in the decision making process? who decided which shovel-ready projects would be approved?
why are so many lefties unaware of how government actually works?
why are so many lefties expecting a level of purity from the Greens and unwilling to figure out the compromises involved in being in government?
Sounds like it was a Green push, not someone else's they agreed to as a governing compromise:
During today’s 1pm Covid-19 update, Hipkins addressed the funding, saying the Green Party “advocated quite strongly” for it. “It was one of their ‘wins’, if you like, from the shovel ready projects… It’s not necessarily a project that I would have prioritised.”
1. The GP had free reign to choose whatever projects they wanted?
2. The fund was restricted to a set pool of projects and/or criteria, and the GP had to choose from those?
If it's the former, I would definitely have major concerns about why the GP chose this over many, many other things. But this seems unlikely. Good stick to beat the Greens with though.
If you end up with the time stamp for todays' covid briefing and Hipkins' comment, I'd be interested.
I've done a bit searching on the web, including on the Greens website, and found nothing yet that makes me feel this was a good decision. Or even anything hinting it might have been a good decision. Shaw directly explaining it hasn't turned up yet (if you want people to consider it, how about linking?) but I'll wait for something written to come out rather than listening to emotionally-manipulative low-fact-density blather.
"International education was until recently New Zealand's fourth largest export sector. It is obviously going through a very tough time right now as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
"This project not only secures 200 jobs in the near term, it also creates additional capacity for the time when people are able to travel more freely, enabling Taranaki to develop a thriving international education opportunity."
Shaw said the project would create hundreds of quality jobs.
"Meaning more people can continue to provide for their families whilst we weather the economic storm of the pandemic crisis. These jobs will provide a good day's pay, doing meaningful work, building a better future for Taranaki.
"The support we are providing will help Green School to meet growing demand from parents all over New Zealand, and the rest of the world, wanting to enrol their children. This will mean more families can take the opportunity to put down roots in Taranaki and contribute to the future growth of the region," Shaw said.
I'm not persuaded because it's not a green project. It's more of the same bullshit so beloved of the Nats, selling education to bring wealthy people here so we can relieve them of money and they'll spend lots more money buying property and businesses and stuff. But the Greens have hopped on board because of the enviro-wank (thanks McFlock) positioning of the school as their sales proposition.
I understood this money came out of the Regional pot, not the Education or Green vote? Personally I am for Public Education, but in a democracy I do support choice. I thought buildings and maintenance were provided by the State?
That funding comes with strings, which were meant to prevent them from using their fees to get better teacher:student ratios than state schools, etc. Not quite the same thing.
Robert asked whether Integrated schools receive Government funding and the answer is yes. Never said that it was the same thing though because you are right, it isn’t the same as for State schools. I have no time or interest in elaborating on the differences (a major one is the State doesn’t own the buildings & land of Integrated schools); somebody else can or Robert can use Google 😉
@Robert you got any basis for suggesting it will be paid back? In all the articles I've seen so far there has been a complete absence of any words or even hints about repayment. But plenty of words like given and granted etc usually used in the context of a non-repayable gift.
You're quite right, Andre – I'd seen something earlier in the day, before visiting The Standard, which read: "
peterwn
“So their official policy is to ban public funding of private schools (ie the 25% subsidy per student)”.
The Government gets back 60% of that subsidy in GST (yes, parents of private school pupils do pay GST on their fees) so in reality it is only a 10% subsidy." Not quite the same thing, but perhaps a little salve to the dreadful wound.
Why oh why can you anti-people not expand your minds about this Green Party move. Nothing you have ever thought of up till now has saved us from getting to this end moment in our world's and country's progress/regress. You set too big a store by your ethics, values, standards or whatever you choose to call them.
There are broad principles to steer by, but sometimes it is better to include something that may be different than Green Party principles. They aren't a church, po-faced about humanity fitting in with its dicta; the Greens are a Party trying to turn things around for people AND the planet so both have a future that is not dire. They need our support and our help not our pin-pricking platitudes.
the beige suits of all parties in government can abstain and it is counted as a vote. Why are people supposed to choose between useless, corrupt and uninspired?
That is how i see the parties, Labour – mostly useless, National, mostly corrupt, and the greens – mostly uninspired.
oh because y'all are afraid of Judith Collins? Wow, now that is really not a good 'please vote for Labour or the Greens' point.
Before i move to my reply you can dial down your knee jerk Green Party defence…the foot belongs to the Gov.
Read the 'company' promo.that targets the international monied cliental from the international market…it will never be available to the local kiwi kid down the road….FFS, if you are incapable of recognising the appalling hypocrisy of funding this project when both public education and health providers are decrying the lack of resources then you are delusional.
These types of mindless decisions will cost the incumbents far more votes than Judith and Gerry's carping about Covid
The funding doesn't come from the education budget, does it? Nor the health budget. It comes from the budget that's for job creation and infrastructure development in response to Covid 19. Seems appropriate.
"Tell that to the state school teacher that cant get a teacher aide to assist with severely dysfunctional students because resources."
What would that achieve, Pat? The money for teacher aides comes from a completely seperate budget which will not be affected at all by the spending from the one being considered here. They are seperate, unconnected issues.
Therein lies your problem Robert….you are thinking like an accountant….voters will not separate the funding streams (and nor should they) …its a question of priorities and funding the desires of the offspring of the (offshore) wealthy dosnt trump the basic needs of the locals
personally no…if theres funding available it should go to the area of greatest need first…and private schools for the children of wealthy foreigners (even if climate conscious) are way down the list of needs
But even more importantly will be how the state employed educators and the parents of the students view it…and theres a lot more of them
"it will never be available to the local kiwi kid down the road"
A successful "green" school, one that blazes the green-learning trail, risks being a front-footer, trials programmes for the first time, produces well-greened learners who will go out into the world better equiped to mend the environmental and social harms we are experiencing now, will benefit "the local kiwi kid down the road", or at least will potentially, in ways that haven't been discussed here at all. There's been a great deal of outrage at the perceived exclusiveness and privilege involved, as is to be expected from Green supporters; we've always hated on private schools, but perhaps we might pause a while to hear The Greens rationale for their decision, what their decision was, how large the part they played in the decision and whether they had considered the sort of reaction that's evident here.
How pray tell does lavishly funding a private educational venture WHILE restricting support to a desperate public education sector grow the Green Party vote?….I would suggest the effect is the exact opposite.
However as stated earlier this is not confined to the Green Party
So you think that the Greens should have said to Labour "no we will withhold support for your stimulus package because we can't see any green shovel ready projects that fit with our sensibilities"?
If this is not confined to the Green Party then why have you been so quite about Labour?
An innovative school with an deep green kaupapa, perhaps the deepest in the country so far, shouldn't get enthusiastic support from The Green's?
And, to quote weka:
“Labour candidate for New Plymouth Glen Bennett said the announcement was important for the Taranaki economy and job creation.
He said although it is a private school, the funding wasn’t taking away from public schools as it was an investment in infrastructure rather than education.
“The expansion of the school will bring more students and their families into Taranaki, adding to our economy.”
I'm not at all, In Vino, nor do I gratuitously support funding a private school. I'm simply saying, let's see what The Greens say before we condemn or applaud them. I generally trust the actions they take and recognise that they are constrained, directed and thwarted by their coalition partners, so when something like this comes up and the pile-ons begin, I like to keep my powder dry till I can see the whites in the eyes of whoever is at the centre of the issue. So to speak.
Yep – I see your point, but I was also noticing echos from the past.. (Not your echoes.)
I really hope James can do a good job of explaining this.
Who else will I vote for? Only the least of all evils that is assured of getting over 5%, ie, Labour. But that will be only to keep the Nats out. Not because i have found something better than the Greens.
"The alternative is possibly worse. James has turned traitor and has decided to torpedo the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience."
Co-leaders of the Green Party don't have that kind of power.
snort. The left has long wanted the GP to be the left's political conscience. Should have supported it better while it had the chance. If the GP has gone mainstream, that's because that's where it's getting support from.
Labour candidate for New Plymouth Glen Bennett is pleased with the announcement.
Labour candidate for New Plymouth Glen Bennett said the announcement was important for the Taranaki economy and job creation.
He said although it is a private school, the funding wasn't taking away from public schools as it was an investment in infrastructure rather than education.
“The expansion of the school will bring more students and their families into Taranaki, adding to our economy.
The citation is wrong at $117 million. No wonder we get false news. It should be $11.7 million. It's on a par with Sir Joseph Ward's 1928 election gaffe misreading 70 million pounds borrowed over 10 years to become 70 million pounds borrowed in one year. Factors of 10 do matter!
$11.7 million appears to be correctly used throughout the article.
Decimal points tend to get left out of URLs. Presumably because they have meaning to the software, rather than just being another alphanumeric character for making a name.
Thanks, Andre, for the URL explanation. It's like reading headlines only? In this case, I did read the article. (The URL writer could have left out the .7 and just stated 11 million, surely?)
Looks like stuff URLs are just the headline with all punctuation stripped out. That would be easy to write code to do automatically. It would take a bit more work to write code to determine that something isn't a full stop but is instead a decimal point and strip out the numbers after it.
Just as well I'm not a headline writer for Stuff. I'd be trying really hard to see what kind of unintended consequences I could get to show up in the URLs.
Nope, it is still taking form the taxpayer who may or may not have children in private schools to fund a private for profit business.
the best these guys should get is a wage subsidy when next the country goes to lockdown level 4. Nothing more nothing less, like any other business in NZ.
That's right, Sabine. I too baulk at the spending of public money on private projects such as this. However, the story has not been fully told by those most closely involved, so I'm reserving my ire or praise until I know the details, hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak. If only others would do the same but I know as well as any other that this is the period of wild reckonings and snappy responses online whenever there's a political event, such as this is purported to be.
i actually don't care about these guys sitting down now trying to fix up a narrative to make this pig look less like a pig with smeared lipstick all over the place.
We have homeless in this country, this 10 million could have done a great job of building some hovels for these guys.
We have a lot of unemployed people currently , and we will have more at the end of this week, month , year with nothing to replace these jobs in the near future.
we have a shortage of lab staff, testing station etc, and this money could have done great there.
But we are wasting it on a school for a supposed green wash that the children in my family will never go to because we can't afford the 'private school fees' nor yours as you too will be too poor. In the meantime the girls in south auckland don't go to school cause their schools don't have funding for female hygiene products and thus when they are menstruating they stay home. (and don't tell me of the courageous little scheme of providing a few schools in the waikato region with a few tampons to feel good, cause ain't good enough)
So for what its worth, the leader of the green party can throw a ten liter bucket of green color at this and it will still stink to high heavens and it will cost the Greens more then the labour party and thus it was dumb.
This morning, David has two of his special stats driven posts. In one he claims a private Green School is being funded by the Green Party to the tune of $100,000/student and nearby state schools just $330/student.
In the other he claims high speed rail between Hamilton and Auckland would require platforms 750m long. He bases that conclusion on a claim the cost of capital for the project would be 6%.
Now, Twyford isn't a very good politician and I shook my head when he released this rail study the other day knowing that the likes of Farrar would jump all over it, but…
…here's an article which examines "the ways arguments using quantitative analysis fool people into accepting misinformation to suit particular agendas".
The public's inability to spot BS, presented often in the guise of statistical analysis, is an increasing threat to democracy in a data-driven world, according to the author of a new book.
"Question the source of information – who’s telling me this – and how do they know it, and what are they trying to sell me?" (the author) says.
I immediately though of our friend on the far right, David Farrar, who regularly uses his special form of statistical analysis to spread BS for political purposes.
I am proud of NZders. According to this poll they see through the unrelentingly media reports and realise how lucky we are. Last might N Z had slipped even further down the covid metre to 143.
Thanks for the link to those heartening poll results anker.
"Overall trust in the Government’s handling of the pandemic had slightly declined following the Auckland community outbreak and subsequent lockdown, but remained very high – falling from 82 per cent in mid-July to 79 [± 2.7] per cent in late-August."
Rather than join the team of almost five million, our opposition National party's main election campaign strategy under Collins' leadership is to undermine public trust in the Government. In normal times this would be politically pragmatic, but in these extraordinary times it just comes across as small-minded, and more than a little dangerous to us all.
Ross, Falloon, Walker, Woodhouse, Boag, Bridges, Muller, Collins – it’s all about trust.
Anker "It also showed that 64 per cent of those surveyed back the Prime Minister to handle the pandemic in general, compared with 18 per cent for Judith Collins. Over a third (36 per cent) of those who said they voted for National in 2017 now backed Ardern over Collins."
The election is all over bar the shouting….unless there is another serious Covid outbreak.
If you didn't believe blacks got treated differently to whites by the police in parts of the US these two videos are mind-boggling in showing that they do.
This white guy shoots three people at least, the public are telling the police he is the shooter and the police ask the shooter, still holding his gun, for directions to the injured and tell him to get off the road.
Warning: It does show him shooting people but not in a bloody, gory way. It is simply shocking.
No Weka posting defending her beloved Green Party, must be awaiting instructions on how to spin this….although it's going to be a tough sell to dance on the head of that particular pin.
Ohhh look, Judith has done this/said that…will do this/do that!
Now, has everyone forgotten about the money donated to that private school by the Greens yet?
Answer: NO!
[lprent: Idiots who don’t read the policy about falsely ascribing hidden motivations to authors are never right and are to be despised. You know better – so this is your warning.
Banned for 2 weeks. ]
Ground troops armed with (I hope) tasers arrest violent and dangerous criminal with the assistance of the Eagle helicopter.
Comforting that this footage exists for the Constabulary to promulgate…we'd hate to think that we were not safe.
(btw. The criminal is a car thief ffs, armed with a torch. Did he want to get court?)
The loudest noises about attrition as a result of the pandemic have come from the hospitality industry. The tourist industry, despite its cries of desperation and predictions of doom and gloom in the beginning, appears now to be enjoying steady times and has become less publicity seeking.
I would have thought that the hospitality industry is actually a "nice to have." Eating out is certainly not an essential and as for that coffee and muffin, at least one of our service stations, does a pretty good job of satisfying a craving for caffeine.
We often hear the patronising calls for those on meagre incomes to practice a bit of disciplined shopping and "relearning" cooking at home on a budget. Perhaps those same lecturers should spend a little more time using their eye-level ovens and ceramic hobs rather than feeling the need to be waited on. Eating out in the 70's and 80's was a treat and the sit-down coffee shops a novelty.
In the fullness of Covid Time, there will still be cafes, bars and restaurants. They just will owned and staffed by different people. Your breakfast coffee and muffin will be safe.
Eating, food are the main areas providing employment in a stripped down economy such as ours after opening our borders to all comers has socked our small enterprises on the chin. I don't know what you do logie 97 but does it involve thinking kindly about our country and the rest of humanity here besides yourself.
I do not wish to add fuel to the fire. I commented here as a result of comments sought by the media from those in the hospitality industries as a result of Level 3 in Auckland. On Monday I wrote the following comment on TS and is the context I put today's comment.
quote… Various media channels have sought the views of business leaders in Auckland to what the affects of extending Level 3 'til Sunday will be. And Chamber of Commerce Barnett appeared to be reading from a prepared-script-of-anticipation. Also spokespeople for the hospitality industry, in unison, have said that it is going to be catastrophic and that there will be massive permanent closures as a result.
I hope the media channels will seek these same people out again in a fortnight or so to get their assessments and to check if their predictions were anywhere even close…unquote
it is a nice to have that employes hundreds of thousand people in this country via direct employment – chefs, baristas, waiters/waitresses and then down the line, butchers, bakers, grocery stores, council fees, government fees, taxes in form of GST, Payee and so on and so forth and pretty quickly you have a huge segment of hte working population making a living of it and then you might ask yourself, is it really only a nice to have.
Mind for everyone not working in this industry and making a living of it, it of course may matter not that these people are slowly but surely all losing their jobs, and for a while to be – considering that Covid (or any other pandemic) will be with us for a while. But it they may start re-considering or else try to apply their 'nice to have' to any other industry they may consider 'nice to have'.
One of the industry that i think is nice to have but that could go the way of the dodo would be the booze makers and shops that sell it. Why? I don't drink. 🙂 Also, female hygiene products, i don't need them, surely they are only a nice to have, people can use toilet paper. Doctors, a nice to have thing, for those that can afford it. Schools, ditto i don't need them, nice to have now go away. Roading, i like trains, so fuck roading. Nice to have but not needed, we have rail. 🙂
If we were to look at everything as a nice to have vs, something that was created by others to earn a living, we might end up all in ditch with no food, cause nice to have ….but i don't want to pay for it.
So-called green entrepreneurs are Darth Vaders who have succumbed to the Dark Side of Capitalism and Class War.
The binary thinking is strong with people; there is no sensing of the good underneath and behind the mask (persona). Showing or experiencing both sides is a sign of weakness and needs to be stomped on; 100% pure is the Holy Grail.
Only when you integrate both sides, you become whole. At least some in the Green Party are further down the track with this than others are but they are despised for it and it could lead to their downfall and that of the Party.
If the Resistance is too strong then any attempts at integration and transcendence will be met by defensive mechanisms and (overly) aggressive hostility against change. In such cases, it is best to leave people be and get on with their lives as they know it [no pun] AKA BAU or SSDD and provide them with some illusory control over (their) existence.
It is my lifelong struggle – journey is too neutral and uphill battle too aggressive & destructive – to accept things as they are rather than the way I want them to be.
Thanks for that. In my dotage, I find a quick dip into Montaigne will usually furnish a useful aphorism or quotation to help in that struggle. e.g. "..not being able to govern events, I govern myself."
Ah, but the leader from within can emerge gloriously like a phoenix. And that is what is needed from thinking old people, to find the reserves, the depths, to nurture a new shoot and be reborn so to speak.
It's a spiritual thing and grows on experience, hope and belief out of the muck all around and past all the toxins till it can find light and flower. And I am talking about reality here. I think this is happening. I read books about others' experiences during past times of difficulty, and wonderful people arose strongly and amazingly.
So keep going, you have the reserves if you have come this far and the difficulties encountered will only sharpen your steel – to change images and similes etc.
…dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
I’m afraid any phoenix would suffocate in my tiny mental cage. I think it is better to wait until the cage has rusted away enough to pulverise into rusty-brown dust. It may not happen in my lifetime.
We all have to go Harry Potterish. In the books Harry and all the Hogwarts kids had to just adjust their minds and walk though a brick wall to get to their railway platform. I think I know its number so hope to see you there.
I heard the interview and thought it was downright bullying. MH spoke over Jacinda and didn't let her finish sentences. It was a very disturbing and accusatory interview. Then later in the week speaking to Grant Robertson there were no challenges at all ; all very chatty and matey. MH was subdued and almost submissive. Maybe he doesn't like women in positions of power ?
The Hosk went too far with Jacinda. I bet ZB was inundated with complaints. He was told to pull his horns in or else? Robertson got the new Hosk which might, if we're lucky, last a couple of weeks.
The now-famous sweatshirt also belonged to Glendining, who had kept it from the 1990s.
Different world now. If it was from sometime in the last decade, where it came from might be relevant. But its actual origin is far enough removed from Swarbrick and other current Greens that it can only be of interest to tragic obsessives. And trolls.
Can remember similar Green sweat shirts on sale down at the Vic and Cook Street Markets in the good old days. Local people working hard all week manufacturing the shirts and they'd all be gone over the weekend. Very flexible market in those days ; demand dictated the sweat shirts that would be made over the next week. Not many people wandering round in National or Labour shirts in those days.
The fact that National chose the day that the Christchurch mosque shooter is getting sentenced to launch their small business policy probably tells you everything about how they think it’s going to go down with the public.
Total insensitivity and dissonance from Judith and c/o. But to be expected….cuts for workers, ruin Kiwisaver, and then……. who has this magic money to spend in their businesses?? ….same old tired failed policies that saw people living in cars.
Judith's new expert Goldsmith running finance ; the doctor of history digs up old policy, snips pieces here and there and glues them back into a new piece of policy.
Seems Judith guarantees she won't be gone by lunchtime because there won't be a lunchtime.
On a trip to the home of the Labour party in Blackball, I saw a reference to the miner's strike on the issue of a 30 minute crib- a 30 minute lunchtime for the workers.
National want to return to the 19th century and starve-all stuff all worker's rights.
I've only been able to vote since 2011 so I'm not sure how labour in govt campaigns vs labour in opposition, but is there going to be any policy manifesto or announcements or is the manifesto the same as 2017 until all of it gets made law?
It's becoming incredibly frustrating and depressing that labours not releasing policy it seems arrogant.
Unless labours not running on policy so when they make reforms they can say oh we never said we wouldn't do this , this and this but I feel like it's more they are afraid to release policy because they are so polling so well that releasing policies could turn some people off.
It’s becoming incredibly frustrating and depressing that labours not releasing policy it seems arrogant.
It isn’t arrogant. It is a political reality for the major parties in a MMP environment.
This was also the case for the arrogant National party in 2011, 2014, and 2017. You can find posts here deploring the arrogance of the government party not releasing substantive policy going back to 2007.
You can also find comments running back through to the early 1990s in the usenet forums like alt.politics.nz.
I’d point out by way of comparison that so far the National party policies this election have mostly consisted of bullet points and a few reasonably vague paragraphs promising to reconsider things at some point in the future. All of it uncosted and with vague promises of money appearing out of thin air.
Mostly it is the minor parties that release policies – mostly because they know that they will never have a chance to do more (at best) than try to add a few of them in a cut down form to a coalition agreement.
The major parties know that
They can’t promise anything with certainty when they are almost certainly going to have to trade parts of it to make a coalition agreement(s).
NZ governments are almost completely exposed to massive risks from unexpected offshore problems. That is because we are a trading nation with a tiny local economy. The last time I worked for a company that did more than 10% of their business inside NZ was in 1995. I’ve worked for 5 private sector companies since then. Most profitable companies in NZ, and therefore their employees incomes, are directly or closely directly exposed to offshore winds – from export prices to exchange rates in exports and imports. Making policy decisions at a government level when you’re guessing at overall revenue (taxes and fees) and costs (like welfare rolls) is largely an exercise in futility. You only have to look at effects on our local economy and government of the covid-19 in 2020, the GFC in 2008, the twin tower bombings in 2001, the Asian market ‘flu’ in 1997-8, etc etc over the last 30 years to see this.
That anything concrete that major parties promise as policy has to be vague and surrounded with caveats that look like dithering to simpletons. Besides, if it is a 10 year project as most of them are, and the government is unable to deliver in a 3 year term, it will be spun as a ‘broken promise’ for the headlines. So why bother announcing policies that can be measured against that daft and short-sighted yardstick.
So there is no incentive to make any concrete promises beyond minor ones and vague hand waving about longer term ones. Those kinds of concrete policy announcements really belong back at the era of a completely controlled economy with border tariffs, limits on the amount of money you could take or send off shore, and very very limited export industries (essentially the farming sector with limited processing).
The National party just indulged in their typical waving of hands with roading projects that will take decades to pursue to completion, are known to have incredibly bad returns on investment (as in they cost vastly more than they could ever return), and have no funding sources as it would exceed revenue targeted at the NZTA. They were clearly made up on the back of a envelope targeting the more stupid voters in their favoured electorates and with nice sound bites for even thicker journalists like Mike (the moron) Hosking.
The probability of any of those projects ever happening is extremely low. Is that the kind of ‘policy’ you’d like – useless pie in the sky for the credulous? Will that make you satisfied as a policy announcement? You’d have to be as thick as pigshit (or a died in the wool National supporter) to be satisfied with that.
Personally I prefer what Labour has been doing. Making policy announcements, giving timetables and budgets for them, about what they are planning to do over the next few years. Then pointing out directions where they’d like to head. There are a lot of the latter around. You can find them on the Labour party website, or the Greens website, of the NZF and even the Act website.
What you will mostly see on National’s website isn’t policy. It is just slogans for news headlines saying we’ll remove this regulation, or we’ll throw $4 billion at something without saying where they’ll fund it from or even why it is important in the future a decade down the line. It really is hard to see National has any policy at all. But I guess that could just be because they have have had 3 radical shift in their dithering direction in the past months and haven’t managed to write any coherent directions. They sound like your kind of ‘policies’.
Perhaps you should invest in getting yourself a slightly better political and economic education rather than whining about something that hasn’t happened for decades. Then at least you won’t sound quite so much like a political dimwit.
A union representing medical laboratory workers says members taking part in partial strike action are being sent home without pay.
The company, Southern Community Laboratories, says none of those suspended are involved in Covid-19 testing.
But the union says employees who have been working long hours and extra shifts testing Covid samples are affected.
More than 700 workers at private laboratories around the country have issued strike notices for a 24-hour full withdrawal of labour from Friday, 4 September.
Five people associated with the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship have tested positive in the last two to three days.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield urged anyone who was at the services held at the church on Stoddard Road on the 8, 9 and 11 August and a wedding on 7 August to isolate and seek a test.
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Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
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Kinda tough break for the Republican Convention to be shunted off news cycle by a massive climatic event on the Louisiana-Texas border.
Almost like the earth was a Speaker.
Landfall right slap between New Orleans and Houston. A few hundred km either way could've been much worse.
Entropy.
I have learned to assume the worst of our politicians…its easier that way as it avoids that awful feeling of betrayal when manifesto promises are broken and hopes for a kinder and more fair New Zealand are dashed…again.
Heavy sigh this am as the Natrad Bedwetters Club featured the news of Green Party Co Leader James Shaw's announcement of an $11.7 million handout to a Taranaki private school.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300092266/greens-caught-bending-party-policy-to-grant-117m-to-private-school-in-taranaki
Needless to say sometime State-funded schools are not happy…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018761330/teachers-fume-at-govt-s-11-point-7m-handout-to-private-green-school
…and those millions would have gone a long way towards rectifying some of the infrastructure issues faced by many Taranaki schools. Some of these issues involve leaky, damp buildings which is ironic as the major business magnates behind this private school made their fortune from selling ventilation systems.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/121938943/the-taranaki-parents-out-to-change-how-we-school-our-kids
Doubly ironic as I clearly remember a phone conversation with a telemarketer for said company. He waffled on about cold and damp and how much I needed a home ventilation system to circulate the air around our home. I politely informed helpful gentleman that we already had a ventilation system…windows and doors…
I digress. The cynic in me suspects that James, the co -leader of the party I had just about committed to voting for again, thinks the average Joe or Jane will hear "Green" and assume all is sound and ethically well with this funding and it must fit within the Party's code. Big mistake, James.
The alternative is possibly worse. James has turned traitor and has decided to torpedo the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience.
I'm with you there, Rosemary.
Your final sentence is nonsense, Rosemary. Funding a school is a laudable action. The question is; does it contravene Green Party policy and if so, how concerned should we be about that. I'd be very interested to hear from The Greens and James especially, for their explanation, before scuppering the boat I float in.
I'd be very interested to hear from The Greens and James especially, for their explanation …
I too await their explanation with bated breath.
“… before scuppering the boat …”
Too late, I fear.
Echoes of the Metiria debacle. Female co -leader attracts wider support, then along come the Party menfolk to crap all over the gains.
Greens…their own worst enemy since Rod and Jeanette.
"Too late, I fear."
Suspend your judgement till you have heard from those most closely involved, I reckon. Funding a school is not a damning act, it's a well-intentioned, widely supported action. The Greens did say ‘Public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools,” (says the party’s current education policy.) but there's nothing yet to prevent them doing so. It is though, at this point, an awkward situation. I certainly don't see it as a "debacle" or even the echo of one.
Mr Guyton, I am well acquainted with the Green policies, but thank you for the link. Others here may find it helpful, although I suspicion the reading of manifesto and policy statements do not always feature as preparation to casting one's precious vote.
I fear that even here, amoungst the assumed politcally aware, there is a tendency to vote "Labour" or "Green" or goddess forbid "NZ First" just because.
Hurry up James! Rattle your dags sunshine and please explain!
Someone tending toward voting Green is unlikely to swerve violently away at the news that The Greens facilitated funding for a school, I'd have thought!
Unless they're one of those people, and there are a few about, who look as hard as they can for any reason to avoid voting lab/grn, so they can back a sub 1% party and cling to the notion they're doing the right thing by the country, even though every wasted vote brings the prospect of a nat led government closer.
Worse than right wingers to me.
Unless they're one of those people, and there are a few about, who look as hard as they can for any reason to avoid voting lab/grn …
Err…there's no need for a search. James is proud and loud over this.
Worse than right wingers to me.
Thanks for that. So pleased to see rabid tribalism alive and well.
"James is proud and loud over this" doesn't seem like a "back-room deal" then does it, or something The Greens wished to slip in unnoticed by the public. Seems kinda "up-front" wouldn't ya say?
Many of those people, The Al1en, are presently backing Billy Te Kihaka's conspiracy party now, and loudly declaring that The Greens have sold out to the Man, or whatever. I hear "The Greens support the use of 1080 so it's all over between me and Them!" and so on, levering their exit around any one of a hundred issues The Greens are "ignoring", 5G, compulsory vaccination, mask-wearing, and so on and so on. It's a phenomenon of the startlable-Left, unfortunately. Gotta learn to live with it. For people who profess to support The Greens to immediately declare, "I'm off" at the news of this school support, fits that picture, imo. Consequently, I agree with the sentiment of your comment.
Might need to do another post on 1080 and what the GP actually say on that.
I kind of understand the reactionary, emotional vote, but I mostly don't get it. We have to have someone in parliament and government, who should that be this time? It's not a hard thing to figure out, despite any disappointments along the way (and I have my own about the Greens).
The expectation that a political party could perfectly represent the needs of anyone at all, is a pipe-dream. Those who toy-toss at the slightest bump in the road seem flakey to me. Will they just as easily return to the fold if the next issue suits them better, or will they stay stubbornly out in the cold because "the party" betrayed them? This issue is de minimis, in my opinion, in the big picture; I compare it with National's most recent "the water quality regulations will be gone by lunchtime" scandal and ask myself, wtf are Green supporters thinking, throwing in the towel at the sniff of something they don't agree with (or fully understand)? Funding for a school!?! The horror!!!
I was listening yesterday to a group of young Maori men discussing Billy TK and his prophecies. Very disturbing that they have taken as Gospel his comments about 5 G / Covid conspiracies etc. They feel that because Billy TK is a great musician then he must be correct about the "ride to hell we are currently on". I fear for the vulnerable young people of NZ.
I attended a meeting of such people last night, Patricia. I don't recommend such an experience. I have been engaging in discussion/dialogue/debate with various (younger) people in my town over "Billy" and his ways, pointing out his efforts to align with Hanna Tamaki (spurned) and Jamie-Lee Ross (accepted) as well as his most recent expulsion from the White Ribbon movement because of his "separation from reality", or some such. I mentioned the very poor turnout at the Auckland "5G and everything else" march, which contradicted the followers claims that "the uprising is massive and will turn the country on its head", and have, as yet, made zero progress, despite my careful strategising and genuine concern for their wellbeing
Someone tending toward voting Green is unlikely to swerve violently away at the news that The Greens facilitated funding for a school, I'd have thought!
But it is not just any old school is it Robert?
It is a very special Private School for the offspring of the Very Wealthy of Aotearoa, and especially Overseas.
At a time when state schools are desperate for funding for remedial work to be done…which would surely have the potential to employ as many, if not more than just this one school.
Paul Goulter, NZEI Te Riu Roa national secretary said it came as a “complete surprise”.
“This comes as a complete surprise to us given the Greens’ own clear policy against public funding of private schools.
“We just can’t understand why the Government would go ahead and fund a private school with public money at a time when public schools in the Taranaki region are crying out for this type of investment,” he said.
The sheer scale of the funding is significant. When the Government announced a $400 million package to upgrade New Zealand’s ageing public school infrastructure, it was capped at $400,000. The grant to the Green School would be enough to fund nearly 30 schools at that rate.
Just up the road from Green School, New Plymouth Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools each received $400,000.
Not a violent swerve, but less inclination.
It's shit like this that makes me think of myself as a labour voter who sometimes goes green, rather than a green voter. Funding a private school is fucked, but because it has "green" in the name they'll throw out the socioeconomic principles they allegedly have.
Basically, a comprehensive and holistic platform is compromised for a single pet project because they like the vibe. Private education is capitalist, and capitalism is the enemy of the environment. An elitist enviro-wank school is the equivalent of champagne socialism.
Labour supported the choice via their local candidate.
We still don't know if the Greens wanted this, or if there wasn't much choice. I can't imagine the Greens would choose this over funding state schools or any number of other projects, so I'm guessing it came from the Infrastructure Reference Group in charge of the shovel-ready projects. That's run by Twyford and Jones afaik.
Labour are predictable in their policy blindspots.
The Greens tend to be pretty solid, then do a random announcement on some issue.
Apparently Shaw announced it as a minister – fair call, maybe it's a all-govt thing, but I've difficulty seeing which portfolio makes him the responsible cheerleader for this decisions. Associate minister of finance? Surely they could have given the role of announcing this project to someone else, given that it's in direct contradiction to Green policy?
still guessing, but yes Assoc Finance portfolio, *and the GP (according to Hipkins) advocated for it, but I'm betting it was from a pool of projects that Twyford and Jones had shortlisted.
So if the Greens had the opportunity to lobby for specific projects for the fund, and it was a choice between say a new road/coal fired power plant or a private school that has a strong green focus, what would they do?
Might still be a politically naive thing to have done of course, instead of choosing nothing.
Totally speculating here, because I'm just so sick of the whole purity politics stuff, as well as the jumping to conclusions before we even know what happened.
If people want the Greens to stick to their kaupapa the best way to ensure that is to give them more power in government. We will never get a GP or any party that is perfect for us, but I just do not believe that this idea came from the Greens originally when they would be more naturally interested in actual green projects.
and, if it turns out the Greens chose this over all the worthy green projects needing done that wouldn't have made it past Twyford and Jones, then I will rightly condemn the Greens too. I'll still vote for them though, because climate change is going to monkeys of us all for a very long time after purity ceases to be a pressing concern. Oh yeah, and because their welfare policy outstrips anything else in parliament. And their fresh water policy. And most things when it comes down to it.
If they had a list of crappy projects, they should have chosen nothing. The projects would have been done one way or the other, it's not like the Greens could have vetoed the entire list.
Or at least let Jones and Twyford announce their crappy projects.
yes, probably. But we have no idea what happened, so I'd rather wait before slagging off the Greens or changing my vote or whatever. If people want to change their vote because the Greens aren't political players, they can do that, but it's a different thing, and we still need them in govt. It's not like they have policies that will intentionally keep lots of people in poverty, that would be Labour.
Oh, Green policies are lovely.
If they stuck to them, it's be nice. Like I say, Labour's imperfections are well-advertised and predictable.
GP education policy on private schools hasn't changed afaik. What GP policies have changed?
The policy is still lovely.
Shaw shilling millions in funding for a private school isn't consistent with the policy, is it?
at the least Shaw is bungling the PR on this. No idea if that’s because he thinks funding this school is a brilliant idea and has completely misread the room, or if there’s something more pragmatic going on.
I guess the issue for me with the discussion is why people would throw out the lovely policy, along with lots of other lovely policy, over this one thing. Not least because that means voting for a party that won’t be in parliament or one that will but has worse policy. I understand the principle of the thing thing (I have my own bottom lines), but this looks like something else. Post brewing about how people still don’t trust the Greens and look for any weakness as proof of that.
Yeah I agree with that – anyone who's an enthusiastic supporter of the Greens and then ditches it because of one decision is being a bit precious, at best, in the current NZ political climate.
But then there's more the "meh, what the hell" voter. By which I mean that up to the election I look at policy and the people involved (grassroots as well as the parliamentarians), but my vote might be up in the air between a couple of parties, and it just depends on what the polls think the result will be and what my preferred result might be. I don't really know for sure what I will tick while I'm picking up the forms, and might be inclined to do something different when I leave the polling station.
I mean, I know I won't be voting National, but say labgrn looks pretty solid, maybe I won't vote either if there's a <1% party on the left – give them an extra vote, and thereby a tiny little bit more credibility. Dunno who any decent trace-element parties at the moment are, though, but there's a couple of months yet.
How often will a local candidate not support spending government money in their district? I mean, a west coast Green candidate might oppose the government subsidising the start up of a coal mine, or a Nat might object to a bit of funding to entice the Worldwide Collective Association of Socialist Parties to set up headquarters in their district. But short of something like that, a local politician will always support more jerbs in their district funded by the government.
I've been aware of this school for sometime. One of the investors is a brother of an acquaintance of mine, and as she is involved in childhood education she was invited to go and view the site and meet the founders last year.
The idea and the kaupapa make for good soundbites, but primarily from my perspective – as Rosemary suspects – it is a school that is intended to create opportunities for green entrepreneurs. And the "green" aspect is fluid.
If our society is dedicated to providing a good, quality universal education, that priority needs to be achieved first before educational funding such as this is allocated.
We are nowhere near providing a good, quality universal education. We should focus on that.
"it is a school that is intended to create opportunities for green entrepreneurs."
And that's a bad thing???
Surely, it's a school for the promotion of environmentally-friendly learning, yes? A school for children? You're attacking the worth of the school, but I would think its value and values were closely looked-at by James Shaw et al before they swung in to support the funding of it; who to believe, who to trust???
…i's a school for the promotion of environmentally-friendly learning, yes?
Surely all schools should be funded to deliver such laudable learnings Robert?
…who to believe, who to trust???
The discerning amoung us are struggling with that…
"Surely all schools should be funded to deliver such laudable learnings Robert?"
Well, yes, Rosemary but should all other progress stall until that happens? Shall we cancel the Enviroschools programme till every school has signed on? How would that work?
"Surely all schools should be funded to deliver such laudable learnings Robert?"
Might want to talk with Labour and NZF about that.
why, have the Green nothing to say about this in the government of which they are part?
or is it simply dumb and tone deaf to announce the waste of some 10 millions to a private school, while other schools in NZ are build of shacks? Oh, its the green focus of that school? Well if that is the case I hope that the Green Party will promote teh idea that all the other schools in NZ specifically the public schools should get the same amount to 'teach green focus' in school.
We are all in this together, right?
fucks sake. The GP don't control either the Education funding or the Shovel funding. That's NZF and Labour.
Looks like the GP fucked up on this, either via their PR or by their decision on the project. Tell you what, don't vote for them, or vote Labour, that will get you a way better govt /drippingsarc
And ffs, go and learn how government actually works, because this fairy dust, magic wand shit is tedious.
You missed an important part in my comment Robert: And the "green" aspect is fluid.
" Surely, it's a school for the promotion of environmentally-friendly learning, yes? A school for children? "
No surely about it. It is promoted as…
And it is accessible only to a small number of monied students. Our government funding for environmental education should be able to be accessed by all.
Do I trust James Shaw is not the question. I can see where his perspective lies from actions like this.
what is Shaw's perspective that you see? I'm struggling to see any perspective myself.
Cripes Molly the country has to move in different directions than in the past. Better education is not just returning to what we had in the 1980/90s but something that fits our needs today, more machine-minds and tech, less jobs, poor wages etc. We need to learn less about how to criticise and more on how to thing creatively and practically. Good on the Greens, if they get started then they can tune up to what is needed, change the tune, fine-tune. And at the same time ensure everyone can read, understand what they read, discuss its effect, learn psychology and how to get on with each other, and look up any facts needed on google.
Thanks for talking us down to earth quietly Robert G. I thought we were leaving Ground Zero by too far a distance there.
Thinking of getting high, has everyone else caught up with the fact that dirigibles are the thing being worked on around Europe? This was a piece from The Telegraph. I stop at the paywall, might do occasional donations though as they give gen that I don't always get here.
The UK, a leader in the airship revival, is going head to head with France in an escalating global race. Zeppelins and dirigible airships are now promising to provide the future of green transport, and if all goes well, as Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes in this fascinating column, we will be able to hop virtuously from Liverpool to Belfast in point-to-point travel.
Shaw's only comment seems to be that the spend will result in 200 jobs. What rubbish. These jobs will be temporary jobs while the build happens and not permanent new jobs. Every indication is that because the word "Green" is in the title of the school that this is the reason the funding – which equates apparently to $200k per pupil – was granted. A shonky and suspect decision.
Goodgrief: relying on anti-Green David Farrar's assessments is not sound.
@ Rosemary McDonald , Thanks for writing that response to this shameful hypocrisy, it saves me the time of writing pretty much the same thing.
Funnily enough I had just said on Sunday here on open mike (6.2.1.) that I would probably vote Greens, but lamented the day the Greens didn't choose Bradford as co leader, mainly because of her deeply held values and uncrossable lines in the sand…well this episode just proves that point, Shaw is a pragmatic centrist who is (like so many greens) willfully blind to the class war that rages all around him, and like all centrists end up entrenching a class based society further.
They just lost my vote that's for sure.
They lost your vote because they funded a school? They did indicate that, "‘Public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools," – the term, "phased out" doesn't mean "immediately ceased", so their support does not baldly contravene their policy as is being claimed here and on Kiwiblog.
Again, they lost your vote because they funded a school?
Was it an evil school? A school that teaches subversive, anti-Kiwi values? A school that is nothing more than a front for…whatever?
They lost your vote because they funded a school?
No they lost my ( and others) vote because the funded a private school…or didn't you get that part?…to the tune of $100,000 (or more) per student.
Elitism at it’s most pure…John Key would be proud of this one… yuk.
Not interested to hear why?
Yes Robert…I am very interested to hear why?
But I'm guessing the justifications you have given us this morning are the same the Green Party will trot out. And those of us lesser mortals are just closet righties if we have a problem with this gross corporate welfare.
I have a pile of sleeper sized maccy to cut and wrestle into raised garden beds today…I've said my piece.
A tune for your day Sir…you've sung the Green's hymn well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycn9an278rs
"Yes Robert…I am very interested to hear why?"
Shall we wait until we have heard, before we throw our toys from the cot?
"But I'm guessing the justifications you have given us this morning are the same the Green Party will trot out."
Guessing? That's not a great platform to throw your toys from; a guess.
Reactionary, but?
…before we throw our toys from the cot …
You're implying I am having some kind of toddler meltdown Robert?
So much for constructive discourse. I shall go sit in the naughty corner.
I'm teasing, Rosemary. And "we" is plural, not singular. In any case, some time in the corner, thinking about what you have done, will do you no harm . I'm going to do the same, except I'll do it outside and prune apple trees instead. It would be good to have some more comment from The Greens before we wade deeper into the issue.
Robert – are you aware that many teachers feel very strongly about state money being generously thrown at private schools? This particular private school charges over $20,000 per NZ student, and over $40,000 per foreign student…
This is against the spirit of Green Education Policy. When The Alliance disappeared, I, as a teacher, looked at all the parties' Education policies, liked the Greens' the most, and have party-voted Green since.
I am now in doubt. I will definitely continue my donations to Greenpeace, but I now wonder about Party vote Green. How are the Greens going to make 5% by losing any of their considerable teacher support? I do not want to waste my Party vote on a party that does not seem bothered about failing to reach 5%.
Greens need to do some damage control about this, I fear. Ill-considered..
the 5% issue existed before this, and it's entirely on left wing voters whether the GP are in parliament or not after the election. Ditto in government.
If this is a real deal breaker for you, I'd be interested to know what Labour's policy is.
In Vino – yes, and as an ex-teacher (early childhood, primary, secondary, special needs and tertiary) I feel the same way. My only argument here is for restraint around dumping on the Party before their reasons have been published. Do you know why The Greens have made this decision that surely must have tested their attachment to their policy and principles? My experience is that they don't do anything thoughtlessly. I'd like to hear what they have to say on the issue. My immediate reaction is not one I'm arguing for, as I need to hear what James and co. have to say. Perhaps they have reneged, perhaps they have rationalised their action for the furtherance of their principles; that's what I'd like to know. Thick as molasses, my decision-making machinery!
Understood, Robert, but I think some gesture of damage control will be needed for the more short-fused and less contemplative types that there are in many school staff-rooms. I hope that James Shaw can come up with something convincing.
It is an irony that Righties attack the Greens for being 'red on the inside', but the Greens then do something that would actually please the Righties, rather than their own supporters.
To me this looks like something that appeals to a small (but possibly vocal) segment of hard-core Greens. It's possible Shaw himself is firmly in that segment. But those in the Greens that made the decision to push for this totally misread how the wider public would take it.
For instance, the opportunity to (fairly) cry "hypocrisy" is always going to trump any positive feelings the right may have over any Green support for a private initiative.
I agree entirely, In Vino and would add "the more short-fused and less contemplative types" here on The Standard and across the comment-o-sphere. It'll be gleeful fun for The Greens' opponents to whip this up but it disturbs me when up-till-now supporters turn-tail so easily before the discussion has been had. Avoiding this sort of gotcha moment close to an election is, in my view, impossible; look at how many National has suffered recently! This single instance for The Greens, whether earned or not, should be measured against those various scandals/outrages. Given also, that The Greens are in Government and actually doing things, rather than say, The ACT Party who do nothing but gripe and are therefore harder to "expose", it's to be expected that a storm of some sort would whip up. This one, where the worst charge that might stick is one of hypocrisy, shouldn't really phase Green supporters, or those who were "considering" voting Green. The damage control will indeed be needed, even if the damage wasn't self-inflicted, but instead, manufactured from without. I'm as keen as anyone to hear a response from James Shaw but significantly less keen to throw in my Green towel and march indignantly off
nope, cause there is really nothing that would make wasting this much tax payer money on one PRIVATE school good and decent, specifically in these times where everyone else is supposed to do with less, some with nothing, and here the Green Party is giving 10 millions away for bumkins. But they get to feel all ‘Green’.
Oh Adrian T. you are too good for this world.
John Hardy's Green Schools are in fact not inline with "Kiwi Values"…being a touch expensive..hence the large percentage of overseas pupils..and I don't mean kids from the pacific islands…. We in fact already have schools that cover the whole plethora of "Kiwi Values" many of which include environmental and social aspects of which you might approve.
They are all desperate for funding for these programmes…infact with increased funding even more schools would embrace the very programmes we urgently need to educate ALL our NZ youngsters.
John Hardys Green Schools are well patronised by some very wealthy individuals..who I am sure could philanthropically fund his vision to their hearts content. Failing that they could organise a cake raffle…
They have also lost my vote, because it's a fucking private school. I don't care if they promote left wing views if you send your kids to private school you should pay for everything.
By the sounds of it, the parents are paying plenty enough "for it". Perhaps there is benefit in supporting the establishment of such a school, for the wider community? Assisting them over the initial "bump" with money that will indeed stimulate the economy through jobs, will benefit everyone through creating a precedent for green public schools and I expect that's what The Greens have deduced. Your reaction, "public school or bust" sounds … reactionary.
They lost your vote because they funded a school?
It might not be just one thing. For those of us looking at which party has the least unattractive pile of peaches and dead rats to choke down in order to vote for them, this may be the big dead rat tossed on top that pushes the overall balance away from the Greens.
This dosnt just taint the Greens however…this reflects poorly on all the governing parties
Yep. But it's expected behaviour for the other parties, so it doesn't change their pile. Whereas for the Greens it removes the peach labelled "principle" and adds a dead rat labelled "featherbedding their special buddies".
Have you listened to Shaw's explanation for the decision, or are you going off half-cocked?
Did James give an interview about this? I’ve only seen his Press Release as Associate Finance Minister.
I haven't heard anything yet. Maybe we could reserve our judgement/condemnation till we do?
Ta
Am thinking about doing a post on this 🙂
That would be a good thing, Incognito.
The Greens won't lose my party vote over this, but I hope Shaw isn't having a Metiria melting moment, and that he stays put.
How will National attack this decision to support a private school to the tune of $11,400,000 – that's almost half a flag referendum!
"Green School CEO Chris Edwards has thanked Green Party co-leader and Associate Finance Minister James Shaw for his support. "
Shaw's "support"? Is that what Shaw gave? You mean, this wasn't a Green initiative, driven through Parliament relentlessly, in contradiction to the Green's kaupapa? That in fact, Shaw supported something along the way? It gets even worse for the duplicitous Greens – support! Scandalous!
Reading the Stuff piece, questions I have are this:
given this comes from Shaw as a Minister and not Shaw as GP co-leader, did the Labour/NZF caucus approve this project?
given the funding was for shovel-ready projects, what were the constraints on that?
who was in the decision making process? who decided which shovel-ready projects would be approved?
why are so many lefties unaware of how government actually works?
why are so many lefties expecting a level of purity from the Greens and unwilling to figure out the compromises involved in being in government?
also, democracy in NZ would be *far better served if the public had the same access to politician's words as journos.
Sounds like it was a Green push, not someone else's they agreed to as a governing compromise:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/27-08-2020/green-party-under-fire-for-11m-public-funding-of-private-green-school/
thanks Andre.
What's more likely:
1. The GP had free reign to choose whatever projects they wanted?
2. The fund was restricted to a set pool of projects and/or criteria, and the GP had to choose from those?
If it's the former, I would definitely have major concerns about why the GP chose this over many, many other things. But this seems unlikely. Good stick to beat the Greens with though.
If you end up with the time stamp for todays' covid briefing and Hipkins' comment, I'd be interested.
haven't had time to look at this yet, but…
https://twitter.com/serenity22/status/1298824038698033153
That post is being overtaken by other commitments 🙁
I've done a bit searching on the web, including on the Greens website, and found nothing yet that makes me feel this was a good decision. Or even anything hinting it might have been a good decision. Shaw directly explaining it hasn't turned up yet (if you want people to consider it, how about linking?) but I'll wait for something written to come out rather than listening to emotionally-manipulative low-fact-density blather.
"I'll wait for something written to come out rather than listening to emotionally-manipulative low-fact-density blather."
Good call. Me too.
Nope. Not persuasive.
Not persuasive? You mean, you were not persuaded, Andre; what are your reasons?
I'm not persuaded because it's not a green project. It's more of the same bullshit so beloved of the Nats, selling education to bring wealthy people here so we can relieve them of money and they'll spend lots more money buying property and businesses and stuff. But the Greens have hopped on board because of the enviro-wank (thanks McFlock) positioning of the school as their sales proposition.
I understood this money came out of the Regional pot, not the Education or Green vote? Personally I am for Public Education, but in a democracy I do support choice. I thought buildings and maintenance were provided by the State?
hoping a journalist who knows the ins and outs will cover this.
Private schools are already, and have been for yonks, assisted by "government money" – Catholic schools, for example. Why not a green school?
Catholic schools are integrated schools: they are not for those who can afford over $20,000 fees per student.
Do they receive Government funding, I wonder?
Yes, they do.
Well…I was just saying…
That funding comes with strings, which were meant to prevent them from using their fees to get better teacher:student ratios than state schools, etc. Not quite the same thing.
Robert asked whether Integrated schools receive Government funding and the answer is yes. Never said that it was the same thing though because you are right, it isn’t the same as for State schools. I have no time or interest in elaborating on the differences (a major one is the State doesn’t own the buildings & land of Integrated schools); somebody else can or Robert can use Google 😉
Given that they're state schools, it would be a bit surprising if they weren't.
Most of the funding being offered to the green school has to be paid back, yes?
@Robert you got any basis for suggesting it will be paid back? In all the articles I've seen so far there has been a complete absence of any words or even hints about repayment. But plenty of words like given and granted etc usually used in the context of a non-repayable gift.
You're quite right, Andre – I'd seen something earlier in the day, before visiting The Standard, which read: "
peterwn
“So their official policy is to ban public funding of private schools (ie the 25% subsidy per student)”.
The Government gets back 60% of that subsidy in GST (yes, parents of private school pupils do pay GST on their fees) so in reality it is only a 10% subsidy." Not quite the same thing, but perhaps a little salve to the dreadful wound.
Why oh why do they insist on shooting themselves in the foot?
https://greenschool.nz/admissions/
Why oh why can you anti-people not expand your minds about this Green Party move. Nothing you have ever thought of up till now has saved us from getting to this end moment in our world's and country's progress/regress. You set too big a store by your ethics, values, standards or whatever you choose to call them.
There are broad principles to steer by, but sometimes it is better to include something that may be different than Green Party principles. They aren't a church, po-faced about humanity fitting in with its dicta; the Greens are a Party trying to turn things around for people AND the planet so both have a future that is not dire. They need our support and our help not our pin-pricking platitudes.
How is that shooting in the foot?
Like Robert, I’m intrigued to know who all the outraged "Green voters" withdrawing their support will now vote for…
No one.
Very constructive….. Not.
well, it is a choice tho.
the beige suits of all parties in government can abstain and it is counted as a vote. Why are people supposed to choose between useless, corrupt and uninspired?
That is how i see the parties, Labour – mostly useless, National, mostly corrupt, and the greens – mostly uninspired.
oh because y'all are afraid of Judith Collins? Wow, now that is really not a good 'please vote for Labour or the Greens' point.
As late as June, I was fully expecting to vote Green. Now I really don't know, it's likely I've tipped over to Labour.
Before i move to my reply you can dial down your knee jerk Green Party defence…the foot belongs to the Gov.
Read the 'company' promo.that targets the international monied cliental from the international market…it will never be available to the local kiwi kid down the road….FFS, if you are incapable of recognising the appalling hypocrisy of funding this project when both public education and health providers are decrying the lack of resources then you are delusional.
These types of mindless decisions will cost the incumbents far more votes than Judith and Gerry's carping about Covid
The funding doesn't come from the education budget, does it? Nor the health budget. It comes from the budget that's for job creation and infrastructure development in response to Covid 19. Seems appropriate.
Good grief…it dosnt matter where the funding comes from…it comes from the public purse.
Tell that to the state school teacher that cant get a teacher aide to assist with severely dysfunctional students because resources.
This is a private venture that seeks private profit from offshore…let them fund it
"Tell that to the state school teacher that cant get a teacher aide to assist with severely dysfunctional students because resources."
What would that achieve, Pat? The money for teacher aides comes from a completely seperate budget which will not be affected at all by the spending from the one being considered here. They are seperate, unconnected issues.
Therein lies your problem Robert….you are thinking like an accountant….voters will not separate the funding streams (and nor should they) …its a question of priorities and funding the desires of the offspring of the (offshore) wealthy dosnt trump the basic needs of the locals
But we thoughtful commenters on TS will seperate the funding streams, won't we?
personally no…if theres funding available it should go to the area of greatest need first…and private schools for the children of wealthy foreigners (even if climate conscious) are way down the list of needs
But even more importantly will be how the state employed educators and the parents of the students view it…and theres a lot more of them
"it will never be available to the local kiwi kid down the road"
A successful "green" school, one that blazes the green-learning trail, risks being a front-footer, trials programmes for the first time, produces well-greened learners who will go out into the world better equiped to mend the environmental and social harms we are experiencing now, will benefit "the local kiwi kid down the road", or at least will potentially, in ways that haven't been discussed here at all. There's been a great deal of outrage at the perceived exclusiveness and privilege involved, as is to be expected from Green supporters; we've always hated on private schools, but perhaps we might pause a while to hear The Greens rationale for their decision, what their decision was, how large the part they played in the decision and whether they had considered the sort of reaction that's evident here.
If its going to be a trailblazing success then it wont need public funding….certainly when there is so much need in the state education system.
you are clutching at (synthetic) straws now Robert
yeh lets just stay in the green change slow lane. No need for anything but the market really. oh..
If the Gov wants to speed up change to a "Green economy' then there are a million more effective things they could do (that they are not)
It is not Green led government. If you want that then you need to help them get a lot more votes.
James had to pick something greenish from a pile of "shovel ready" projects. The money could be spent on more roads instead.
"It is not Green led government. If you want that then you need to help them get a lot more votes."
relevance??
K?
How pray tell does lavishly funding a private educational venture WHILE restricting support to a desperate public education sector grow the Green Party vote?….I would suggest the effect is the exact opposite.
However as stated earlier this is not confined to the Green Party
So you think that the Greens should have said to Labour "no we will withhold support for your stimulus package because we can't see any green shovel ready projects that fit with our sensibilities"?
If this is not confined to the Green Party then why have you been so quite about Labour?
"If this is not confined to the Green Party then why have you been so quite about Labour?"
Suggest you do some research
An innovative school with an deep green kaupapa, perhaps the deepest in the country so far, shouldn't get enthusiastic support from The Green's?
And, to quote weka:
“Labour candidate for New Plymouth Glen Bennett said the announcement was important for the Taranaki economy and job creation.
He said although it is a private school, the funding wasn’t taking away from public schools as it was an investment in infrastructure rather than education.
“The expansion of the school will bring more students and their families into Taranaki, adding to our economy.”
the kaupapa is debatable…and the support dosnt need to be financial
I don't want to niggle, Robert but you sound suspiciously like one of those apologists for Charter Schools at times…
I'm not at all, In Vino, nor do I gratuitously support funding a private school. I'm simply saying, let's see what The Greens say before we condemn or applaud them. I generally trust the actions they take and recognise that they are constrained, directed and thwarted by their coalition partners, so when something like this comes up and the pile-ons begin, I like to keep my powder dry till I can see the whites in the eyes of whoever is at the centre of the issue. So to speak.
Yep – I see your point, but I was also noticing echos from the past.. (Not your echoes.)
I really hope James can do a good job of explaining this.
Who else will I vote for? Only the least of all evils that is assured of getting over 5%, ie, Labour. But that will be only to keep the Nats out. Not because i have found something better than the Greens.
"The alternative is possibly worse. James has turned traitor and has decided to torpedo the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience."
Co-leaders of the Green Party don't have that kind of power.
"the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience."
Commenters here are pulling their support over this issue, for "the last political party that had any semblance of a social conscience."
Who then, will they vote for?
snort. The left has long wanted the GP to be the left's political conscience. Should have supported it better while it had the chance. If the GP has gone mainstream, that's because that's where it's getting support from.
"Who then, will they vote for?"
Oh dear, Labour thought it was a good idea too.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/122568117/new-zealands-first-private-green-school-gets-117-million-from-government-for-campus-expansion
Slim pickings now for those in pursuit of purity.
The citation is wrong at $117 million. No wonder we get false news. It should be $11.7 million. It's on a par with Sir Joseph Ward's 1928 election gaffe misreading 70 million pounds borrowed over 10 years to become 70 million pounds borrowed in one year. Factors of 10 do matter!
$11.7 million appears to be correctly used throughout the article.
Decimal points tend to get left out of URLs. Presumably because they have meaning to the software, rather than just being another alphanumeric character for making a name.
Thanks, Andre, for the URL explanation. It's like reading headlines only? In this case, I did read the article. (The URL writer could have left out the .7 and just stated 11 million, surely?)
Looks like stuff URLs are just the headline with all punctuation stripped out. That would be easy to write code to do automatically. It would take a bit more work to write code to determine that something isn't a full stop but is instead a decimal point and strip out the numbers after it.
This is done automatically without human supervision of the end product? No-one to proof read and approve?
Quite likely.
Just as well I'm not a headline writer for Stuff. I'd be trying really hard to see what kind of unintended consequences I could get to show up in the URLs.
Who owns this school?
a couple. An easy thing to look up.
The Devil’s Spawn AKA wealthy capitalists. \sarc
Foreign owners subsidised by the government. Excellent.
It does seem very Min Jin Lee.
"He said although it is a private school, the funding wasn't taking away from public schools "
Some of the arguments against this project are being snuffed-out as the day progresses..
it's a principle of the thing thing I think. Which I agree with, just not convinced this was the Greens' idea.
Nope, it is still taking form the taxpayer who may or may not have children in private schools to fund a private for profit business.
the best these guys should get is a wage subsidy when next the country goes to lockdown level 4. Nothing more nothing less, like any other business in NZ.
That's right, Sabine. I too baulk at the spending of public money on private projects such as this. However, the story has not been fully told by those most closely involved, so I'm reserving my ire or praise until I know the details, hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak. If only others would do the same but I know as well as any other that this is the period of wild reckonings and snappy responses online whenever there's a political event, such as this is purported to be.
i actually don't care about these guys sitting down now trying to fix up a narrative to make this pig look less like a pig with smeared lipstick all over the place.
We have homeless in this country, this 10 million could have done a great job of building some hovels for these guys.
We have a lot of unemployed people currently , and we will have more at the end of this week, month , year with nothing to replace these jobs in the near future.
we have a shortage of lab staff, testing station etc, and this money could have done great there.
But we are wasting it on a school for a supposed green wash that the children in my family will never go to because we can't afford the 'private school fees' nor yours as you too will be too poor. In the meantime the girls in south auckland don't go to school cause their schools don't have funding for female hygiene products and thus when they are menstruating they stay home. (and don't tell me of the courageous little scheme of providing a few schools in the waikato region with a few tampons to feel good, cause ain't good enough)
So for what its worth, the leader of the green party can throw a ten liter bucket of green color at this and it will still stink to high heavens and it will cost the Greens more then the labour party and thus it was dumb.
dumb. tonedeaf. smug. dumb.
So why aren't you venting at Labour? Do you support any "shovel ready" projects in the stimulus project?
Farrar watch:
This morning, David has two of his special stats driven posts. In one he claims a private Green School is being funded by the Green Party to the tune of $100,000/student and nearby state schools just $330/student.
In the other he claims high speed rail between Hamilton and Auckland would require platforms 750m long. He bases that conclusion on a claim the cost of capital for the project would be 6%.
Now, Twyford isn't a very good politician and I shook my head when he released this rail study the other day knowing that the likes of Farrar would jump all over it, but…
…here's an article which examines "the ways arguments using quantitative analysis fool people into accepting misinformation to suit particular agendas".
I immediately though of our friend on the far right, David Farrar, who regularly uses his special form of statistical analysis to spread BS for political purposes.
Carl Bergstrom, How to Spot BS
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018761053
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300092282/election-2020-public-still-backing-government-and-jacinda-ardern-despite-second-outbreak-new-poll-shows
I am proud of NZders. According to this poll they see through the unrelentingly media reports and realise how lucky we are. Last might N Z had slipped even further down the covid metre to 143.
Thanks for the link to those heartening poll results anker.
Rather than join the team of almost five million, our opposition National party's main election campaign strategy under Collins' leadership is to undermine public trust in the Government. In normal times this would be politically pragmatic, but in these extraordinary times it just comes across as small-minded, and more than a little dangerous to us all.
Ross, Falloon, Walker, Woodhouse, Boag, Bridges, Muller, Collins – it’s all about trust.
Watch those eyebrows folks.
'…in these extraordinary times it just comes across as small-minded, and more than a little dangerous to us all.'
I've been wondering when the campaign strategy from this version of the National Party will come across as dangerous enough to define as treason.
Anker
"It also showed that 64 per cent of those surveyed back the Prime Minister to handle the pandemic in general, compared with 18 per cent for Judith Collins. Over a third (36 per cent) of those who said they voted for National in 2017 now backed Ardern over Collins."
The election is all over bar the shouting….unless there is another serious Covid outbreak.
If you didn't believe blacks got treated differently to whites by the police in parts of the US these two videos are mind-boggling in showing that they do.
This white guy shoots three people at least, the public are telling the police he is the shooter and the police ask the shooter, still holding his gun, for directions to the injured and tell him to get off the road.
Warning: It does show him shooting people but not in a bloody, gory way. It is simply shocking.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xg8pxj/a-17-year-old-aspiring-cop-has-been-charged-with-murder-in-kenosha?fbclid=IwAR2aJDO-lF5cPipuNXVb4LD678hWZrm8yh7chKQc6TicQcAeKeykyoWHcDs
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300092251/live-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-and-megan-woods-making-announcement-on-covid19-vaccine-progress
Ad was saying the govt needed to come up with something fresh on Open Mike
No Weka posting defending her beloved Green Party, must be awaiting instructions on how to spin this….although it's going to be a tough sell to dance on the head of that particular pin.
Ohhh look, Judith has done this/said that…will do this/do that!
Now, has everyone forgotten about the money donated to that private school by the Greens yet?
Answer: NO!
[lprent: Idiots who don’t read the policy about falsely ascribing hidden motivations to authors are never right and are to be despised. You know better – so this is your warning.
Banned for 2 weeks. ]
[You were supposed to be permanently banned (see https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-12-09-2019/#comment-1654747). However, somehow this didn’t happen and I have now rectified the situation – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 10:14 AM.
"No worries, we've got this."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12359909
Ground troops armed with (I hope) tasers arrest violent and dangerous criminal with the assistance of the Eagle helicopter.
Comforting that this footage exists for the Constabulary to promulgate…we'd hate to think that we were not safe.
(btw. The criminal is a car thief ffs, armed with a torch. Did he want to get court?)
The loudest noises about attrition as a result of the pandemic have come from the hospitality industry. The tourist industry, despite its cries of desperation and predictions of doom and gloom in the beginning, appears now to be enjoying steady times and has become less publicity seeking.
I would have thought that the hospitality industry is actually a "nice to have." Eating out is certainly not an essential and as for that coffee and muffin, at least one of our service stations, does a pretty good job of satisfying a craving for caffeine.
We often hear the patronising calls for those on meagre incomes to practice a bit of disciplined shopping and "relearning" cooking at home on a budget. Perhaps those same lecturers should spend a little more time using their eye-level ovens and ceramic hobs rather than feeling the need to be waited on. Eating out in the 70's and 80's was a treat and the sit-down coffee shops a novelty.
In the fullness of Covid Time, there will still be cafes, bars and restaurants. They just will owned and staffed by different people. Your breakfast coffee and muffin will be safe.
Nature, and capitalism abhors a vacuum.
Eating, food are the main areas providing employment in a stripped down economy such as ours after opening our borders to all comers has socked our small enterprises on the chin. I don't know what you do logie 97 but does it involve thinking kindly about our country and the rest of humanity here besides yourself.
I do not wish to add fuel to the fire. I commented here as a result of comments sought by the media from those in the hospitality industries as a result of Level 3 in Auckland. On Monday I wrote the following comment on TS and is the context I put today's comment.
quote… Various media channels have sought the views of business leaders in Auckland to what the affects of extending Level 3 'til Sunday will be. And Chamber of Commerce Barnett appeared to be reading from a prepared-script-of-anticipation. Also spokespeople for the hospitality industry, in unison, have said that it is going to be catastrophic and that there will be massive permanent closures as a result.
I hope the media channels will seek these same people out again in a fortnight or so to get their assessments and to check if their predictions were anywhere even close…unquote
I hope this clarifies somewhat.
it is a nice to have that employes hundreds of thousand people in this country via direct employment – chefs, baristas, waiters/waitresses and then down the line, butchers, bakers, grocery stores, council fees, government fees, taxes in form of GST, Payee and so on and so forth and pretty quickly you have a huge segment of hte working population making a living of it and then you might ask yourself, is it really only a nice to have.
Mind for everyone not working in this industry and making a living of it, it of course may matter not that these people are slowly but surely all losing their jobs, and for a while to be – considering that Covid (or any other pandemic) will be with us for a while. But it they may start re-considering or else try to apply their 'nice to have' to any other industry they may consider 'nice to have'.
One of the industry that i think is nice to have but that could go the way of the dodo would be the booze makers and shops that sell it. Why? I don't drink. 🙂 Also, female hygiene products, i don't need them, surely they are only a nice to have, people can use toilet paper. Doctors, a nice to have thing, for those that can afford it. Schools, ditto i don't need them, nice to have now go away. Roading, i like trains, so fuck roading. Nice to have but not needed, we have rail. 🙂
If we were to look at everything as a nice to have vs, something that was created by others to earn a living, we might end up all in ditch with no food, cause nice to have ….but i don't want to pay for it.
Sabine, please see my comment 9.1.1.1. I hope it clarifies somewhat.
So-called green entrepreneurs are Darth Vaders who have succumbed to the Dark Side of Capitalism and Class War.
The binary thinking is strong with people; there is no sensing of the good underneath and behind the mask (persona). Showing or experiencing both sides is a sign of weakness and needs to be stomped on; 100% pure is the Holy Grail.
Only when you integrate both sides, you become whole. At least some in the Green Party are further down the track with this than others are but they are despised for it and it could lead to their downfall and that of the Party.
If the Resistance is too strong then any attempts at integration and transcendence will be met by defensive mechanisms and (overly) aggressive hostility against change. In such cases, it is best to leave people be and get on with their lives as they know it [no pun] AKA BAU or SSDD and provide them with some illusory control over (their) existence.
It is my lifelong struggle – journey is too neutral and uphill battle too aggressive & destructive – to accept things as they are rather than the way I want them to be.
"It is my lifelong struggle …"
Thanks for that. In my dotage, I find a quick dip into Montaigne will usually furnish a useful aphorism or quotation to help in that struggle. e.g. "..not being able to govern events, I govern myself."
My self-governance is … a shambles. I need a new leader.
Rest assured, your new leader will be the same as the old leader
Ah, but the leader from within can emerge gloriously like a phoenix. And that is what is needed from thinking old people, to find the reserves, the depths, to nurture a new shoot and be reborn so to speak.
It's a spiritual thing and grows on experience, hope and belief out of the muck all around and past all the toxins till it can find light and flower. And I am talking about reality here. I think this is happening. I read books about others' experiences during past times of difficulty, and wonderful people arose strongly and amazingly.
So keep going, you have the reserves if you have come this far and the difficulties encountered will only sharpen your steel – to change images and similes etc.
I’m afraid any phoenix would suffocate in my tiny mental cage. I think it is better to wait until the cage has rusted away enough to pulverise into rusty-brown dust. It may not happen in my lifetime.
We all have to go Harry Potterish. In the books Harry and all the Hogwarts kids had to just adjust their minds and walk though a brick wall to get to their railway platform. I think I know its number so hope to see you there.
I don't know about his politics, but that Ray White bloke has loads of hoardings up all over the place, you could vote for him to take over. lol
You mean sell my soul to the highest bidder? That would almost be as bad as voting for the Green Party 😀
He'd probably get more votes than those idiot conspiracy theory parties soon to be favoured by the fringe faction of the ‘Dafydd left’ ™
– Willie Jackson
"Angry mouth" Hosking. I like it.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/willie-jackson-hits-out-at-mike-hosking-for-rude-interview-with-jacinda-ardern-over-covid-19-response.html
I wouldn't even call him a shock jock. He's just an idiot.
I heard the interview and thought it was downright bullying. MH spoke over Jacinda and didn't let her finish sentences. It was a very disturbing and accusatory interview. Then later in the week speaking to Grant Robertson there were no challenges at all ; all very chatty and matey. MH was subdued and almost submissive. Maybe he doesn't like women in positions of power ?
You can be sure he doesn't like women in positions of power. Particularly ones who don't subscribe to his peculiar view of the world.
The Hosk went too far with Jacinda. I bet ZB was inundated with complaints. He was told to pull his horns in or else? Robertson got the new Hosk which might, if we're lucky, last a couple of weeks.
As angry mouth Mike's voice gets smaller it grows more desperate.
He'll quit ZB in the event of a Labour led government. They all do.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/122578671/the-story-behind-green-mp-chle-swarbricks-iconic-sweatshirt
Would be interesting to know where it's made.
" finding a local manufacturer who could reproduce the original sweatshirt…"
I mean the original one.
Different world now. If it was from sometime in the last decade, where it came from might be relevant. But its actual origin is far enough removed from Swarbrick and other current Greens that it can only be of interest to tragic obsessives. And trolls.
…or historians. FIFY
… a subset of tragic obsessives.
Can remember similar Green sweat shirts on sale down at the Vic and Cook Street Markets in the good old days. Local people working hard all week manufacturing the shirts and they'd all be gone over the weekend. Very flexible market in those days ; demand dictated the sweat shirts that would be made over the next week. Not many people wandering round in National or Labour shirts in those days.
The fact that National chose the day that the Christchurch mosque shooter is getting sentenced to launch their small business policy probably tells you everything about how they think it’s going to go down with the public.
Total insensitivity and dissonance from Judith and c/o. But to be expected….cuts for workers, ruin Kiwisaver, and then……. who has this magic money to spend in their businesses?? ….same old tired failed policies that saw people living in cars.
Nats' small Business plan announced.
The new sales spin ," we won't be raising taxes."
Judith's new expert Goldsmith running finance ; the doctor of history digs up old policy, snips pieces here and there and glues them back into a new piece of policy.
Seems Judith guarantees she won't be gone by lunchtime because there won't be a lunchtime.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300092612/90day-trials-would-return-but-lunchtime-gone-by-lunchtime-under-national-small-business-policy?cid=app-android
On a trip to the home of the Labour party in Blackball, I saw a reference to the miner's strike on the issue of a 30 minute crib- a 30 minute lunchtime for the workers.
National want to return to the 19th century and starve-all stuff all worker's rights.
I've only been able to vote since 2011 so I'm not sure how labour in govt campaigns vs labour in opposition, but is there going to be any policy manifesto or announcements or is the manifesto the same as 2017 until all of it gets made law?
It's becoming incredibly frustrating and depressing that labours not releasing policy it seems arrogant.
Unless labours not running on policy so when they make reforms they can say oh we never said we wouldn't do this , this and this but I feel like it's more they are afraid to release policy because they are so polling so well that releasing policies could turn some people off.
It isn’t arrogant. It is a political reality for the major parties in a MMP environment.
This was also the case for the arrogant National party in 2011, 2014, and 2017. You can find posts here deploring the arrogance of the government party not releasing substantive policy going back to 2007.
You can also find comments running back through to the early 1990s in the usenet forums like alt.politics.nz.
I’d point out by way of comparison that so far the National party policies this election have mostly consisted of bullet points and a few reasonably vague paragraphs promising to reconsider things at some point in the future. All of it uncosted and with vague promises of money appearing out of thin air.
Mostly it is the minor parties that release policies – mostly because they know that they will never have a chance to do more (at best) than try to add a few of them in a cut down form to a coalition agreement.
The major parties know that
NZ governments are almost completely exposed to massive risks from unexpected offshore problems. That is because we are a trading nation with a tiny local economy. The last time I worked for a company that did more than 10% of their business inside NZ was in 1995. I’ve worked for 5 private sector companies since then. Most profitable companies in NZ, and therefore their employees incomes, are directly or closely directly exposed to offshore winds – from export prices to exchange rates in exports and imports. Making policy decisions at a government level when you’re guessing at overall revenue (taxes and fees) and costs (like welfare rolls) is largely an exercise in futility. You only have to look at effects on our local economy and government of the covid-19 in 2020, the GFC in 2008, the twin tower bombings in 2001, the Asian market ‘flu’ in 1997-8, etc etc over the last 30 years to see this.
That anything concrete that major parties promise as policy has to be vague and surrounded with caveats that look like dithering to simpletons. Besides, if it is a 10 year project as most of them are, and the government is unable to deliver in a 3 year term, it will be spun as a ‘broken promise’ for the headlines. So why bother announcing policies that can be measured against that daft and short-sighted yardstick.
So there is no incentive to make any concrete promises beyond minor ones and vague hand waving about longer term ones. Those kinds of concrete policy announcements really belong back at the era of a completely controlled economy with border tariffs, limits on the amount of money you could take or send off shore, and very very limited export industries (essentially the farming sector with limited processing).
The National party just indulged in their typical waving of hands with roading projects that will take decades to pursue to completion, are known to have incredibly bad returns on investment (as in they cost vastly more than they could ever return), and have no funding sources as it would exceed revenue targeted at the NZTA. They were clearly made up on the back of a envelope targeting the more stupid voters in their favoured electorates and with nice sound bites for even thicker journalists like Mike (the moron) Hosking.
The probability of any of those projects ever happening is extremely low. Is that the kind of ‘policy’ you’d like – useless pie in the sky for the credulous? Will that make you satisfied as a policy announcement? You’d have to be as thick as pigshit (or a died in the wool National supporter) to be satisfied with that.
Personally I prefer what Labour has been doing. Making policy announcements, giving timetables and budgets for them, about what they are planning to do over the next few years. Then pointing out directions where they’d like to head. There are a lot of the latter around. You can find them on the Labour party website, or the Greens website, of the NZF and even the Act website.
What you will mostly see on National’s website isn’t policy. It is just slogans for news headlines saying we’ll remove this regulation, or we’ll throw $4 billion at something without saying where they’ll fund it from or even why it is important in the future a decade down the line. It really is hard to see National has any policy at all. But I guess that could just be because they have have had 3 radical shift in their dithering direction in the past months and haven’t managed to write any coherent directions. They sound like your kind of ‘policies’.
Perhaps you should invest in getting yourself a slightly better political and economic education rather than whining about something that hasn’t happened for decades. Then at least you won’t sound quite so much like a political dimwit.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424539/covid-19-updates-in-new-zealand-and-the-world-on-27-august
A union representing medical laboratory workers says members taking part in partial strike action are being sent home without pay.
The company, Southern Community Laboratories, says none of those suspended are involved in Covid-19 testing.
But the union says employees who have been working long hours and extra shifts testing Covid samples are affected.
More than 700 workers at private laboratories around the country have issued strike notices for a 24-hour full withdrawal of labour from Friday, 4 September.
AND
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424549/mt-roskill-covid-19-mini-cluster-concerning-to-see-ahead-of-level-2-move-dr-siouxsie-wiles
Five people associated with the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship have tested positive in the last two to three days.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield urged anyone who was at the services held at the church on Stoddard Road on the 8, 9 and 11 August and a wedding on 7 August to isolate and seek a test.