More saber rattling by the official Kremlin mouthpiece, RT
RT, repeats and reinforces Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons if the Russian Federation faces military defeat on the battlefield.
Claiming that a Russian defeat in Ukraine is an existential threat to the Russian Federation, a defeat that that must be reversed with nuclear weapons, if all other options for achieving victory in Ukraine have fails.
In a contorted act of logical jujitsu, RT turns the responsibility for Russia using nuclear weapons onto the US.
…..So many of Russia’s so-called red lines being breached without consequence from the start of the Ukraine war have created an impression that Moscow is bluffing, so that when President Vladimir Putin recently issued another warning to Washington, saying that “it is not a bluff,” some people concluded that it was precisely that. Yet, as recent experience demonstrates, Putin’s words deserve to be taken more seriously.
I guess RT were referring to this Cuban missile crisis…
“The planners therefore faced a serious dilemma: they had in hand two somewhat different proposals from Khrushchev to end the threat of catastrophic war, and each would seem to any "rational man" to be a fair trade. How then to react?”
“One possibility would have been to breathe a sigh of relief that civilization could survive, to eagerly accept both offers and to announce that the US would adhere to international law and remove any threat to invade Cuba; and to carry forward the withdrawal of the obsolete missiles in Turkey and to carry forward the withdrawal of the obsolete missiles in Turkey, proceeding as planned to upgrade the nuclear threat against the Soviet Union to a far greater one, of course, only part of the global encirclement of Russia. But that was unthinkable.”
“…of course, the idea that the US should be restrained by international law was too ridiculous to merit consideration. As explained recently by the respected liberal commentator Matthew Yglesias, "one of the main functions of the international institutional order is precisely to legitimate the use of deadly military force by western powers"
But instead of decrying this state of international affairs, Whataboutists are all about using the example of the deadly military force exercised by the western powers, in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Guatemala etc. as an excuse for Russia and its allies to do the same. Even if it means supporting the use of nuclear weapons, even if it leads to genocide.
Putin’s war in Ukraine breaks the rules, but powerful states always do. Far from dying, a just global order remains to be built…
In announcing that Russia would intensify its eight of years aggression against Ukraine in the interests of “denazification” and protecting oppressed Russian speakers…..
…..the official position of the United States is that Russia is undermining a rule-based global order that supposedly has prevailed since the close of World War II.
….It is indisputable that, in practice, the rule-based global order evoked both by Russia’s critics and by Russians calling out the United States does not exist. Where was it in 2003? Where was it when NATO bombed Yugoslavia in 1999? When the United States bombed Libya in 1986? When the United States supported a coup in Honduras in 2009, or the coup in Iran in 1953? Where, for that matter, was it when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, to muffled grumbling abroad? Russia has repeatedly targeted civilians in Syria while the rest of humanity yawns.
Whataboutists don't want a just global order, they want an unjust global order shared more equally between the rival imperialist powers, even if it takes world war to achieve it.
The defeat of Russian imperialism by the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia will be a victory for people everywhere and a defeat for imperialism everywhere.
Weapons of war, like all tools, need someone to wield them.
Weapons don't win wars, people do.
If people weren't fighting to free themselves from Russian imperialism, the Western imperialists would have no where to send their weapons.
With or without foreign military aid, the people of Algeria, the people of Vietnam, the people of Syria, the people of Ukraine will fight for their freedom regardless. Western supplied weapons have shortened the war in Ukraine that is all.
"The long arc of history bends towards justice"
Martin Luther King.
Western supplied weapons have shortened the long arc of history.
'Weapons don't win wars, people do'-tell that to the Nth American indians when they first encountered the Gatling gun…and to Maori when they first come across …muskets!
'Weapons don't win wars, people do'-tell that to the Nth American indians when they first encountered the Gatling gun…and to Maori when they first come across …muskets!
Blazer
You still need people willing to wield them, if they could get their hands on them, of course.
If the Maori and native Americans were happy with having their lands stolen and taken over, and didn't want to fight the invaders, it wouldn't matter how much weapons you gave them.
Because they couldn't get their hands on these weapons they were slaughtered and displaced by the invading British imperialists and colonialists
Now if the Maori and the Native Americans had been supplied with these weapons by a rival imperialist power opposed to the British Empire….
It would have been a different story.
Sort of dismantles your argument that Ukraine shouldn't be supplied weapons from the West.
Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.
One of those rare UN speech that isn’t just hollow hyperbole and empty rhetoric….the Global South is once again showing the way forward for Leftists around the world.
Also check out the UN speech of Honduras’ new left-wing President Xiomara Castro. She denounced colonialism, “neoliberal injustice,” and corporate exploitation while calling for multipolarity….“Never again will we carry the stereotype of a banana republic.”
An unbelievably stupid reactionary economic policy…and in the face of a brutal winter that many millions of British citizens will probably never forget…it is hard to imagine any sane person enacting trickle down economics at this point, she has gone completely rouge.
Europe is looking more and more shaky as the weeks go by…Tuss (an actual nutter) a week or two ago, an actual Fascist just elected in Italy, disaster and suffering for everyone involved in the Ukraine…the extreme Right emboldened throughout Europe like it hasn’t been since the 1930’s…we are probably going to be watching one country after the next fall to the Right…things are starting to look extremely dangerous
The United Kingdom is really one long, sad tale of gross economic and political mismanagement by it's ruling class stretching back to the 1880s.
Britain being the first country to have a political revolution in the 17th century gave it the political institutions that were the basis that allowed it to be the first country to harness the industrial revolution and gain a great empire and huge wealth. It's failure to have a second political revolution of any sort post the Great War condemned it to a continuation of the muddling rule of an incompetent and increasingly ossified ruling class when radical political reforms was still possible.
Nowadays, the UK is rapidly decling into the status of an emerging market economy, and Kwasi Kwarteng has delivered the sort of budget you tend to get from emerging market economies – a looting of the public coffers in favour of an entrenched economic Latifundia built on rent taking and speculation buttressed by increasingly harsh and repressive policing and a sympathetic right wing popular media to maintain social order and justified by a fig leaf of naive, wishful-thinking, supply-side economics.
Some institutions decay faster or slower than others, so you've now got a situation where a completely decayed Conservative government of supply side fanatics is trying to do one thing, but as fast as they do it the less decayed Bank of England is doing the opposite. And all the while, the pound is crashing and British standards of living are going down the gurgler with it.
Oil product basket falls overall,due to demand destruction (volume decreases) as discretionary spend decreases.Diesel prices will remain high due to substitution for gas ( standby generators and oil fired power stations etc).
Freight rates fallen (container) and going back to pre pandemic levels ( us china 20k down to 3k) balanced by shipping slowing (speed reductions to reduce fuel cost).
Fert costs high,where imported,some building product decreases (extrusions etc) as demand reduction in Australia and asia.
China in big problems with debt issues (exposure to emerging markets) and debt to US banks,as US$ removes any doubt on Yuan being a reserve currency.
The big risks are with Super investments in growth products as opposed to value, here to attract investment interest rates need to be higher.
"As a result, the cost of everything – from oil to food to consumer goods to the technology we need to grow the economy – is going to skyrocket. Luckily, the prospect of a global slowdown is already pushing down the price of oil on world markets – but our fading currency will mean that none of the benefits will flow on through to Kiwi motorists. Finally, the rising price of imports will fuel inflation, thus posing a tricky decision for the Reserve Bank – should it keep on raising interest rates to curb inflation, or will the relentless hiking of the cost of investment succeed only in stopping economic growth in its tracks?"
This together with interest rates over 7% sounds like change of New Zealand government all by itself, and not much it can do about it.
The days of easy money are over,and will be for some time,as is spending into the unproductive sector as we need to rebalance the twin risks of a high current account deficit with a high rate of government debt.
Orr said productivity increases are needed,a better use of resources also.Information is poor with cpi being quarterly,fiscal updates sparse ,if large economies can impart the information monthly,so can NZ, this reduces shocks and can induce better redistribution.
NZ business also need to understand that cost plus pricing is costly for their business,and look to reduce debt rather then dividend or share buy backs etc.
On the other side of the coin,we are also coming into spring fully,with good growths and decreasing fresh food prices,the winter electricity maintenance is mostly over and there are no tight generation windows for 200 days.The busy manufacturing season for NZ with is primary focus sees more available electricity with solar,decreased residential use,and very large hydro storage at around 140% of historical vol.This will keep pricing low outside of high load windows.
Poisson-while the fall of the NZ$ versus the US dollar will push up some prices, most other countries currencies are also falling against the greenback, so this will not necessarily increase inflation significantly.
In any event, interest rates are not raised to protect currency values, they are raised to dampen inflation.
Interest rates and currency are entwined,Yesterday the flash crash in sterling was when markets in Asia opened,the only mechanism for reducing risk was currency depreciation,when the Uk debt markets opened,the flash crash was in the Gilts,and the pound appreciated.
here with the NZ$ we were closed so only currency valuations available as a risk relief valve,as interest rates increase on the secondary markets the kiwi should stabilise.
As stated earlier the NZ$ has appreciated with the NZ debt markets now open.and a .63% rise in currency with a 13b rise in the 2 yr bond and a 19b rise in the 10 yr bond.
As global demand drops, local storage capacity runs out and US allies respond to prodding from Washington and increase supply, India has stopped buying Russian oil. This REALLY turns the screws on Putin's war economy, as India had been one of the biggest customers for post-sanction Russian oil.
India is skipping this month because of freight costs.Its an entirely economic decision and does not mean it has ditched its neutrality.Meanwhile Sri Lanka ups its Russian imports, along with Myanmar, and of course China .I don't think skipping a few shipments is going to bring the Russian economy crashing to its knees.
And those Indian imports were also helping to keep other countries solvent
Indian sentiment began to turn away from Russia after the way they were basically stiffed by a chaotic extortion racket over the purchase of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya – Russia simply became a country it wasn't worth trying to do business with. Indian loss of faith in Russia as a reliable supplier of high quality weapons is why they decided to buy the French Rafale fighter.
The biggest catalyst for change though was the confrontation with China a couple of years ago and the jolting realisation that the Indian armed forces had little to no chance of winning a war of any kind with China. Since then they've shaken up an army locked into a regimental tradition that still includes much of the protocols and pomp of the Raj and they've looked at the reduction of Russia to a Chinese vassal and decided that buying not very good weapons from a dysfunctional gangster state that is completely beholden to their most likely enemy isn't a good idea.
As far as the Indian ruling elites are concerned the west has got the best weapons and the shopping is much better too, so why not go with the west?
I sympathise with your disappointment.I remember though when Pete Hodgson was in charge of climate change issues , back in the early 2000s, he was quietly begging grass roots climate activists to kick up a ruckus, so as to give him traction within his own party who were dragging their heels .Its up to us to really make climate change response an electoral issue, shaming all parties to act
Disappointment is not the word. Disdain is closer.
Attitude towards those that are adversely affected by their proposals or policies. Failure to spark public interest or discussions. Supporting knee-jerk National Policy Statements on productive soils, but not strongly advocating for one on climate change – which will have immediate effect on all local government planning documents, sending emails celebrating divisive policies or implying credit for other's achievement, performative political posturing, throwing feminists out of the party…etc.
As I said, disappointment is not the word.
I will not be persuaded by any form of: "…better than the alternative".
As a small party, they have some leeway to take risks, and represent people – not chase elections. They don't.
I would like to know the carbon footprint of puberty blockers, sex re-assignment surgery, sexual assaults in unisex changing rooms including filming under the stalls revisions of sexual re-assignment surgeries gone wrong, health issues due to wrong sex hormones and the likes.
Like seriously how much is that worth in carbon credits?
And how can those that no longer can be defined make a difference when they no longer exist in law and language?
I honestly would just like to see this question answered by someone.
Anyone. Really.
But i don't think the purple clad genderbread fairy of the Green Party would approve of such a question. Nor would the person from the Green Party who thinks that the 'c' word is empowering. Or the persons in the G and L Party who think sex work is work, and surrogacy is a money making venture for poor persons with child bearing abilities and who pretend that both are empowering to persons who have nothing else to sell other then their bodily orifices for sexual use by customers or the use of their reproductive organs and the selling of the children they birth.
I will totally never vote for any parties that have no issues with these things and / or promote these things as progressive.
Nor would I be keen to vote for a party whose leader stood up at a memorial for those who lost their lives in the Chch atrocity and acuse NZders of racism (when the murderer happened to be an Australian). I mean WTF. Terrible judgement. If we are all so racist, how come so many turned out in support of the muslim community
Interesting points Sabine. Not to mention the carbon foot print on those massive prothetic breasts………
The Greens and Labour lost my vote over the gender ideology stuff. What that did is open my eyes to all the non delivery that is the Labour Govt.
The increase of the PMC and their salaries and the disdain they treat health professionals with are just further nails in the coffin.
Having watched submissions on the gender self id bill, I cannot bring myself to vote for a party that believe mad things such as sex is on a spectrum. And your transphobic if you don't want a male person in your change room
Sometimes we cast votes to be on record that we support a person or party. And i did that in 2016 were i voted for the green party in support of Metiria Turei.
In 2020 i voted for a third party as my questions of 'where too' when confronted wit the slogan of 'lets keep moving' was not answered.
And sometimes we cast votes to be on record that this is not happening in my name. And this will happen this time around.
This shit is not happening with my support. And anyone who votes for any party that does support that shit must then live with the fact that that too was something they supported with their voice/vote.
Never mind all the shit that has happened in Rotorua in the last three years. 11% local unemployment. LOL, and i am to vote for this? Lol. So it might be different for you in Dunedin, maybe you are actually having a sane person running, but some of us are not so lucky. It is shite, shite or shite, only dif the color of the shite.
I agree. Also voted in support of Metiria Turei, even while thinking to myself, it looks like the Green Party supported the policy behind the public statement, and then collectively all took several steps back, when the pushback was immediate and negative.
Leaving her isolated, undefended and ultimately, ejected.
Looking back, I should've taken more note of this incident. The integrity of the organisation was shown here. Good political strategy no doubt, but not appealing to me.
Yes, that was a watershed moment for the Green Party, but they dropped her faster then they would have dropped a hot potato. It was an interesting time, and in hindsight, an innocent time. I still thought that voting actually matters. The last few years have made it quite clear that no, voting matters very little, and just because it shines does not mean it ain't cat – gold. Buyer beware.
Humpty Dumpty would be a perfect candidate for any party.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master – that's all."
The Māori Party are talking about how to live/adapt to the coming environmental changes coming.
They seem to be the only one with some sensible ideas on how to cope with the shit storm which is on our door step. We 'ant reversing the temperature any time soon, and the facts are we a locked into 2 degrees, possibly more.
I am not aware of what the Maori Party are saying on CC.
I am really unsure about them as I watched them interviewed and one of the things the said was that they would abolished prisons. This seems naive to me.
Ok, well I think I understand why the radicalisation away from the left is so pervasive. If you won't vote to stop a Nact government, then what is the point? Please don't tell me that Nact and L/G/Mp are the same.
Please tell us where anyone here said that N / A are the same?
And please tell me why you think that Legalize Aotearoa and Social Credit are not on the left.
If the L party looses, if the G party loses anymore support from the public, it is up to L and G to do some soulsearching (if they still have such a thing) and act accordingly. Personally i think neither party is able to do that, ego is all they have, and thus chances are they will eat humble pie at election night because they are so full of themselves that they can not read the room.
But the fear of it will be worse? I live in a town that is dead, full of homeless people with no where to go and no jobs to be had, 11% unemployment and mixed sex going to be everywhere. Worse? Define worse.
Please tell us where anyone here said that N / A are the same?
It's a common position on the left Sabine. I was pre-empting someone running that superficial argument.
And please tell me why you think that Legalize Aotearoa and Social Credit are not on the left.
No idea if LA is left or not. SC are. I didn't say they're not. I haven't made any comment about LA or SC.
I am however starting to wonder if someone can call themselves lw if they won't vote to stop a Nact government.
if the L party looses, if the G party loses anymore support from the public, it is up to L and G to do some soulsearching (if they still have such a thing) and act accordingly. Personally i think neither party is able to do that, ego is all they have, and thus chances are they will eat humble pie at election night because they are so full of themselves that they can not read the room.
Elections in NZ are won by the middle. Swing voters. This is how Labour got the majority in 2020. That is very unlikely to happen again. Polling is showing that the middle has shifted to Nat a bit (L/R blocs are neck and neck).
Labour are a centre left neoliberal party, and they act accordingly. They have to deal with the pragmatics of that swing vote.
The GP are largely dependent on liberal voters, those that swing between GP and Lab.
So please tell me what soul searching you want them to do, and what actions you think they can/should take. Details please, because that was the point of the opening tweet, to have a discussion about the various ways in which radical change could play out.
I'm asking this because it's easy to throw out a bunch of rhetoric about what L/G should do (we all do it), but I want to see deeper thinking of those ideas grounded in real politik and how parliament, government and elections function.
Sounds like you would rather have a NACT govt upholding self-ID than a L/G/Mp one.
Just for the record, i never voted to keep someone out of government. I vote to get someone into government.
That's nice. Meanwhile, outside of your principles, voting for SC or ALCP is a defacto vote for Nact. I don't make the rules, that's just how it works. If you're ok with Nact, then vote however you like. If you value things like beneficiaries, housing, climate, ecology, vote on the left for parties that will be in parliament.
Molly-the Greens are not in government and so have little power over the CC policies of this government.
If people vote Green at the next election such that a coalition something like Lab 34/Gr 10/MP 4 takes power then the Greens will be able to greatly influence CC policies.
It follows that you should continue to vote Green. (Unless your hatred of the Greens gender policies over-rides you climate concerns, which frankly would be silly)
"It follows that you should continue to vote Green. (Unless your hatred of the Greens gender policies over-rides you climate concerns, which frankly would be silly)"
The Green Party approach does not alleviate my climate concerns. It heightens them. They are ineffective, timid – often don't spook the horses – simplistic proposals that ignore impacts, and assume a lot. Their housing policies and inequality proposals are similar. Their policies extend the problem, they don’t resolve them. Even worse, they often give the impression that something is being done to solve, allowing focus to move on.
Oh, yes. Wanting coherent, effective proposals on what I consider important is "silly".
I will refrain from telling you what I believe your political priorities to be and who to vote for. Because, quite frankly, I'm not that arrogant.
Vote for parties that soothe your concerns and make you feel good if that is your priority.
If, for even a moment, you think that the Natz and Act will come up with better climate change policies and so deserve your vote – well, I've got a bridge for sale!
"The attempts to shame voters into casting votes for particular parties – by use of terms such as racist, bigot, silly can provoke resistance and have a negative effect on many. I try to avoid an emotive response to such shenanigans, and stick to process."
Tony, I don't know whether it's my personality, or the fact that over the years I have dealt with children I love, attempting this technique at various times, but my reaction to this approach is that it is juvenile, and has demonstrably failed in many elections in various countries in recent years.
If a party with clear policies on my priorities is available, it is likely that party is the one that will receive my party vote. Attempts to shame elicit a 'meh', if I can at all be bothered to respond. So, meh.
You get to make your own vote depending on your stated sole priority: ie. Natz and Act will NOT come up with better climate change policies, and regardless of what I think of your selection process, that is your right.
I was suggesting you are naive to reject a party because ALL their policies do not jell with your wishes/hopes.
To my way of thinking, a vote for a very minor party with no hope a getting into parliament is a wasted vote – though I do accept that is the nature of our representative system.
To me, that only leaves the 5 'big' parties and much as I think Labour has fallen far short of my expectations (and I suspect most on the left would agree), when I glance across at the Natz and Act, Labour and the Greens are my only viable alternatives. I have party voted Green for the last three elections, though I live in ChCh Central and vote Labour.
To miss use Margaret Thatcher’s (I think) phrase – there is no alternative! TINA.
Sometimes a wasted vote is good for the consience of the voter. Some of us have not voted for the current government ever, not once and not twice. So those of us can not make this current government fail. They never had 'our' vote.
Last, there are more parties then L/N/A/G and people can and should vote for them if they believe that they are representive of them and their ideas, and fwiw, if people don't vote for the small parties i.e. The Greens 🙂 or TPM 🙂 then they have no reason to exist and we could go back to a FPP system. And where is the fun in that. And would L win on its own again in 2023 without support from some of the 'vote wasting ' small parties?
Believe me, the last thing I would like to see is a sole Labour govt. We need the Green and Te Pati Maori in coalition with Labour to drag the party left!
Perhaps you might refrain from telling me what I meant. After all, I'm not responsible for how you react to what I say. I certainly can't help it if you feel defensive!
"Perhaps you might refrain from telling me what I meant. After all, I'm not responsible for how you react to what I say. I certainly can't help it if you feel defensive!"
Sure, Tony. I guess you come from the school of DoAsISay, not DoAsIDo.
Unless you have something persuasive to add about any of the parties policies… let's call this vote drive unsuccessful… and leave it there.
I'll do what I usually do. I'll bring to mind all the work and comments of political parties during the last term (and more) and then I'll visit their policy pages, as they near the election. By that time, those policies should be as good as they can get them. I'll ignore the polls, and vote for those whose policies align (with the proviso that policies are clear) and who are the most trustworthy.
The pool of options is getter smaller every election.
Agree also with Sabine’s comment above, to not support any parties whose policies cause active harm. And to the use of my vote to signal protest.
Currently my vote sits with Legalize Aotearoa. For all the good reasons that L and G ignore. Business creation. Tax income. Removing the plant from the crimes act into the agricultural act ( a bit like abortion was moved from crime to health), make use a health issue, free up Police time to go after bigger fish, take pressure of Justice, remove people from Home D or Prison if they are in it for growing/selling/using.
L/G/N/A can all do the same, in fact i am surprised that ACT is not running with legal/tolerated weed. I would have thought it would be part of the ueber liberal / libertarian crowd.
I can't actually see a more reasonable way of allocating a vote, to be honest.
The attempts to shame voters into casting votes for particular parties – by use of terms such as racist, bigot, silly can provoke resistance and have a negative effect on many. I try to avoid an emotive response to such shenanigans, and stick to process.
By the by, did I recall you mentioning that you were on Twitter?
Damn, I've only been active in the last few months. Surprisingly, not yet on the block. But apparently shadow banned or deboosted according to a couple of messages I've received.
Seems to be the only place to get information and have discussions about certain topics, so it took me a while to get over my social media aversion.
the tweet wasn't about who people vote for. It was about the idea that the Greens could usefully go full Turei. I'm interesting in your thoughts on that.
Turei herself went full Turei on poverty and inequality. She correctly said that the benefit cuts of the 90's were inhuman and as a solo parent she found a way of getting round them to secure some extra income. This triggered 'respectable' commentators into denunciation of her as a benefit cheat. So-called benefit cheats (aka extra-legal rational self-maximisers) are a fantastic wedge issue for the right. No issue could be better for turning parts of the working class and natural left voters against each other. So strategically, it was a bad issue to go full-Turei on.
Would going full Turei on climate change be any different? Probably not. Remember Izzy Cook from a few days ago and remember XR in the UK getting criticism for disrupting working class people from getting to work and earning a crust. They would be pilloried for hypocrisy – with Taxpayers Union goons going through their rubbish looking for -plastic packaging or evidence of excessive food miles, or whatever. If you are going to demand that the rich live a bit more like the poor, expect the full wrath of their economic, political and media power. Keeping the activists at arms length is more likely to be successful in the long run – even though the odds are low and declining.
"So strategically, it was a bad issue to go full-Turei on."
Depends what the strategy was. If the strategy was to purge all the older Green politicians whose focus was on environment and poverty, then the strategy was successful.
If the strategy was about poverty, then the decision to make Turei's public announcement, should have anticipated the obvious pushback and have had strategies and stories ready to counteract that push. They didn't. They instead murmured "How sad, how terrible…" and used her as a signal that they were not ALL benefit bludgers.
"Probably not. Remember Izzy Cook from a few days ago and remember XR in the UK getting criticism for disrupting working class people from getting to work and earning a crust. "
This is not about raising the issue. The SS4C incident was about non-preparation, and the XR targets are sometimes off the mark. Disruption (and possible harm) to random members of the public, is smug at best, alienating at worst. There are multiple targets of those in power, that are ignored.
Acknowledge those mistakes, learn from them and move on.
As co-leader James Shaw represents and speaks for the party. "firmed up 'their strategy' to back Labour in 2023…the Greens can improve Ms Ardern's government' That is a stated intent to be in coalition government with Labour.
"Can improve" is by no means the same as "will commit to joining coalition"
Shaw is on record from your own link about how his own members distrust being in government. Hes also on record acknowledging he hasn’t taken key activists with him. That is why the confirmation of ‘go into government’ is a long way from ‘can improve’.
"Some old-school activists want the Greens to rip up the deal and campaign in opposition" However..
"There's absolutely no appetite amongst our voters for change of government"
"There are (Greens) who are concerned at the compromises associated with being in government … and that you could, from a place of opposition, be more effective by shifting public opinion and putting pressure on the political system.
"I sit at the other end of the spectrum. And I think the majority of members do. As a political party, our job is to get into government and to make change that way."
Julie Anne Genter backs Shaw saying "If we were polling four per cent and climate change wasn't an issue people were concerned about, I would be like, 'This is not working, we need to walk away from the agreement'…"Things are looking pretty good. It's looking like the plan is working"
They need to state not just which of Labour or National they'd prefer, or just "confidence and supply" from the crossbenches.
They need to be all in. That would tell me they are prepared.
Prepared for what?
Every election the Greens reiterate that they won't form govt with National. It's a decision made at the membership level, not something the caucus can change (technically I think there is some way they could but it would be suicide). Afaik it would be something that went through and AGM.
So it's a given that the only government formation option is Labour.
As for the cross-benches, unless there is some unforseen turn of events, as I said above, I think it's highly unlikely that the Greens would go into an election doing anything other than affirming they want to be in government with Labour.
That's not a free ride for Labour mind, it's an intention that if the numbers are there this is the GP preference. They will want to be a part of the government with Ministers and shit, and that stuff gets worked out post-election.
Don't give me your bullshit about "free ride". The Greens have done nothing but free ride off Labour for years.
your regular reactionary antipathy towards the Greens aside, you were asking for commitment, and I was pointing out that the Greens aren't going to guarantee support for Labour. It will depend on numbers and what happens in the election. Just like with any other party.
But, for the third time: GP won't go with Nat, they will support a Lab govt, they're already committed to this. It's a long play from the Greens and it started before Labour were on board. It's not a guarantee, because the GP will have to see what's on the table. Just like any other party.
And, the Green Party (ie members) has a lot of say in what happens. Shaw can't decide how things go.
One of the strengths of the Greens used to be that they were not addicted to the sinecures of power, which let them maintain the coherence of their policies without compromise. I associate that stance more with Jeanette than with Metiria, for all that I approved of her initiative.
I stopped supporting the Greens as they abandoned environmental issues for social stances probably better left to Labour: migration & gender activism that negatively impact ordinary New Zealanders.
The entitlement is strong in these thieving pricks.
The British royal family has given broadcasters in the UK a deadline of today to pick just one hour of footage they would like to keep for future use from the Queen’s funeral and the King’s proclamation ceremony, despite the fact that millions of people already saw it all livestreamed on several platforms, according to a new report from the Guardian.
[…]
Where does that leave online coverage, something you’d assume could live on the web forever? The royal family already had at least five short clips from the Queen’s memorial and funeral services at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle purged from UK media websites, according to the Guardian, though longer streams still survive for those who know where to look.
[…]
No, the royal family would like to make sure you don’t see things like King Charles III impatiently making one of his servants take away a pen holder at the desk where he proclaimed himself king. In the video, which went viral on social media, Charles looks like an entitled prick, which is precisely the kind of video the royal family doesn’t want circulating after losing the queen—a woman often compared to a neighborly grandmother and a much softer image for a group of people who are hoarding immense stolen wealth.
So this happened in Italy, whilst Poland has already gone their, Spain looks next, then probably Sweden. So these guys are on our side? Then who the hell are we? As far right and post fascist as them?
It's a fascist love in, on one side this mob, on the other the Russians.
Really want to ignore South America and central Africa their Ad? Left wing governments all over the place, looks like even Brazil may go back to the hard left.
Seems like no one has posted this in the Open Mike for the last few days – a piece by Al Jazeera about the Corbyn-era anti-Semitism crisis in the UK's Labour party:
I have listened to/watched two and a half hours of this so far. It is crystal clear that Corbyn (who has fought racism all of his political life) was ousted by shady and ruthless pro-Israel people and groups, and that this has the blessing of Starmer.
If I was back living in the UK Starmer's Labour would never get my vote.
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
Corbyn only ever had one chance – to catch everyone by surprise in 2017. Having got close in 2017, he was never going to get another opportunity. The vilification ramped up after that. If he'd won in 2017, it would have been riveting to see how far the establishment went to remove him and whether they would have disgraced themselves by botching it somehow. Though the metronomic precision of the Queen's funeral suggests that the execution would have been near-flawless.
"People should flood their gardens and create bogs in order to stop the effects of drought and reverse biodiversity loss, according to the head of Natural England.
Tony Juniper, who leads the government quango, said that concreted-over front gardens, and backyards which do not hold much water, could contribute to sewage spills into waterways as surface water runs off the hard or dry surfaces.
Japan’s government on Monday banned the export of materials that may be used for chemical weapons to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories. The measure was approved by the Cabinet following a decision by Group of Seven foreign ministers last week.
I expect our Police to act within the law – rather than illegally gaining access to surveillance cameras in an attempt to track people by reporting a non-existent crime.
Police have confirmed that by inventing a crime and falsely listing the vehicles as "stolen" it allowed access to the powerful tracking capabilities of the privately owned systems.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the situation concerns him, saying he expects police to act inside the law at all times.
I'm 100% with Roberson on this one.
While I recognized the desire of the police, at the time, to track people they believed were breaching the quarantine regulations – there are legal avenues for them to follow to achieve this goal.
Its a bad look alright but to be fair to the police, it was the beginning of the pandemic which was a time of uncertainty and fear because nobody knew at that point what the outcome was going to be. The police were on the front line and it must have been a stressful time. That’s when mistakes are made.
My guess is, they believed the situation warranted an immediate response regardless of other considerations because of that uncertainty.
As it turned out the whole emotively charged drama was unnecessary because the young women had been given permission to enter Northland – albeit as it turned out erroneously. I have some compassion for the person who made the mistake in the first place. They must have felt terrible and probably hid under a rock for a few weeks. 😯
It's a bridge too far for me, Anne.
If the police can choose not to abide by the law, then how can we condemn the criminals for doing the same thing?
They had legal alternatives – to achieve the same goal (tracking the people they believed at the time were illegal quarantine evaders) – and chose not to use them.
We can be kind, and put that down to the stress of the pandemic. But when the first reaction is to break the law, rather than find a way to achieve your goals within the law, you have to wonder at the culture.
Costco is really not a premium venue. It is a discounter, offering (hopefully) cheaper alternatives. To the extent that it weakens the supermarket duopoly, that may be a good thing – but Costcos success is emblematic of the failure of neoliberalism to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. Kiwis need discounters because of the gross and sustained failure of Rogergnomics. It has utterly failed.
Yes – the same way that so many people need the cheap imported stuff at The Warehouse because they no longer work in well-paying jobs in local manufacturing or the like, but instead in minimum wage hospitality and retail jobs in places like The Warehouse. i.e. we need what it provides only because it exists in the first place.
"Research shows that club store prices can be 22.5% lower than traditional supermarkets.
Already, Costco’s store-adjacent petrol station in Auckland, which opened in April, has had a significant impact on fuel prices in the neighbouring community.
As the world’s third largest retailer, Costco has significant buying power to support its everyday low pricing strategy.
Costco buys in bulk, allowing the store to achieve economies of scale creating savings which can then be passed on to members. The company limits the mark-up on merchandise to between 14 and 15% above costs. "
You also have to be afford to buy (and be able to store and use within the product lifespan) quite large batches of goods.
It might make financial sense for large families and/or people clubbing together to group purchase (as some currently do for Gilmores, etc.).
It's also possible that small retail (dairies, etc.) might be able to shop there, rather than at supermarkets (I know that there's discussion about wholesale access for retail shops – but I remain deeply cynical that it will ever eventuate).
I find our local 'Reduced to Clear' good – nice round trip walk of ~90 minutes earlier today. Not a substitute for supermarket shopping, but an inexpensive supplement.
I shop at one as well – though not within walking distance – about 20 minutes drive away. I bundle a trip there every month or so, with other necessary road trips in that direction.
It's a bit like op-shopping – you never know what is going to turn up on sale.
I think having Costco here is a good thing for many reasons.
If we're to let corporations take over we could do a lot worse, like Amazon.
"Costco is often cited as one of the world’s most ethical companies. It has been called a “testimony to ethical capitalism” in large part due to its company practices and treatment of employees."
"Our research highlights many ethical issues for Amazon, including climate change, environmental reporting, habitats & resources, pollutions and toxics, arms & military supply, human rights, worker's rights, supply chain management, irresponsible marketing, animal rights, animal testing, factory farming, use of controverial technologies, political activies, and anti-social finance."
Yeah I get that. Some people love being first in though. And the promise of reduced prices in these trying times, pretty attractive…
Or (Satire) a damning indictment of DOC's park upkeep, that people would rather go camping in shop doorways.
Costco already sells NZ goods in their stores offshore, and now they're here, will be checking out what else we've got. That's good for our producers and manufacturers. Meanwhile providing good jobs with good prospects and good money.
Whereas Amazon is good for NZ like a boa constrictor is good for rodents.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
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 Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
The latest Jonathon Pie rant!
He could quite easily be talking about Luxon and the Natz – they (the Tories and the Natz) share so many values (Luxon said so in a tweet!)
https://twitter.com/ArrestJK/status/1574374319475433472
More saber rattling by the official Kremlin mouthpiece, RT
RT, repeats and reinforces Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons if the Russian Federation faces military defeat on the battlefield.
Claiming that a Russian defeat in Ukraine is an existential threat to the Russian Federation, a defeat that that must be reversed with nuclear weapons, if all other options for achieving victory in Ukraine have fails.
In a contorted act of logical jujitsu, RT turns the responsibility for Russia using nuclear weapons onto the US.
I guess RT were referring to this Cuban missile crisis…
“The planners therefore faced a serious dilemma: they had in hand two somewhat different proposals from Khrushchev to end the threat of catastrophic war, and each would seem to any "rational man" to be a fair trade. How then to react?”
“One possibility would have been to breathe a sigh of relief that civilization could survive, to eagerly accept both offers and to announce that the US would adhere to international law and remove any threat to invade Cuba; and to carry forward the withdrawal of the obsolete missiles in Turkey and to carry forward the withdrawal of the obsolete missiles in Turkey, proceeding as planned to upgrade the nuclear threat against the Soviet Union to a far greater one, of course, only part of the global encirclement of Russia. But that was unthinkable.”
“…of course, the idea that the US should be restrained by international law was too ridiculous to merit consideration. As explained recently by the respected liberal commentator Matthew Yglesias, "one of the main functions of the international institutional order is precisely to legitimate the use of deadly military force by western powers"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/15/cuban-missile-crisis-russian-roulette
‘
What is it, about whataboutists?
“one of the main functions of the international institutional order is precisely to legitimate the use of deadly military force by western powers”
Matthew Yglesias
I wouldn't disagree with that.
But instead of decrying this state of international affairs, Whataboutists are all about using the example of the deadly military force exercised by the western powers, in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Guatemala etc. as an excuse for Russia and its allies to do the same. Even if it means supporting the use of nuclear weapons, even if it leads to genocide.
"…..a just global order remains to be built."
Whataboutists don't want a just global order, they want an unjust global order shared more equally between the rival imperialist powers, even if it takes world war to achieve it.
The defeat of Russian imperialism by the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia will be a victory for people everywhere and a defeat for imperialism everywhere.
5 Russian Enlistment Offices Hit By Arson Attacks – Reports
Down with all imperialists and colonialists.
Slava Ukraine
RT turns the responsibility for Russia using nuclear weapons onto the US.
It is US weaponry that is winning in Ukraine. Ukrainians, as far as the US is concerned, are just cannon fodder.
‘
"It is US weaponry that is winning in Ukraine."
mikesh
What a load of rubbish.
Weapons of war, like all tools, need someone to wield them.
Weapons don't win wars, people do.
If people weren't fighting to free themselves from Russian imperialism, the Western imperialists would have no where to send their weapons.
With or without foreign military aid, the people of Algeria, the people of Vietnam, the people of Syria, the people of Ukraine will fight for their freedom regardless. Western supplied weapons have shortened the war in Ukraine that is all.
"The long arc of history bends towards justice"
Martin Luther King.
Western supplied weapons have shortened the long arc of history.
'Weapons don't win wars, people do'-tell that to the Nth American indians when they first encountered the Gatling gun…and to Maori when they first come across …muskets!
'Weapons don't win wars, people do'-tell that to the Nth American indians when they first encountered the Gatling gun…and to Maori when they first come across …muskets!
Blazer
You still need people willing to wield them, if they could get their hands on them, of course.
If the Maori and native Americans were happy with having their lands stolen and taken over, and didn't want to fight the invaders, it wouldn't matter how much weapons you gave them.
Because they couldn't get their hands on these weapons they were slaughtered and displaced by the invading British imperialists and colonialists
Now if the Maori and the Native Americans had been supplied with these weapons by a rival imperialist power opposed to the British Empire….
It would have been a different story.
Sort of dismantles your argument that Ukraine shouldn't be supplied weapons from the West.
Don't you think?
No I don't Jenny.
It's obvious that people need to utilise weapons….
It's a bit like you turning up to a gunfight with…a knife.
"It is US weaponry that is winning in Ukraine."
mikesh
What a load of rubbish
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
One of those rare UN speech that isn’t just hollow hyperbole and empty rhetoric….the Global South is once again showing the way forward for Leftists around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbiIoIAgxws
Also check out the UN speech of Honduras’ new left-wing President Xiomara Castro. She denounced colonialism, “neoliberal injustice,” and corporate exploitation while calling for multipolarity….“Never again will we carry the stereotype of a banana republic.”
https://multipolarista.com/2022/09/22/un-speech-honduras-xiomara-castro/
Will lower taxes lead to a stronger economy in the UK?
Why is the value of the British pound falling and what is a mini budget? (openaccessgovernment.org)
Let's see what this economy looks like after 6 months.
Signs aren't good.
An unbelievably stupid reactionary economic policy…and in the face of a brutal winter that many millions of British citizens will probably never forget…it is hard to imagine any sane person enacting trickle down economics at this point, she has gone completely rouge.
Europe is looking more and more shaky as the weeks go by…Tuss (an actual nutter) a week or two ago, an actual Fascist just elected in Italy, disaster and suffering for everyone involved in the Ukraine…the extreme Right emboldened throughout Europe like it hasn’t been since the 1930’s…we are probably going to be watching one country after the next fall to the Right…things are starting to look extremely dangerous
The United Kingdom is really one long, sad tale of gross economic and political mismanagement by it's ruling class stretching back to the 1880s.
Britain being the first country to have a political revolution in the 17th century gave it the political institutions that were the basis that allowed it to be the first country to harness the industrial revolution and gain a great empire and huge wealth. It's failure to have a second political revolution of any sort post the Great War condemned it to a continuation of the muddling rule of an incompetent and increasingly ossified ruling class when radical political reforms was still possible.
Nowadays, the UK is rapidly decling into the status of an emerging market economy, and Kwasi Kwarteng has delivered the sort of budget you tend to get from emerging market economies – a looting of the public coffers in favour of an entrenched economic Latifundia built on rent taking and speculation buttressed by increasingly harsh and repressive policing and a sympathetic right wing popular media to maintain social order and justified by a fig leaf of naive, wishful-thinking, supply-side economics.
Some institutions decay faster or slower than others, so you've now got a situation where a completely decayed Conservative government of supply side fanatics is trying to do one thing, but as fast as they do it the less decayed Bank of England is doing the opposite. And all the while, the pound is crashing and British standards of living are going down the gurgler with it.
NZ$ fell 2% overnight,now trading at .5628,interest rates will rise accordingly.
The flash crashes in the UK,and globally will have left some hedge funds with big losses on long positions.
Here 9% mortgages by new year are real possibilities.as bank margins on lending are at record lows ( .4% in 2 yr).
What are you observing in price trades our key commodities like:
– Oil, diesel, and petrol
– Fertiliser, PKE
– Basket of imports
I am just guessing that if our $$ fall is that bad and likely to stay that way, we are in for one scream of a Christmas.
Oil product basket falls overall,due to demand destruction (volume decreases) as discretionary spend decreases.Diesel prices will remain high due to substitution for gas ( standby generators and oil fired power stations etc).
Freight rates fallen (container) and going back to pre pandemic levels ( us china 20k down to 3k) balanced by shipping slowing (speed reductions to reduce fuel cost).
Fert costs high,where imported,some building product decreases (extrusions etc) as demand reduction in Australia and asia.
China in big problems with debt issues (exposure to emerging markets) and debt to US banks,as US$ removes any doubt on Yuan being a reserve currency.
The big risks are with Super investments in growth products as opposed to value, here to attract investment interest rates need to be higher.
Plenty of Kiwisavers pretty unhappy already.
Gordon Campbell will not be the last to comment on the British shock impact for us:
Gordon Campbell on what Britain’s tax cutting spree means for us – werewolf
"As a result, the cost of everything – from oil to food to consumer goods to the technology we need to grow the economy – is going to skyrocket. Luckily, the prospect of a global slowdown is already pushing down the price of oil on world markets – but our fading currency will mean that none of the benefits will flow on through to Kiwi motorists. Finally, the rising price of imports will fuel inflation, thus posing a tricky decision for the Reserve Bank – should it keep on raising interest rates to curb inflation, or will the relentless hiking of the cost of investment succeed only in stopping economic growth in its tracks?"
This together with interest rates over 7% sounds like change of New Zealand government all by itself, and not much it can do about it.
The days of easy money are over,and will be for some time,as is spending into the unproductive sector as we need to rebalance the twin risks of a high current account deficit with a high rate of government debt.
Orr said productivity increases are needed,a better use of resources also.Information is poor with cpi being quarterly,fiscal updates sparse ,if large economies can impart the information monthly,so can NZ, this reduces shocks and can induce better redistribution.
NZ business also need to understand that cost plus pricing is costly for their business,and look to reduce debt rather then dividend or share buy backs etc.
On the other side of the coin,we are also coming into spring fully,with good growths and decreasing fresh food prices,the winter electricity maintenance is mostly over and there are no tight generation windows for 200 days.The busy manufacturing season for NZ with is primary focus sees more available electricity with solar,decreased residential use,and very large hydro storage at around 140% of historical vol.This will keep pricing low outside of high load windows.
Poisson-while the fall of the NZ$ versus the US dollar will push up some prices, most other countries currencies are also falling against the greenback, so this will not necessarily increase inflation significantly.
In any event, interest rates are not raised to protect currency values, they are raised to dampen inflation.
Interest rates and currency are entwined,Yesterday the flash crash in sterling was when markets in Asia opened,the only mechanism for reducing risk was currency depreciation,when the Uk debt markets opened,the flash crash was in the Gilts,and the pound appreciated.
here with the NZ$ we were closed so only currency valuations available as a risk relief valve,as interest rates increase on the secondary markets the kiwi should stabilise.
The other part of the currency exchange is it makes trips overseas more expensive for activists,and makes NZ cheap for tourists from the US or AUS.
As stated earlier the NZ$ has appreciated with the NZ debt markets now open.and a .63% rise in currency with a 13b rise in the 2 yr bond and a 19b rise in the 10 yr bond.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/exchange-and-interest-rates/wholesale-interest-rates
Unfortunately the USD is what everyone wants/needs so it will…and likely disproportionately
A nighmare in the making for home owners.
https://twitter.com/EdConwaySky/status/1574329155138818051
https://twitter.com/EdConwaySky/status/1574430982907871233
As global demand drops, local storage capacity runs out and US allies respond to prodding from Washington and increase supply, India has stopped buying Russian oil. This REALLY turns the screws on Putin's war economy, as India had been one of the biggest customers for post-sanction Russian oil.
It is going to hurt Russia to no end to not sell their oil to countries who have no oil. Ditto for Gas.
India is skipping this month because of freight costs.Its an entirely economic decision and does not mean it has ditched its neutrality.Meanwhile Sri Lanka ups its Russian imports, along with Myanmar, and of course China .I don't think skipping a few shipments is going to bring the Russian economy crashing to its knees.
And those Indian imports were also helping to keep other countries solvent
https://www.asiafinancial.com/india-is-likely-reselling-russian-oil-to-west-claims-study
"….Its an entirely economic decision and does not mean it has ditched its neutrality…"
The wider picture is India is ditching Russia as an ally and moving closer to the West.
Also, “freight costs” might not entirely be the result of the invisible hand…
Paraphrasing Bill Maher "Wake me up when they leave SCO"
Indian sentiment began to turn away from Russia after the way they were basically stiffed by a chaotic extortion racket over the purchase of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya – Russia simply became a country it wasn't worth trying to do business with. Indian loss of faith in Russia as a reliable supplier of high quality weapons is why they decided to buy the French Rafale fighter.
The biggest catalyst for change though was the confrontation with China a couple of years ago and the jolting realisation that the Indian armed forces had little to no chance of winning a war of any kind with China. Since then they've shaken up an army locked into a regimental tradition that still includes much of the protocols and pomp of the Raj and they've looked at the reduction of Russia to a Chinese vassal and decided that buying not very good weapons from a dysfunctional gangster state that is completely beholden to their most likely enemy isn't a good idea.
As far as the Indian ruling elites are concerned the west has got the best weapons and the shopping is much better too, so why not go with the west?
Standardistas might want to hash this one out, because it comes up here too. Six tweets, starting below. Comment here or on twitter.
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1574505732543680512
On the grounds of my sex. Nope.
Greens have lost all four eligible voters in this household.
Not just because of their promotion of gender ideology, but their inadequate analysis and proposals on climate change, housing and inequality.
I sympathise with your disappointment.I remember though when Pete Hodgson was in charge of climate change issues , back in the early 2000s, he was quietly begging grass roots climate activists to kick up a ruckus, so as to give him traction within his own party who were dragging their heels .Its up to us to really make climate change response an electoral issue, shaming all parties to act
Disappointment is not the word. Disdain is closer.
Attitude towards those that are adversely affected by their proposals or policies. Failure to spark public interest or discussions. Supporting knee-jerk National Policy Statements on productive soils, but not strongly advocating for one on climate change – which will have immediate effect on all local government planning documents, sending emails celebrating divisive policies or implying credit for other's achievement, performative political posturing, throwing feminists out of the party…etc.
As I said, disappointment is not the word.
I will not be persuaded by any form of: "…better than the alternative".
As a small party, they have some leeway to take risks, and represent people – not chase elections. They don't.
I would like to know the carbon footprint of puberty blockers, sex re-assignment surgery, sexual assaults in unisex changing rooms including filming under the stalls revisions of sexual re-assignment surgeries gone wrong, health issues due to wrong sex hormones and the likes.
Like seriously how much is that worth in carbon credits?
And how can those that no longer can be defined make a difference when they no longer exist in law and language?
I just can't see the appeal of the Green Party in it's current form.
I honestly would just like to see this question answered by someone.
Anyone. Really.
But i don't think the purple clad genderbread fairy of the Green Party would approve of such a question. Nor would the person from the Green Party who thinks that the 'c' word is empowering. Or the persons in the G and L Party who think sex work is work, and surrogacy is a money making venture for poor persons with child bearing abilities and who pretend that both are empowering to persons who have nothing else to sell other then their bodily orifices for sexual use by customers or the use of their reproductive organs and the selling of the children they birth.
I will totally never vote for any parties that have no issues with these things and / or promote these things as progressive.
Hear, hear Sabine. Couldn't agree more.
Nor would I be keen to vote for a party whose leader stood up at a memorial for those who lost their lives in the Chch atrocity and acuse NZders of racism (when the murderer happened to be an Australian). I mean WTF. Terrible judgement. If we are all so racist, how come so many turned out in support of the muslim community
Interesting points Sabine. Not to mention the carbon foot print on those massive prothetic breasts………
The Greens and Labour lost my vote over the gender ideology stuff. What that did is open my eyes to all the non delivery that is the Labour Govt.
The increase of the PMC and their salaries and the disdain they treat health professionals with are just further nails in the coffin.
Having watched submissions on the gender self id bill, I cannot bring myself to vote for a party that believe mad things such as sex is on a spectrum. And your transphobic if you don't want a male person in your change room
who will you vote for? Do you think any other party doesn't support self ID?
Legalise Aotearoa
Social Credit
humpty dumpty
my dog
my cat
Sometimes we cast votes to be on record that we support a person or party. And i did that in 2016 were i voted for the green party in support of Metiria Turei.
In 2020 i voted for a third party as my questions of 'where too' when confronted wit the slogan of 'lets keep moving' was not answered.
And sometimes we cast votes to be on record that this is not happening in my name. And this will happen this time around.
This shit is not happening with my support. And anyone who votes for any party that does support that shit must then live with the fact that that too was something they supported with their voice/vote.
Never mind all the shit that has happened in Rotorua in the last three years. 11% local unemployment. LOL, and i am to vote for this? Lol. So it might be different for you in Dunedin, maybe you are actually having a sane person running, but some of us are not so lucky. It is shite, shite or shite, only dif the color of the shite.
I agree. Also voted in support of Metiria Turei, even while thinking to myself, it looks like the Green Party supported the policy behind the public statement, and then collectively all took several steps back, when the pushback was immediate and negative.
Leaving her isolated, undefended and ultimately, ejected.
Looking back, I should've taken more note of this incident. The integrity of the organisation was shown here. Good political strategy no doubt, but not appealing to me.
Yes, that was a watershed moment for the Green Party, but they dropped her faster then they would have dropped a hot potato. It was an interesting time, and in hindsight, an innocent time. I still thought that voting actually matters. The last few years have made it quite clear that no, voting matters very little, and just because it shines does not mean it ain't cat – gold. Buyer beware.
I have not decided who I will vote for yet.
(Humpty Dumpty sounds like an interesting choice though Sabine).
If I don't vote, it will be a deliberate choice.
I am struggling to decide who to vote for in my local body elections.
Humpty Dumpty would be a perfect candidate for any party.
The Māori Party are talking about how to live/adapt to the coming environmental changes coming.
They seem to be the only one with some sensible ideas on how to cope with the shit storm which is on our door step. We 'ant reversing the temperature any time soon, and the facts are we a locked into 2 degrees, possibly more.
I am not aware of what the Maori Party are saying on CC.
I am really unsure about them as I watched them interviewed and one of the things the said was that they would abolished prisons. This seems naive to me.
Ok, well I think I understand why the radicalisation away from the left is so pervasive. If you won't vote to stop a Nact government, then what is the point? Please don't tell me that Nact and L/G/Mp are the same.
Please tell us where anyone here said that N / A are the same?
And please tell me why you think that Legalize Aotearoa and Social Credit are not on the left.
If the L party looses, if the G party loses anymore support from the public, it is up to L and G to do some soulsearching (if they still have such a thing) and act accordingly. Personally i think neither party is able to do that, ego is all they have, and thus chances are they will eat humble pie at election night because they are so full of themselves that they can not read the room.
But the fear of it will be worse? I live in a town that is dead, full of homeless people with no where to go and no jobs to be had, 11% unemployment and mixed sex going to be everywhere. Worse? Define worse.
It's a common position on the left Sabine. I was pre-empting someone running that superficial argument.
No idea if LA is left or not. SC are. I didn't say they're not. I haven't made any comment about LA or SC.
I am however starting to wonder if someone can call themselves lw if they won't vote to stop a Nact government.
Elections in NZ are won by the middle. Swing voters. This is how Labour got the majority in 2020. That is very unlikely to happen again. Polling is showing that the middle has shifted to Nat a bit (L/R blocs are neck and neck).
Labour are a centre left neoliberal party, and they act accordingly. They have to deal with the pragmatics of that swing vote.
The GP are largely dependent on liberal voters, those that swing between GP and Lab.
So please tell me what soul searching you want them to do, and what actions you think they can/should take. Details please, because that was the point of the opening tweet, to have a discussion about the various ways in which radical change could play out.
I'm asking this because it's easy to throw out a bunch of rhetoric about what L/G should do (we all do it), but I want to see deeper thinking of those ideas grounded in real politik and how parliament, government and elections function.
remove self id.
that is one thing they could do. But they will not.
Just for the record, i never voted to keep someone out of government. I vote to get someone into government.
Sounds like you would rather have a NACT govt upholding self-ID than a L/G/Mp one.
That's nice. Meanwhile, outside of your principles, voting for SC or ALCP is a defacto vote for Nact. I don't make the rules, that's just how it works. If you're ok with Nact, then vote however you like. If you value things like beneficiaries, housing, climate, ecology, vote on the left for parties that will be in parliament.
Molly-the Greens are not in government and so have little power over the CC policies of this government.
If people vote Green at the next election such that a coalition something like Lab 34/Gr 10/MP 4 takes power then the Greens will be able to greatly influence CC policies.
It follows that you should continue to vote Green. (Unless your hatred of the Greens gender policies over-rides you climate concerns, which frankly would be silly)
Read above.
"It follows that you should continue to vote Green. (Unless your hatred of the Greens gender policies over-rides you climate concerns, which frankly would be silly)"
The Green Party approach does not alleviate my climate concerns. It heightens them. They are ineffective, timid – often don't spook the horses – simplistic proposals that ignore impacts, and assume a lot. Their housing policies and inequality proposals are similar. Their policies extend the problem, they don’t resolve them. Even worse, they often give the impression that something is being done to solve, allowing focus to move on.
Oh, yes. Wanting coherent, effective proposals on what I consider important is "silly".
I will refrain from telling you what I believe your political priorities to be and who to vote for. Because, quite frankly, I'm not that arrogant.
Vote for parties that soothe your concerns and make you feel good if that is your priority.
If, for even a moment, you think that the Natz and Act will come up with better climate change policies and so deserve your vote – well, I've got a bridge for sale!
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27-09-2022/#comment-1912547
"The attempts to shame voters into casting votes for particular parties – by use of terms such as racist, bigot, silly can provoke resistance and have a negative effect on many. I try to avoid an emotive response to such shenanigans, and stick to process."
Tony, I don't know whether it's my personality, or the fact that over the years I have dealt with children I love, attempting this technique at various times, but my reaction to this approach is that it is juvenile, and has demonstrably failed in many elections in various countries in recent years.
If a party with clear policies on my priorities is available, it is likely that party is the one that will receive my party vote. Attempts to shame elicit a 'meh', if I can at all be bothered to respond. So, meh.
You get to make your own vote depending on your stated sole priority: ie. Natz and Act will NOT come up with better climate change policies, and regardless of what I think of your selection process, that is your right.
I was suggesting you are naive to reject a party because ALL their policies do not jell with your wishes/hopes.
To my way of thinking, a vote for a very minor party with no hope a getting into parliament is a wasted vote – though I do accept that is the nature of our representative system.
To me, that only leaves the 5 'big' parties and much as I think Labour has fallen far short of my expectations (and I suspect most on the left would agree), when I glance across at the Natz and Act, Labour and the Greens are my only viable alternatives. I have party voted Green for the last three elections, though I live in ChCh Central and vote Labour.
To miss use Margaret Thatcher’s (I think) phrase – there is no alternative! TINA.
Sometimes a wasted vote is good for the consience of the voter. Some of us have not voted for the current government ever, not once and not twice. So those of us can not make this current government fail. They never had 'our' vote.
Last, there are more parties then L/N/A/G and people can and should vote for them if they believe that they are representive of them and their ideas, and fwiw, if people don't vote for the small parties i.e. The Greens 🙂 or TPM 🙂 then they have no reason to exist and we could go back to a FPP system. And where is the fun in that. And would L win on its own again in 2023 without support from some of the 'vote wasting ' small parties?
Believe me, the last thing I would like to see is a sole Labour govt. We need the Green and Te Pati Maori in coalition with Labour to drag the party left!
Ah so you agree some votes for third parties are not wasted. That is good.
"I was suggesting you are naive to reject a party because ALL their policies do not jell with your wishes/hopes."
No, you weren't. But I'll let you keep that, without making the honest comment you deserve.
You have absolutely no idea of my wishes and hopes, nor how I have analysed policy.
So, can you refrain from telling me who to vote for according to you, and I will refrain from having to find acceptable written words in response.
Perhaps you might refrain from telling me what I meant. After all, I'm not responsible for how you react to what I say. I certainly can't help it if you feel defensive!
"Perhaps you might refrain from telling me what I meant. After all, I'm not responsible for how you react to what I say. I certainly can't help it if you feel defensive!"
Sure, Tony. I guess you come from the school of DoAsISay, not DoAsIDo.
Unless you have something persuasive to add about any of the parties policies… let's call this vote drive unsuccessful… and leave it there.
??? and ?
Who will you vote for?
I'll do what I usually do. I'll bring to mind all the work and comments of political parties during the last term (and more) and then I'll visit their policy pages, as they near the election. By that time, those policies should be as good as they can get them. I'll ignore the polls, and vote for those whose policies align (with the proviso that policies are clear) and who are the most trustworthy.
The pool of options is getter smaller every election.
Agree also with Sabine’s comment above, to not support any parties whose policies cause active harm. And to the use of my vote to signal protest.
(If Sabine’s dog does stand for election, that may be where my vote ends up.)
this generally is my process.
read up,
listen to talks, go to meetings
and then vote for the least evil among them.
Currently my vote sits with Legalize Aotearoa. For all the good reasons that L and G ignore. Business creation. Tax income. Removing the plant from the crimes act into the agricultural act ( a bit like abortion was moved from crime to health), make use a health issue, free up Police time to go after bigger fish, take pressure of Justice, remove people from Home D or Prison if they are in it for growing/selling/using.
L/G/N/A can all do the same, in fact i am surprised that ACT is not running with legal/tolerated weed. I would have thought it would be part of the ueber liberal / libertarian crowd.
I can't actually see a more reasonable way of allocating a vote, to be honest.
The attempts to shame voters into casting votes for particular parties – by use of terms such as racist, bigot, silly can provoke resistance and have a negative effect on many. I try to avoid an emotive response to such shenanigans, and stick to process.
By the by, did I recall you mentioning that you were on Twitter?
I am in the twitter poo box cause i am not deleting my tweets. 🙂
I can live with that.
Damn, I've only been active in the last few months. Surprisingly, not yet on the block. But apparently shadow banned or deboosted according to a couple of messages I've received.
Seems to be the only place to get information and have discussions about certain topics, so it took me a while to get over my social media aversion.
based on what is currently known about policy, who would you vote for?
the tweet wasn't about who people vote for. It was about the idea that the Greens could usefully go full Turei. I'm interesting in your thoughts on that.
they had since 2016 to do that.
Turei herself went full Turei on poverty and inequality. She correctly said that the benefit cuts of the 90's were inhuman and as a solo parent she found a way of getting round them to secure some extra income. This triggered 'respectable' commentators into denunciation of her as a benefit cheat. So-called benefit cheats (aka extra-legal rational self-maximisers) are a fantastic wedge issue for the right. No issue could be better for turning parts of the working class and natural left voters against each other. So strategically, it was a bad issue to go full-Turei on.
Would going full Turei on climate change be any different? Probably not. Remember Izzy Cook from a few days ago and remember XR in the UK getting criticism for disrupting working class people from getting to work and earning a crust. They would be pilloried for hypocrisy – with Taxpayers Union goons going through their rubbish looking for -plastic packaging or evidence of excessive food miles, or whatever. If you are going to demand that the rich live a bit more like the poor, expect the full wrath of their economic, political and media power. Keeping the activists at arms length is more likely to be successful in the long run – even though the odds are low and declining.
"So strategically, it was a bad issue to go full-Turei on."
Depends what the strategy was. If the strategy was to purge all the older Green politicians whose focus was on environment and poverty, then the strategy was successful.
If the strategy was about poverty, then the decision to make Turei's public announcement, should have anticipated the obvious pushback and have had strategies and stories ready to counteract that push. They didn't. They instead murmured "How sad, how terrible…" and used her as a signal that they were not ALL benefit bludgers.
"Probably not. Remember Izzy Cook from a few days ago and remember XR in the UK getting criticism for disrupting working class people from getting to work and earning a crust. "
This is not about raising the issue. The SS4C incident was about non-preparation, and the XR targets are sometimes off the mark. Disruption (and possible harm) to random members of the public, is smug at best, alienating at worst. There are multiple targets of those in power, that are ignored.
Acknowledge those mistakes, learn from them and move on.
We're pretty keen on Shaw in our network. There isn't a Labour equivalent.
In 2023 Greens should state whether they are going to be part of government. That would show the commitment we'd need.
I'd be very surprised if that wasn't their position, and if they didn't make it very clear. It's what they do in election year.
They need to state not just which of Labour or National they'd prefer, or just "confidence and supply" from the crossbenches.
They need to be all in. That would tell me they are prepared.
Then they are prepared. See 7.3.3
No that is James Shaw is prepared. Pretty big difference.
I'm looking for a stated intent to be in coalition government.
Linking to the Greens at their flakiest is a bad idea if you want Labour people to come over.
As co-leader James Shaw represents and speaks for the party. "firmed up 'their strategy' to back Labour in 2023…the Greens can improve Ms Ardern's government' That is a stated intent to be in coalition government with Labour.
"Can improve" is by no means the same as "will commit to joining coalition"
Shaw is on record from your own link about how his own members distrust being in government. Hes also on record acknowledging he hasn’t taken key activists with him. That is why the confirmation of ‘go into government’ is a long way from ‘can improve’.
I’d say he’s learnt that the hard way.
"Some old-school activists want the Greens to rip up the deal and campaign in opposition" However..
"There's absolutely no appetite amongst our voters for change of government"
"There are (Greens) who are concerned at the compromises associated with being in government … and that you could, from a place of opposition, be more effective by shifting public opinion and putting pressure on the political system.
"I sit at the other end of the spectrum. And I think the majority of members do. As a political party, our job is to get into government and to make change that way."
Julie Anne Genter backs Shaw saying "If we were polling four per cent and climate change wasn't an issue people were concerned about, I would be like, 'This is not working, we need to walk away from the agreement'…"Things are looking pretty good. It's looking like the plan is working"
Prepared for what?
Every election the Greens reiterate that they won't form govt with National. It's a decision made at the membership level, not something the caucus can change (technically I think there is some way they could but it would be suicide). Afaik it would be something that went through and AGM.
So it's a given that the only government formation option is Labour.
As for the cross-benches, unless there is some unforseen turn of events, as I said above, I think it's highly unlikely that the Greens would go into an election doing anything other than affirming they want to be in government with Labour.
That's not a free ride for Labour mind, it's an intention that if the numbers are there this is the GP preference. They will want to be a part of the government with Ministers and shit, and that stuff gets worked out post-election.
Prepared to commit.
Don't give me your bullshit about "free ride". The Greens have done nothing but free ride off Labour for years.
If the Greens want to attract Labour voters, they have most of next year how to do it.
your regular reactionary antipathy towards the Greens aside, you were asking for commitment, and I was pointing out that the Greens aren't going to guarantee support for Labour. It will depend on numbers and what happens in the election. Just like with any other party.
But, for the third time: GP won't go with Nat, they will support a Lab govt, they're already committed to this. It's a long play from the Greens and it started before Labour were on board. It's not a guarantee, because the GP will have to see what's on the table. Just like any other party.
And, the Green Party (ie members) has a lot of say in what happens. Shaw can't decide how things go.
Weka
'Mr Shaw said the leadership debate firmed up their strategy to back Labour in 2023, arguing the Greens can improve Ms Ardern's government'.
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7905703/nz-greens-back-ardern-labour-at-2023-poll/
Not likely to get an actual intent to be in government with Labour until close to election day.
'firmed up their strategy to back Labour in 2023' is pretty clear.
Good for left or right alignment, nothing more.
If Shaw wants to bring Labour voters over the fence he knows he'll need to be more convincing. Let alone more convincing to his own Delegates.
I thought winning 97% of the vote was convincing.
'Mr Shaw is taking his return to the co-leadership less as a personal victory, and more as a show of support for his approach to politics'.
One of the strengths of the Greens used to be that they were not addicted to the sinecures of power, which let them maintain the coherence of their policies without compromise. I associate that stance more with Jeanette than with Metiria, for all that I approved of her initiative.
I stopped supporting the Greens as they abandoned environmental issues for social stances probably better left to Labour: migration & gender activism that negatively impact ordinary New Zealanders.
who will you vote for then if not the Greens?
I may not vote at all.
I require better options than these.
Can you please explain that further?
The entitlement is strong in these thieving pricks.
The British royal family has given broadcasters in the UK a deadline of today to pick just one hour of footage they would like to keep for future use from the Queen’s funeral and the King’s proclamation ceremony, despite the fact that millions of people already saw it all livestreamed on several platforms, according to a new report from the Guardian.
[…]
Where does that leave online coverage, something you’d assume could live on the web forever? The royal family already had at least five short clips from the Queen’s memorial and funeral services at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle purged from UK media websites, according to the Guardian, though longer streams still survive for those who know where to look.
[…]
No, the royal family would like to make sure you don’t see things like King Charles III impatiently making one of his servants take away a pen holder at the desk where he proclaimed himself king. In the video, which went viral on social media, Charles looks like an entitled prick, which is precisely the kind of video the royal family doesn’t want circulating after losing the queen—a woman often compared to a neighborly grandmother and a much softer image for a group of people who are hoarding immense stolen wealth.
https://gizmodo.com/uk-bbc-censor-weird-royals-king-charles-queen-elizabeth-1849579697
So this happened in Italy, whilst Poland has already gone their, Spain looks next, then probably Sweden. So these guys are on our side? Then who the hell are we? As far right and post fascist as them?
It's a fascist love in, on one side this mob, on the other the Russians.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/brothers-of-italy-neo-fascist-group-wins-big-in-italy/BWVZTQLAB3Q5ESYPNELOBO4RUU/
We're going to have to engage with all remaining democracies, while they are still democracies.
It's not like there's a global expansion in the left or in democracy itself.
Really want to ignore South America and central Africa their Ad? Left wing governments all over the place, looks like even Brazil may go back to the hard left.
Left+Democratic that's the trouble.
Neither stable in South America, certainly unstable in combo.
Meloni is connected to Bannon. They were interviewed together by The Guardian in 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2twSMMdHs&t=773s
Seems like no one has posted this in the Open Mike for the last few days – a piece by Al Jazeera about the Corbyn-era anti-Semitism crisis in the UK's Labour party:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/25/what-really-happened-during-labours-anti-semitism-crisis
I have listened to/watched two and a half hours of this so far. It is crystal clear that Corbyn (who has fought racism all of his political life) was ousted by shady and ruthless pro-Israel people and groups, and that this has the blessing of Starmer.
If I was back living in the UK Starmer's Labour would never get my vote.
Brilliant work by aljazeera.
What did Malcolm X say again…
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
Malcolm X was spot on with that.
Yes – it shows two things – Israel has no problem with stymying democratic representation in other countries.
And Starmer is a treacherous pos with about as many redeeming features as Roger Douglas.
Corbyn only ever had one chance – to catch everyone by surprise in 2017. Having got close in 2017, he was never going to get another opportunity. The vilification ramped up after that. If he'd won in 2017, it would have been riveting to see how far the establishment went to remove him and whether they would have disgraced themselves by botching it somehow. Though the metronomic precision of the Queen's funeral suggests that the execution would have been near-flawless.
On the same page..there..
"Experts say ditching concrete and creating mini wetlands could help water systems cope better with effects of extreme weather"
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/25/flood-gardens-to-combat-drought-and-biodiversity-loss-says-natural-england
"People should flood their gardens and create bogs in order to stop the effects of drought and reverse biodiversity loss, according to the head of Natural England.
Tony Juniper, who leads the government quango, said that concreted-over front gardens, and backyards which do not hold much water, could contribute to sewage spills into waterways as surface water runs off the hard or dry surfaces.
He recommended that people turn their gardens into wetlands, which can hold water and prevent run-off. This would also create habitats for many creatures."
I doubt spying was the issue.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1574423072400375809
Japan’s government on Monday banned the export of materials that may be used for chemical weapons to 21 Russian organizations, including science laboratories. The measure was approved by the Cabinet following a decision by Group of Seven foreign ministers last week.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-japan-global-trade-nuclear-weapons-81f3a7fdd121028852ec58f0ca5fd2af
I suppose they will edit and correct eventually, but this is the level of accuracy you get from the NZ Herald online:
Another political opinion poll is due out tonight, the 1 News Kantar poll, which in August had National on 48 per cent and Labour on 44 per cent.
Wrong and wrong. Hopeless.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/pm-jacinda-ardern-speaks-to-media-after-cabinet-meets/EKYW5Z47CPCXMU5CHW2XYC7PB4/
Ha – the NZ Herald, typing one Key to the right, as per usual.
If this is as reported (and I have no good reason to doubt it), I find it absolutely shocking
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/police-used-false-information-to-access-powerful-network-of-surveillance-cameras/BEVYOQHF3N5VAED3CD7LXSPTAU/?c_id=1&objectid=12554548&ref=rss
I expect our Police to act within the law – rather than illegally gaining access to surveillance cameras in an attempt to track people by reporting a non-existent crime.
I'm 100% with Roberson on this one.
While I recognized the desire of the police, at the time, to track people they believed were breaching the quarantine regulations – there are legal avenues for them to follow to achieve this goal.
Its a bad look alright but to be fair to the police, it was the beginning of the pandemic which was a time of uncertainty and fear because nobody knew at that point what the outcome was going to be. The police were on the front line and it must have been a stressful time. That’s when mistakes are made.
My guess is, they believed the situation warranted an immediate response regardless of other considerations because of that uncertainty.
As it turned out the whole emotively charged drama was unnecessary because the young women had been given permission to enter Northland – albeit as it turned out erroneously. I have some compassion for the person who made the mistake in the first place. They must have felt terrible and probably hid under a rock for a few weeks. 😯
It's a bridge too far for me, Anne.
If the police can choose not to abide by the law, then how can we condemn the criminals for doing the same thing?
They had legal alternatives – to achieve the same goal (tracking the people they believed at the time were illegal quarantine evaders) – and chose not to use them.
We can be kind, and put that down to the stress of the pandemic. But when the first reaction is to break the law, rather than find a way to achieve your goals within the law, you have to wonder at the culture.
Fair enough. Don't think it will happen again.
In London they camped out for the Funeral, here we camp out to be first into Costco
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/camping-out-at-costco-fans-plan-to-get-to-west-auckland-early-ahead-of-opening-day/WBQEEKWRYWLJKAJQKN6QNUL2WY/?c_id=1&objectid=12554833&ref=rss
The insanity of consumerism…..
Costco is really not a premium venue. It is a discounter, offering (hopefully) cheaper alternatives. To the extent that it weakens the supermarket duopoly, that may be a good thing – but Costcos success is emblematic of the failure of neoliberalism to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. Kiwis need discounters because of the gross and sustained failure of Rogergnomics. It has utterly failed.
Yes – the same way that so many people need the cheap imported stuff at The Warehouse because they no longer work in well-paying jobs in local manufacturing or the like, but instead in minimum wage hospitality and retail jobs in places like The Warehouse. i.e. we need what it provides only because it exists in the first place.
How much is the member ship fee?
$60/yr.- Membership
Random recent NZ article about benefits:
https://www.thehits.co.nz/the-latest/here-are-four-expert-tips-for-getting-your-moneys-worth-from-costco-in-new-zealand/
Oh boy. a membership fee to get access to discount food distribution center. We have out progressed us. Aldi on steroids.
You also have to be afford to buy (and be able to store and use within the product lifespan) quite large batches of goods.
It might make financial sense for large families and/or people clubbing together to group purchase (as some currently do for Gilmores, etc.).
It's also possible that small retail (dairies, etc.) might be able to shop there, rather than at supermarkets (I know that there's discussion about wholesale access for retail shops – but I remain deeply cynical that it will ever eventuate).
I find our local 'Reduced to Clear' good – nice round trip walk of ~90 minutes earlier today. Not a substitute for supermarket shopping, but an inexpensive supplement.
I shop at one as well – though not within walking distance – about 20 minutes drive away. I bundle a trip there every month or so, with other necessary road trips in that direction.
It's a bit like op-shopping – you never know what is going to turn up on sale.
I think having Costco here is a good thing for many reasons.
If we're to let corporations take over we could do a lot worse, like Amazon.
"Costco is often cited as one of the world’s most ethical companies. It has been called a “testimony to ethical capitalism” in large part due to its company practices and treatment of employees."
https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/case-study/the-costco-model
"Our research highlights many ethical issues for Amazon, including climate change, environmental reporting, habitats & resources, pollutions and toxics, arms & military supply, human rights, worker's rights, supply chain management, irresponsible marketing, animal rights, animal testing, factory farming, use of controverial technologies, political activies, and anti-social finance."
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/company-profile/amazoncom-inc
I haven't done any research into Costco and/or whether or not it's a good thing for our economic environment.
I suspect there are arguments both ways.
It was the idea of people queueing to be first through the doors which struck me as bizarre. Perhaps I'm just not queue minded 😉
Yeah I get that. Some people love being first in though. And the promise of reduced prices in these trying times, pretty attractive…
Or (Satire) a damning indictment of DOC's park upkeep, that people would rather go camping in shop doorways.
Costco already sells NZ goods in their stores offshore, and now they're here, will be checking out what else we've got. That's good for our producers and manufacturers. Meanwhile providing good jobs with good prospects and good money.
Whereas Amazon is good for NZ like a boa constrictor is good for rodents.