No Right Turn’s take on Natz and NZ First bene bashing:
“But then, its not supposed to make sense, let alone work. It's just supposed to be performatively cruel, to attract the votes of vicious arseholes who can only feel good from the suffering of those "below" them. And when some other government has to clean up the resulting social mess, that's all the better, because that can then be criticised as "cuddles" and "waste", and they're off for another round on the cruelty wagon.”
Nothing like some raw meat for the tory faithful–a good old Bennie Bash usually suffices to get them snarling. In reality in the 21st century punitive, sadistic, welfare should be done away with and replaced with a basic income for all citizens, abated by tax as you earn more.
Unemployment is not a moral failure–it is an intentional feature of capitalism and finance capital to put downward pressure on wages and worker organisation and fight backs. Even if there are some who do not want to work who could blame them with such an ugly system of exploitation?
The funny old thing with a lot of Natzos who demonise other citizens is that they are “Bennies” too, on National Superannuation and Winter Heating payments.
One thing is for sure old torys always vote, whether driven to the booth or tottering in on walking frames. That will be the tragedy of this Election–alienation and low voter turnout from younger people and those living off shore.
Some seem to be salivating for the oppression that the Epson Twerker wants to visit on fellow AO/NZers including Māori especially–but mark these words–we are in for some heavy duty social unrest and anarchy.
Ten days ago in an interview with ACT’s David Seymour, Jack Tame pointed out that last year 4,000 benefit cases were investigated for fraud, of those just 33 resulted in criminal prosecutions. We spent $50 million investigating benefit fraud in that period and found total over payments of only $2.3 million.
Asked to provide evidence sanctions could help support beneficiaries into work, she referred to the WEAG's report: "One of their comments in their conclusion says they can be effective in encouraging movement from benefits to work".
The report itself does not appear to say this, however.
And Luxon…
Luxon told Morning Report that it was not fair to say this was a policy that was getting tough on beneficiaries, instead of being based on evidence.
"But economists have criticised the policy, saying the revenue assumptions are unrealistic. National wants to get $2.9 billion from the tax over four years to fund its $14.6b tax plan. But economists warn the actual revenue could come in $2.1 billion short"
Over 4 years the foreign house buyers tax is short $2.1 billion according to most economists. It will probably only raise $210m per year not $740m. (4 x $530m=$2.12 billion).
But what the Herald isn't saying is that there are other massive holes in the tax plan that will require huge cuts in public services, benefits etc for it to be funded.
And how is National going to fund its proposed, and chronically expensive, 13 major road projects?
He [Luxon] did not answer when asked whether he believed Peters would allow the tax to survive coalition negotiations.
“I am very confident we will deliver low- and middle-income tax relief. People out there who are waking up this morning, slogging their guts out, going off to work, paying their taxes, getting their kids to school, taking on a second job, cannot get ahead,” he said.
Luxon then said he would actually be doing his foreign buyers’ tax.
Luxon seems concerned about the plight of low-income Kiwis (if not the "bottom feeders") – but the Willux tax relief package massively favours the already wealthy?
Luxon does have several eggs in the investment property basket, so re-heating the property market would suit him, and some wealthy Nat donors, down to the ground. Bloody pirates – bottom feeders the lot of them.
If Luxon can pay for his tax cuts without the foreign buyers tax, what then is the purpose of allowing foreign buyers back? The answer seems simple: to re-inflate the housing market, reward existing property owners with unearned net wealth increases, and make landlordism a sure bet.
as the person that wrote the post, I’m suggesting that we don’t have a fight between lefties under a post encouraging people to vote left.
The term cooker does get used as a pejorative on TS. I agree with gsays that this is a problem. While the origins of the word aren’t pejorative, the term itself sounds like a slur and it now gets used in that way. Soft weaponising.
this is certainly one of the issues that the left has in winning this election. They will vote NZF instead and it's game over if NZF get above 5%.
I really don't understand this liberal idea that the left can afford to say only the people we approve of should vote left. It's just not possible to win elections that way. We're in the minority, we need swing and centrist voters.
Where our hope lies is in providing good examples of progressive and inclusive culture so that people can see our values matter and we walk the talk. This is how we will convince mainstream NZ to move left again. Ostracising people simply reduces the pool of people who can become progressive. And in the case of the Freedom movement people, it pushes them to the right and FR.
There's an image..urrgh! . I had thought bask as in, an old..lion, well past his prime..making friendly with hyenas ?. Hmm.. No that was the Lion King movie
)
I would be expecting Peters to be front and centre in meeting the protestors (on prime-time TV). And doing what he does so well acknowledging their 'pain' (while not actually promising to do anything at all about it).
Man never met a PR media op that he didn't like.
He'll be hoping that this one garners him an extra 1% of votes…..
National's desire to bring back its "three strikes" penal policy finds a parallel in its desire to bring in a "traffic light" system (basically just a variant on three strikes) to punish those naughty bennies who don't want to work
We have Louise Upston on Morning Report yesterday saying that traffic light system is very necessary even though her party thinks that 85% of beneficiaries are abiding by the rules. She then brings up some example of work shy beneficiaries turning up to job interviews in their pyjamas, obviously looking to be rejected for the job.
So it is necessary to start swinging the cosh because 15% buck the system? If it was, say, over 50% then perhaps you might think its justifiable but 15%? Well f…. me, how bad is that? pretty low really, but it isn't good enough for National, they are prepared to make all beneficiaries feel like leeches because of a few that play up.
National also fails to consider the consequences of the traffic lights policy. Who will ultimately suffer? It won't be the indolent themselves, it will be their dependants. I guess there would be a fair number of Work and Income staff who will sigh with frustration with National's announced policy. Deja vu.
National will give us three strikes, traffic lights and faster cars.
And that, apparently, is the main thing. But why continue to insist that we should take Willis and Luxon at their word, when they've clearly been caught out trying to scam the voters.
Foreign Buyers Tax: A Mismatch Between Expectations and Reality The Importance of Transparent Policymaking
While the shortfall in the proposed tax revenue may not significantly impact the government deficits, it serves as a testament to the politicians’ approach to policy making and their transparency in responding to criticism. Even though the National party, being an opposition party, may not have the same resources as the Government to form its policy, critics argue that it should invest in thorough analysis using the donations it receives.
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Might relaxing the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding the donors?
DKM National haven't been honest on the state of the economy their costings for the Wellsford Tuhoi highway at $2.3 billion is $2 billion short plus with annual maintenence at$400 million to keep this slip prone section open with climate change bringing floods once every other year making this road uneconomical and unaffordable!Police numbers increasing by only 77 per year National are cutting police numbers per head of population.National are lying every body needs to be talking about Nationals spin.
How many foreign buyers are going to pay 20% above market price.Then Winston will cancel that plus Nationals tax cuts
National are painting themselves into a corner,Now Luxon is blabbering loudly but not answering any questions.looking less trustable as the campaign goes on.
Predictably Western media/govt recent whitewashing of the well known Far Right extremist elements within both the Ukrainian military and politics, ends up with the Canadian House of Commons, including Trudeau, giving several standing ovations to a former member of the Nazi 14th Waffen SS Division ‘Galicia’…a Ukrainian Volunteer (80,000+) unit, commanded by several notorious German SS commanders, a unit well known for it’s outrageous brutality against both civilians and prisoners.
Also predictably, The Guardian piece on this sordid affair today only mentions the Polish civilians massacred by these monsters once, then spends almost the rest of the article focused on the Jewish civilians massacred…make of that what you will.
Then of course, true to form, The Guardian concludes its piece with this none too subtle ‘don't worry, some Nazi’s are alright’ deflection…
“On the issue of the Galicia division, the commission’s head, Jules Deschênes, ruled that members “should not be indicted as a group”. “The members of Galicia division were individually screened for security purposes before admission to Canada. Charges of war crimes of Galicia division have never been substantiated, either in 1950 when they were first preferred, or in 1984 when they were renewed, or before this commission.”
WHITEWASHING THE SS: THE ATTEMPT TO RE-WRITE THE HISTORY OF HITLER’S COLLABORATORS
“The 14th Division of the Ukrainian SS surrounded the village Huta Pieniacka from three sides,” the report to Poland’s government- in-exile explained. “The people were gathered in the church or shot in the houses. Those gathered in the church – men, women and children – were taken outside in groups, children killed in front of their parents. Some men and women were shot in the cemetery, others were gathered in barns where they were shot.”
As we all know…'You lay down with dogs you get up with fleas'…..the staff at the Guardian are so infested with fleas now, that it is the readers of that rag who should probably now start worrying about getting itchy.
Thank you for posting Adrian, the story reminds me of the Ukranian Azov nazis who forced over a hundred Russian speaking Ukrainians into the building in Odessa, set fire to it and shot those trying to escape the flames in 2014. I notice the Ukraine supporters have gone very quiet on here since things turned out so badly with the so called counter offensive and the realization that 85 percent of the Worlds population support Russia in their fight against the empire of lies aka USA.
That Odessa fire you refer to was started within the building by those who were inside, by spilling materials they brought inside with them.
As for the counteroffensive going badly, it IS going – and going persistently, which is impressive considering the lack of air support and the terrible conditions.
Lastly I think there's a better contender for the 'empire of lies' title than the USA.
Coventrie you are either a liar or very badly misinformed in regards to Odessa, Name another empire that lies like USA, there are none. If you are interested in the actual situation with the counter offensive I suggest you listen to Larry Davidson an ex CIA analyst or retired and decorated Colonel Douglas MacGregor phd or Ray McGovern another ex CIA analyst, all of whom have good intel and analysis of the SMO.
The scramble to exonerate Waffen SS has been illuminating
It's all about Holodomor you see.
Apparently not only were the Russians responsible for that, but children and babies of Roma,Poles and Jews also had to pay the price and be barbarically slaughtered , in ways that turned the hardened stomachs of even German Nazis
Will read all your comments as such from here on out nazi.
[And here we are again.
Will read all your comments as such from here on out nazi.
Reading is all you will be doing for a week because your last few comments have been nothing but name calling and ‘pig-fucker’ accusations that can no longer be considered robust debate and only as attempts to flame – Incognito]
"I am very happy to support Ukraine if you think that makes me a Nazi apologist is all i can say."
You are in good company, one of your fellow war-porn enthusiasts commented how happy they were that young Russian soldiers were being killed. In the same missive they claimed to be progressive!
Barfly we are part of the club of 85 percent of the Worlds population who recognize Americas role in the Ukraine tragedy. Do you know who Victoria Nuland is and her role in the 2014 coup against the democratically elected Government of Viktor Yanukovych? She boasted about spending 6 billion dollars to bring about regime change there, She has killed the Country and NZ is assisting USA in Ukraine.
Well Tony shouldn't you be celebrating the the 83rd year since the USSR eliminated 22,000 Polish Nazis Army Officers, Policemen and members of the 'gasp' intelligentsia. In the non-russophile world it was called.
Well Barfly, shouldn't you be celebrating NATOs brutal and murderous invasion of Libya? Why on earth are you suggesting I would celebrate such an atrocity. You do understand that the USSR no longer exists right? Let's stick to the topic instead of muddying the waters with nonsense ..
The Nazi Party ceased to exist 78 years ago that doesn't seem to stop you from yodelling "Nazi" all day long and your fawning sychophantic russophilia is an exercise in delusion IMO.
Oh and by the way it’s a f***ing War no matter what Putin the tiny calls it
It was a tad bewildering a day or so ago to read about ok Nazi's and not ok ones.
I was tempted to offer the idea that the only bad ones were at the Wellies occupation and at Posie Parker rallies. I figured it would have added more heat than light though…
"Our examination of Labour’s various policy commitments confirms that the line-by-line costings provided to Infometrics can be met within the fiscal settings outlined in PREFU," the economics consultancy firm said."
As for National's plans, we have this. One economist, Brad Olsen, who says that their plans could work bur also the figures of their critics are also realistic. Other economists have critical doubts.
The other great difference is that National's figures are still not released for scrutiny. We have to rely on Willis and Luxon's credibility…….
Willis also said Infometrics economist Brad Olsen believed the estimates were plausible while other economists shared the party's view that taxing foreign buyers would be a good thing to do.
Olsen has told RNZ today National's costings could be made to work by assuming a much larger proportion of foreign buyers purchase $2m-plus properties, however, the figures provided by the economists challenging the costings were also "realistic".
Perhaps in the next year or so if NAct-NZF are the Government, it will be too late for the voters to complain that the then Govt is way out with its numbers. "Ooops," mutters Nicola. "It didn't work out quite the way we said but never mind. We will work out a different plan." And after a brief mumble the voters will move on.
To not disclose their figures means they do not trust them, or they have manipulated or manufactured the numbers. That is cynical because they do not fear the consequences of their dishonesty. They think they can get away with it. To disclose their figures would show their economic incompetence at best, their dishonesty and real intent at worst.
When you’ve maxed the mortgage, the credit card, the HP and even the pay day lender is no longer interested, at least you can always fall back on Labours fiscal plan.
And when you've taken the piss and had your little laugh, there remains that little problem that Labour's plan is tenable and verified independently, whereas National's plan is still on the back of an envelope somewhere it deserves to be- in a rubbish bin, presumably, because we haven't seen it.
The 6th Labour government has made some efforts to keep inequality in check.
Has Labour worsened inequality? [13 June 2023]
There is no neat story to say that Labour has increased or decreased inequality, in toto – but then life is not much given to neat stories. Instead, a narrative can be pieced together from a few key strands.
First, income poverty has clearly decreased overall, thanks in large part to the billions poured into the welfare system, although life is probably worse for the very poorest. Second, income disparities between the rich and the rest have fallen, although perhaps less so if capital gains were included. Third, the Covid response was a mixed bag, inequality-wise.
And, fourth, the government has not, any more than its predecessors, managed to solve the problems of the housing market, with the consequence that wealth inequality has – at a minimum – not improved, and in some specific senses worsened. Labour’s record has been, in a word, imperfect – but also, in the round, rather better than most of its critics, and popular opinion, would currently allow.
Some wealthy Kiwis (e.g. Luxon, Willis, NAct donors) will be absolutely wetting themselves at the prospect of more wealth flowing their way under a NAct govt.
Aotearoa top 10 in global inequality index, but tax system’s inequality impact 136th [12 October 2022]
“The inequality index shows Aotearoa is doing pretty well overall, but there is still work to be done. The fact that rich and poor countries alike have exacerbated an explosion of economic inequality since the outbreak of the pandemic from 2020 is unacceptable.
…
“Tax is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight inequality. It is disappointing to see New Zealand’s tax system contributing to the gap between the rich and poor. Especially in these extraordinary times, tax is crucial to boosting government resources to support welfare systems and public services.
Almost unnoticed amongst National's hamfisted promises to reduce red tape is one to scrap laws around the Conduct of Financial Institutions Act. This act is basically to put a brake on unethical or poor conduct of financial institutions and insurance companies.
By RNZ's figures some $150 million has been refunded to customers because of this important piece of legislation. Although not specifically stated, I would reckon a large part of this would be the rip off instance finance high interest lenders who had a field day ripping off the desperate before it was enacted.
Now National wants to scrap it. Obviously National does not care about ethical business and has no interest in protecting the vulnerable from rip off merchants.
I hope Labour and the Greens will pick up on this.
National's pathetic tough on Crime while only adding 300 police over 4 years that's a decrease in police numbers as population increase is much bigger.
Population increase at about 100,000 per year that is much less police per head given 77 per 100,000 means 1 extra police per 12,300 people which means less police per head of population.
I think National are banking on a mass exodus starting 15 October to Australia and further overseas , sending back 501s, Australian criminals in NZ, as well as out of work civil servants, rugby and netball coaches, pyjama-wearing beneficiaries, road-cone manufacturers, shearers, shepherds, woke socialists, virtue-signallers, vegans and the gluten-intolerant.
Invited in will be foreign home buyers, so long as they don't live here, apocalypse avoiders, American hidey-hole seekers, mates, one percenters seeking fresh opportunities for wealth, plunder and tax breaks, and consumers of MacDonalds, Starbucks and Kentucky Fries.
Notice how heavily Nact depend on the people's feelings that crime is bad. This is aided by Media playing loud and detailed about the crimes. And after the Election there will be a backpeddling. Crime will get "better" because the gangs can't wear patches. Will it count if patches are smaller or in tattoos?
And of course that is why they can't produce the numbers for their tax cuts. Neither the numbers not the logic actually exist or if they do, they must be kept hidden because they will prove the exact opposite outcome to what the Nats are claiming.
And talking of crime… there's a major incident underway in the vicinity of the Lincoln Rd offramp on Auckland's north western motorway. Gun shots are being exchanged according to witnesses.
That'll have NAct's and NZ First's hearts beating with excitement.
The past 15 years have actually seen a dramatic decline in youth crime, which the Ministry of Justice classifies as criminal offences by anyone under the age of 17.
In 2007, over 5000 young people in Aotearoa were charged for crimes. Last year that had fallen to 1416 individuals – a 78% drop.
A “big debate” about "the technical numbers" eh? If only.
'Poor' Nicola can't even justify her working for the Nat's projected revenue from their 15% foreign buyer tax scam – if anyone still believes her numbers then they probably also believe Willis will resign as promised.
I would like to see some of Robert Reichs youtube videos on inequality corporate monopolization etc.How the Rich are playing the squeezed middle classes for fools.
Sorry, I can't find the link, but apparently the Medical General Practices are in dire straits due to chronic under-funding which has gone on for years according to Newshub's leading story this evening. So, c.mon Chippy – revisit your tax policy, and bring in a decent wealth tax, PLEASE.
Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
‘Tis the season for predictions – and TV1 is already salivating over their latest poll, appearing on the news tonight.
OK, I’ll play the game:
National – down slightly to about 37%. The absurdity of Natz tax cuts begins to sink in!
Labour – up slightly to about 29%, but still within the margin of error.
Act – firmly anchored on about 9%. The wheels are beginning to fall off the extreme right wagon.
Greens – hovering around 15% or more. Consolidating the fact this election is about climate!
Te Paarti Maori – still around 3%.
NZ First – around 5% – and the headlines will be all about Winnie the kingmaker!
I like your numbers Tony V.
And TOP , who will work with either main party ?
Postscript:
National continues to drop, and this trend will continue.
Act has stalled, and will drop to around 9% on Election night.
As a leftie, I hoped for better from Labour. But the Greens went up in the TV1 poll. This will continue. And TPM will do better.
But, as predicted, the lead was all about Winnie!
Competing on cruelty:
No Right Turn’s take on Natz and NZ First bene bashing:
“But then, its not supposed to make sense, let alone work. It's just supposed to be performatively cruel, to attract the votes of vicious arseholes who can only feel good from the suffering of those "below" them. And when some other government has to clean up the resulting social mess, that's all the better, because that can then be criticised as "cuddles" and "waste", and they're off for another round on the cruelty wagon.”
No Right Turn – from the side bar.
Nothing like some raw meat for the tory faithful–a good old Bennie Bash usually suffices to get them snarling. In reality in the 21st century punitive, sadistic, welfare should be done away with and replaced with a basic income for all citizens, abated by tax as you earn more.
Unemployment is not a moral failure–it is an intentional feature of capitalism and finance capital to put downward pressure on wages and worker organisation and fight backs. Even if there are some who do not want to work who could blame them with such an ugly system of exploitation?
The funny old thing with a lot of Natzos who demonise other citizens is that they are “Bennies” too, on National Superannuation and Winter Heating payments.
One thing is for sure old torys always vote, whether driven to the booth or tottering in on walking frames. That will be the tragedy of this Election–alienation and low voter turnout from younger people and those living off shore.
Some seem to be salivating for the oppression that the Epson Twerker wants to visit on fellow AO/NZers including Māori especially–but mark these words–we are in for some heavy duty social unrest and anarchy.
And Luxon will know that it won't do any good. How cruel and cynical is that! His voice has the confidence of a denier.
I doubt it'd a vote winner, the people who get worked up about benefits, already vote national And act
Luxon getting down to the basics on RNZ right now…
https://nickrockel.substack.com/p/bennie-bashing
From the "cruel to be kind" hymn book. Not so much the "Good" Book
Oh really? Love? And Louise ..Upston leading with this..reckon
Hey Luxon, Louise Upston, David Seymour and the rest of your creep crew. NZ can do without your kind of "love".
Anyone who is on the lower end..needs to get motivated..to VOTE !
Sounds suspiciously like Nat MP Mr Woodhouse’s “homeless man” using a COVID hotel Crowne Plaza facility…
Well there you go !. I had thought that exactly, but just..left it out.
Nats dog whistling to the Bene bashers..for all their worth.
More "pearls" aka reckons, from Louise Upston..
And Luxon…
Yeah, its based on "love" .
Anyone on a Benefit ..Vote Left !
“Sounds suspiciously like Nat MP Mr Woodhouse’s “homeless man” using a COVID hotel Crowne Plaza facility…”
Same guy. He took the free hotel pyjamas and bathrobe and scarpered. Been wearing them ever since. Resourceful dude – I would have hired him.
It’s a LOL from me AB…
The Herald today:
"But economists have criticised the policy, saying the revenue assumptions are unrealistic. National wants to get $2.9 billion from the tax over four years to fund its $14.6b tax plan. But economists warn the actual revenue could come in $2.1 billion short"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-peters-wants-to-see-nationals-costings-before-joining-govt-mini-budget-before-christmas-luxon-says-tax-cuts-absolutely-affordable-without-foreign-buyers-tax/2647LDYJOFHLXIXHF4NYCDA7JE/
Over 4 years the foreign house buyers tax is short $2.1 billion according to most economists. It will probably only raise $210m per year not $740m. (4 x $530m=$2.12 billion).
But what the Herald isn't saying is that there are other massive holes in the tax plan that will require huge cuts in public services, benefits etc for it to be funded.
And how is National going to fund its proposed, and chronically expensive, 13 major road projects?
Luxon seems concerned about the plight of low-income Kiwis (if not the "bottom feeders") – but the Willux tax relief package massively favours the already wealthy?
Luxon does have several eggs in the investment property basket, so re-heating the property market would suit him, and some wealthy Nat donors, down to the ground. Bloody pirates – bottom feeders the lot of them.
If Luxon can pay for his tax cuts without the foreign buyers tax, what then is the purpose of allowing foreign buyers back? The answer seems simple: to re-inflate the housing market, reward existing property owners with unearned net wealth increases, and make landlordism a sure bet.
No one was mentioning "cooker" until..gsays. And no I wont respond again in this Post.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
as the person that wrote the post, I’m suggesting that we don’t have a fight between lefties under a post encouraging people to vote left.
The term cooker does get used as a pejorative on TS. I agree with gsays that this is a problem. While the origins of the word aren’t pejorative, the term itself sounds like a slur and it now gets used in that way. Soft weaponising.
https://thestandard.org.nz/search/cooker/?search_posts=true&search_sortby=date
https://thestandard.org.nz/search/cooker/?search_comments=true&search_sortby=date
Why does it matter? NZF are making hay out of it while they can, which in turn causes further divisions among people that care about NZ.
"Cooker" (which I incidentally hadnt heard of till seen on the Standard )
Cooker to me is Sue Grey, Liz Gunn, VFF, Counterspin, et al.They and the people they speak for are not anyone..I want to associate with. Ever.
this is certainly one of the issues that the left has in winning this election. They will vote NZF instead and it's game over if NZF get above 5%.
I really don't understand this liberal idea that the left can afford to say only the people we approve of should vote left. It's just not possible to win elections that way. We're in the minority, we need swing and centrist voters.
Where our hope lies is in providing good examples of progressive and inclusive culture so that people can see our values matter and we walk the talk. This is how we will convince mainstream NZ to move left again. Ostracising people simply reduces the pool of people who can become progressive. And in the case of the Freedom movement people, it pushes them to the right and FR.
You can do that. I am not ever going to. Instead I would sooner encourage young people to enrol and vote. As I linked on Daily Review.
The real Voices of Freedom.
Edit..I am..and certainly have, been doing my utmost to promote the Left.and Solidarity. Incl here on the Standard.
ok, but as I pointed out, there aren't enough of the people you like for the left to win the election.
Luxon loves slogans, maybe "Work will set you free" would suit his Benefit beliefs.
I wonder how many RW politicians wouldn't know it's origin /shuidder
Good to see the Police planning better for this next Wellington protest influx tomorrow.
But what will Winston do with it?
Bask ?
Wallow?
glory in it.
There's an image..urrgh! . I had thought bask as in, an old..lion, well past his prime..making friendly with hyenas ?. Hmm.. No that was the Lion King movie
)
Wallow it is.
I would be expecting Peters to be front and centre in meeting the protestors (on prime-time TV). And doing what he does so well acknowledging their 'pain' (while not actually promising to do anything at all about it).
Man never met a PR media op that he didn't like.
He'll be hoping that this one garners him an extra 1% of votes…..
Perhaps Chippy could supply the protesters with free sausage rolls.
Trump it
Bullshit tamiki was playing down numbers on te news , I'm expecting a flop.
Well they are constituents after all.
Way more engaged in the political process than most.
National's desire to bring back its "three strikes" penal policy finds a parallel in its desire to bring in a "traffic light" system (basically just a variant on three strikes) to punish those naughty bennies who don't want to work
We have Louise Upston on Morning Report yesterday saying that traffic light system is very necessary even though her party thinks that 85% of beneficiaries are abiding by the rules. She then brings up some example of work shy beneficiaries turning up to job interviews in their pyjamas, obviously looking to be rejected for the job.
So it is necessary to start swinging the cosh because 15% buck the system? If it was, say, over 50% then perhaps you might think its justifiable but 15%? Well f…. me, how bad is that? pretty low really, but it isn't good enough for National, they are prepared to make all beneficiaries feel like leeches because of a few that play up.
National also fails to consider the consequences of the traffic lights policy. Who will ultimately suffer? It won't be the indolent themselves, it will be their dependants. I guess there would be a fair number of Work and Income staff who will sigh with frustration with National's announced policy. Deja vu.
National will give us three strikes, traffic lights and faster cars.
Yay!
And that, apparently, is the main thing. But why continue to insist that we should take Willis and Luxon at their word, when they've clearly been caught out trying to scam the voters.
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Might relaxing the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding the donors?
DKM National haven't been honest on the state of the economy their costings for the Wellsford Tuhoi highway at $2.3 billion is $2 billion short plus with annual maintenence at$400 million to keep this slip prone section open with climate change bringing floods once every other year making this road uneconomical and unaffordable!Police numbers increasing by only 77 per year National are cutting police numbers per head of population.National are lying every body needs to be talking about Nationals spin.
Couldn't agree more – Nats are past and present masters of self-interested deceit.
How many foreign buyers are going to pay 20% above market price.Then Winston will cancel that plus Nationals tax cuts
National are painting themselves into a corner,Now Luxon is blabbering loudly but not answering any questions.looking less trustable as the campaign goes on.
Predictably Western media/govt recent whitewashing of the well known Far Right extremist elements within both the Ukrainian military and politics, ends up with the Canadian House of Commons, including Trudeau, giving several standing ovations to a former member of the Nazi 14th Waffen SS Division ‘Galicia’…a Ukrainian Volunteer (80,000+) unit, commanded by several notorious German SS commanders, a unit well known for it’s outrageous brutality against both civilians and prisoners.
Also predictably, The Guardian piece on this sordid affair today only mentions the Polish civilians massacred by these monsters once, then spends almost the rest of the article focused on the Jewish civilians massacred…make of that what you will.
Then of course, true to form, The Guardian concludes its piece with this none too subtle ‘don't worry, some Nazi’s are alright’ deflection…
“On the issue of the Galicia division, the commission’s head, Jules Deschênes, ruled that members “should not be indicted as a group”. “The members of Galicia division were individually screened for security purposes before admission to Canada. Charges of war crimes of Galicia division have never been substantiated, either in 1950 when they were first preferred, or in 1984 when they were renewed, or before this commission.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/25/canadas-house-speaker-apologises-after-praising-ukrainian-veteran-who-fought-for-nazis
WHITEWASHING THE SS: THE ATTEMPT TO RE-WRITE THE HISTORY OF HITLER’S COLLABORATORS
“The 14th Division of the Ukrainian SS surrounded the village Huta Pieniacka from three sides,” the report to Poland’s government- in-exile explained. “The people were gathered in the church or shot in the houses. Those gathered in the church – men, women and children – were taken outside in groups, children killed in front of their parents. Some men and women were shot in the cemetery, others were gathered in barns where they were shot.”
http://espritdecorps.ca/history-feature/whitewashing-the-ss-the-attempt-to-re-write-the-history-of-hitlers-collaborators
As we all know…'You lay down with dogs you get up with fleas'…..the staff at the Guardian are so infested with fleas now, that it is the readers of that rag who should probably now start worrying about getting itchy.
Thank you for posting Adrian, the story reminds me of the Ukranian Azov nazis who forced over a hundred Russian speaking Ukrainians into the building in Odessa, set fire to it and shot those trying to escape the flames in 2014. I notice the Ukraine supporters have gone very quiet on here since things turned out so badly with the so called counter offensive and the realization that 85 percent of the Worlds population support Russia in their fight against the empire of lies aka USA.
That Odessa fire you refer to was started within the building by those who were inside, by spilling materials they brought inside with them.
As for the counteroffensive going badly, it IS going – and going persistently, which is impressive considering the lack of air support and the terrible conditions.
Lastly I think there's a better contender for the 'empire of lies' title than the USA.
Coventrie you are either a liar or very badly misinformed in regards to Odessa, Name another empire that lies like USA, there are none. If you are interested in the actual situation with the counter offensive I suggest you listen to Larry Davidson an ex CIA analyst or retired and decorated Colonel Douglas MacGregor phd or Ray McGovern another ex CIA analyst, all of whom have good intel and analysis of the SMO.
The scramble to exonerate Waffen SS has been illuminating
It's all about Holodomor you see.
Apparently not only were the Russians responsible for that, but children and babies of Roma,Poles and Jews also had to pay the price and be barbarically slaughtered , in ways that turned the hardened stomachs of even German Nazis
You three need to start a club
So you're a nazi apologist now Barfly?
I am very happy to support Ukraine if you think that makes me a Nazi apologist is all i can say.
A smiling nazi apologist – OK.
Will read all your comments as such from here on out nazi.
[And here we are again.
Reading is all you will be doing for a week because your last few comments have been nothing but name calling and ‘pig-fucker’ accusations that can no longer be considered robust debate and only as attempts to flame – Incognito]
Mod note
"I am very happy to support Ukraine if you think that makes me a Nazi apologist is all i can say."
You are in good company, one of your fellow war-porn enthusiasts commented how happy they were that young Russian soldiers were being killed. In the same missive they claimed to be progressive!
Barfly we are part of the club of 85 percent of the Worlds population who recognize Americas role in the Ukraine tragedy. Do you know who Victoria Nuland is and her role in the 2014 coup against the democratically elected Government of Viktor Yanukovych? She boasted about spending 6 billion dollars to bring about regime change there, She has killed the Country and NZ is assisting USA in Ukraine.
Well Tony shouldn't you be celebrating the the 83rd year since the USSR eliminated 22,000 Polish
NazisArmy Officers, Policemen and members of the 'gasp' intelligentsia. In the non-russophile world it was called.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre
Snowflake historical grievances to justify kill people today. How very Slobodan Milošević of you.
Well Barfly, shouldn't you be celebrating NATOs brutal and murderous invasion of Libya? Why on earth are you suggesting I would celebrate such an atrocity. You do understand that the USSR no longer exists right? Let's stick to the topic instead of muddying the waters with nonsense ..
The Nazi Party ceased to exist 78 years ago that doesn't seem to stop you from yodelling "Nazi" all day long and your fawning sychophantic russophilia is an exercise in delusion IMO.
Oh and by the way it’s a f***ing War no matter what Putin the tiny calls it
It was a tad bewildering a day or so ago to read about ok Nazi's and not ok ones.
I was tempted to offer the idea that the only bad ones were at the Wellies occupation and at Posie Parker rallies. I figured it would have added more heat than light though…
"Our examination of Labour’s various policy commitments confirms that the line-by-line costings provided to Infometrics can be met within the fiscal settings outlined in PREFU," the economics consultancy firm said."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300977960/nz-election-2023-live-labour-unveils-its-big-economic-plan
As for National's plans, we have this. One economist, Brad Olsen, who says that their plans could work bur also the figures of their critics are also realistic. Other economists have critical doubts.
The other great difference is that National's figures are still not released for scrutiny. We have to rely on Willis and Luxon's credibility…….
Willis also said Infometrics economist Brad Olsen believed the estimates were plausible while other economists shared the party's view that taxing foreign buyers would be a good thing to do.
Olsen has told RNZ today National's costings could be made to work by assuming a much larger proportion of foreign buyers purchase $2m-plus properties, however, the figures provided by the economists challenging the costings were also "realistic".
Perhaps in the next year or so if NAct-NZF are the Government, it will be too late for the voters to complain that the then Govt is way out with its numbers. "Ooops," mutters Nicola. "It didn't work out quite the way we said but never mind. We will work out a different plan." And after a brief mumble the voters will move on.
Cynical? Dishonest?
To not disclose their figures means they do not trust them, or they have manipulated or manufactured the numbers. That is cynical because they do not fear the consequences of their dishonesty. They think they can get away with it. To disclose their figures would show their economic incompetence at best, their dishonesty and real intent at worst.
They're not in it for you and me, ianmac.
When you’ve maxed the mortgage, the credit card, the HP and even the pay day lender is no longer interested, at least you can always fall back on Labours fiscal plan.
And when you've taken the piss and had your little laugh, there remains that little problem that Labour's plan is tenable and verified independently, whereas National's plan is still on the back of an envelope somewhere it deserves to be- in a rubbish bin, presumably, because we haven't seen it.
You know Jack …. we have one of the lowest debt levels in the OECD.Then we have one of the best preforming economies as well.
The 6th Labour government has made some efforts to keep inequality in check.
Some wealthy Kiwis (e.g. Luxon, Willis, NAct donors) will be absolutely wetting themselves at the prospect of more wealth flowing their way under a NAct govt.
Almost unnoticed amongst National's hamfisted promises to reduce red tape is one to scrap laws around the Conduct of Financial Institutions Act. This act is basically to put a brake on unethical or poor conduct of financial institutions and insurance companies.
By RNZ's figures some $150 million has been refunded to customers because of this important piece of legislation. Although not specifically stated, I would reckon a large part of this would be the rip off instance finance high interest lenders who had a field day ripping off the desperate before it was enacted.
Now National wants to scrap it. Obviously National does not care about ethical business and has no interest in protecting the vulnerable from rip off merchants.
I hope Labour and the Greens will pick up on this.
http://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018908710
Agree. This legislative reversal is chilling prospect for National and ACT to reverse accepted global standards of customer rights with banks.
Commerce Commission is right to flag this as a risk.
Can't wait to see if the main Aussie banks go over the National or ACT disclosure limit.
National's pathetic tough on Crime while only adding 300 police over 4 years that's a decrease in police numbers as population increase is much bigger.
I heard them boasting about how it would reduce the ratio from 180 to 170 people per policeman.
Gosh!
Population increase at about 100,000 per year that is much less police per head given 77 per 100,000 means 1 extra police per 12,300 people which means less police per head of population.
I think National are banking on a mass exodus starting 15 October to Australia and further overseas , sending back 501s, Australian criminals in NZ, as well as out of work civil servants, rugby and netball coaches, pyjama-wearing beneficiaries, road-cone manufacturers, shearers, shepherds, woke socialists, virtue-signallers, vegans and the gluten-intolerant.
Invited in will be foreign home buyers, so long as they don't live here, apocalypse avoiders, American hidey-hole seekers, mates, one percenters seeking fresh opportunities for wealth, plunder and tax breaks, and consumers of MacDonalds, Starbucks and Kentucky Fries.
Notice how heavily Nact depend on the people's feelings that crime is bad. This is aided by Media playing loud and detailed about the crimes. And after the Election there will be a backpeddling. Crime will get "better" because the gangs can't wear patches. Will it count if patches are smaller or in tattoos?
It has to be based on feelings, ianmac, because numbers and logic are not on their side which is why they can't even produce them.
And of course that is why they can't produce the numbers for their tax cuts. Neither the numbers not the logic actually exist or if they do, they must be kept hidden because they will prove the exact opposite outcome to what the Nats are claiming.
And talking of crime… there's a major incident underway in the vicinity of the Lincoln Rd offramp on Auckland's north western motorway. Gun shots are being exchanged according to witnesses.
That'll have NAct's and NZ First's hearts beating with excitement.
Both perception and reality matters.
Criminal gang membership really has gone up, from 4,900 to 8,900.
Gun crime gone up massively under this government.
Same with youth crime. Up huge over 2 terms.
"Acts intended to cause injury" are also definitely up under this government.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-whole-truth/130965380/the-whole-truth-has-violent-crime-gone-up-under-labour
No point talking about what tattoos signify these days.
Stop repeating their mistruths:
https://www.renews.co.nz/youth-crime-isnt-more-common-its-just-more-visible/
But arkie, it's all about "the vibe"
A “big debate” about "the technical numbers" eh? If only.
'Poor' Nicola can't even justify her working for the Nat's projected revenue from their 15% foreign buyer tax scam – if anyone still believes her numbers then they probably also believe Willis will resign as promised.
To echo arkie-
what are you basing gang membership numbers on?
Again- others get moderated for throwing unattributed stuff into a debate.
Getting an accurate number of active gang members is more difficult than national party tax costings.
Gang members don’t use swipe cards to let us know if they’re in or out.
Voting starts on Monday.
So hopefully we have got past the policy announcements and are into mobilisation.
Holy Cow leave it to the last moment why don't you.
Eastern Bay of Plenty agree deed of settlement for their Treaty claim when voting's about to start.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2309/S00148/te-whanau-a-apanui-and-the-crown-initial-deed-of-settlement.htm
Hard to see ACT+National pushing Treaty settlements if they win.
I would like to see some of Robert Reichs youtube videos on inequality corporate monopolization etc.How the Rich are playing the squeezed middle classes for fools.
Sorry, I can't find the link, but apparently the Medical General Practices are in dire straits due to chronic under-funding which has gone on for years according to Newshub's leading story this evening. So, c.mon Chippy – revisit your tax policy, and bring in a decent wealth tax, PLEASE.