How could anyone one amount a proper defence against this?
Shameful
Saudi Arabia?
One of their Western allies??
New Zealand?!?
Really?
How can this be right?
How does this gel with this country being a liberal democracy?
It doesn’t
All the accused knows is the penalty.
They don’t know who accused them.
They don’t know the evidence against them.
Shouldn’t the accused at least know the charges against them?
Shouldn’t the person or agency behind the charges be known to the accused?
Shouldn’t the accused at least have the right to be at the hearing, instead of being tried in absentia?
Much of the argument seems to have centred on how much the woman can know of the allegations made against her…….
,,,,,,,She has been excluded from most of the process. Instead a “special advocate”, lawyer Ben Keith, was appointed to look at the security information and put forward arguments that might help the woman’s case…….
……Instead the Crown was to give her a summary of the security information, that the judge said should “to the greatest extent possible” convey the gist of the case against her so she could prepare a rebuttal.
Two hearings took place about her case at the High Court in Wellington on Friday. The first was “closed” court in a below-ground courtroom with the woman excluded, but then a second session took place in another courtroom with her via a phone conference.
Another closed court hearing is planned for next week……
A fascinating case, eh? You’re right to express your concerns about it, and I feel similarly. For a citizen to have their passport cancelled on security grounds to “impede her ability to facilitate actions of the type that made her a danger to the security of a country other than New Zealand” suggests the authorities see her as an actual or potential terrorist.
Regardless of that, she has the right to know why. Freedom of information law presumably applies – it’s a puzzle that the judiciary is struggling with it.
An earlier court decision referred to her passport being cancelled on the grounds that it would impede her ability to facilitate actions of the type that made her a danger to the security of a country other than New Zealand.
Which “other” unnamed country is it, that has taken this woman to court?
Is it Israel? Is it Saudi Arabia? Is it Australia? Is it Trump’s America? Is it Indonesia? Is it China?
There are some profound implications whichever country it is, depending on what their motivation is.
Has this country been guilty of human rights violations?
What is it that this person could allegedly do to hurt the “security” of this country?
If this woman is threatening or plotting violence against the security of this other country, why she not being charged with offences under the New Zealand Counter Terrorism Act?
Is this woman’s alleged ability to harm this country, reputational harm?
If she is not a terrorist;
Is she a journalist?
Is she a political activist?
Is she a whistle blower?
How can a foreign country take a New Zealander to court?
The implications for the case of the country of Israel seeking to obtain damages from two New Zealanders is profound.
If the US sinks into totalitarianism, (as some are saying is a very real possibility), will we see further such cases taken against New Zealanders by other countries through our security services?
There was a farmer in Hawkes Bay, Bill Youren, who was refused a passport to visit China in the 1950s. He argued that, although the New Zealand Government had the right to decide which foreigners were allowed to enter New Zealand they had no right to say, in the absence of a war, where New Zealand citizens were allowed to travel.
He did get his passport in the end and visited China several times.
Later on, in the time of the Kirk Government he made the same argument from what many would think was the other side of the fence. He argued, from the same viewpoint, that the New Zealand had no right at all to try and prevent a New Zealand Rugby team visiting South Africa, He didn’t win that one.
Although I have described him as a farmer, which he was for most of his life, he was well versed in the Law. He had, among other things, a LLM with First Class honours and had practised for a short time as a lawyer.
Great article Selwyn and thanks for keeping the ‘blowtorch’ on Bridges and co.
We all worry if the national sleaze have gotten control of all of Jami Lee Ross evidence and recordings already????
Could Jami’s ‘lover’ actually stolen or copied them?
We hope the police seized all Jami Lee Ross’s evidence and files on hard drives along with stored phone texts and voice recordings as the communications industry and the five eyes network also store these files as we all know that storing of all our communications is now stolen and confirmed by several ‘leakers’, Assange, Snowden, kim.com, and Nikki Hagar to name a few.
Quote from Selwyn Manning article; “Because the inquiry reports back to Bridges, who as leader may well be one of the protagonists. Also, the report will not be released to the public which leaves it as a golden prize, the holy grail, for any journalist and, irrespective of who it damns or exonerates, will become a currency for any MP with leadership ambitions.
As it now stands, Bridges’ worst nightmare must be not knowing what Jami-Lee Ross recorded and at what point did he begin taping the National Party leader’s conversations.
If those recordings contain further embarrassing or damaging content and references, then he will be finished as leader. Bridges, as leader, even if he has a clear conscience, must be wracking his memory as to past conversations and comments while knowing the conversations may be in the hands of people with whom he has lost their trust.
And the question remains unanswered: Was Paula Bennett recorded as well?”
What’s important here is that Selwyn is acting in the public interest: “A sworn-to timeline of events is now essential so that the public interest can be satisfied.”
Those seeking to enforce the mushroom strategy via privacy law will shit themselves. He provides some moral guidance to the Nats: “The inquiry must examine the National leadership team’s actions and culture, test whether they acted in a proper and timely manner, and assess whether their actions considered a concern for the welfare and mental health of an MP they had previously supported, promoted, and embedded within their leadership team.”
Of course, none of this will happen. Denial will prevail. The toxic National culture will remain, will very likely take down their current leader, and his replacement eventually as well. National must hit rock bottom before members start to acknowledge that becoming positive role models is better politics.
“Those seeking to enforce the mushroom strategy via privacy law will shit themselves.”
No, Dennis – presuming you are talking about those of us here arguing that no-one has any right to knowledge about Ross’ medical conditions, diagnosis and related matters UNLESS Ross chooses to make this information public – we will not be “shitting ourselves”.
Selwyn understands the very big difference between publicly discussing, and expressing opinions on, the surrounding wider circumstances and timelines etc of the present National Party fiasco from a political perspective – and the much more specific and personal details of an individual person’s medical condition and information and the privacy and civil right law and rules relating to that – regardless of the fact that the person is a parliamentarian at the centre of that fiasco.
You have not understood that very real distinction throughout the discussions here and on other blogs, eg Public Address.
Selwyn does – and has steered well clear of that aspect.
His article is one of the best I have seen to date and I recommend everyone read it.
Also – Whaleoil has a further post up this morning countering in detail some of the timeline and events reported in Fisher’s Herald article yesterday. I will not link but it is an interesting read.
Thanks, that’s an excellent work of philosophical analysis and literary criticism from a woman of discernment, with many penetrating insights. I rate her essay 10/10, and rare nowadays to be so impressed by intellectual artistry. Here’s the section I thought most timely:
“Today, the voguish version of science as religion is transhumanism, which claims that technology will overcome human limitations both physical and mental, perhaps through bioengineering or artificial intelligence or cyborgs that can carry around the contents of our brains. Gray is not sanguine about such developments, should they ever occur, because we already have a model of the mayhem that takes place when some mortals are granted godlike powers: “Anyone who wants a glimpse of what a post-human future might be like should read Homer.””
Trusted – Nicky Hager, Rod Oram for financial news, John Campbell, Gordon Campbell
Not Trusted – where do you start – about 65% of journalists in NZ – Fran O’Sulivan is just a paid for hack, who fell to dirty politics, Patrick Gower who thinks the news is about himself, Hoskings is obviously rock bottom… so many bad ones…
Fran is a curious case – writes a lot of stuff that’s no better than the likes of John Armstrong. But she is a serious journalist, capable of some intellectual rigour, and every now and then she shows it big time.
Maybe she should stop taking all those paid for trips and goodies from business… you might be capable of serious journalism But if you have no sense of personal compromise, and are for Sale, or able to be manipulated. None have any place in serious journalism.
That is, I think, a failure of the community of which she is part, as much as hers. She does stir them up from time to time, but can’t do all the heavy lifting. NZ’s commercial class are big frogs in a small pond – not good for much more than croaking.
Work out how many paid ‘trips’ and ‘perks’ she receives from business and then look at what she promotes and you will see a pattern… I think she’s had free trips to China, Israel, those are the publicised ones…
Trump supporters are going crazy, by first claiming it was a false flag operation by those aligned to ‘liberals’, and now the evidence has pointed to an out and out Trump supporter , they are saying. It was Soros money which paid him to do it.
Trump called them ‘devices’ rather than Bombs and other ways to deny what they are.
“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this “Bomb” stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows”
“In the past, “false flag” theories have mostly been aired in more openly conspiratorial media outlets like Alex Jones’s Infowars.
The term has been used by Jones and other conspiracy theorists to allege that violent attacks have been carried out not by their apparent authors, but by powerful, manipulative actors seeking to deceive observers and hide their own responsibility. Its adoption this week by a broad range of rightwingers suggests an increasing openness to conspiracy theory in more mainstream conservative media.
Bombs sent, people threatened … Trump’s response? Attack the media.
The term has been used by Jones and other conspiracy theorists to allege that violent attacks have been carried out not by their apparent authors, but by powerful, manipulative actors seeking to deceive observers and hide their own responsibility. Its adoption this week by a broad range of rightwingers suggests an increasing openness to conspiracy theory in more mainstream conservative media.”
Just before the alleged bomber’s account was suspended someone archived his follows page. It only caught the first twenty or so but no doubt some of his more notable followees are flat out dumping stuff down the memory hole.
Poor old Phil Twyford.
Imagine having to get up and, in order to protect your boss who has been lying, you have to announce that you have known for the whole year that no other local body will be allowed to have a petrol tax.
Meanwhile you have been telling at least one local body that they should apply to be allowed to levy the tax.
This was after you had told everyone that you first heard about the proposal on the day it had been announced, and you had your associate Minister say that it was the actual announcement in Parliament that was the first he had heard about it.
However the Captain has made a call and wants to lie about when she made it so you are forced to get up and tell everyone that you have a memory like a sieve, and have been gaily misleading the Local Bodies who have been relying on your word.
I realise that Twyford is incompetent but I thought he had a little bit of a spine.
Instead he seems to be like the person described so unfairly by, among others, Paul Keating, Mike Moore and Harold Wilson.
“He is a shiver looking for a spine to run up”.
What is it really about Ardern that prevents her from ever telling the truth about her actions? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12148656
“Her comments follow Transport Minister Phil Twyford suggesting to Radio NZ this morning that he only found out about the ban yesterday, just hours before Ardern publicly ruled out any more regional fuel taxes while she is PM.”
…then…
“”I’ve been fully aware of the Prime Minister’s views on this issue going back to the beginning of this year,” Twyford said. Despite that, he did not inform any of the 14 councils that have expressed an interest in having a regional fuel tax.”
and…
“Twyford has previously encouraged Hamilton City Council to engage with the Minsitry of Transport about a regional fuel tax, and councillor Dave Macpherson said Ardern’s pledge was a kick in the guts.”
If Twyford new about “the Prime Minister’s views on this issue going back to the beginning of this year”, then why was he encouraging councils to “engage with the Minsitry of Transport about a regional fuel tax.”?
Either the PM is lying, or Twyford has lost the plot.
Ardern has excellent political radar (better than Key’s) and if her instincts tell her there’s an issue or threat, she changes tack. It’s an excellent trait and will serve the Coalition Of The Numerate (COTN) extremely well for a very long time.
Twyford is a decent bloke who will ultimately be judged only on whether he can at least partially deflate the housing bubble deliberately engineered by the National Party to enrich their supporters and themselves, without caring in the least that it would mean permanent impoverishment for others.
Such was the moral failure of the foetid Key-English government that no-one will be listening to your partisan nit-picking for years. This is a very, very good thing.
Note: COTN means those people who realise that 37 + 7 +5 > 43
It would help if the Green movement in Aotearoa had an authorititative non-parliamentary media presence. All we have currently is a sporadic stream of single-issue commentary from a bunch of Green groups content to rest on their laurels as an exhibition of middle-class complacency.
Trotter hates the Greens and has never really tried to understand them. He wants rid of them.
He is an unreconstructed Old Lefty and writes very well, often brilliantly, about that sector of traditional left-wing union-dominated politics. Nothing wrong with any of that BTW-all power to the unions.
But why he attacks the Greens when Labour will probably never be able to form a government without the Greens I can’t fathom.
Meanwhile the Greens are polling 7% and doing fine.
You are right Trotter has never been too positive about the Greens, but the current Greens needs a kick up their arses and a dose of the real world.
Banning Twitter is a must so they have interact with real people. Also going outside their normal cliques would probably keep them on a more even keel. Thankfully the Marama and James ‘tweets’ buttons on their websites don’t work or are empty- a metaphor??? who knows.
The new look Green website has been changed so that Marama and James profiles are the leading navigation now.. (Policy 6th along), and about 60% of the site is made up of pics of Marama- crazy
They should join forces with Patrick Gower as the news is starting to be about themselves against what is really going on.
The only interesting thing I found was they they want to make donations over $1000 declared, but in my views does not go far enough, everything or at least everything over $100 should be declared plus make a crime for multiple donations to not be declared if they go over the figure. Do they want transparency or not?
Again Greens are on the right track but then woefully don’t go far enough.
The issue for OIA is also that the applicants put forward all these great proposals via their lawyers for OIA and there is no time frames or penalty if they fail to do what they say.
They need to make the applicant who fails to do what they say to sell the asset and give the full amount back to government plus a fine based on the amount of the assets and the OIA legal costs, if they don’t come through with what they said they would when they bought the asset.
There should also be some sort of public good as well in OIA, at present some of these assets are just being bought and what ever the applicant promised coming to zero with lost jobs, lost assets to community and doing the opposite of their intention.
Yes some naive still believe that social media is a true representation.
“Up to 9.5 million net neutrality comments were made with stolen identities
NY AG subpoenas lobby firms, says fake comments “distort[ed] public opinion.”
Still better policy from Greens as you say the TPPA, but sadly instead of being the frontrunner on their promotions of their party… we get the Marama cult pics.
ridiculous, if it is at the expense of their polices and other members and community. 60% hogging of a website if ridiculous, as is forgetting to put on the real news of real policy fights aka Bearded Git says about TPPA – that is one of Greens big differences from all the other parties that sold out – they should be crying it from the roof tops.
Yes you are right 60% is an overreaction. I guess I’m more interested in the party and it’s policies than the people. I don’t like the new look navigation that has too much (in my view) of the leaders rather than highlighting Green policy which in my view is why people like the Greens aka their Policy.
Too late for me to delete the above comment but I withdraw it, aka suggesting Marama is hogging the website, which is unfair. Sorry, when I looked again at the website again and wider subjects I could see that my comment was wrong.
“”This must mean a lot to you, with you coming from nothing?”
I looked at her, and I laughed.
“I didnae come from nothing,” I told her. “I come from something.”
he explains
“There is this viewpoint that if you have come from the working class you have come from nothing, whereas the middle and upper classes are something, and I don’t hold with that opinion. I think the working class is something. It is everything. They are the builders of society, and without them the whole house falls down.”
and
“I am very proud to be working class, and especially a working-class Glaswegian who has worked in the shipyards. It is something, and don’t you forget it. I come from something. I come from the working class. And, most of all, I come from Scotland.”
Louis CK? He was one of the many guys who got busted for sexual harassment wasn’t he? That’s some great quotes from Connolly, and true too, “from nothing”, how insulting.
Dukeofurl:I do like those words from Billy. They resonate. And those other middle class people who have been pulled and pushed “up” by wealthy parents, are not real people to me. To be measured by wealth seems so wrong.
I don’t actually have a favourite, seeing design and/or functionality flaws in all. I rate Public Address for combining culture with politics in a non-partisan frame suitable for centrists, whilst seeing it as inadequate at the political interface.
Bowalley Road is an ongoing parade of Trotter’s antique leftism, but I’ll give him credit for wising up compared to the Political Review, which was show instead of substance.
Pundit has the fatal flaw of being fronted by people most of whom have been absent non-contributors for years. Old wallpaper. Yet it still has helpful essays and discussions now & then. Werewolf disappoints more often than delivers. I was a fan when Gordon was doing his thing for the Listener in the seventies.
The Archdruid is often excellent on political analysis, and on cultural analysis too. His esoterica is only partially compatible with mine, but he has Green street cred big-time.
I read Newsroom (good) Zerohedge (bit crappy very right wing but sometimes good info especially financial) thecanary (left wing UK) Realclearpolitics and nate silver’s site fivethirtyeight (to follow the US elections) but always start with the Standard.
I used to read The Political Scientist by Puddleglum but there hasn’t been a post for over a year now. They were long, intelligent & insightful, and full of compassion without being patronising, arrogant, or moralising. I do miss it.
I also like exhALANt. Long posts on a wide variety of topics that are well supported with links and clearly not written in just half an hour – clearly a lot of background work goes into those posts (quality & quantity!). Again, compassionate comes to mind.
I also used to read Boots Theory but that has gone quiet too. Good shorter posts from a strong intelligent woman with a great sense of humour.
The only other NZ blogsite I visit is Sciblogs that covers a very wide range of topics, mostly on science stuff of course, but also the politics around it and its place in society. The MSM really dropped the ball in terms of science communication & reporting.
That’s it for me as far as NZ blogs go; a surprisingly small number to keep an eye on 😉
TS takes up much of my very few spare hours during the week and my mind can only cope with so much 🙁
Thanks incognito
I’ve noted those.
I can concur withe your last para, and did a cost-benefit analysis! It showed too high an opportunity cost. Don’t know where Puddleglum went to but always worth reading, also Olwyn, always good, and many others gone. Some may be dead – a lot of us putting our minds to events are getting aged and maybe our minds give out or our time, as we need to pay attention to our failing cohort.
Most but not all people when they get older learn to distinguish between what’s more and less important and accordingly waste less of their time on irrelevant trivia.
One would hope and like to think that many a good poster/commenter here on TS have active lives outside of TS and more enjoyable activities than banging their heads on an electronic device 😉
This was (also) on my mind to me when I wrote my Post Fighting for a just cause is empowering.
Thanks for that. I always enjoyed reading Puddlegum’s comments so it is good to know they are still around and have now bookmarked the Twitter account.
I also rechecked Weka’s Twitter account this morning, and it seems she has not tweeted since April when she left here also.
Hope they get to the bottom of what caused the poisoning as it sounds like it was installed by a plumber.
Can’t think of anything worse than losing a child – especially in a freak accident like that.
The other day was talking to someone and they said a gas powered oven blew up because a ring that was supposed to be fitted to meet NZ standards had not been fitted. The oven was fine, it was correctly installed, but the reseller had not inserted the correct part.
Chris Trotter has also published an analysis of the warping effect of parliament on how the media report politics. His thesis identifies proximity to power as the warp factor. All very `absolutely negatively Wellington’…
“National’s proposed review does, however, serve as a useful pointer to our capital city’s flawed culture of power – as well as to its long-standing imperviousness to reform. There is simply too much power on offer in Wellington for anyone with the slightest chance of wielding it, limiting it.”
“Proximity lies at the heart of the capital’s power culture. The higher an ambitious person climbs, the closer they get to the people who exercise decisive political authority. This proximity works both vertically and horizontally. The higher one climbs, the more opportunities one finds to influence the course of events. This, in turn, encourages other ambitious souls to get as close as possible to the successful climber. Power in Wellington thus flows not only up and down the city’s many hierarchies, but also through them, spreading outwards in all directions.”
“In the centre of this three-dimensional web of power looms the parliamentary complex. The Beehive and the House of Representatives are the most obvious repositories of executive and legislative authority. Easily forgotten, however, when mapping the distribution of power, is the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Its members enjoy an enviable degree of access to the entire cast of Government and Opposition players. In the proximity-to-power stakes, few get as up-close-and-personal as political journalists.”
And we see the curtain parted slightly when Bridges went ballistic against the Gallery media, as in this Tracy Watkins story
Bridges’ valve burst Wednesday evening when he phoned around political editors to warn them he had been defamed and his reputation damaged.[ie repeat it and the lawyers will go after you]
In his conversation with me, he threatened to walk away from our weekly interview because I was too negative.
Yes indeed. Could be just me, but does seem rather trumpian of him to venture off into an aggressive campaign against the media. One can easily imagine the political psychology motivating him: “Me Don Quixote, have big lance, will joust vigorously against the nasty media barbarians!”
I skimmed the Trotter story and this stood out for me
If the true function of a parliamentary press gallery journalist is act as the glove into which power inserts its steely hand, then their formal democratic role is nothing but a sham.
and this is a follow up to questions about how close Ross was to journalists and some that have ‘lost their voice totally in the last 2 weeks’- never a good thing to have writers block when your beat is a fast news cycle ! LOL
“Was Jami-Lee’s downfall the result of him having too many enemies in National’s caucus – or too many friends in the Press Gallery”
And, now here is where you have to suspend credulity a little…
“First KiwiBuild families continues Labour tradition of providing decent, warm, dry homes…..”I won’t be carrying a coffee table today,” Ardern told residents at the new McLennan Park development, a reference to the famous image of former Labour Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage lifting a dining table through the crowd at the opening of the first state house in 1937.”
Is anyone else thinking this will bite them in the arse once those buyers find themselves underwater?
Spiralling cost of living + looming GFC mark II, the depression version *shakes head* equals historic moment, but not one you necessarily want photographed.
spiralling cost of living + looming GFC mark II, the depression, etc will do in anyone – mortgage holder or not.
in fact those holding a mortgage can at least try to find flat mates to help with the cost, but those who rent a shit outta luck under your scenario and can fight for a place under a bridge or in a bus stop??…..
what would be an affordable houseprice price for a million + people city, powerhouse – in fact teh only place in NZ where once has at least a fighting chance at full time all year round work ?
compared to the rest of the country? Serious question.
And then next serious question, why do all houses need to come with a double garage, a ‘entrance hallway with chandelier’, dishwasher and such? Maybe people don’t actually want affordable, but rather trimmings n shit.
“Is anyone else thinking this will bite them in the arse….?”
I thought earlier that their arses would have been well and truly bitten by the mere fact that Our Shiny New Leader very clumsily referenced Savage helping the first State House tenants move in in 1937….their rent being one third of the household’s income. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/we-call-it-home/first-state-house
As if we wouldn’t go lookitup! Fast forward to the 60th birthday of that very first state house and the…
“…the Nysse family, John and Winnie and their three children. The family told the New Zealand Herald that they were finding it difficult to make ends meet under the regime of market rents introduced in 1991. The family’s sole source of income was John’s pension, which brought in $292 per week. After paying a rental of $215, the family was left with just $77 to live on. Whereas the McGregor family had handed over about a third of their income to live in 12 Fife Lane, the Nysse family paid nearly three-quarters of theirs.”
I digress. And am wrongly conflating as I am wont to do.
As if the struggles in 1997 of the Nysee family under the ‘regime of market rents…’ can in anyway be connected to the absolute flucking irony of a current Labour Prime Minister exploiting the birth of state housing in New Zealand at an event assuring their backers of the continuation of government obeisance to the gods of the Market.
Whew.
Thought we were looking at some kind of radical turn- the- clock- back- to -kinder times type crap.
Rosemary “the most ardent Ardern flag wavers are hanging their heads in embarrassment” After reading your comments twice I decided they say more about you than them.
The Government is building state homes, kiwi build homes and partnership homes in an endeavour to make a difference to the availability of houses as homes not gambling chips for developers. Prices have actually begun to stabilise.
You forgot to quote Jacinda’s comment that working middle NZers wanting a home had been shut out in Auckland where the average $million home was out of reach. So $649.000 is $351 000 less is a success in Auckland, and prices will be lower elsewhere in the country for a 4 bed home.
You also didn’t mention how thrilled the couple were. Quote “It felt like winning Lotto to win the ballot to get one of the first 18 houses.
So what was the point of your comment? They should build only state houses.? or
IKiwibuild is a failure because you say so? or Noone should wave a flag at Ardern/Twyford’s parade? or Perhaps I missed something?
Did you miss the bit where Ardern tried to join today’s event with Savage helping the first State House tenants move in back in 1937?
To compare the two is…well…deceitful, and the glamour only works because it seems that the premise that the COL seems to be relying on, to wit, the bulk of the voting public are fwits, holds true.
And maybe you can help me out here….the featured couple who bought the reasonably priced four bedroom Kiwibuild home…where were their children?
They have a little girl I believe. The Mother is a graduating Doctor. Yes Perhaps they should have kept those comparisons for state homes. Don’t forget as soon as in Nov their mortgage takes over, the Governments money will be recycled into another kiwi build home.
patricia, it is hard not to be skeptical after nearly a decade of National, who continued the fine work of the previous Labour government.
National took using the media to polish their image to new heights (or depths), and Key was more than happy to play the grinning fool frontman while the true power operated behind the scenes.
I am yet to be convinced that this PM is not being similarly deployed.
I am not the only left leaning voter who is immune to the hype, and it is our vote which will be needed at the next election if this government’s high sounding plans have a chance to be realised.
Today’s event was poorly constructed and Ardern’s use of the Savage reference was clumsy. And that’s the trouble with turning such an event into a political campaign….a major slip like that will be seen by all. A smart media advisor should be working out a way to mitigate the damage.
Or not.
They can gamble on securing the vote of the hard working middle and say ‘stuff the poor and the sick and the disabled, we’ll pitch to the middle with Kiwibuild and a few we-do-give-a-shit-about the-planet policies’ and hope like hell that National aren’t able to rise from the ashes by the time the hoardings go up.
Rosemary, the carer’s and poor issues should have higher priority for sure.
Housing New Zealand has news item 24th October 2018 you might find interesting. Regenerating regional nz housing.
A short and pointless attack piece from Brigitte Morten on RNZ. Actually seems like she is struggling to find an angle to attack on.
She refers to “what they delivered to taxpayers”. Of course a government should deliver to citizens, regardless of what tax they are paying. A Freudian slip from a right-wing mentality – unable to see the difference between a community and a country – and a profit-seeking business.
Because he’s an old fossil that thinks she’s really a nice young filly despite all her silly politics?
And there was also NZ’s musical icon – a balding Dave Dobbyn dressed in a designer shirt and jeans singing ‘Welcome Home’
I predicted that if Trump loses the midterms that his supporters would react violently against the people and organisations Trump regularly targets in his speeches.
It looks like one of his supporters couldn’t wait that long.
When this Right Wing violence targeting the Left breaks out, and Left act to defend themselves, I think we can expect that Donald Trump will say again, “There was violence on both sides folks.”
Before using the unrest to impose martial law.
“Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel and right-wing radio have preyed upon those who’ve seen their American Dream go up in smoke, and they have helped to create a generation of angry and violent conspiracy theorists who will believe any lie that is perpetrated on those airwaves. These angry right wing men have been openly encouraged to act on those lies, even as late as this very morning when Trump was tweeting his doubts that the bombs were real.”
After condemning violence Trump goes on to minimise the bombing threats by likening these attacks to the criticism he commonly receives from the media.
Kia ora Robert from R&R Aotearoa has some raciest bias problem but by know means is it as bad as the other 4 eyes they have a much bigger problems with raciest problems.
Stereotyping maori a theft that’s the mindset the sandflys think I have got but we know that there ancestor robbed maori .
So teaching the all the moko’s about our history and how great maori culture is will be the way to change the other cultures views on Maori .
Ka kite ano P.S Thats correct Maori are raciest to I have said what my nicname was when I was young no one is going to call me that now.
The Hui doctor Joe Williams should be given a taonga for his work in using natural .
Cream for healing eczema that has healed a lot of people.
You know that big Pharma are pushing to suppress Doctor Joe and his cures the old who suppressing alternative medicines they cannot charge you if you can use plants to heal people.
Ka pai to the first Wahine Maori Temata as the student president of Victoria University .
I say she will make a good politician Ka pai.
Ka kite ano
Obama cited a recent Trump comment that he would pass a tax cut before the November election. “Congress isn’t even in session before the election. He just makes stuff up,” he said. Ana to kai trump . Ka kite ano trump Ka kite ano link is below.
Before national got into power 10 years ago I remember seeing story comparing Aus Brit NZ grocery prices and NZ was the cheapest there is noway any peoples government should let our country have duopoly being in control of any industry let alone our food supply industry’s these company’s are just bleeding NZ dry. Time to reset there game how can it be justified that one can buy NZ grown food in Britain & Aussie cheaper than NZ .
The Countdown group of New Zealand stores reported revenue of $6.36b and profit of $284m this year, with a gross margin of 24.2 per cent.
In the South Island, Foodstuffs’ revenue was more than $3 billion, with operating profit of more than $293m. It distributed to its members $280m, an increase of $6.6m or 2.4 per cent for the latest financial year, including a “loyalty rebate” of $53m.
Foodstuffs North Island, which claims 47 per cent market share in its latest annual report, recorded revenue of $6.6 billion and operating profit of $210.4 million. Its chairman’s report said putting pressure on costs had reduced supply chain costs by $5m, and helped it distribute $140.3m to co-operative members in the year.
Ka kite ano link below.
Kia ora Newshub Its a windy day in Wellington Melisa tawhiri doing the his thing.
Eco Maori gives condolences to the family’s who lost love one in the Pittsburgh shooting.
Loyd that helicopter crash in Leicester after the soccer match is a shocker did the owner go down in that crash condolences to the family’s to .
Doctor Joe I thought it was a organic cream why has he been fined it works and some big companys are selling prouducts that kill he is not making millions off it just healing the sick. Its a illusion .
The will to live is a good Idea to support farmers mental health our farmers are put under a lot of stress. Ka kite ano P.S I have a actor that’s a little distraction
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
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A Travesty of Justice
Closed courts. Secret trials. Secret evidence. Anonymous complainants. Hearings in absentia. Secret underground court room.
How could anyone one amount a proper defence against this?
Shameful
Saudi Arabia?
One of their Western allies??
New Zealand?!?
Really?
How can this be right?
How does this gel with this country being a liberal democracy?
It doesn’t
All the accused knows is the penalty.
They don’t know who accused them.
They don’t know the evidence against them.
Shouldn’t the accused at least know the charges against them?
Shouldn’t the person or agency behind the charges be known to the accused?
Shouldn’t the accused at least have the right to be at the hearing, instead of being tried in absentia?
A fascinating case, eh? You’re right to express your concerns about it, and I feel similarly. For a citizen to have their passport cancelled on security grounds to “impede her ability to facilitate actions of the type that made her a danger to the security of a country other than New Zealand” suggests the authorities see her as an actual or potential terrorist.
Regardless of that, she has the right to know why. Freedom of information law presumably applies – it’s a puzzle that the judiciary is struggling with it.
It’s astounding
Which “other” unnamed country is it, that has taken this woman to court?
Is it Israel? Is it Saudi Arabia? Is it Australia? Is it Trump’s America? Is it Indonesia? Is it China?
There are some profound implications whichever country it is, depending on what their motivation is.
Has this country been guilty of human rights violations?
What is it that this person could allegedly do to hurt the “security” of this country?
If this woman is threatening or plotting violence against the security of this other country, why she not being charged with offences under the New Zealand Counter Terrorism Act?
Is this woman’s alleged ability to harm this country, reputational harm?
If she is not a terrorist;
Is she a journalist?
Is she a political activist?
Is she a whistle blower?
How can a foreign country take a New Zealander to court?
The implications for the case of the country of Israel seeking to obtain damages from two New Zealanders is profound.
If the US sinks into totalitarianism, (as some are saying is a very real possibility), will we see further such cases taken against New Zealanders by other countries through our security services?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/01-02-2018/no-really-new-zealanders-are-being-sued-for-asking-lorde-to-boycott-israel/
Its Australia. She was living in Melbourne. The Aussies have been cancelling passports of their citizens ‘suspected of involvement in the Syrian civil war and ISIS
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/australia-strips-five-of-citizenship-over-isis-links
and we have done this before
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-03-2018/this-isnt-the-first-time-new-zealand-has-denied-a-citizen-their-passport/
Australia also has been making those who were born overseas prove their citizenship even when reapplying for a passport. This can even affect older people born in UK, but Im sure its aimed at other ethnicities
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-31/australian-passport-holders-must-prove-citizenship-to-renew/10051488
There was a farmer in Hawkes Bay, Bill Youren, who was refused a passport to visit China in the 1950s. He argued that, although the New Zealand Government had the right to decide which foreigners were allowed to enter New Zealand they had no right to say, in the absence of a war, where New Zealand citizens were allowed to travel.
He did get his passport in the end and visited China several times.
Later on, in the time of the Kirk Government he made the same argument from what many would think was the other side of the fence. He argued, from the same viewpoint, that the New Zealand had no right at all to try and prevent a New Zealand Rugby team visiting South Africa, He didn’t win that one.
Although I have described him as a farmer, which he was for most of his life, he was well versed in the Law. He had, among other things, a LLM with First Class honours and had practised for a short time as a lawyer.
I dont think Kirk could stop the ABs touring South Africa but he did stop the Springboks coming here
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/labour-government-postpones-springbok-tour
NZ toured RSA in 1970 and again in 1976 ( after labour was defeated and national made much hay of the cancelled Springbok tour here)
Alwrong again.
Sorry. Wrong PM.
Yes it was the 1976 tour and the protests about the New Zealand team touring. The protests went on though.
Great in-depth article placed by Selwyn Manning today on TDB is worth a look as it raises concerns I bring up here to.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/10/27/special-investigation-jami-lee-ross-national-affairs-and-the-public-interest/
Great article Selwyn and thanks for keeping the ‘blowtorch’ on Bridges and co.
We all worry if the national sleaze have gotten control of all of Jami Lee Ross evidence and recordings already????
Could Jami’s ‘lover’ actually stolen or copied them?
We hope the police seized all Jami Lee Ross’s evidence and files on hard drives along with stored phone texts and voice recordings as the communications industry and the five eyes network also store these files as we all know that storing of all our communications is now stolen and confirmed by several ‘leakers’, Assange, Snowden, kim.com, and Nikki Hagar to name a few.
Quote from Selwyn Manning article; “Because the inquiry reports back to Bridges, who as leader may well be one of the protagonists. Also, the report will not be released to the public which leaves it as a golden prize, the holy grail, for any journalist and, irrespective of who it damns or exonerates, will become a currency for any MP with leadership ambitions.
As it now stands, Bridges’ worst nightmare must be not knowing what Jami-Lee Ross recorded and at what point did he begin taping the National Party leader’s conversations.
If those recordings contain further embarrassing or damaging content and references, then he will be finished as leader. Bridges, as leader, even if he has a clear conscience, must be wracking his memory as to past conversations and comments while knowing the conversations may be in the hands of people with whom he has lost their trust.
And the question remains unanswered: Was Paula Bennett recorded as well?”
[Fixed the link for ya – MS]
What’s important here is that Selwyn is acting in the public interest: “A sworn-to timeline of events is now essential so that the public interest can be satisfied.”
Those seeking to enforce the mushroom strategy via privacy law will shit themselves. He provides some moral guidance to the Nats: “The inquiry must examine the National leadership team’s actions and culture, test whether they acted in a proper and timely manner, and assess whether their actions considered a concern for the welfare and mental health of an MP they had previously supported, promoted, and embedded within their leadership team.”
Of course, none of this will happen. Denial will prevail. The toxic National culture will remain, will very likely take down their current leader, and his replacement eventually as well. National must hit rock bottom before members start to acknowledge that becoming positive role models is better politics.
“Those seeking to enforce the mushroom strategy via privacy law will shit themselves.”
No, Dennis – presuming you are talking about those of us here arguing that no-one has any right to knowledge about Ross’ medical conditions, diagnosis and related matters UNLESS Ross chooses to make this information public – we will not be “shitting ourselves”.
Selwyn understands the very big difference between publicly discussing, and expressing opinions on, the surrounding wider circumstances and timelines etc of the present National Party fiasco from a political perspective – and the much more specific and personal details of an individual person’s medical condition and information and the privacy and civil right law and rules relating to that – regardless of the fact that the person is a parliamentarian at the centre of that fiasco.
You have not understood that very real distinction throughout the discussions here and on other blogs, eg Public Address.
Selwyn does – and has steered well clear of that aspect.
His article is one of the best I have seen to date and I recommend everyone read it.
As well as on TDB, it can also be read here
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/10/27/special-investigation-jami-lee-ross-national-affairs-and-the-public-interest/
https://eveningreport.nz/2018/10/25/evening-report-analysis-national-affairs-and-the-public-interest/
Also – Whaleoil has a further post up this morning countering in detail some of the timeline and events reported in Fisher’s Herald article yesterday. I will not link but it is an interesting read.
Here’s an interesting Saturday morning read for those inclined….
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/29/why-are-americans-still-uncomfortable-with-atheism
Thanks, that’s an excellent work of philosophical analysis and literary criticism from a woman of discernment, with many penetrating insights. I rate her essay 10/10, and rare nowadays to be so impressed by intellectual artistry. Here’s the section I thought most timely:
“Today, the voguish version of science as religion is transhumanism, which claims that technology will overcome human limitations both physical and mental, perhaps through bioengineering or artificial intelligence or cyborgs that can carry around the contents of our brains. Gray is not sanguine about such developments, should they ever occur, because we already have a model of the mayhem that takes place when some mortals are granted godlike powers: “Anyone who wants a glimpse of what a post-human future might be like should read Homer.””
Who are the most trusted journalists and reporters in NZ?
Who are the most biased journalists and reporters in NZ?
That would be the ones who seem to support or not your views.
It’s subjective
Moderator can you correct the first word in my second question to Who.
Not sure how it got changed.
[Done – MS]
Trusted – Nicky Hager, Rod Oram for financial news, John Campbell, Gordon Campbell
Not Trusted – where do you start – about 65% of journalists in NZ – Fran O’Sulivan is just a paid for hack, who fell to dirty politics, Patrick Gower who thinks the news is about himself, Hoskings is obviously rock bottom… so many bad ones…
Fran is a curious case – writes a lot of stuff that’s no better than the likes of John Armstrong. But she is a serious journalist, capable of some intellectual rigour, and every now and then she shows it big time.
Maybe she should stop taking all those paid for trips and goodies from business… you might be capable of serious journalism But if you have no sense of personal compromise, and are for Sale, or able to be manipulated. None have any place in serious journalism.
That is, I think, a failure of the community of which she is part, as much as hers. She does stir them up from time to time, but can’t do all the heavy lifting. NZ’s commercial class are big frogs in a small pond – not good for much more than croaking.
O’Sullivan certainly can be an intelligent and thoughtful commentator. But she dumbs it down severely whenever she appears on NewstalkZzzzzB….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/ummmm-ahhhh-you-know-eloquence-of-fran.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-eloquence-of-fran-osullivan-13412.html
Think your wrong about Fran, she is ideologically different from you and I. But she is honest about it.
Work out how many paid ‘trips’ and ‘perks’ she receives from business and then look at what she promotes and you will see a pattern… I think she’s had free trips to China, Israel, those are the publicised ones…
It goes with the job.
You’ll notice Hosking doesn’t get them, though he writes for the same rag – he’s not journalist enough for his take to be worth anything.
Fran is establishment – but at least she’s a thinker. And there are so many muppets nowadays who aren’t.
Bernard Orsman often has things worth reading about, as much as he can operate within the bounds of Granny.
Granny also has Raybon Kan who is very funny, and also Steve Braunias.
Simon Wilson is excellent and I think unbiased
I agree.
Hager and John Campbell are my pick for most trusted.
Some presenters are slick like Lisa Owen.
Which proves my point. I think Hagar is far from trustworthy.
I think most try to do a good job.
It’s all depending on your view.
I trust Gordon Campbell. He does call labour on stuff and I always feel I am getting an informed view
As is human nature
Any one who always writes stuff someone agrees with will be their most trusted (and balanced).
Any one who writes stuff they disagree with, their most biased
They may have arrested the postal bomber in the US.
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/clintons-obama-suspicious-packages/index.html
If found guilty I’m guessing he will be spending the rest of his life in a US super max cell. As he should. (Pity we don’t have them here).
Trump supporters are going crazy, by first claiming it was a false flag operation by those aligned to ‘liberals’, and now the evidence has pointed to an out and out Trump supporter , they are saying. It was Soros money which paid him to do it.
Trump called them ‘devices’ rather than Bombs and other ways to deny what they are.
“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this “Bomb” stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows”
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/26/1807470/-Just-because-a-right-wing-Trump-supporter-is-in-custody-don-t-expect-the-conspiracy-theories-to-stop
He’s certainly a tRumpanzee.
https://twitter.com/itsleobcarter/status/1055867221912752129?s=21
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055867221912752129.html?refreshed=yes
#MAGABomber
“In the past, “false flag” theories have mostly been aired in more openly conspiratorial media outlets like Alex Jones’s Infowars.
The term has been used by Jones and other conspiracy theorists to allege that violent attacks have been carried out not by their apparent authors, but by powerful, manipulative actors seeking to deceive observers and hide their own responsibility. Its adoption this week by a broad range of rightwingers suggests an increasing openness to conspiracy theory in more mainstream conservative media.
Bombs sent, people threatened … Trump’s response? Attack the media.
The term has been used by Jones and other conspiracy theorists to allege that violent attacks have been carried out not by their apparent authors, but by powerful, manipulative actors seeking to deceive observers and hide their own responsibility. Its adoption this week by a broad range of rightwingers suggests an increasing openness to conspiracy theory in more mainstream conservative media.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/26/pipe-bombs-false-flag-claims-ann-coulter-rush-limbaugh-conspiracy-theories
Just before the alleged bomber’s account was suspended someone archived his follows page. It only caught the first twenty or so but no doubt some of his more notable followees are flat out dumping stuff down the memory hole.
http://archive.is/QG8VQ
Poor old Phil Twyford.
Imagine having to get up and, in order to protect your boss who has been lying, you have to announce that you have known for the whole year that no other local body will be allowed to have a petrol tax.
Meanwhile you have been telling at least one local body that they should apply to be allowed to levy the tax.
This was after you had told everyone that you first heard about the proposal on the day it had been announced, and you had your associate Minister say that it was the actual announcement in Parliament that was the first he had heard about it.
However the Captain has made a call and wants to lie about when she made it so you are forced to get up and tell everyone that you have a memory like a sieve, and have been gaily misleading the Local Bodies who have been relying on your word.
I realise that Twyford is incompetent but I thought he had a little bit of a spine.
Instead he seems to be like the person described so unfairly by, among others, Paul Keating, Mike Moore and Harold Wilson.
“He is a shiver looking for a spine to run up”.
What is it really about Ardern that prevents her from ever telling the truth about her actions?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12148656
From your link:
“Her comments follow Transport Minister Phil Twyford suggesting to Radio NZ this morning that he only found out about the ban yesterday, just hours before Ardern publicly ruled out any more regional fuel taxes while she is PM.”
…then…
“”I’ve been fully aware of the Prime Minister’s views on this issue going back to the beginning of this year,” Twyford said. Despite that, he did not inform any of the 14 councils that have expressed an interest in having a regional fuel tax.”
and…
“Twyford has previously encouraged Hamilton City Council to engage with the Minsitry of Transport about a regional fuel tax, and councillor Dave Macpherson said Ardern’s pledge was a kick in the guts.”
If Twyford new about “the Prime Minister’s views on this issue going back to the beginning of this year”, then why was he encouraging councils to “engage with the Minsitry of Transport about a regional fuel tax.”?
Either the PM is lying, or Twyford has lost the plot.
Maybe he thought he could get her to change her mind shadders.
Wouldn’t the best way to try to do that would be ‘in house’, rather than make one or both of them look silly?
Ardern has excellent political radar (better than Key’s) and if her instincts tell her there’s an issue or threat, she changes tack. It’s an excellent trait and will serve the Coalition Of The Numerate (COTN) extremely well for a very long time.
Twyford is a decent bloke who will ultimately be judged only on whether he can at least partially deflate the housing bubble deliberately engineered by the National Party to enrich their supporters and themselves, without caring in the least that it would mean permanent impoverishment for others.
Such was the moral failure of the foetid Key-English government that no-one will be listening to your partisan nit-picking for years. This is a very, very good thing.
Note: COTN means those people who realise that 37 + 7 +5 > 43
Chris Trotter has a moan at the Greens, and I was rather surprised to conclude upon reading his rationale that I need offer no critique. Bill’s stance has seemed similar.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2018/10/who-do-greens-think-they-are.html
It would help if the Green movement in Aotearoa had an authorititative non-parliamentary media presence. All we have currently is a sporadic stream of single-issue commentary from a bunch of Green groups content to rest on their laurels as an exhibition of middle-class complacency.
Trotter hates the Greens and has never really tried to understand them. He wants rid of them.
He is an unreconstructed Old Lefty and writes very well, often brilliantly, about that sector of traditional left-wing union-dominated politics. Nothing wrong with any of that BTW-all power to the unions.
But why he attacks the Greens when Labour will probably never be able to form a government without the Greens I can’t fathom.
Meanwhile the Greens are polling 7% and doing fine.
You are right Trotter has never been too positive about the Greens, but the current Greens needs a kick up their arses and a dose of the real world.
Banning Twitter is a must so they have interact with real people. Also going outside their normal cliques would probably keep them on a more even keel. Thankfully the Marama and James ‘tweets’ buttons on their websites don’t work or are empty- a metaphor??? who knows.
The new look Green website has been changed so that Marama and James profiles are the leading navigation now.. (Policy 6th along), and about 60% of the site is made up of pics of Marama- crazy
They should join forces with Patrick Gower as the news is starting to be about themselves against what is really going on.
The only interesting thing I found was they they want to make donations over $1000 declared, but in my views does not go far enough, everything or at least everything over $100 should be declared plus make a crime for multiple donations to not be declared if they go over the figure. Do they want transparency or not?
Green Party welcomes review of Overseas Investment, will push for protection of water and Māori cultural values
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/green-party-welcomes-review-overseas-investment-will-push-protection-water-and
Again Greens are on the right track but then woefully don’t go far enough.
The issue for OIA is also that the applicants put forward all these great proposals via their lawyers for OIA and there is no time frames or penalty if they fail to do what they say.
They need to make the applicant who fails to do what they say to sell the asset and give the full amount back to government plus a fine based on the amount of the assets and the OIA legal costs, if they don’t come through with what they said they would when they bought the asset.
There should also be some sort of public good as well in OIA, at present some of these assets are just being bought and what ever the applicant promised coming to zero with lost jobs, lost assets to community and doing the opposite of their intention.
Banning Twitter is a must so they have interact with real people.
Oh dear, not only do we have to deal with the fake left but now fake people as well.
Yes some naive still believe that social media is a true representation.
“Up to 9.5 million net neutrality comments were made with stolen identities
NY AG subpoenas lobby firms, says fake comments “distort[ed] public opinion.”
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/up-to-9-5-million-net-neutrality-comments-were-made-with-stolen-identities/
Mmmm…thanks for that SaveNZ….yes the cult of Marama weird.
Transport is a good issue for the Greens-they need Genter back and firing.
But they were the only party to vote against TPPA this week (or whatever it is called now). Trotter could have mentioned that.
Still better policy from Greens as you say the TPPA, but sadly instead of being the frontrunner on their promotions of their party… we get the Marama cult pics.
A party promoting their new co-leader, how ridiculous.
ridiculous, if it is at the expense of their polices and other members and community. 60% hogging of a website if ridiculous, as is forgetting to put on the real news of real policy fights aka Bearded Git says about TPPA – that is one of Greens big differences from all the other parties that sold out – they should be crying it from the roof tops.
60% hogging of a website
You must be looking at a different website.
Yes you are right 60% is an overreaction. I guess I’m more interested in the party and it’s policies than the people. I don’t like the new look navigation that has too much (in my view) of the leaders rather than highlighting Green policy which in my view is why people like the Greens aka their Policy.
Too late for me to delete the above comment but I withdraw it, aka suggesting Marama is hogging the website, which is unfair. Sorry, when I looked again at the website again and wider subjects I could see that my comment was wrong.
Trotter has attacked labour too
Lovely story about Billy Connolly.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/107964345/billy-connolly-would-like-to-correct-a-misconception
He had to correct a BBC reporter who was doing a sit down interview
“”This must mean a lot to you, with you coming from nothing?”
I looked at her, and I laughed.
“I didnae come from nothing,” I told her. “I come from something.”
he explains
“There is this viewpoint that if you have come from the working class you have come from nothing, whereas the middle and upper classes are something, and I don’t hold with that opinion. I think the working class is something. It is everything. They are the builders of society, and without them the whole house falls down.”
and
“I am very proud to be working class, and especially a working-class Glaswegian who has worked in the shipyards. It is something, and don’t you forget it. I come from something. I come from the working class. And, most of all, I come from Scotland.”
Man, I can’t stand Connolly. Give me Dylan Moran or Louis C.K. any day
Cant stand Connolly ?
Look again
https://bettygeorgeassociates.com/2017/06/13/gp-prescribes-watching-billy-connolly-to-treat-depression/
‘facilitated a change of state within his patient through: laughter, guided visualisation and metaphor – because that is what Billy Connolly does so brilliantly.’
Nope, just don’t like his comedy or style
Louis CK? He was one of the many guys who got busted for sexual harassment wasn’t he? That’s some great quotes from Connolly, and true too, “from nothing”, how insulting.
Indeed he was but that doesn’t make him any less funny, his assault admission not withstanding of course
I dunno. I really liked a lot of LCK’s stuff, but now it palls a bit. Especially the wank jokes.
At least it wasn’t a cover to enable his offending, though, like it was for Cosby.
You are right in some of CK’s are less “imagine if…” and more “I did this…” if you follow me. Still funny as hell
Dukeofurl:I do like those words from Billy. They resonate. And those other middle class people who have been pulled and pushed “up” by wealthy parents, are not real people to me. To be measured by wealth seems so wrong.
I’m doing a NZ blog check. What are people’s favourite blogs, including their own? And can yiou give a brief reason?
Mine is currently being reconfigured but the dated original is still online, plus the other: http://www.alternativeaotearoa.org/ & http://altaotearoa.blogspot.com/
I don’t actually have a favourite, seeing design and/or functionality flaws in all. I rate Public Address for combining culture with politics in a non-partisan frame suitable for centrists, whilst seeing it as inadequate at the political interface.
Bowalley Road is an ongoing parade of Trotter’s antique leftism, but I’ll give him credit for wising up compared to the Political Review, which was show instead of substance.
Pundit has the fatal flaw of being fronted by people most of whom have been absent non-contributors for years. Old wallpaper. Yet it still has helpful essays and discussions now & then. Werewolf disappoints more often than delivers. I was a fan when Gordon was doing his thing for the Listener in the seventies.
The Archdruid is often excellent on political analysis, and on cultural analysis too. His esoterica is only partially compatible with mine, but he has Green street cred big-time.
Favourite blog, the standard 100+
I read Newsroom (good) Zerohedge (bit crappy very right wing but sometimes good info especially financial) thecanary (left wing UK) Realclearpolitics and nate silver’s site fivethirtyeight (to follow the US elections) but always start with the Standard.
Thanks for the replies. Any others who have a favourite one which should be read? .I will check again.
I used to read The Political Scientist by Puddleglum but there hasn’t been a post for over a year now. They were long, intelligent & insightful, and full of compassion without being patronising, arrogant, or moralising. I do miss it.
I also like exhALANt. Long posts on a wide variety of topics that are well supported with links and clearly not written in just half an hour – clearly a lot of background work goes into those posts (quality & quantity!). Again, compassionate comes to mind.
I also used to read Boots Theory but that has gone quiet too. Good shorter posts from a strong intelligent woman with a great sense of humour.
The only other NZ blogsite I visit is Sciblogs that covers a very wide range of topics, mostly on science stuff of course, but also the politics around it and its place in society. The MSM really dropped the ball in terms of science communication & reporting.
That’s it for me as far as NZ blogs go; a surprisingly small number to keep an eye on 😉
TS takes up much of my very few spare hours during the week and my mind can only cope with so much 🙁
Thanks incognito
I’ve noted those.
I can concur withe your last para, and did a cost-benefit analysis! It showed too high an opportunity cost. Don’t know where Puddleglum went to but always worth reading, also Olwyn, always good, and many others gone. Some may be dead – a lot of us putting our minds to events are getting aged and maybe our minds give out or our time, as we need to pay attention to our failing cohort.
I’m glad to say that Puddleglum is still alive; the other day Carolyn_Nth, who’s apparently on Twitter, mentioned Puddleglum’s Twitter status: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-10-2018/#comment-1539608
Most but not all people when they get older learn to distinguish between what’s more and less important and accordingly waste less of their time on irrelevant trivia.
One would hope and like to think that many a good poster/commenter here on TS have active lives outside of TS and more enjoyable activities than banging their heads on an electronic device 😉
This was (also) on my mind to me when I wrote my Post Fighting for a just cause is empowering.
Thanks for that. I always enjoyed reading Puddlegum’s comments so it is good to know they are still around and have now bookmarked the Twitter account.
I also rechecked Weka’s Twitter account this morning, and it seems she has not tweeted since April when she left here also.
I do hope all is well with her. And Tracey also.
I cannot shine any light on Weka but I do join you in wishing her and Tracey all the best for them.
+1
It certainly will be empowering when you are with a keen, enquiring, friendly, envisaging and visionary, loyal team.
Tragic story
Mum of boy who died in gas-powered shower talks of her pain
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12148046
Hope they get to the bottom of what caused the poisoning as it sounds like it was installed by a plumber.
Can’t think of anything worse than losing a child – especially in a freak accident like that.
The other day was talking to someone and they said a gas powered oven blew up because a ring that was supposed to be fitted to meet NZ standards had not been fitted. The oven was fine, it was correctly installed, but the reseller had not inserted the correct part.
Chris Trotter has also published an analysis of the warping effect of parliament on how the media report politics. His thesis identifies proximity to power as the warp factor. All very `absolutely negatively Wellington’…
“National’s proposed review does, however, serve as a useful pointer to our capital city’s flawed culture of power – as well as to its long-standing imperviousness to reform. There is simply too much power on offer in Wellington for anyone with the slightest chance of wielding it, limiting it.”
“Proximity lies at the heart of the capital’s power culture. The higher an ambitious person climbs, the closer they get to the people who exercise decisive political authority. This proximity works both vertically and horizontally. The higher one climbs, the more opportunities one finds to influence the course of events. This, in turn, encourages other ambitious souls to get as close as possible to the successful climber. Power in Wellington thus flows not only up and down the city’s many hierarchies, but also through them, spreading outwards in all directions.”
“In the centre of this three-dimensional web of power looms the parliamentary complex. The Beehive and the House of Representatives are the most obvious repositories of executive and legislative authority. Easily forgotten, however, when mapping the distribution of power, is the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Its members enjoy an enviable degree of access to the entire cast of Government and Opposition players. In the proximity-to-power stakes, few get as up-close-and-personal as political journalists.”
He proceeds to explain the incentive structure that motivates the reportage, to establish a persuasive thesis: http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2018/10/too-close-for-comfort.html
And we see the curtain parted slightly when Bridges went ballistic against the Gallery media, as in this Tracy Watkins story
Bridges’ valve burst Wednesday evening when he phoned around political editors to warn them he had been defamed and his reputation damaged.[ie repeat it and the lawyers will go after you]
In his conversation with me, he threatened to walk away from our weekly interview because I was too negative.
Warning the political editors about defamation seems to have worked, the only words about Ross tapes now acceptable is ‘exonerated’ – when of course it does no such thing, as Ross will still have additional first hand testimony
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/107971088/the-jamilee-ross-saga–dirty-ugly-nasty-politics-with-no-end-in-sight
Yes indeed. Could be just me, but does seem rather trumpian of him to venture off into an aggressive campaign against the media. One can easily imagine the political psychology motivating him: “Me Don Quixote, have big lance, will joust vigorously against the nasty media barbarians!”
I skimmed the Trotter story and this stood out for me
If the true function of a parliamentary press gallery journalist is act as the glove into which power inserts its steely hand, then their formal democratic role is nothing but a sham.
and this is a follow up to questions about how close Ross was to journalists and some that have ‘lost their voice totally in the last 2 weeks’- never a good thing to have writers block when your beat is a fast news cycle ! LOL
“Was Jami-Lee’s downfall the result of him having too many enemies in National’s caucus – or too many friends in the Press Gallery”
If you need a laugh. 30 minutes.
Love the drag name!!!
“If you need a laugh.”
Yes. Please. Thank you.
Nicely rounds out Connolly, and a belated introduction to Jim Jeffries.
So, gala event in Papakura today. They have the lights, cameras, the politicians and most importantly the iconic Kiwi bard warbling in the background.
Welcome Home!
To your affordable $649,000 Kiwibuild house.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108157197/first-kiwibuild-families-welcomed-to-new-homes-by-prime-minister
And, now here is where you have to suspend credulity a little…
“First KiwiBuild families continues Labour tradition of providing decent, warm, dry homes…..”I won’t be carrying a coffee table today,” Ardern told residents at the new McLennan Park development, a reference to the famous image of former Labour Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage lifting a dining table through the crowd at the opening of the first state house in 1937.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12149888
Sorry if others have already shared these wonderful news stories here…I did look…
Perhaps even the most ardent Ardern flagwavers are hanging their heads in embarrassment?
Is anyone else thinking this will bite them in the arse once those buyers find themselves underwater?
Spiralling cost of living + looming GFC mark II, the depression version *shakes head* equals historic moment, but not one you necessarily want photographed.
spiralling cost of living + looming GFC mark II, the depression, etc will do in anyone – mortgage holder or not.
in fact those holding a mortgage can at least try to find flat mates to help with the cost, but those who rent a shit outta luck under your scenario and can fight for a place under a bridge or in a bus stop??…..
what would be an affordable houseprice price for a million + people city, powerhouse – in fact teh only place in NZ where once has at least a fighting chance at full time all year round work ?
compared to the rest of the country? Serious question.
And then next serious question, why do all houses need to come with a double garage, a ‘entrance hallway with chandelier’, dishwasher and such? Maybe people don’t actually want affordable, but rather trimmings n shit.
“Is anyone else thinking this will bite them in the arse….?”
I thought earlier that their arses would have been well and truly bitten by the mere fact that Our Shiny New Leader very clumsily referenced Savage helping the first State House tenants move in in 1937….their rent being one third of the household’s income. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/we-call-it-home/first-state-house
As if we wouldn’t go lookitup! Fast forward to the 60th birthday of that very first state house and the…
“…the Nysse family, John and Winnie and their three children. The family told the New Zealand Herald that they were finding it difficult to make ends meet under the regime of market rents introduced in 1991. The family’s sole source of income was John’s pension, which brought in $292 per week. After paying a rental of $215, the family was left with just $77 to live on. Whereas the McGregor family had handed over about a third of their income to live in 12 Fife Lane, the Nysse family paid nearly three-quarters of theirs.”
I digress. And am wrongly conflating as I am wont to do.
As if the struggles in 1997 of the Nysee family under the ‘regime of market rents…’ can in anyway be connected to the absolute flucking irony of a current Labour Prime Minister exploiting the birth of state housing in New Zealand at an event assuring their backers of the continuation of government obeisance to the gods of the Market.
Whew.
Thought we were looking at some kind of radical turn- the- clock- back- to -kinder times type crap.
Rosemary “the most ardent Ardern flag wavers are hanging their heads in embarrassment” After reading your comments twice I decided they say more about you than them.
The Government is building state homes, kiwi build homes and partnership homes in an endeavour to make a difference to the availability of houses as homes not gambling chips for developers. Prices have actually begun to stabilise.
You forgot to quote Jacinda’s comment that working middle NZers wanting a home had been shut out in Auckland where the average $million home was out of reach. So $649.000 is $351 000 less is a success in Auckland, and prices will be lower elsewhere in the country for a 4 bed home.
You also didn’t mention how thrilled the couple were. Quote “It felt like winning Lotto to win the ballot to get one of the first 18 houses.
So what was the point of your comment? They should build only state houses.? or
IKiwibuild is a failure because you say so? or Noone should wave a flag at Ardern/Twyford’s parade? or Perhaps I missed something?
Did you miss the bit where Ardern tried to join today’s event with Savage helping the first State House tenants move in back in 1937?
To compare the two is…well…deceitful, and the glamour only works because it seems that the premise that the COL seems to be relying on, to wit, the bulk of the voting public are fwits, holds true.
And maybe you can help me out here….the featured couple who bought the reasonably priced four bedroom Kiwibuild home…where were their children?
They have a little girl I believe. The Mother is a graduating Doctor. Yes Perhaps they should have kept those comparisons for state homes. Don’t forget as soon as in Nov their mortgage takes over, the Governments money will be recycled into another kiwi build home.
And, as if on cue, Ardern shares a wee note on Instagram from a new friend….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12149999
patricia, it is hard not to be skeptical after nearly a decade of National, who continued the fine work of the previous Labour government.
National took using the media to polish their image to new heights (or depths), and Key was more than happy to play the grinning fool frontman while the true power operated behind the scenes.
I am yet to be convinced that this PM is not being similarly deployed.
I am not the only left leaning voter who is immune to the hype, and it is our vote which will be needed at the next election if this government’s high sounding plans have a chance to be realised.
Today’s event was poorly constructed and Ardern’s use of the Savage reference was clumsy. And that’s the trouble with turning such an event into a political campaign….a major slip like that will be seen by all. A smart media advisor should be working out a way to mitigate the damage.
Or not.
They can gamble on securing the vote of the hard working middle and say ‘stuff the poor and the sick and the disabled, we’ll pitch to the middle with Kiwibuild and a few we-do-give-a-shit-about the-planet policies’ and hope like hell that National aren’t able to rise from the ashes by the time the hoardings go up.
Rosemary, the carer’s and poor issues should have higher priority for sure.
Housing New Zealand has news item 24th October 2018 you might find interesting. Regenerating regional nz housing.
A short and pointless attack piece from Brigitte Morten on RNZ. Actually seems like she is struggling to find an angle to attack on.
She refers to “what they delivered to taxpayers”. Of course a government should deliver to citizens, regardless of what tax they are paying. A Freudian slip from a right-wing mentality – unable to see the difference between a community and a country – and a profit-seeking business.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/369614/few-fireworks-in-labour-nz-first-marriage-but-is-govt-delivering
That article seems weird. Is there just the six paragraphs to it?
That opinion writer of course is a past National Party communications person.
RNZ continues to be a disappointment.
The sad thing is I think she’s actually being serious too.
It is really short – just having a jab at the government as a reflex action. No substance at all.
Why does Bernard Orsman need to comment on what Jacinda’s wearing? What a twat.
Did you not see Phil’s tie?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12149888
Because he’s an old fossil that thinks she’s really a nice young filly despite all her silly politics?
And there was also NZ’s musical icon – a balding Dave Dobbyn dressed in a designer shirt and jeans singing ‘Welcome Home’
Great shot from Greg Bowker. I went to photo school with him.
The Trumpocalypse rumbles on.
I predicted that if Trump loses the midterms that his supporters would react violently against the people and organisations Trump regularly targets in his speeches.
It looks like one of his supporters couldn’t wait that long.
When this Right Wing violence targeting the Left breaks out, and Left act to defend themselves, I think we can expect that Donald Trump will say again, “There was violence on both sides folks.”
Before using the unrest to impose martial law.
Trump denounces Right Wing violence
(Sort of)
After condemning violence Trump goes on to minimise the bombing threats by likening these attacks to the criticism he commonly receives from the media.
any day now America will be great again.
Apparently it’s their financial anxiety that leads them believe anything.
but only the economic anxiety of the white male working class matter. All other workers need not apply.
Brain bleach, STAT!
A tough night. but so you don’t have to …
@JudithCollinsMP ;
“Now, this makes me happy. Good men focused on helping others in need.”
https://twitter.com/JudithCollinsMP/status/1055629668680757250
Hypocrisy. Or Code?
RIP
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/25/292240/tvnz-could-merge-with-rnz-kevin-kenrick
We get to see if Faafoi is worth a damn. TVNZ and RNZ need to be kept far apart. RNZ while less than perfect, is still the last bastion
Kia ora Robert from R&R Aotearoa has some raciest bias problem but by know means is it as bad as the other 4 eyes they have a much bigger problems with raciest problems.
Stereotyping maori a theft that’s the mindset the sandflys think I have got but we know that there ancestor robbed maori .
So teaching the all the moko’s about our history and how great maori culture is will be the way to change the other cultures views on Maori .
Ka kite ano P.S Thats correct Maori are raciest to I have said what my nicname was when I was young no one is going to call me that now.
The Hui doctor Joe Williams should be given a taonga for his work in using natural .
Cream for healing eczema that has healed a lot of people.
You know that big Pharma are pushing to suppress Doctor Joe and his cures the old who suppressing alternative medicines they cannot charge you if you can use plants to heal people.
Ka pai to the first Wahine Maori Temata as the student president of Victoria University .
I say she will make a good politician Ka pai.
Ka kite ano
Obama cited a recent Trump comment that he would pass a tax cut before the November election. “Congress isn’t even in session before the election. He just makes stuff up,” he said. Ana to kai trump . Ka kite ano trump Ka kite ano link is below.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/27/barack-obama-takes-aim-at-donald-trump-for-making-stuff-up-us-midterms
Before national got into power 10 years ago I remember seeing story comparing Aus Brit NZ grocery prices and NZ was the cheapest there is noway any peoples government should let our country have duopoly being in control of any industry let alone our food supply industry’s these company’s are just bleeding NZ dry. Time to reset there game how can it be justified that one can buy NZ grown food in Britain & Aussie cheaper than NZ .
The Countdown group of New Zealand stores reported revenue of $6.36b and profit of $284m this year, with a gross margin of 24.2 per cent.
In the South Island, Foodstuffs’ revenue was more than $3 billion, with operating profit of more than $293m. It distributed to its members $280m, an increase of $6.6m or 2.4 per cent for the latest financial year, including a “loyalty rebate” of $53m.
Foodstuffs North Island, which claims 47 per cent market share in its latest annual report, recorded revenue of $6.6 billion and operating profit of $210.4 million. Its chairman’s report said putting pressure on costs had reduced supply chain costs by $5m, and helped it distribute $140.3m to co-operative members in the year.
Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/108114861/is-new-zealands-supermarket-duopoly-ripping-us-off
Kia ora Newshub Its a windy day in Wellington Melisa tawhiri doing the his thing.
Eco Maori gives condolences to the family’s who lost love one in the Pittsburgh shooting.
Loyd that helicopter crash in Leicester after the soccer match is a shocker did the owner go down in that crash condolences to the family’s to .
Doctor Joe I thought it was a organic cream why has he been fined it works and some big companys are selling prouducts that kill he is not making millions off it just healing the sick. Its a illusion .
The will to live is a good Idea to support farmers mental health our farmers are put under a lot of stress. Ka kite ano P.S I have a actor that’s a little distraction