The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has reached a record level, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who conducted readings at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii revealed.
The scientists said that the 415.26 parts per million (ppm) recorded over the weekend was the first daily baseline reading coming in over 415 ppm.
Countries have procrastinated for too long and need to begin making steep cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions immediately, or risk missing agreed targets for limiting global warming, a senior United Nations official said.
Not only are Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere breaking all records the rate of increase is accelerating.
To sign national and international agreements to reach carbon neutrality by such and such a date, if these agreements contain no agreement to make actual cuts in Green house gas emissions they are just 'aspirational', as John Key was once proudly announced about his climate policy.
When will we start making our immediate ‘steep cuts’ in our greenhouse gas emissions?
Co2. Cars. Private motors, overwhelmingly inefficient usage patterns. Just count number of people in a four seater. Trips that could be rebalance by freeing up the corner store. Technology that let's us work from home, can also bring basic goods to the end of the road store. The whole parking lot superstore is already being undercut by individual deliveries, just as co2 burdensome. Yet put a assortment of items in the back of a truck, delivers to the end of the road store, and everyone walks for their daily groceries. Low co2. The west needs to ditch the car cult.
Cars are here to stay, They just need to be electric. Groceries would only be more expensive from a corner store and i have helped carry them home in 1970. That would never work now. Many kids won't even bike or catch the bus to school.
The Prime Minister talks a lot about the politics of kindness but I prefer the politics of community; where all those who can put their energies into drawing out the connections we have with one another, rather than the differences.
New Zealand is a cluster of different communities but among and across those communities we can find common ground – if we are prepared to look and listen for it. The non-politicians amongst us do this all the time in our sports groups, our school boards, our fund-raising committees. We don’t agree on everything but we work out ways of working together positively and in ways that maintain community connections.
Now more than ever, if we want to avoid Trump’s polarising virus, the national conversation needs the same goodwill.
The tenants told the tribunal she threatened to terminate their tenancy when they disputed or complained about something.
"They believed that the termination was issued because they took her to the tribunal, asserted their rights as tenants and she was upset they would not pay an account for electrical damages," the ruling said.
They also claimed she breached their privacy and quiet enjoyment.
She had tried to move them to "Hamilton Garden Motel Guest and Landlord Agreement for Short Term Tenants", arguing that they were in temporary accommodation and the Residential Tenancies Act should not apply. They had lived there for between two and five years each.
Gu said the Tenancy Tribunal would "spoil tenants" and treat landlords unfairly.
"That's why the housing problem is getting worse and worse."
She said she was in the process of painting and recarpeting one of her flats with a view to selling it.
She had approached Housing New Zealand about buying it. The others would be sold over time, she said.
I suppose it was inevitable – New Zealand politics descent into the swill of populist appeal.
After all, it worked for Trump and Morrison.
Soimun’s ‘tough on gangs’ rhetoric, while being ultimately meaningless, and from evidence in Australia, largely ineffective, appeals to the redneck/blinkered section of the middle class.
And, in the cosmic scheme of things, in the face of an impending/actual climate crisis of catastrophic proportions, a bloody sad waste of time and energy.
Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the Erebus tragedy. Today's podcast from the Herald's series "Litany of Lies" is about the fall from grace of Justice Peter Mahon.
It sums up the entire tragedy of the Erebus affair and one man more than anyone else was responsible for the deep divisions, the loss of careers, the severed lives of innocent people and reputations left in tatters.
Yes, I'm referring to Robert David Muldoon.
I sincerely hope this is the story that ultimately comes out of the sad saga – what happened to those people who found themselves caught up in the aftermath through no fault of their own. My story is one of them and some of it would beggar belief, but it's all true.
I hope you have written what you know down Anne and on someone else's computer, and taken a copy of it. One day it will have a place in a critique of that period of our political regress.
I have just listened to a male reporter on Trending now but can find no written details as to whom, talking about the Erebus disaster. He was saying that the phrase 'litany of lies' would never have been said if there had been two or three judges in the commission of enquiry.
The tenor of his report was that the frank opinion of Judge Mahon would have been suppressed or diluted by others. I suppose that there are many such examples of sliding away from the truth in this country.
Justice Peter Mahon was a man of letters – a well read man who had a rhetorical flourish to his style of writing. For him, the phrase "orchestrated litany of lies" would have been a normal form of expression, but to many people – who were less well read and lacked his breadth of knowledge – it would have come across as excessive.
It was the only part of his report that was challenged. His actual finding of Air NZ culpability was never challenged but the media of the day did not highlight that fact.
Another series of comments today regarding the; "litany of lies" remark used in part summary by the late Justice Peter Mahon is in today's NZ Herald and elsewhere.
Today, the comments are presented by Judge Gary Harrison, who was heavily involved with the matter at around that time.
Yes. The deception by Air New Zealand during that era was clearly evident, but with the public having entirely accepted the words of this respected member of the bench (Justice Mahon, that is), so many seemed to form an opinion that the pilots were to have been considered free of blame.
In fact, all that was really clear from the Royal Commission of Inquiry findings was that Air New Zealand (as a corporate body) had simply contrived to lay the entire blame on the pilots, but unsuccessfully, and where the attempt to do so was a highly inappropriate thing to do.
Additionally, it was apparent that the company had at the very least, not attempted prevent the destruction of pertinent evidence relating to the event. Again, highly inappropriate conduct.
Actually, despite public opinion after the inquiry, the pilots were not actually absolved of blame nor culpability, after the standards which should have been applied and maintained at the time were reviewed again.
But it was certainly evident that the airline had made concerted efforts to "stitch them up". After all, neither of them were in any position to speak on behalf of themselves.
The pilots and a generous number of others were collectively responsible for the event. No one individual nor group of individuals could reasonably be held responsible for it on their own.
It was simply a tragic tragedy chain, comprising many human links.
It would be refreshing if the whole Erebus 901 blame game and finger pointing thing ceased. And the sooner the better.
The more it is dwelt on, the more likely the heartache and the anguish will remain strong, and even more likely the bitterness will remain present.
And yes I admit that it is I who am dwelling on it today, yet again, but really only in relation to Judge Harrison's public outpourings and not relating to any matter which he has presided over as a judge.
And hopefully for me, on this topic, for the last time in any public forum.
I've just finish reading a chapter in a book called "British Generals in Blair's Wars", which is a bit of an eye opener to say the least.
Anyway back to Basra, after the pom's ended combat operations in the Basra area they into a internal security/ peace stabilisation operation. The British General in charge of the Basra AO got all the major players/ HoD's from the former Iraqi Government for a meeting to get all services back up running and form a central planning committee to oversee with help from varuios specialise British Army Units and imbed members from the Brit TA whose day jobs back in the UK were identical to their jobs in Barsa. With the idea of overseeing the Iraqis bringing back on the services, problem solve, provide training, provide a CoA for the long term IRT funding for rebuilding the services, training etc etc.
Just as the Pom's were slowly getting their post conflict plan up and running (bear in mind there was no overall Post Conflict Plan prior to the first round going down range, during or to the last round down range from the Yanks. Read this book from Pommy POV and as I said its an eye opener.). This fuckwit of an yank called Bremer decided to sack everyone of the former Iraqi Government from the Top down and everything turned to shit soon afterwards.
It's probably no wonder Basra is still without its services today because of this fuckwit's decisions and we could still point the fingers at the other 3 muppets who should never be spoken of again.
I suppose it's only a coincidence that National's law and order policy was presented by the the party leader around the time of the end of year opinion polls …
If anyone plays boardgames with their family, and doesn't understand the appeal of Monopoly, the original version "The Landlord's game" was created by a Quaker woman, Elizabeth G Magie and the story behind the original game is that it could be played with two sets of rules, one that created a society and one that rewarded monopolist capitalism.
The person who purchased the outdated patent of the original game has produced a reproduction, which is now for sale. (Quite pricey given the additional shipping, but quite a few board games are around $150 NZD.)
In June 2019 there were wildfires in wild uninhabited areas in the far noth of the Northern Hemisphere. We have to plant urgently in NZ and as a world response, just to keep up with what is burning down.
What have the wild animals been able to do? Would they have been able to run away and survive. What would have been left to eat afterwards? In every fire there is destruction of living beings of all sorts, from insects up.
Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up. The thinking is another example of last century slow-burn thinking carried forward. Trees should be considered individually. Ideas about natives being planted en masse are only good if they are extra, not the traditional way of clearing all before some new project is implemented.
Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up.
Stop talking through your arse. The plan has the full support of the Tree Council and Forest and Bird. These are people who are arborists, biosecurity specialists and others who have been doing the mahi on the ground for decades. It is also not a matter of “clearing all” as the majority of trees on the maunga are natives.
I think that they should keep the Opotiki maternity unit open the Wahine have a long road to get to Whakatane from the Coast .???????.
Awsome that Purirua the government giving Ngāti Toa whenua to build their Tangata whare Ka pai.
Great to see that Whangarei is getting government help to build Marae style Whare for the 70 homeless people. A Whare is very important in Tangata Whenua Culture
Ka pai to the zero waste program being promoted by Tangata Whenua.
Good that the Auckland Council are taking Kauri Dieback seriously and protecting Tane Mahuta and his mokopuna
I back a system with the lowest carbon footprint to deliver the goods to Aotearoa biggest city Auckland.
It would be stupid to send the goods to another port and fright it by road or rail back to Auckland. Instead boost fright to Tauranga and up North after all we should be doing everything we can to become more effective and efficient in every aspect of our lives. It's not all about the money people any more.
Cool that Yellow Birds ethical sestanable fashion clothes for your tohu sustainable products is the new Gold.
Watch: Alsco explains how and why a heavy EV makes sense for New Zealand.
Alsco New Zealand has launched what it claims is the country's first "inter-city heavy EV" truck.
The company,formerly known as NZTS, serves about 30,000 customers per week cleaning and delivering uniforms/linen and distributing cleaning products.
Alsco is now running a Hino GH 1828 truck with a fully-EV power system producing a continuous 259kW (372kW maximum) and 1825Nm (3500Nm peak). The range to complete battery depletion is 200km
The composite design of the truck is by Action Manufacturing and includes a body with extra curves for improved aerodynamics, which it claims saves 5-7 per cent in fuel on any type of truck
The new truck replaces a diesel vehicle. With calculations based on an average 5.6 tonne load carried over the same 284km route daily, Alsco claims the new plug-in truck will save at least 25,000 litres of diesel and 67,610 kg of CO2 per year.
The build of the electric truck cost $225,938; with the Contestable Fund grant of $50,126 it was $19,915 extra over an equivalent diesel unit
With the difference in electricity/diesel cost, less than half the maintenance and no Road User Charges (itself a $34,378 cost for the diesel truck), the capital cost of the EV truck will be recovered in 0.4 years
We just have to look into our past and see what we did in those days and replacate them to minimise our carbon footprint.
Cut the wrap! UK dairy farm aims to be first to go single-use plastic-free
Staff at Mossgiel farm hope to promote a more sustainable model of dairy farming, including delivering milk in reusable glass bottles
Lying in a field of grass among his herd of dairy cows, Ayrshire farmer Bryce Cunningham picks up and pretends to throw away a plastic carton of milk. This is what we want to get rid of on our farm, he says in a promotional video, as he explains his quest to become the UK’s first single-use plastic-free milk producer.
After raising more than £10,000 from a crowdfunding campaign, he’s managed to replace single-use plastic cartons with 32,000 glass bottles adorned with the face of Robert Burns – who’s said to have once worked on the farmland – which he is able to wash and reuse.
The Eastern Bay could soon become the epicentre of co-operative housing in New Zealand.
Tūhoe and a private group of individuals are both looking into building co-operative housing in the region.
A resource consent application has been lodged on behalf of the Tūhoe Charitable Trust to build a 25-unit eco village at the old Tāneatua railway yard on the corner of Morrison and Station Roads.
The second group is at a much earlier stage in its housing dream with a meeting planned next week to gauge community interest and progress the idea.
Tūhoe's proposed eco-village is the first of 40 the iwi wants to build for its people. The village will be similar to Tūhoe's Te Kura Whare which houses its governing body Te Uru Taumatua
The development and will contain communal gardens and orchards, a communal kitchen and dining area, solar electricity, roof collected rainwater as a water source, onsite botanical wastewater treatment and disposal and encouragement away from heavy reliance on private motor vehicles
Tūhoe has received written approval from four neighbours to the site while another three have expressed concerns about privacy, construction noise, traffic and whether the eco-village could affect the resale value of their homes
The council understands the intention is to provide services at the village in an environmentally sustainable manner, including not connecting to existing infrastructure," said Mr Begley.
Name suppression. WTF. Haha on us the public that we can't be protected against nasty little termites after their precious.
7 Aug 2019 The serial fraudster, also known as Joanne Sharp, landed work at the ministry some six years after getting name suppression when she was prosecuted for defrauding Tower Insurance.
The South land Paparoa and Pike River 29 track looks like a great walk into Aotearoa forest.
That's good a new drydock may be built in Whangarei.
Why would a charity burn the Great Rainforest in Brazil that they are trying to protect. These people who think that there lies are going to be believed if they repeated it are not nice at all.
Sooner or later, like a gym bro flexing in the mirror, like a teen rolling their eyes, like a mansplainer patronisingly clearing his throat, the ACT party will start talking about privatisation.In the eyes of David Seymour and his LinkedIn ACTolytes, there's not a thing in this world that cannot ...
Confession: I used to follow US politics and UK politics - never as closely as this - but enough to identify the broad themes.I stopped following US politics after I came to the somewhat painful realisation that my perception was simply that - a perception. Mountain Tui is a reader-supported ...
Life is cruel, life is toughLife is crazy, then it all turns to dustWe let 'em out, we let 'em inWe'll let 'em know when it's the tipping point. The tipping point.Songwriters: Roland Orzabal / Charlton PettusYesterday, we saw the annual pilgrimage to Rātana, traditionally the first event in our ...
The invitation to comment on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill opens with Minister David Seymour stating ‘[m]ost of New Zealand's problems can be traced to poor productivity, and poor productivity can be traced to poor regulations’. I shall have little to say about the first proposition except I can think ...
My friend Selwyn Manning and I are wondering what to do with our podcast “A View from Afar.” Some readers will also have tuned into the podcast, which I regularly feature on KP as a media link. But we have some thinking to do about how to proceed, and it ...
Don't try to hide it; love wears no disguiseI see the fire burning in your eyesSong: Madonna and Stephen BrayThis week, the National Party held its annual retreat to devise new slogans, impressing the people who voted for them and making the rest of us cringe at the hollow words, ...
Support my work through a paid subscription, a coffee or reading and sharing. Thank you - I appreciate you all.Luxon’s penchant for “economic growth”Yesterday morning, I warned libertarianism had penetrated the marrow of the NZ Coalition agenda, and highlighted libertarian Peter Thiel’s comments that democracy and freedom are unable to ...
A couple of recent cases suggest that the courts are awarding significant sums for defamation even where the publication is very small. This is despite the new rule that says plaintiffs, if challenged, have to show that the publication they are complaining about has caused them “more then minor harm.” ...
Damages for breaches of the Privacy Act used to be laughable. The very top award was $40,000 to someone whose treatment in an addiction facility was revealed to the media. Not only was it taking an age for the Human Rights Review Tribunal to resolve cases, the awards made it ...
It’s Friday and we’ve got Auckland Anniversary weekend ahead of us so we’ve pulled together a bumper crop of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers ...
Long stories short, the six things of interest in the political economy in Aotearoa around housing, climate and poverty on Friday January 24 are:PM Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nationspeech in Auckland yesterday, in which he pledged a renewed economic growth focus;Luxon’s focused on a push to bring in ...
Hi,It’s been ages since I’ve done an AMA on Webworm — and so, as per usual, ask me what you want in the comments section, and over the next few days I’ll dive in and answer things. This is a lil’ perk for paying Webworm members that keep this place ...
I’m trying a new way to do a more regular and timely daily Dawn Choruses for paying subscribers through a live video chat about the day’s key six things @ 6.30 am lasting about 10 minues. This email is the invite to that chat on the substack app on your ...
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 Donald Trump’s first executive orders to reverse Joe Biden’s emissions reductions policies and pull the United States out of ...
The Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech yesterday was the kind of speech he should have given a year ago.Finally, we found out why he is involved in politics.Last year, all we heard from him was a catalogue of complaints about Labour.But now, he is redefining National with its ...
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 guests and ...
Aotearoa's science sector is broken. For 35 years it has been run on a commercial, competitive model, while being systematically underfunded. Which means we have seven different crown research institutes and eight different universities - all publicly owned and nominally working for the public good - fighting over the same ...
One of the best speakers I ever saw was Sir Paul Callaghan.One of the most enthusiastic receptions I have ever, ever seen for a speaker was for Sir Paul Callaghan.His favourite topic was: Aotearoa and what we were doing with it.He did not come to bury tourism and agriculture but ...
The Tertiary Education Union is predicting a “brutal year” for the tertiary sector as 240,000 students and teachers at Te Pūkenga face another year of uncertainty. The Labour Party are holding their caucus retreat, with Chris Hipkins still reflecting on their 2023 election loss and signalling to media that new ...
The Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech is an exercise in smoke and mirrors which deflects from the reality that he has overseen the worst economic growth in 30 years, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. “Luxon wants to “go for growth” but since he and Nicola ...
People get readyThere's a train a-comingYou don't need no baggageYou just get on boardAll you need is faithTo hear the diesels hummingDon't need no ticketYou just thank the LordSongwriter: Curtis MayfieldYou might have seen Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's speech at the National Prayer Service in the US following Trump’s elevation ...
Long stories short, the six things of interest in the political economy in Aotearoa around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday January 23 are:PM Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech after midday today, which I’ll attend and ask questions at;Luxon is expected to announce “new changes to incentivise research ...
I’m trying a new way to do a more regular and timely daily Dawn Choruses for paying subscribers through a live video chat about the day’s key six things @ 6.30 am lasting about 10 minues. This email is the invite to that chat on the substack app on your ...
Yesterday, Trump pardoned the founder of Silk Road - a criminal website designed to anonymously trade illicit drugs, weapons and services. The individual had been jailed for life in 2015 after an FBI sting.But libertarian interest groups had lobbied Donald Trump, saying it was “government overreach” to imprison the man, ...
The Prime Minister will unveil more of his economic growth plan today as it becomes clear that the plan is central to National’s election pitch in 2026. Christopher Luxon will address an Auckland Chamber of Commerce meeting with what is being billed a “State of the Nation” speech. Ironically, after ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2025 has only just begun, but already climate scientists are working hard to unpick what could be in ...
The NZCTU’s view is that “New Zealand’s future productivity to 2050” is a worthwhile topic for the upcoming long-term insights briefing. It is important that Ministers, social partners, and the New Zealand public are aware of the current and potential productivity challenges and opportunities we face and the potential ...
The NZCTU supports a strengthening of the Commerce Act 1986. We have seen a general trend of market consolidation across multiple sectors of the New Zealand economy. Concentrated market power is evident across sectors such as banking, energy generation and supply, groceries, telecommunications, building materials, fuel retail, and some digital ...
The maxim is as true as it ever was: give a small boy and a pig everything they want, and you will get a good pig and a terrible boy.Elon Musk the child was given everything he could ever want. He has more than any one person or for that ...
A food rescue organisation has had to resort to an emergency plea for donations via givealittle because of uncertainty about whether Government funding will continue after the end of June. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Wednesday, January 22: Kairos Food ...
Leo Molloy's recent "shoplifting" smear against former MP Golriz Ghahraman has finally drawn public attention to Auror and its database. And from what's been disclosed so far, it does not look good: The massive privately-owned retail surveillance network which recorded the shopping incident involving former MP Golriz Ghahraman is ...
The defence of common law qualified privilege applies (to cut short a lot of legal jargon) when someone tells someone something in good faith, believing they need to know it. Think: telling the police that the neighbour is running methlab or dobbing in a colleague to the boss for stealing. ...
NZME plans to cut 38 jobs as it reorganises its news operations, including the NZ Herald, BusinessDesk, and Newstalk ZB. It said it planned to publish and produce fewer stories, to focus on those that engage audience. E tū are calling on the Government to step in and support the ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that inflation remains unchanged at 2.2%, defying expectations of further declines, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “While inflation holding steady might sound like good news, the reality is that prices for the basics—like rent, energy, and insurance—are still rising. ...
I never mentioned anythingAbout the songs that I would singOver the summer, when we'd go on tourAnd sleep on floors and drink the bad beerI think I left it unclearSong: Bad Beer.Songwriter: Jacob Starnes Ewald.Last night, I was watching a movie with Fi and the kids when I glanced ...
Last night I spoke about the second inauguration of Donald Trump with in a ‘pop-up’ Hoon live video chat on the Substack app on phones.Here’s the summary of the lightly edited video above:Trump's actions signify a shift away from international law.The imposition of tariffs could lead to increased inflation ...
An interesting article in Stuff a few weeks ago asked a couple of interesting questions in it’s headline, “How big can Auckland get? And how big is too big?“. Unfortunately, the article doesn’t really answer those questions, instead focusing on current growth projections, but there were a few aspects to ...
Today is Donald J Trump’s second inauguration ceremony.I try not to follow too much US news, and yet these developments are noteworthy and somehow relevant to us here.Only hours in, parts of their Project 2025 ‘think/junk tank’ policies — long planned and signalled — are already live:And Elon Musk, who ...
How long is it going to take for the MAGA faithful to realise that those titans of Big Tech and venture capital sitting up close to Donald Trump this week are not their allies, but The Enemy? After all, the MAGA crowd are the angry victims left behind by the ...
California Burning: The veteran firefighters of California and Los Angeles called it “a perfect storm”. The hillsides and canyons were full of “fuel”. The LA Fire Department was underfunded, below-strength, and inadequately-equipped. A key reservoir was empty, leaving fire-hydrants without the water pressure needed for fire hoses. The power companies had ...
The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the government, pointing out repeatedly that its racist, colonialist policies breach te Tiriti o Waitangi. While it has no powers beyond those of recommendation, its truth-telling has clearly gotten under the government's skin. They had already begun to ...
I don't mind where you come fromAs long as you come to meBut I don't like illusionsI can't see them clearlyI don't care, no I wouldn't dareTo fix the twist in youYou've shown me eventually what you'll doSong: Shimon Moore, Emma Anzai, Antonina Armato, and Tim James.National Hugging Day.Today, January ...
Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian. Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...
The economy isn’t cooperating with the Government’s bet that lower interest rates will solve everything, with most metrics indicating per-capita GDP is still contracting faster and further than at any time since the 1990-96 series of government spending and welfare cuts. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short in ...
Hi,Today is the day sexual assaulter and alleged rapist Donald Trump officially became president (again).I was in a meeting for three hours this morning, so I am going to summarise what happened by sharing my friend’s text messages:So there you go.Welcome to American hell — which includes all of America’s ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkI have a new paper out today in the journal Dialogues on Climate Change exploring both the range of end-of-century climate outcomes in the literature under current policies and the broader move away from high-end emissions scenarios. Current policies are defined broadly as policies in ...
Long story short: I chatted last night with ’s on the substack app about the appointment of Chris Bishop to replace Simeon Brown as Transport Minister. We talked through their different approaches and whether there’s much room for Bishop to reverse many of the anti-cycling measures Brown adopted.Our chat ...
Last night I chatted with Northland emergency doctor on the substack app for subscribers about whether the appointment of Simeon Brown to replace Shane Reti as Health Minister. We discussed whether the new minister can turn around decades of under-funding in real and per-capita terms. Our chat followed his ...
Christopher Luxon is every dismal boss who ever made you wince, or roll your eyes, or think to yourself I have absolutely got to get the hell out of this place.Get a load of what he shared with us at his cabinet reshuffle, trying to be all sensitive and gracious.Dr ...
The text of my submission to the Ministry of Health's unnecessary and politicised review of the use of puberty blockers for young trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa. ...
Hi,Last night one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, TikTok, became inaccessible in the United States.Then, today, it came back online.Why should we care about a social network that deals in dance trends and cute babies? Well — TikTok represents a lot more than that.And its ban and subsequent ...
Sometimes I wake in the middle of the nightAnd rub my achin' old eyesIs that a voice from inside-a my headOr does it come down from the skies?"There's a time to laugh butThere's a time to weepAnd a time to make a big change"Wake-up you-bum-the-time has-comeTo arrange and re-arrange and ...
Former Health Minister Shane Reti was the main target of Luxon’s reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short to start the year in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate: Christopher Luxon fired Shane Reti as Health Minister and replaced him with Simeon Brown, who Luxon sees ...
Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which saw Simeon Brown picking up the Health portfolio as it’s been taken off Dr Shane Reti, and Transport has been given to Chris Bishop. Additionally, Simeon’s energy and local government portfolios now sit with Simon Watts. This is very good ...
The sacking of Health Minister Shane Reti yesterday had an air of panic about it. A media advisory inviting journalists to a Sunday afternoon press conference at Premier House went out on Saturday night. Caucus members did not learn that even that was happening until yesterday morning. Reti’s fate was ...
Yesterday’s demotion of Shane Reti was inevitable. Reti’s attempt at a re-assuring bedside manner always did have a limited shelf life, and he would have been a poor and apologetic salesman on the campaign trail next year. As a trained doctor, he had every reason to be looking embarrassed about ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 12, 2025 thru Sat, January 18, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
After another substantial hiatus from online Chess, I’ve been taking it up again. I am genuinely terrible at five-minute Blitz, what with the tight time constraints, though I periodically con myself into thinking that I have been improving. But seeing as my past foray into Chess led to me having ...
Rise up o children wont you dance with meRise up little children come and set me freeRise little ones riseNo shame no fearDon't you know who I amSongwriter: Rebecca Laurel FountainI’m sure you know the go with this format. Some memories, some questions, letsss go…2015A decade ago, I made the ...
In 2017, when Ghahraman was elected to Parliament as a Green MP, she recounted both the highlights and challenges of her role -There was love, support, and encouragement.And on the flipside, there was intense, visceral and unchecked hate.That came with violent threats - many of them. More on that later.People ...
It gives me the biggest kick to learn that something I’ve enthused about has been enough to make you say Go on then, I'm going to do it. The e-bikes, the hearing aids, the prostate health, the cheese puffs. And now the solar power. Yes! Happy to share the details.We ...
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. Can CO2 be ...
The old bastard left his ties and his suitA brown box, mothballs and bowling shoesAnd his opinion so you'd never have to choosePretty soon, you'll be an old bastard tooYou get smaller as the world gets bigThe more you know you know you don't know shit"The whiz man" will never ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Numbers2024 could easily have been National’s “Annus Horribilis” and 2025 shows no signs of a reprieve for our Landlord PM Chris Luxon and his inept Finance Minister Nikki “Noboats” Willis.Several polls last year ...
This Friday afternoon, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal.The government has effectively cleared house - appointing 8 new members - and combined with October’s appointment of former ACT leader Richard Prebble, that’s 9 appointees.[I am not certain, but can only presume, Prebble went in ...
The state of the current economy may be similar to when National left office in 2017.In December, a couple of days after the Treasury released its 2024 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HEYFU24), Statistics New Zealand reported its estimate for volume GDP for the previous September 24 quarter. Instead ...
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join ...
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
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 Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has delivered a refreshed team focused on unleashing economic growth to make people better off, create more opportunities for business and help us afford the world-class health and education Kiwis deserve. “Last year, we made solid progress on the economy. Inflation has fallen significantly and now ...
Veterans’ Affairs and a pan-iwi charitable trust have teamed up to extend the reach and range of support available to veterans in the Bay of Plenty, Veterans Minister Chris Penk says. “A major issue we face is identifying veterans who are eligible for support,” Mr Penk says. “Incredibly, we do ...
A host of new appointments will strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal and help ensure it remains fit for purpose, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. “As the Tribunal nears its fiftieth anniversary, the appointments coming on board will give it the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing ...
Almost 22,000 FamilyBoost claims have been paid in the first 15 days of the year, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The ability to claim for FamilyBoost’s second quarter opened on January 1, and since then 21,936 claims have been paid. “I’m delighted people have made claiming FamilyBoost a priority on ...
The Government has delivered a funding boost to upgrade critical communication networks for Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand, ensuring frontline search and rescue services can save lives and keep Kiwis safe on the water, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand has ...
Mahi has begun that will see dozens of affordable rental homes developed in Gisborne - a sign the Government’s partnership with Iwi is enabling more homes where they’re needed most, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka attended a sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of earthworks for 48 ...
New Zealand welcomes the ceasefire deal to end hostilities in Gaza, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Over the past 15 months, this conflict has caused incomprehensible human suffering. We acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in the negotiations to bring an end to the misery, particularly the US, Qatar ...
The Associate Minster of Transport has this week told the community that work is progressing to ensure they have a secure and suitable shipping solution in place to give the Island certainty for its future. “I was pleased with the level of engagement the Request for Information process the Ministry ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he is proud of the Government’s commitment to increasing medicines access for New Zealanders, resulting in a big uptick in the number of medicines being funded. “The Government is putting patients first. In the first half of the current financial year there were more ...
New Zealand's first-class free trade deal and investment treaty with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been signed. In Abu Dhabi, together with UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and accompanying investment treaty ...
The latest NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion, which shows the highest level of general business confidence since 2021, is a sign the economy is moving in the right direction, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “When businesses have the confidence to invest and grow, it means more jobs and higher ...
Events over the last few weeks have highlighted the importance of strong biosecurity to New Zealand. Our staff at the border are increasingly vigilant after German authorities confirmed the country's first outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in nearly 40 years on Friday in a herd of water buffalo ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee reminds the public that they now have an opportunity to have their say on the rewrite of the Arms Act 1983. “As flagged prior to Christmas, the consultation period for the Arms Act rewrite has opened today and will run through until 28 February 2025,” ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Opinion: Architecture has the power to shape our lives, not only in our homes and workplaces but in the public spaces that we all share. Civic architecture – our public libraries, train stations, swimming pools, schools, and other community facilities – is more than just functional infrastructure.These buildings are the ...
Asia Pacific Report A co-founder of a national Palestinian solidarity network in Aotearoa New Zealand today praised the “heroic” resilience and sacrifice of the people of Gaza in the face of Israel’s ruthless attempt to destroy the besieged enclave of more than 2 million people. Speaking at the first solidarity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Neale Daniher, a campaigner in the fight against motor neurone disease and a former champion Essendon footballer, is the 2025 Australian of the Year, Himself a sufferer from the deadly disease Daniher, 63, who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton has chosen a dark horse in naming David Coleman for the key shadow foreign affairs portfolio, in a reshuffle that also seeks to boost the opposition’s credentials with women. Coleman has been ...
By Harry Pearl of BenarNews Vanuatu’s top lawyer has called out the United States for “bad behavior” after newly inaugurated President Donald Trump withdrew the world’s biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gasses from the Paris Agreement for a second time. The Pacific nation’s Attorney-General Arnold Loughman, who led Vanuatu’s landmark ...
ACT leader David Seymour is being slammed for his "extreme right-wing policies" after saying Aotearoa needs to get past its "squeamishness" about privatisation. ...
By Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor, RNZ Pacific manager RNZ International (RNZI) began broadcasting to the Pacific region 35 years ago — on 24 January 1990, the same day the Auckland Commonwealth Games opened. Its news bulletins and programmes were carried by a brand new 100kW transmitter. The service was rebranded as RNZ ...
If you believe Prime Minister Chris Luxon economic growth will solve our problems and, if this is not just around the corner, it is at least on the horizon. It won’t be too long before things are “awesome” again. If you believe David Seymour the country is beset by much greater ...
Opinion: New Zealand’s universities are failing to prepare students for the entrepreneurial realities of the modern economy. That is a key finding of the Science System Advisory Group report released Thursday as part of the Government’s major science sector overhaul.The report highlights major gaps in entrepreneurship and industry-focused training. PhD ...
I first met Neve at a house party in Mount Maunganui. She was tall, blonde and tanned. An influencer typecast. She wore a string of pearls and a shell necklace that sat around her collarbones, and a silk dress that barely passed her crotch. Her hair was in tight curls—I ...
The Angry LeftSummer in New Zealand, and what does Christopher Luxon do about it? He goes fishing. Unbelievable.And worse, he does it in a boat. How tone-deaf is that? There he is, fishing, at sea, in a boat that would be better put to some practical use, like housing. How ...
A Complete Unknown may be fictionalised but it gets the key parts right. What is biography for? Especially the biopic, in which years and people and facts must be compressed into a mass-audience-friendly, sub-three-hour format. And what does biography do with an artist as immortal, inimitable and unwilling as Bob ...
The pool is a summery delight for swimmers and a smart move from the mayor. Last week I walked through Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, commando and braless. After smugly setting off that morning for my second swim at the Karanga Plaza pool, dubbed Browny’s Pool by mayor Wayne Brown, I realised ...
Following his headline act in the Christchurch Buskers Festival, Alex Casey chats to Sam Wills about spending two decades as the elusive Tape Face. It’s a Thursday night at The Isaac Theatre Royal in Ōtautahi, and the fly swats, rubbish bags, and coat hangers littered across the stage make it ...
In my late 50s, I discovered long-distance hiking – and woke up to a new life infused with the rhythms of nature. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.It began innocuously, just before my ...
The comedian and actor takes us through his life in television, including the British sitcom that changed his life and the trauma of 80s Telethons. You may know him best as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, or Stede Bonnet from Our Flag Means Death, but Rhys Darby is taking ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Nearly every piece of advice or social trend can be boiled down to encouraging people to say “yes” more or “no” more. Dating advice has a foundation of saying yes, putting yourself out there, being open to new people and possibilities. The ...
Asia Pacific Report The Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network (FPSN) and its allies have called for “justice and accountability” over Israel’s 15 months of genocide and war crimes. The Pacific-based network met in a solidarity gathering last night in the capital Suva hosted by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and ...
Analysis - There needs to be recognition of the significant risks associated with focusing on mining and tourism, Glenn Banks and Regina Scheyvens write. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Andriana Syvanych/Shutterstock Most of us are fortunate that, when we turn on the tap, clean, safe and high-quality water comes out. But a senate inquiry ...
Analysis: Try as they might, Christopher Luxon and his partners in NZ First have been unable to distance themselves from the division caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, hampering the potential for further progress in areas where the Prime Minister believes the Crown and tangata whenua can collaborate.While the celebration ...
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dog the National Party despite Luxon's repeated efforts to communicate the legislation will not go beyond second reading. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Richardson, Professor of Human Resource Management, Head of School of Management, Curtin University Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock US President Donald Trump has called time on working from home. An executive order signed on the first day of his presidency this week requires all ...
The prime minister says he can mend the relationship with Māori after the bill is voted down, and he would refuse a future referendum in the next election's coalition negotiations. ...
Forest & Bird will continue to support New Zealanders to oppose these destructive activities and reminds the Prime Minister that in 2010, 40,000 people marched down Queen Street, demanding that high-value conservation land be protected from mining. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s state-of-the-nation address yesterday focused on growth above all else. We shouldn’t rush to judgement, but at least ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services has declared an HIV outbreak. Dr Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu announced 1093 new HIV cases from the period of January to September 2024. “This declaration reflects the alarming reality that HIV is evolving faster than our current services can cater for,” ...
Acting PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the ACT proposals would take money from public services and funnel it towards private providers. Privatisation will inevitably mean syphoning money off from providing services for all to pay profits ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudio Bozzi, Lecturer in Law, Deakin University Shutterstock On his way to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to officially open a new US$3.6 billion (A$5.8 billion) deepwater ...
Not only are Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere breaking all records the rate of increase is accelerating.
To sign national and international agreements to reach carbon neutrality by such and such a date, if these agreements contain no agreement to make actual cuts in Green house gas emissions they are just 'aspirational', as John Key was once proudly announced about his climate policy.
When will we start making our immediate ‘steep cuts’ in our greenhouse gas emissions?
As well as when, where should we start?
Co2. Cars. Private motors, overwhelmingly inefficient usage patterns. Just count number of people in a four seater. Trips that could be rebalance by freeing up the corner store. Technology that let's us work from home, can also bring basic goods to the end of the road store. The whole parking lot superstore is already being undercut by individual deliveries, just as co2 burdensome. Yet put a assortment of items in the back of a truck, delivers to the end of the road store, and everyone walks for their daily groceries. Low co2. The west needs to ditch the car cult.
Cars are here to stay, They just need to be electric. Groceries would only be more expensive from a corner store and i have helped carry them home in 1970. That would never work now. Many kids won't even bike or catch the bus to school.
You can blame the motorists for that Nastiman.
Community trumps divisiveness, writes former top journo Linda Clark: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/11/27/920665/if-it-sounds-or-looks-like-trump-press-delete
Good riddance to another dodgy landlord.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117733831/landlord-says-cards-stacked-against-her-in-tenancy-tribunal
I suppose it was inevitable – New Zealand politics descent into the swill of populist appeal.
After all, it worked for Trump and Morrison.
Soimun’s ‘tough on gangs’ rhetoric, while being ultimately meaningless, and from evidence in Australia, largely ineffective, appeals to the redneck/blinkered section of the middle class.
And, in the cosmic scheme of things, in the face of an impending/actual climate crisis of catastrophic proportions, a bloody sad waste of time and energy.
A Conservative Britannic Analysis
https://www.conservativehome.com/leftwatch/2019/11/an-idea-for-mcdonnell-pledge-1-million-to-every-voter-in-britain.html
Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the Erebus tragedy. Today's podcast from the Herald's series "Litany of Lies" is about the fall from grace of Justice Peter Mahon.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12286432
It sums up the entire tragedy of the Erebus affair and one man more than anyone else was responsible for the deep divisions, the loss of careers, the severed lives of innocent people and reputations left in tatters.
Yes, I'm referring to Robert David Muldoon.
I sincerely hope this is the story that ultimately comes out of the sad saga – what happened to those people who found themselves caught up in the aftermath through no fault of their own. My story is one of them and some of it would beggar belief, but it's all true.
I hope you have written what you know down Anne and on someone else's computer, and taken a copy of it. One day it will have a place in a critique of that period of our political regress.
It's documented grey and in detail.
For the future – truth will out eventually.
I have just listened to a male reporter on Trending now but can find no written details as to whom, talking about the Erebus disaster. He was saying that the phrase 'litany of lies' would never have been said if there had been two or three judges in the commission of enquiry.
The tenor of his report was that the frank opinion of Judge Mahon would have been suppressed or diluted by others. I suppose that there are many such examples of sliding away from the truth in this country.
Justice Peter Mahon was a man of letters – a well read man who had a rhetorical flourish to his style of writing. For him, the phrase "orchestrated litany of lies" would have been a normal form of expression, but to many people – who were less well read and lacked his breadth of knowledge – it would have come across as excessive.
It was the only part of his report that was challenged. His actual finding of Air NZ culpability was never challenged but the media of the day did not highlight that fact.
So Mahon ended up dammed by one and all.
Another series of comments today regarding the; "litany of lies" remark used in part summary by the late Justice Peter Mahon is in today's NZ Herald and elsewhere.
Today, the comments are presented by Judge Gary Harrison, who was heavily involved with the matter at around that time.
Yes. The deception by Air New Zealand during that era was clearly evident, but with the public having entirely accepted the words of this respected member of the bench (Justice Mahon, that is), so many seemed to form an opinion that the pilots were to have been considered free of blame.
In fact, all that was really clear from the Royal Commission of Inquiry findings was that Air New Zealand (as a corporate body) had simply contrived to lay the entire blame on the pilots, but unsuccessfully, and where the attempt to do so was a highly inappropriate thing to do.
Additionally, it was apparent that the company had at the very least, not attempted prevent the destruction of pertinent evidence relating to the event. Again, highly inappropriate conduct.
Actually, despite public opinion after the inquiry, the pilots were not actually absolved of blame nor culpability, after the standards which should have been applied and maintained at the time were reviewed again.
But it was certainly evident that the airline had made concerted efforts to "stitch them up". After all, neither of them were in any position to speak on behalf of themselves.
The pilots and a generous number of others were collectively responsible for the event. No one individual nor group of individuals could reasonably be held responsible for it on their own.
It was simply a tragic tragedy chain, comprising many human links.
It would be refreshing if the whole Erebus 901 blame game and finger pointing thing ceased. And the sooner the better.
The more it is dwelt on, the more likely the heartache and the anguish will remain strong, and even more likely the bitterness will remain present.
And yes I admit that it is I who am dwelling on it today, yet again, but really only in relation to Judge Harrison's public outpourings and not relating to any matter which he has presided over as a judge.
And hopefully for me, on this topic, for the last time in any public forum.
Excellent!!
https://twitter.com/HarbiehNadie/status/1199383053493293056?s=20
How long must they wait in Basra?
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/07/22/basra-thirsty/iraqs-failure-manage-water-crisis
I've just finish reading a chapter in a book called "British Generals in Blair's Wars", which is a bit of an eye opener to say the least.
Anyway back to Basra, after the pom's ended combat operations in the Basra area they into a internal security/ peace stabilisation operation. The British General in charge of the Basra AO got all the major players/ HoD's from the former Iraqi Government for a meeting to get all services back up running and form a central planning committee to oversee with help from varuios specialise British Army Units and imbed members from the Brit TA whose day jobs back in the UK were identical to their jobs in Barsa. With the idea of overseeing the Iraqis bringing back on the services, problem solve, provide training, provide a CoA for the long term IRT funding for rebuilding the services, training etc etc.
Just as the Pom's were slowly getting their post conflict plan up and running (bear in mind there was no overall Post Conflict Plan prior to the first round going down range, during or to the last round down range from the Yanks. Read this book from Pommy POV and as I said its an eye opener.). This fuckwit of an yank called Bremer decided to sack everyone of the former Iraqi Government from the Top down and everything turned to shit soon afterwards.
It's probably no wonder Basra is still without its services today because of this fuckwit's decisions and we could still point the fingers at the other 3 muppets who should never be spoken of again.
I suppose it's only a coincidence that National's law and order policy was presented by the the party leader around the time of the end of year opinion polls …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkSFxWARrZY
Wonder what fiscal hole Slick's funding his lawn ordure polussy from.
If anyone plays boardgames with their family, and doesn't understand the appeal of Monopoly, the original version "The Landlord's game" was created by a Quaker woman, Elizabeth G Magie and the story behind the original game is that it could be played with two sets of rules, one that created a society and one that rewarded monopolist capitalism.
The person who purchased the outdated patent of the original game has produced a reproduction, which is now for sale. (Quite pricey given the additional shipping, but quite a few board games are around $150 NZD.)
In June 2019 there were wildfires in wild uninhabited areas in the far noth of the Northern Hemisphere. We have to plant urgently in NZ and as a world response, just to keep up with what is burning down.
In June, the fires released an estimated 50 megatonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of Sweden's annual carbon output, according to Cams. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/395357/arctic-ablaze-in-unprecedented-wildfires
What have the wild animals been able to do? Would they have been able to run away and survive. What would have been left to eat afterwards? In every fire there is destruction of living beings of all sorts, from insects up.
2019 https://siberiantimes.com/ecology/others/news/massive-wildlife-tragedy-as-bears-and-foxes-flee-taiga-while-smaller-animals-suffocate-in-smoke/
2019 https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/23765/russian_wildfires_pictures/
2019 https://theconversation.com/huge-wildfires-in-the-arctic-and-far-north-send-a-planetary-warning-121167
2019 https://www.vox.com/2019/8/1/20750200/siberia-wildfire-russia-fire-smoke-trump-putin
The problems for Siberian tigers in 2001 – https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1392-forest-fires-threaten-siberian-tigers/
Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up. The thinking is another example of last century slow-burn thinking carried forward. Trees should be considered individually. Ideas about natives being planted en masse are only good if they are extra, not the traditional way of clearing all before some new project is implemented.
Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up.
Stop talking through your arse. The plan has the full support of the Tree Council and Forest and Bird. These are people who are arborists, biosecurity specialists and others who have been doing the mahi on the ground for decades. It is also not a matter of “clearing all” as the majority of trees on the maunga are natives.
Kia Ora 1 News.
Its good to see that wealthier cheats are getting held accountable for their cheating.
Any publicity is good publicity to some people.
Let's hope no one is poisoned from the American chemical factory fire the smoke will be loaded with chemicals.
Ka kite Ano.
Ka kite Ano link below
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I think that they should keep the Opotiki maternity unit open the Wahine have a long road to get to Whakatane from the Coast .???????.
Awsome that Purirua the government giving Ngāti Toa whenua to build their Tangata whare Ka pai.
Great to see that Whangarei is getting government help to build Marae style Whare for the 70 homeless people. A Whare is very important in Tangata Whenua Culture
Ka pai to the zero waste program being promoted by Tangata Whenua.
Good that the Auckland Council are taking Kauri Dieback seriously and protecting Tane Mahuta and his mokopuna
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Breakfast.
I back a system with the lowest carbon footprint to deliver the goods to Aotearoa biggest city Auckland.
It would be stupid to send the goods to another port and fright it by road or rail back to Auckland. Instead boost fright to Tauranga and up North after all we should be doing everything we can to become more effective and efficient in every aspect of our lives. It's not all about the money people any more.
Cool that Yellow Birds ethical sestanable fashion clothes for your tohu sustainable products is the new Gold.
The Judge could read there body language.
Ka kite Ano
This is great showing Aotearoa that fright can be trucked around on Electric power only this story gives me a sore face.
The truck has been launched with assistance from the Government's Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund.
Watch: Alsco explains how and why a heavy EV makes sense for New Zealand.
Alsco New Zealand has launched what it claims is the country's first "inter-city heavy EV" truck.
The company,formerly known as NZTS, serves about 30,000 customers per week cleaning and delivering uniforms/linen and distributing cleaning products.
Alsco is now running a Hino GH 1828 truck with a fully-EV power system producing a continuous 259kW (372kW maximum) and 1825Nm (3500Nm peak). The range to complete battery depletion is 200km
The composite design of the truck is by Action Manufacturing and includes a body with extra curves for improved aerodynamics, which it claims saves 5-7 per cent in fuel on any type of truck
The new truck replaces a diesel vehicle. With calculations based on an average 5.6 tonne load carried over the same 284km route daily, Alsco claims the new plug-in truck will save at least 25,000 litres of diesel and 67,610 kg of CO2 per year.
The build of the electric truck cost $225,938; with the Contestable Fund grant of $50,126 it was $19,915 extra over an equivalent diesel unit
With the difference in electricity/diesel cost, less than half the maintenance and no Road User Charges (itself a $34,378 cost for the diesel truck), the capital cost of the EV truck will be recovered in 0.4 years
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/EVs/117770655/nzs-first-intercity-ev-truck-is-on-the-road
We just have to look into our past and see what we did in those days and replacate them to minimise our carbon footprint.
Cut the wrap! UK dairy farm aims to be first to go single-use plastic-free
Staff at Mossgiel farm hope to promote a more sustainable model of dairy farming, including delivering milk in reusable glass bottles
Lying in a field of grass among his herd of dairy cows, Ayrshire farmer Bryce Cunningham picks up and pretends to throw away a plastic carton of milk. This is what we want to get rid of on our farm, he says in a promotional video, as he explains his quest to become the UK’s first single-use plastic-free milk producer.
After raising more than £10,000 from a crowdfunding campaign, he’s managed to replace single-use plastic cartons with 32,000 glass bottles adorned with the face of Robert Burns – who’s said to have once worked on the farmland – which he is able to wash and reuse.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/28/scottish-dairy-farm-aims-to-become-uks-first-to-go-single-use-plastic-free-mossgiel-ayrshire
Ka pai this will be a model that tangata whenua should copy.
Tūhoe touts eco status of planned first of 40 co-housing villages
Charlotte Jones, local democracy reporter
The Eastern Bay could soon become the epicentre of co-operative housing in New Zealand.
Tūhoe and a private group of individuals are both looking into building co-operative housing in the region.
A resource consent application has been lodged on behalf of the Tūhoe Charitable Trust to build a 25-unit eco village at the old Tāneatua railway yard on the corner of Morrison and Station Roads.
The second group is at a much earlier stage in its housing dream with a meeting planned next week to gauge community interest and progress the idea.
Tūhoe's proposed eco-village is the first of 40 the iwi wants to build for its people. The village will be similar to Tūhoe's Te Kura Whare which houses its governing body Te Uru Taumatua
The development and will contain communal gardens and orchards, a communal kitchen and dining area, solar electricity, roof collected rainwater as a water source, onsite botanical wastewater treatment and disposal and encouragement away from heavy reliance on private motor vehicles
Tūhoe has received written approval from four neighbours to the site while another three have expressed concerns about privacy, construction noise, traffic and whether the eco-village could affect the resale value of their homes
The council understands the intention is to provide services at the village in an environmentally sustainable manner, including not connecting to existing infrastructure," said Mr Begley.
Ka kite Ano link below
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/404423/tuhoe-touts-eco-status-of-planned-first-of-40-co-housing-villages
Ed TV Whanau
https://youtu.be/IuwxZSIS__4
Name suppression. WTF. Haha on us the public that we can't be protected against nasty little termites after their precious.
7 Aug 2019 The serial fraudster, also known as Joanne Sharp, landed work at the ministry some six years after getting name suppression when she was prosecuted for defrauding Tower Insurance.
From late 2013, Harrison used fake invoices and bogus contractors to con the transport ministry out of $726,000.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/114732640/10k-rolex-watch-among-assets-seized-from-fraudster-joanne-harrison?rm=a
Kia Ora 1 News.
Its the new phenomenon buying products made sustainable and ethical.
Its good to see some Australians getting justice.
That was a big explosion at that Texas chemicals plant.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's a good thing people getting goods donated for Samoa in there time of need.
Ka pai Heartland for reaching out to help tangata whenua get mahi with the organisation.
Cool to see tangata whenua getting into the clothing fashion industry.
Ka pai to the Maori Basket ball player to get into the Basket ball Hall of Fame.
Ka kite Ano
One point I would like to make is towns and cities sewage system carbon footprint is not included in the data.??????????????
Climate Change: Everything New Zealand needs to do to get to zero carbon
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/117587959/climate-change-everything-new-zealand-needs-to-do-to-get-to-zero-carbon
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
https://youtu.be/9o_jVHmU_V4
Kia Ora 1 News.
I think that the Maori Council is still got Mana.
The South land Paparoa and Pike River 29 track looks like a great walk into Aotearoa forest.
That's good a new drydock may be built in Whangarei.
Why would a charity burn the Great Rainforest in Brazil that they are trying to protect. These people who think that there lies are going to be believed if they repeated it are not nice at all.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's good that people have reported oil pollution going into the Awa we must treat all our Wai as taonga that they are.
That Awsome the Taramaki Iwi mahi together and celebrateing it to make a better future for their mokopuna kia Ora.
Ka kite Ano