How much state intervention do we want in our families?
Average Kiwi families could be subject to greater state scrutiny if proposed rules around mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse are introduced.
Families Commissioner Carl Davidson said the report raised interesting questions about what level of government intervention families would accept.
Although there had been a 200 per cent increase in notifications to CYF since 2004, there was little evidence to suggest it had increased child safety, Mr Davidson said.
“The question becomes, after all that effort we’ve put into notification, how much impact has that had on keeping kids safe? The evidence would suggest not a great deal.”
I oppose any state intervention such as this HOWEVER I dont oppose the use of taxpayer funds to alleviate the socio economic conditions that underpins the majority of child abuse.
Whenever I hear libertarian individuals / groups professing objections to what they see as invasions of their rights I also hear VERY LOUDLY a refusal to pay their share in cleaning up the mess. They always claim it is the individuals fault, that their socio economic model has no influence, is not to blame.
The opposition needs to keep a record of these failures to front; at interviews they should challenge the MSM to question JK on why he does not turn up to discuss the difficult issues. Make the MSM accountable.
I am convinced on reflection that what Mr Key fears most about the tea tapes is being ridiculed for an impressively inane un-Primeministerial conversation. Two adolescents chatting about their girl prospects would have sounded better. Suppress it even now, rather than being seen as pathetic? And all that on the taxpayer and at the expense of precious police time.
I wonder what off-shore political and government luminaries will think of that moronic display of semi-literate, teenage level garbage coming from the prime-minister of NZ and one of his so-called senior partners. The only thing missing was the word – like. Like “yeah it’s looking good like ya know 49 or 50%… everywhere I go I’m like surrounded and the press are reeeelly great… like ya know they report everything good I say like…”.
Have a look at the report of Key at the parachute gathering in todays “Stuff”.
Is this guy for real? He’s acting more like a pimply teenager each day. or is he on the bottle . by his actions at that Parachute meeting he apears to think that the underpants he wears is more important than the mess the country is in.
Talking of Morning Report, impressive work from David Shearer in his interview ~ snigger
Forget winning the election, the most impressive thing the right did in 2011 was getting their preferred candidate appointed as leader of the Labour party.
“Forget winning the election, the most impressive thing the right did in 2011 was getting their preferred candidate appointed as leader of the Labour party.”
Definitely, but not for the reasons you imagine.
They just barely scraped through on the election. They came very close to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
After the 1999 MMP result, Helen Clark had a coalition stitched up by Sunday afternoon. After this election we had to wait until official results declared because the situation was on such a knife edge there was no guarantee they’d made it over the line.
Why would any self respecting person wish to go on Morning Report.
Its been getting more dreadful for a long time now, particularly recently with the changes in personnel.
Bob Parker clearly has a fairly warped idea about how democracy works. From the Press today
Parker said, “If this council can get its act together, if those councillors that are continuously leaking and undermining the process are prepared to do their job.”
Parker obviously thinks that in a democracy you bow to the “winner” and do your job (code for doing as you are told). What a Wally.
Yep. It is yet another sign of his political ineptitude. In that same article he was also trying to say “if the councillors stop (leaking etc) then the Town Clerk will reconsider this pay increase” What the fuck? He is a buffoon. Maybe he is back on the wacky backy. Such a shame the first earthquake came along just before the last election – Anderton was about to fly in and Parker be completely dumped. Anderton would be so much better at times like these.
Prime Minister John Key has for the first time conceded he might have to drop plans to return the Government’s books to the black by 2014-15.
In a scene-setting speech he said the slowing global economy had forced Treasury to pare back the expected surplus to less than $500m from the $1.5b “bullshitted” before the election.
You are so right, reading the Automaticearth today explains this phenomenal bald faced position readjustment (lie):
What has happened is that America is electing a Liar-in-Chief every four years. His/her job is to keep the herd in the faith, to let them buy stuff all the time, preferably with borrowed money. To keep all noses pointing in the same direction, namely perpetual growth, especially when there isn’t any.
The Liar-in-Chief is far more a religious leader than a political one. You can’t have the herd disperse and separate and all its members running off in different direction to go and do their own thing.
Yes John Key should have been able to influence the World economy so he could make the books look better. Im sure Hulun & Heather Simpson would have been able to make it happen with the Womans army
At least Labour had plans james iii. And they had paid off all of the Government debt which allowed stimulatory deficits to be run. And they had unemployment down to decades low levels.
But you know that. You have been told this often enough.
Micky Says
And they had paid off all of the Government debt which allowed stimulatory deficits to be run. And they had unemployment down to decades low levels.
Of course Micky Of Course, and the economic times were exactly the same werent they. Labour during the World boom took the country no where wasteful expenditure on Social engineering was all the country got (funded Lesbian hip hop trips to the states). They did nothing about encouraging, and growing business because lets face it they dont know how!!
People who run Businesses who take the gamble ,and employ people are just evil rich pricks in Labours eyes.
In regards to unemployment Micky Labour put another 44,000 muppets into the public service in their time. Just incidently Micky how much did government expenditure increase under Labour ? Most of it wasteful.
Definitely not a government for tough times Labour has to have good times to be in Government so they can have one big spend up
People who run Businesses who take the gamble ,and employ people are just evil rich pricks in Labours eyes.
Businesses don’t employ people – communities do. What a business person does is actually steal from those who do the work through secrecy and misinformation. Yes the business person works (administration is important) but as they’re an expense on the workers they should be the ones saying how much the business person is paid not the other way around.
And, as the GFC and the bailouts of the banks shows, it’s not the business person taking the risk but the community.
And, as the GFC and the bailouts of the banks shows, it’s not the business person taking the risk but the community.
You use a few bail outs to generalise about thousands of businesses I mean really where is the logic you must be on magic Mushrooms. Tell me when a business goes belly up ,and the guy has lost everthing he put into the Business does the community bail him out .I dont think so. I dont see many communities names on employment contracts as the employer can you please show me some. Lets say for Fisher and Paykel or Fletchers, or Vodafone happy hunting
Tell me when a business goes belly up ,and the guy has lost everthing he put into the Business does the community bail him out.
Well, admittedly it does seem to be a question of how big the business is and how many politicians that they own.
Lets say for Fisher and Paykel or Fletchers, or Vodafone happy hunting
The name of the business but it’s still the community that uses the services and thus pays for the work. People forget that and it’s in the interests of the capitalists that they do forget that. If people remembered then the capitalists and their flunkies wouldn’t be able to steal from the workers.
Jturd The winz office is where you’ll find them.
Fisher and paykel got plenty of hand outs from both local and central govt Jturd even. John Key gave them $15 million .now the Mexican and thai govts are baling them outFletcher building has had plenty of hand outs from this govt.
TV3 etc!
Jturd NZ under Clark Cullen grew faster than Australia they had to deal with several economic crisis 9/11 swine flu applicable to you J turd. etcetera.
The secret to labours growth of 3 times the previous National govts pathetic attempt.28 times better than borrowing bills English term Jturd..
Your 44,000 is a lie national spent $900 million on outside consultants their up to nearly $400million a year on CONsultants now Jturd otherwise Known as National party hacks such as Jenny Shipleys nearly $500.000 income from Brownoselee.
And you will be telling them until you are blue in the face Micky .My experiences of talking to die in the wool Tories makes me wonder just what world they are living.I still hear them saying such things as “It does the worker good to have to pull his belt in. Listening to them talk about the unemployed and their favorite hate, single mothers is , sickning.
However I would say to James that its true that the situation is different to what Labour had but he needs reminding that Cullen was prepairing for it by not cuting taxes ,Remember the Nats screams of rage on how mean Cullen was and that we must have tax cuts. What is a unfortunate for NZ is that Cullen is not now the Minister of Finance ,he would not make the terrible mistakes Key and English are making.
Umm James the criticism is of the forecasting by the PM which many of us left wing people at the time said was a load of nonsense, was way too optimistic and would proven to be false.
(Just like the 170,000 jobs in the last budget and the same number in the budget before that.)
It seems us left wingers are more accurate than you supposedly economic literate guru righties.
It been my observation over the years that Treasury inevitably understate the cost of National policies and overstate the benefits – while for Labour they overstate the costs and understate the benefits.
This of course suits Key perfectly who then adds his own exaggeration on to it.
Your thinking gets less coherent each day you post.
When’s school go back?
The Ports of Auckland industrial dispute has been dragging on for ages now, with any hope of resolution appearing lost in the ideological divide between the waring parties…
and another POAL red herring on the teevee last night about the monster increase in port size.
whats the bet the next line will be it will never happen unless we privatise the port.
how to win over a noonoo head: just tell him that if he is lucky he is going to get a new improved BIGGER one.
Oh yes, quite likely – especially given the evocative name Enterprise… I almost hope it happens, as the suspense over the past few years has been giving me the williams…
Medecine Sans Frontiers personnel in Libya are withdrawing their valuable assistance in one area because the regime is sending them injured dissidents to patch up so they can be returned for more torture.
These words from Shakespeare, used in the stage show Hair, and copied from Wikipedia, are eternally true and very poignant, it seems:
“ I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation
preuent your discouery of your secricie to the King and
Queene: moult no feather, I haue of late, but wherefore
I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all custome of exercise;
and indeed, it goes so heauenly with my disposition;
that this goodly frame the Earth, seemes to me a sterrill
Promontory; this most excellent Canopy the Ayre,
look you, this braue ore-hanging, this Maiesticall Roofe,
fretted with golden fire: why, it appeares no other thing
to mee, then a foule and pestilent congregation of vapours.
What a piece of work is a man, How noble in
Reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving
how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel!
in apprehension how like a god, the beauty of the
world, the paragon of animals.
and yet to me, what is
this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no,
nor Woman neither; though by your smiling you seeme
to say so ”
—The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Act II, Scene ii, 285-300), [
Best seen here! Note the wolves in the background, they seem appropriate given the news item Prism is alerting us to.
If its still raining tonight I might just have to watch Withnail again. I find it suits the inclement weather rather well. And I do have a rather good claret in the wine cellar to accompany it. The ’53 Margaux, best of the century….
@The Voice of Reason – Perhaps we should all drag a drop of claret from the cellar when we read the serious presentations of commenters on this site, and so view our possible doom through a anaesethesitising haze of fumes of fine wine, or in my case, what is on special.
The wolf and the jackal and the hyena may take over the world, their social set-up gives them resilience and continuity. Ours is under attack from the sociopaths within our society, never mind the wild animals outside it. We reap the results of the lack of parenting and caring which is replaced by time spent with machines on television, computers and phones, and then a lack of moral guidance and philosophical understanding of how society works.
I rather suspect the turning point for Key was end Oct/beginning Nov. However NAT was very far ahead and still had momentum. So the change was enough to dampen their hopes for an outright majority, but not enough for the Left to win.
As I predicted last year, Key won, but is going to have a rotten next 12 months. As they say – be careful what you wish for.
Just as key and his weasles scuttle out of the country. Lets hope this creates enough of an outcry to devastate the asset sales program. Its an absolutely dreadful decision and could well cause a massive backlash against our Chinese citizens.
dont worry.
kweeweeeand the rest swallowed the whole ayn rand, civil society, brt thing whole, and they are about to choke on it.
I dont think they will last the year out.
jackal that is the way of the world now.
we are in the post modern phase where nobdoy can really do anything and its not what you know its who you know.
so you dont actually have to know anything.
ignorance is at a premium.
Hilarious/bizarre news stories : (or so Kathryn Ryan treated it this morning, and the BBC WS news-reader, who was a wee bit more po-faced, to judge by his voice..)
The local benefit office in Ireland has banned the wearing of pyjamas to appointments for special needs grants (to put it in NZ terms.) Neither Ryan nor the Beeb reporter seems to have realised that the issuing of such a notice doesn’t necessarily mean that beneficiaries were actually turning up to appointments in their pyjamas! Maybe they were, maybe not – but oh the delight someone like Leighton Smith would take in a story like that!
A question I was asked yesterday by a friend (NZ’er) currently living in Australia
“A recent canard going aound here is that the frozen vegetables we’re importing by the tonne from NZ are not actually grown there, but imported in bulk from China, packed and relabelled as “product of NZ” and re-exported. I’ve no idea whether it’s true or not, but given the number of growers here who’ve been dropped by the frozen food companies, I has me suspicions. I don’t think it’s suddenly any cheaper to produce peas and carrots in NZ than it is here, so I’m wondering if the carrot farmers of Ohakune are still flourishing, or if their business has suddenly gone “offshore” like so many here. ”
That would be pretty crap if true. You could understand why they would do it though… China has a problem getting a premium for their food products in other countries because of stories like the poisonous infant formula, and capitalizing on New Zealand’s brand would be a way around that. It would probably be relatively profitable even with the huge transportation required.
GPJA #410: Occupy Auckland – stand up for democracy Sat 3pm
by gpjanz
GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER No. 410, January 27, 2012
FROM OCCUPY AUCKLAND PROTEST SATURDAY, 3PM
Defend the Right to Protest in Auckland- stand up for democracy and civil liberties. Rally at Britomart this Saturday Jan 28th at 3pm – forward widely. Occupy Auckland Thursday: 22 people arrested, with 8 people charged with willful trespass. 2 people still held, and 1 person to be deported. Most tents and communal gear seized and confiscated by Auckland Council.
____________________________________________________________________________
What happened on Thursday 16 January 2012, in my opinion, as a directly-affected party – was a bloody disgrace.
In my considered opinion, itthe forced removal of Occupy Auckland protestors from Aotea Square was a form of corrupt abuse of entrusted power by Auckland Council and the Police.
60 Police and 30 security guards to remove peaceful protestors – so that Aotea Square could be returned to the public?
So why is Aotea Square now completely enclosed by a security fence?
Never mind ‘restoring the grass’ – (which seems to be growing ok) – how about RESTORING DEMOCRACY?
Oh yes – that’s right.
This Auckland Council – this $UPERCITY for the 1% – this corporate takeover – was forced upon citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region – through railroaded legislation.
The public never voted for the abolition of our Councils, the $UPERCITY framework, the CCO model, or the unelected boards of CCOs (Corporate Controlled Organisations) – or the unelected Auckland Council CEO – Doug McKay – who was the ‘overseer’ of this ‘Operation Overkill’ to save the grass (?)
In my opinion, this forced eviction is evidence of the effectiveness of Occupy Auckland and the traction we have been getting in helping to expose the white collar crime, corruption and corporate welfare of the ‘1%’.
(History has a habit of proving who was right and who was wrong.)
If YOU believe in our lawful rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – I hope to see you tomorrow – 3pm – rally at Britomart for a march to Aotea Square!
If you can’t be there – but support the cause – feel free to help out by making a donation.
Following is a High Court precedent which ruled that you cannot be arrested for a ‘breach of the peace’ unless there IS a ‘breach of the peace’, and that it is lawful to resist an unlawful arrest:
(Full credit to Civil Liberties lawyer Michael Bott for his great work in defending this case.)
This precedent arose from the peaceful protest camp on the grounds of Parliament – against the lefting of the GE Free Moratorium in 2003.
A person cannot be arrested for a breach of the peace unless there is a breach of the peace.
A breach of the peace is a violent or unlawful act which causes members of the public to feel alarm or excitement.
Sitting inside a zipped up tent – is NOT a ‘breach of the peace’.
In this case, the Judge ruled that the ones who breached the peace were the Police, in their actions of hauling protestors (including myself:) out of the tent.
J. Wild also ruled that it was lawful to resist an unlawful arrest.
This is the identical ‘on point’ case, covering this matter.
Yesterday, Thursday 26 January 2012, I wasn’t even arrested.
I was assaulted, forcibly removed from my tent, and in the process my tent was ripped apart.
It wasn’t until after I was dragged by Police to the paddy wagon that I was told that I was charged with ‘breach of the peace’.
I think thats the point Penny, what you were doing was unlawful by trespassing. If it wasn’t unlawful, and you hadn’t been warned it was unlawful, don’t you think that you wouldn’t have been issued with a trespass notice? If the police are charged with keeping the public safe from lunatics, then I think they acted appropriately in removing you from the publics sight. I do hope that you start contributing to society instead of continuing leeching off it. So I have an idea – how about you go and get a full time job. Remarkable suggestion for you, I know, but its what the 99% of us who don’t choose to live on the fringes of society do to provide for our families. Try it, you may like it.
errrrr…………….. upon what EVIDENCE are you relying ‘Blue’ in order to substantiate your above-mentioned statement “I do hope that you start contributing to society instead of leeching off it.”?
That would suggest though that the eviction of the Occupy Wellington crowd was lawful as members of the Occupation were engaging in behaviour which was threatening and abusive to members of the wider public.
Unless you are in work and paying taxes (as opposed to being on a long term benefit – it can’t be a sickness benefit can it?), you aren’t contributing to society very much at all. The taxes from all workers allow you to choose the publicly funded lifestyle you have and use to promote your own brand of fringe dwelling policies that less than 0.1% of the country agree with. Although lets face it it has to be less than 0.1%, given your record in elections. That, my dear, is leeching. It is easy to be an ‘activist’ with a megaphone and poor dress sense and no responsibilities, because you are not answerable to anyone. It is hard to achieve success as a contributing member of society, bringing up a family and paying your bills with your own money, not other peoples money, as it requires effort and ambition. You’ve chosen the easy path and fair enough, that is your choice.
Blue. You’d have some credibility if we had an economic system based on meritocracy and hardwork, not on rewarding capital ownership at the expense of labour.
Your claims are crap when you consider that the wealthiest, most powerful and most influential in our political-economy have created a system which profits their ownership the most, where their companies profit by reducing worker wages, downsizing worker positions and exporting worker jobs and our factories overseas.
I CHOOSE to work full time, self-funded, in the public interest, and receive NO taxpayer benefit for so doing.
It is you who has arguably chosen the ‘easy path’ of not bothering to ‘seek truth from facts’?
FYI – using the electoral process in order to help focus public attention on the ISSUES – I have found to be very effective.
You will be thrilled, no doubt, to know that a prominent MP has agreed to present what will hopefully be the ‘force John Banks to resign’ petition, to the House, on Tuesday 28 February 2012.
Do YOU support ‘one law for all’ Blue?
Do YOU agree that John Banks and Don Brash should equally be charged for signing Huljich Kiwisaver registered prospectuses which contained untrue statements?
Or not?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland Regional Governance matters.
‘Anti-corruption’ campaigner.
John Key will be interviewed over the Crafar Land Sales tonight on Campbell Live. Campbell does ask some persistent questions so it will be interesting and unusual for Key to front.
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Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
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How much state intervention do we want in our families?
Average Kiwi families could be subject to greater state scrutiny if proposed rules around mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse are introduced.
Families Commissioner Carl Davidson said the report raised interesting questions about what level of government intervention families would accept.
Although there had been a 200 per cent increase in notifications to CYF since 2004, there was little evidence to suggest it had increased child safety, Mr Davidson said.
“The question becomes, after all that effort we’ve put into notification, how much impact has that had on keeping kids safe? The evidence would suggest not a great deal.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6314580/Plan-to-keep-Kiwi-kids-safe
I oppose any state intervention such as this HOWEVER I dont oppose the use of taxpayer funds to alleviate the socio economic conditions that underpins the majority of child abuse.
Whenever I hear libertarian individuals / groups professing objections to what they see as invasions of their rights I also hear VERY LOUDLY a refusal to pay their share in cleaning up the mess. They always claim it is the individuals fault, that their socio economic model has no influence, is not to blame.
National Nanny State = MSM Acceptable.
Nannies appear more benevolent whereas Daddies are often the disciplinarians. Therefore isnt this more of the Daddy State variety?
And there we go……………Key refuses to front on Morning Report. Did not take long now, did it?
The opposition needs to keep a record of these failures to front; at interviews they should challenge the MSM to question JK on why he does not turn up to discuss the difficult issues. Make the MSM accountable.
AND he refused information for Morning Report to play any of the teapot tapes. What is he afraid of?
I am convinced on reflection that what Mr Key fears most about the tea tapes is being ridiculed for an impressively inane un-Primeministerial conversation. Two adolescents chatting about their girl prospects would have sounded better. Suppress it even now, rather than being seen as pathetic? And all that on the taxpayer and at the expense of precious police time.
I wonder what off-shore political and government luminaries will think of that moronic display of semi-literate, teenage level garbage coming from the prime-minister of NZ and one of his so-called senior partners. The only thing missing was the word – like. Like “yeah it’s looking good like ya know 49 or 50%… everywhere I go I’m like surrounded and the press are reeeelly great… like ya know they report everything good I say like…”.
Have a look at the report of Key at the parachute gathering in todays “Stuff”.
Is this guy for real? He’s acting more like a pimply teenager each day. or is he on the bottle . by his actions at that Parachute meeting he apears to think that the underpants he wears is more important than the mess the country is in.
I do believe the dialogue about Catherine Isaac having “appeal” WAS a chat about “their girl prospects”.
Key was man-bitching.
Man bitching usually occurs from the back seats of cars, when a young man bitch shouts his spleen out the car window.
But Key brought man bitching indoors, into the courts, and police raiding news organizations.
Talking of Morning Report, impressive work from David Shearer in his interview ~ snigger
Forget winning the election, the most impressive thing the right did in 2011 was getting their preferred candidate appointed as leader of the Labour party.
“Forget winning the election, the most impressive thing the right did in 2011 was getting their preferred candidate appointed as leader of the Labour party.”
Definitely, but not for the reasons you imagine.
They just barely scraped through on the election. They came very close to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
After the 1999 MMP result, Helen Clark had a coalition stitched up by Sunday afternoon. After this election we had to wait until official results declared because the situation was on such a knife edge there was no guarantee they’d made it over the line.
Major Major Key…Hes never in.
…except when he’s in.
And by in, I mean just after he’s left.
Why would any self respecting person wish to go on Morning Report.
Its been getting more dreadful for a long time now, particularly recently with the changes in personnel.
Bob Parker clearly has a fairly warped idea about how democracy works. From the Press today
Parker said, “If this council can get its act together, if those councillors that are continuously leaking and undermining the process are prepared to do their job.”
Parker obviously thinks that in a democracy you bow to the “winner” and do your job (code for doing as you are told). What a Wally.
Yep. It is yet another sign of his political ineptitude. In that same article he was also trying to say “if the councillors stop (leaking etc) then the Town Clerk will reconsider this pay increase” What the fuck? He is a buffoon. Maybe he is back on the wacky backy. Such a shame the first earthquake came along just before the last election – Anderton was about to fly in and Parker be completely dumped. Anderton would be so much better at times like these.
Prime Minister John Key has for the first time conceded he might have to drop plans to return the Government’s books to the black by 2014-15.
In a scene-setting speech he said the slowing global economy had forced Treasury to pare back the expected surplus to less than $500m from the $1.5b “bullshitted” before the election.
Small edit to stuff’s article.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6321334/Nats-pare-back-projected-surplus
Like National’s projections ever come true. Always forecasting much better results than everyone knows they are going to get.
You are so right, reading the Automaticearth today explains this phenomenal bald faced position readjustment (lie):
What has happened is that America is electing a Liar-in-Chief every four years. His/her job is to keep the herd in the faith, to let them buy stuff all the time, preferably with borrowed money. To keep all noses pointing in the same direction, namely perpetual growth, especially when there isn’t any.
The Liar-in-Chief is far more a religious leader than a political one. You can’t have the herd disperse and separate and all its members running off in different direction to go and do their own thing.
For Obama read Key.
Yes John Key should have been able to influence the World economy so he could make the books look better. Im sure Hulun & Heather Simpson would have been able to make it happen with the Womans army
At least Labour had plans james iii. And they had paid off all of the Government debt which allowed stimulatory deficits to be run. And they had unemployment down to decades low levels.
But you know that. You have been told this often enough.
Micky Says
And they had paid off all of the Government debt which allowed stimulatory deficits to be run. And they had unemployment down to decades low levels.
Of course Micky Of Course, and the economic times were exactly the same werent they. Labour during the World boom took the country no where wasteful expenditure on Social engineering was all the country got (funded Lesbian hip hop trips to the states). They did nothing about encouraging, and growing business because lets face it they dont know how!!
People who run Businesses who take the gamble ,and employ people are just evil rich pricks in Labours eyes.
In regards to unemployment Micky Labour put another 44,000 muppets into the public service in their time. Just incidently Micky how much did government expenditure increase under Labour ? Most of it wasteful.
Definitely not a government for tough times Labour has to have good times to be in Government so they can have one big spend up
James would it surprise you if I told you that I am a business owner with eight staff?
Thing about John Key getting rich as a currency trader was that he gambled with other peoples’ money.
Businesses don’t employ people – communities do. What a business person does is actually steal from those who do the work through secrecy and misinformation. Yes the business person works (administration is important) but as they’re an expense on the workers they should be the ones saying how much the business person is paid not the other way around.
And, as the GFC and the bailouts of the banks shows, it’s not the business person taking the risk but the community.
Draco says
And, as the GFC and the bailouts of the banks shows, it’s not the business person taking the risk but the community.
You use a few bail outs to generalise about thousands of businesses I mean really where is the logic you must be on magic Mushrooms. Tell me when a business goes belly up ,and the guy has lost everthing he put into the Business does the community bail him out .I dont think so. I dont see many communities names on employment contracts as the employer can you please show me some. Lets say for Fisher and Paykel or Fletchers, or Vodafone happy hunting
Well, admittedly it does seem to be a question of how big the business is and how many politicians that they own.
The name of the business but it’s still the community that uses the services and thus pays for the work. People forget that and it’s in the interests of the capitalists that they do forget that. If people remembered then the capitalists and their flunkies wouldn’t be able to steal from the workers.
Jturd The winz office is where you’ll find them.
Fisher and paykel got plenty of hand outs from both local and central govt Jturd even. John Key gave them $15 million .now the Mexican and thai govts are baling them outFletcher building has had plenty of hand outs from this govt.
TV3 etc!
Jturd NZ under Clark Cullen grew faster than Australia they had to deal with several economic crisis 9/11 swine flu applicable to you J turd. etcetera.
The secret to labours growth of 3 times the previous National govts pathetic attempt.28 times better than borrowing bills English term Jturd..
Your 44,000 is a lie national spent $900 million on outside consultants their up to nearly $400million a year on CONsultants now Jturd otherwise Known as National party hacks such as Jenny Shipleys nearly $500.000 income from Brownoselee.
The government was in a net positive asset position. They didn’t pay of all the debt, just enough so that we weren’t in the hole any more.
And you will be telling them until you are blue in the face Micky .My experiences of talking to die in the wool Tories makes me wonder just what world they are living.I still hear them saying such things as “It does the worker good to have to pull his belt in. Listening to them talk about the unemployed and their favorite hate, single mothers is , sickning.
However I would say to James that its true that the situation is different to what Labour had but he needs reminding that Cullen was prepairing for it by not cuting taxes ,Remember the Nats screams of rage on how mean Cullen was and that we must have tax cuts. What is a unfortunate for NZ is that Cullen is not now the Minister of Finance ,he would not make the terrible mistakes Key and English are making.
Wow, the bigotry.
Umm James the criticism is of the forecasting by the PM which many of us left wing people at the time said was a load of nonsense, was way too optimistic and would proven to be false.
(Just like the 170,000 jobs in the last budget and the same number in the budget before that.)
It seems us left wingers are more accurate than you supposedly economic literate guru righties.
It been my observation over the years that Treasury inevitably understate the cost of National policies and overstate the benefits – while for Labour they overstate the costs and understate the benefits.
This of course suits Key perfectly who then adds his own exaggeration on to it.
Your thinking gets less coherent each day you post.
When’s school go back?
Its only something he should have admitted before the election but feels safe to say now. What plans!!
PoAL vs MUNZ
The Ports of Auckland industrial dispute has been dragging on for ages now, with any hope of resolution appearing lost in the ideological divide between the waring parties…
and another POAL red herring on the teevee last night about the monster increase in port size.
whats the bet the next line will be it will never happen unless we privatise the port.
how to win over a noonoo head: just tell him that if he is lucky he is going to get a new improved BIGGER one.
The US is sending the old (to be decommissioned next year) war ship the USS enterprise to the Strait of Hormuz to “send” a message to Iran.
Now why would the US send a knackered old war ship with four nuclear generators which is terribly expensive to decommission in harms way?
Gulf of Tonkin anybody?
Surely not. That tactic has never ever been used before in the history of human warmongering…………
Never ever ever. No way, no Sir, governments don’t do these evil things. LOL.
Oh yes, quite likely – especially given the evocative name Enterprise… I almost hope it happens, as the suspense over the past few years has been giving me the williams…
Reasons why National will never close the wage gap with Australia No.96:
Unions are bloody great, mate!
Surprising news! NZ has received less income than expected mainly through lower tax revenue.
Medecine Sans Frontiers personnel in Libya are withdrawing their valuable assistance in one area because the regime is sending them injured dissidents to patch up so they can be returned for more torture.
These words from Shakespeare, used in the stage show Hair, and copied from Wikipedia, are eternally true and very poignant, it seems:
“ I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation
preuent your discouery of your secricie to the King and
Queene: moult no feather, I haue of late, but wherefore
I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all custome of exercise;
and indeed, it goes so heauenly with my disposition;
that this goodly frame the Earth, seemes to me a sterrill
Promontory; this most excellent Canopy the Ayre,
look you, this braue ore-hanging, this Maiesticall Roofe,
fretted with golden fire: why, it appeares no other thing
to mee, then a foule and pestilent congregation of vapours.
What a piece of work is a man, How noble in
Reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving
how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel!
in apprehension how like a god, the beauty of the
world, the paragon of animals.
and yet to me, what is
this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no,
nor Woman neither; though by your smiling you seeme
to say so ”
—The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Act II, Scene ii, 285-300), [
Best seen here! Note the wolves in the background, they seem appropriate given the news item Prism is alerting us to.
If its still raining tonight I might just have to watch Withnail again. I find it suits the inclement weather rather well. And I do have a rather good claret in the wine cellar to accompany it. The ’53 Margaux, best of the century….
@The Voice of Reason – Perhaps we should all drag a drop of claret from the cellar when we read the serious presentations of commenters on this site, and so view our possible doom through a anaesethesitising haze of fumes of fine wine, or in my case, what is on special.
The wolf and the jackal and the hyena may take over the world, their social set-up gives them resilience and continuity. Ours is under attack from the sociopaths within our society, never mind the wild animals outside it. We reap the results of the lack of parenting and caring which is replaced by time spent with machines on television, computers and phones, and then a lack of moral guidance and philosophical understanding of how society works.
“The Chinese Government-backed Shanghai Pengxin bid for the 16 Crafar farms has been approved ”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10781521
Since that hit the news I’ve had three staunch National people tell me they’re wondering what they voted for.
This may very well be the turning point. Two months too late.
I rather suspect the turning point for Key was end Oct/beginning Nov. However NAT was very far ahead and still had momentum. So the change was enough to dampen their hopes for an outright majority, but not enough for the Left to win.
As I predicted last year, Key won, but is going to have a rotten next 12 months. As they say – be careful what you wish for.
They voted to have NZ sold off to the powerful that John Key and the rest of the NAct MPs worship. They certainly didn’t vote for the benefit of NZ.
Just as key and his weasles scuttle out of the country. Lets hope this creates enough of an outcry to devastate the asset sales program. Its an absolutely dreadful decision and could well cause a massive backlash against our Chinese citizens.
dont worry.
kweeweeeand the rest swallowed the whole ayn rand, civil society, brt thing whole, and they are about to choke on it.
I dont think they will last the year out.
I agree. The National coalition is on a knife edge; Labour must be up to speed and ready to fight a snap election within 18 months.
I think the focus should now be on working on who will become NZ’s Hero & cross the floor …
Catherine Taylor moron
Catherine Taylor in her first media expose as the new Rena recovery manager shows she is profoundly unqualified to be in the position…
jackal that is the way of the world now.
we are in the post modern phase where nobdoy can really do anything and its not what you know its who you know.
so you dont actually have to know anything.
ignorance is at a premium.
At the moment National’s rampant cronyism regime is all about who’s the most believable liar. No minimum intelligence required.
Hilarious/bizarre news stories : (or so Kathryn Ryan treated it this morning, and the BBC WS news-reader, who was a wee bit more po-faced, to judge by his voice..)
The local benefit office in Ireland has banned the wearing of pyjamas to appointments for special needs grants (to put it in NZ terms.) Neither Ryan nor the Beeb reporter seems to have realised that the issuing of such a notice doesn’t necessarily mean that beneficiaries were actually turning up to appointments in their pyjamas! Maybe they were, maybe not – but oh the delight someone like Leighton Smith would take in a story like that!
A question I was asked yesterday by a friend (NZ’er) currently living in Australia
“A recent canard going aound here is that the frozen vegetables we’re importing by the tonne from NZ are not actually grown there, but imported in bulk from China, packed and relabelled as “product of NZ” and re-exported. I’ve no idea whether it’s true or not, but given the number of growers here who’ve been dropped by the frozen food companies, I has me suspicions. I don’t think it’s suddenly any cheaper to produce peas and carrots in NZ than it is here, so I’m wondering if the carrot farmers of Ohakune are still flourishing, or if their business has suddenly gone “offshore” like so many here. ”
Is anyone able to shed any light on this?
That would be pretty crap if true. You could understand why they would do it though… China has a problem getting a premium for their food products in other countries because of stories like the poisonous infant formula, and capitalizing on New Zealand’s brand would be a way around that. It would probably be relatively profitable even with the huge transportation required.
GPJA #410: Occupy Auckland – stand up for democracy Sat 3pm
by gpjanz
GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER No. 410, January 27, 2012
FROM OCCUPY AUCKLAND PROTEST SATURDAY, 3PM
Defend the Right to Protest in Auckland- stand up for democracy and civil liberties. Rally at Britomart this Saturday Jan 28th at 3pm – forward widely. Occupy Auckland Thursday: 22 people arrested, with 8 people charged with willful trespass. 2 people still held, and 1 person to be deported. Most tents and communal gear seized and confiscated by Auckland Council.
____________________________________________________________________________
What happened on Thursday 16 January 2012, in my opinion, as a directly-affected party – was a bloody disgrace.
In my considered opinion, itthe forced removal of Occupy Auckland protestors from Aotea Square was a form of corrupt abuse of entrusted power by Auckland Council and the Police.
60 Police and 30 security guards to remove peaceful protestors – so that Aotea Square could be returned to the public?
So why is Aotea Square now completely enclosed by a security fence?
Never mind ‘restoring the grass’ – (which seems to be growing ok) – how about RESTORING DEMOCRACY?
Oh yes – that’s right.
This Auckland Council – this $UPERCITY for the 1% – this corporate takeover – was forced upon citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region – through railroaded legislation.
The public never voted for the abolition of our Councils, the $UPERCITY framework, the CCO model, or the unelected boards of CCOs (Corporate Controlled Organisations) – or the unelected Auckland Council CEO – Doug McKay – who was the ‘overseer’ of this ‘Operation Overkill’ to save the grass (?)
In my opinion, this forced eviction is evidence of the effectiveness of Occupy Auckland and the traction we have been getting in helping to expose the white collar crime, corruption and corporate welfare of the ‘1%’.
Check out http://www.stopthesupercity.org.nz, http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz , http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz for evidence thereof. .
(History has a habit of proving who was right and who was wrong.)
If YOU believe in our lawful rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – I hope to see you tomorrow – 3pm – rally at Britomart for a march to Aotea Square!
If you can’t be there – but support the cause – feel free to help out by making a donation.
Occupy Auckland: Kiwibank OCCUPY AUCKLAND 38-9012-0161785-00
Penny Bright
[email deleted]
Following is a High Court precedent which ruled that you cannot be arrested for a ‘breach of the peace’ unless there IS a ‘breach of the peace’, and that it is lawful to resist an unlawful arrest:
(Full credit to Civil Liberties lawyer Michael Bott for his great work in defending this case.)
This precedent arose from the peaceful protest camp on the grounds of Parliament – against the lefting of the GE Free Moratorium in 2003.
A person cannot be arrested for a breach of the peace unless there is a breach of the peace.
A breach of the peace is a violent or unlawful act which causes members of the public to feel alarm or excitement.
Sitting inside a zipped up tent – is NOT a ‘breach of the peace’.
In this case, the Judge ruled that the ones who breached the peace were the Police, in their actions of hauling protestors (including myself:) out of the tent.
J. Wild also ruled that it was lawful to resist an unlawful arrest.
This is the identical ‘on point’ case, covering this matter.
CASE NAME: Bright & Anor v Police
FILE NUMBER : CRI – 2005 – 485- 000015, CRI – 2005 – 485- 000016
JUDGE: Wild J
JUDGMENT DATE: 5 April 2005
Yesterday, Thursday 26 January 2012, I wasn’t even arrested.
I was assaulted, forcibly removed from my tent, and in the process my tent was ripped apart.
It wasn’t until after I was dragged by Police to the paddy wagon that I was told that I was charged with ‘breach of the peace’.
http://snpa.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Auckland-Occupy-Protesters-evicted-from-Aotea-Square/G0000c68Dh5eYlH4/I0000YLuKkHC9bOg
http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Hysterical-scenes-during-arrest-of-Occupy-protestor-Penny-Bright/tabid/309/articleID/240742/Default.aspx
http://www.3news.co.nz/Occupy-Auckland-protesters-refuse-to-give-in/tabid/370/articleID/240836/Default.aspx
Cheers!
Penny Bright
I think thats the point Penny, what you were doing was unlawful by trespassing. If it wasn’t unlawful, and you hadn’t been warned it was unlawful, don’t you think that you wouldn’t have been issued with a trespass notice? If the police are charged with keeping the public safe from lunatics, then I think they acted appropriately in removing you from the publics sight. I do hope that you start contributing to society instead of continuing leeching off it. So I have an idea – how about you go and get a full time job. Remarkable suggestion for you, I know, but its what the 99% of us who don’t choose to live on the fringes of society do to provide for our families. Try it, you may like it.
errrrr…………….. upon what EVIDENCE are you relying ‘Blue’ in order to substantiate your above-mentioned statement “I do hope that you start contributing to society instead of leeching off it.”?
Try ‘seeking TRUTH FROM FACTS’?
You may like it?
Then again – maybe not……………
Penny Bright
That would suggest though that the eviction of the Occupy Wellington crowd was lawful as members of the Occupation were engaging in behaviour which was threatening and abusive to members of the wider public.
Unless you are in work and paying taxes (as opposed to being on a long term benefit – it can’t be a sickness benefit can it?), you aren’t contributing to society very much at all. The taxes from all workers allow you to choose the publicly funded lifestyle you have and use to promote your own brand of fringe dwelling policies that less than 0.1% of the country agree with. Although lets face it it has to be less than 0.1%, given your record in elections. That, my dear, is leeching. It is easy to be an ‘activist’ with a megaphone and poor dress sense and no responsibilities, because you are not answerable to anyone. It is hard to achieve success as a contributing member of society, bringing up a family and paying your bills with your own money, not other peoples money, as it requires effort and ambition. You’ve chosen the easy path and fair enough, that is your choice.
Blue. You’d have some credibility if we had an economic system based on meritocracy and hardwork, not on rewarding capital ownership at the expense of labour.
Your claims are crap when you consider that the wealthiest, most powerful and most influential in our political-economy have created a system which profits their ownership the most, where their companies profit by reducing worker wages, downsizing worker positions and exporting worker jobs and our factories overseas.
Get your FACTS straight ‘Blue’.
I CHOOSE to work full time, self-funded, in the public interest, and receive NO taxpayer benefit for so doing.
It is you who has arguably chosen the ‘easy path’ of not bothering to ‘seek truth from facts’?
FYI – using the electoral process in order to help focus public attention on the ISSUES – I have found to be very effective.
You will be thrilled, no doubt, to know that a prominent MP has agreed to present what will hopefully be the ‘force John Banks to resign’ petition, to the House, on Tuesday 28 February 2012.
Do YOU support ‘one law for all’ Blue?
Do YOU agree that John Banks and Don Brash should equally be charged for signing Huljich Kiwisaver registered prospectuses which contained untrue statements?
Or not?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland Regional Governance matters.
‘Anti-corruption’ campaigner.
http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz
John Key will be interviewed over the Crafar Land Sales tonight on Campbell Live. Campbell does ask some persistent questions so it will be interesting and unusual for Key to front.
will he ask him how much they donated to the nashnil gubmint?
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Who-is-holding-the-Food-Bill-gun-to-our-heads/tabid/452/articleID/25629/Default.aspx
Food Bill – More lies and BS fron the Nacts!