Today is da day, so to say, the day of cutting the air and future focus.
I hate those last two words, sorry, they send a chill down my spine, as that was Bennett’s recipe to deal to us WINZ “bludgers”, was it not???
Anyway, today is SHEARER DAY, it is the day of make or break again, once again. We had one late November last year, where all was good, until the Cunliffe slashing took place, but, aye, it was the hyped up housing speech.
Now I am looking forward now, I want to hear and smile, to learn and yearn, to love and hate, whatever, I want to hear bloody Shearer speak the speech for the nation.
This is going to be it, to be interesting, that stuff late last year was so staged and over-exercised, I want to hear and see what our great friend Mike Smith has been telling us. Shearer is all good, a real success, will win 2014, and he is a HOT shot of sorts.
I am waiting and hearing and listening. Let us wait and see and discuss later today. I had a night through, unusual, but I get this, to work on real BIG projects I cannot divulge on. It is done, in the pipeline, I will watch the space, and once something comes of it, I may share it here, at least in bits.
Do not fall for all this hype crap and stay real and honest, folks, we are all in it together, even with JK bastard. We are “humane”, and even the wrongdoers will not be thrown off the life boats here. I wonder if they would treat us the same. Good night, good morning or good day, whatever. Take care and enjoy!
I tried to find on the Labour website anything to do with Shearer making his speech at Wainuiomata today given all the Labour emails go to Spam in my inbox, but I couldn’t find anything on their website. I wanted to know what time, where etc. It’s probably in my emails, but if I were someone who didn’t receive emails and heard Shearer was giving a speech in Wainuiomata and wanted to see if Cpt Mumblefuck really mumbles fuck, I’d like to know where to go…
Another example of the “closed shop” that is the once great New Zealand Labour Party.
btw: When going into their website it’s got “Nationals Departure Lounge” right at the top in much bigger font than the Labour logo, wtf? Bad web design and editing principles.
The Washington Post, running a story from the Bloomberg wire service, said Fonterra and the Government were facing a “milk scare”.
That panic was sparked by a Wall Street Journal article which labelled DCD a “toxic” substance that could cause damage to New Zealand’s $10 billion dairy industry. Farmers apply DCD to pastures to prevent the fertiliser byproduct nitrate from getting into rivers and lakes.
On Friday, dairy company Fonterra announced that it had found low levels of the fertiliser aid dicyandiamide (DCD) in dairy products. The tests were undertaken in September, two months before the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was alerted.
That delay has caused Labour’s trade spokesman, Clayton Cosgrove, to question whether such a decision could cause more widespread damage.
This is good. Industrial dairy is not only not sustainable, it is causing massive damage to the land in NZ. Bout time the spotlight was on those destructive practices.
It is possible for us to make a living without fucking the environment we are part of and are dependent on.
Industrial dairy is not only not sustainable, it is causing massive damage to the land in NZ.
And is set to do more damage with the massive government input into irrigation and water storage schemes
From a press release from Forest & Bird :
Forest & Bird says the private industrial irrigation schemes that the Government plans to spend $400 million of taxpayerâs money on over the next four years will leave this country worse off, not better.
The Government announced this week that a new Crown-owned company will allocate the first $80m in this yearâs budget, as part of its plan to subsidise large scale irrigation schemes.
âIf these private schemes really make financial sense, then the agricultural sector would not need such significant taxpayer subsidies,â says Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell.
“As taxpayers are already paying huge amounts for cleaning up waterways that have been degraded by poorly managed agricultural intensification, New Zealanders will not want to subsidise any new schemes, which will spoil even more rivers.
Hi Rosy and Hi Colonial Weka. I see the discussion around the recent National Govt irrigation funding announcement is going on today as well. I have copied my reply to you at yesterdays Open Mike, here:
âItâs all a bit cloak and dagger to me. Itâs also rolling over the conutryâs democracy, if itâs Canterburyâ.
Exactly. The sacking of the elected representatives of ECAN was a breath taking act of tyranny, with the intention of blocking attempts from concerned parties who wish to take the matter of irrigation to the environment court. The documents obtained by The Press under the OIA spell out clearly the intention of the govt to âsuspend democracyâ in favour of economic growth for the Canterbury region: (And for whose benefit really?)
So water storage plans aside for Hawkeâs Bay, Wellington and Nelson Tasman (thanks for actually reading the pdfâs on the nat site!) One of the big issues around the announcemment of the $80 million funding for irrigation is the removal of the democratic process. Itâs just not any old irrigation scheme.
Secondly, as you mentioned, is the issue of the environment. The expansion of dairying in Canterbury surely canât be a sustainable move and one that the environment wonât be able to support long term. Climate change experts predict that dry regions of NZ (eg Canterbury) will continue to get drier and experience more droughts where as wetter areas (eg, west coast) will continue to get wetter and experience more floods. We had an example of this over Xmas/NY with floods in the west coast and ultra hot dry and windy conditions over the other side of the alps that contributed to scrub fires⌠And of course I agree with you in regard to the issue of industrial farming and itâs intensification. Just how much can you force out of an animal and out of the land that supports that animal?
The burden on the environment will be too much.
Oh for a govt with a vision!
This NZ Herald article was malicious and disgusting: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10861651
“So, why should we attempt to “cure” child poverty, given that the disease does not really exist and even if it did, we do not care? Perhaps we should abolish the Children’s Commission.”
The last time I visit their site, Grant should get a room with Ann Coulter. I’d rather a better sleep, than read the herald. Maybe the families in poverty can sue for libel, he claims they don’t exist.
I will continue to hold their feet to the fire until they stop trying to play down climate change and agree to make it an election issue in 2014.
Let us not see a repeat of the shameful US presidential election in this country where all sides have an unspoken gentleman’s agreement not to discuss this issue.
Yes, I’m sure it’s your constant dominating of Standard Open Mike threads that’s forced Turei to mention climate change despite the will of her political masters. đ
Turei is is a political leader in her own right. Responsible for her own decisions and policy statements. Good, or ill.
She (hopefully) is not beholden to the male political masters you cynically allude to.
I will do my, admitted little, best to ask her and other Green leaders to take on board my reservations about their political direction. (Even despite threats from you to expunge my comments.)
XSector 868873 year of glorious Viper report from Madam Luicheng in all briefness: Operation D&C~DC proceeding in lagging measure to neutralise opposition to standard infiltration and acquisiton of bounteous resource. DC target resisted temptation and to be replaced with other willing tool Deluded Independent Commentators. Proceeding. Sub-operation DCD early release in current season.
Sector Summary: D&C most absolute effectiveness measure in progressive fields over all time, to continue. DC D&C role vacancy filled easily by standard DICs as DCD plan devalues target. Key snake figurehead held firmly in position by own propaganda units. Largest socialist resource operation now corporatised and open to normal acquisitions. Year of Viper Snake’s Grass acquisition target progressing to plan.
In recognition of this auspicious event. Along with the New Years Honours list I think we should create a high profile New Zealand version. By which this country can identify the recipients and accord them the proper recognition they deserve.
In no particular order, I would like to forward my list of innaugral nominees, they are: Roger Douglas, Don Brash, Ruth Richardson, Bill English, Steven Joyce, David Parker.
Individual Employment Contracts and the impact on company formations over the last 20 years.
(A really hard figure to calculate, because of the “Self-Employed-Contractor”)
Do individual employment contracts really help Aoteoroa ?
Self Employed Contractor won’t be Employment contracts. They’re contractual matters.
Individual employment contracts are the worst thing given the “requirement” to not “discuss your pay level with your colleagues”
I’d rather see group contracts for departments/divisions of MNCs and other large corporations. So somewhere like the Warehouse will have “Stockroom employment agreements” and “front of house employment agreements” “supervisor employment agreements” that are standard and contain the paybands in writing in the agreement to show what people on that agreement can earn up to.
But given the militant attitude of employers against unions, unlikely to happen unless legislated.
Lesson for today… Know your place, and it’s not in the boardrooms or the bars.
Davos – apparently the elite of the elite companies that attend would rather send only four male delegates rather than the five executives that they’re entitled to send if that fifth person must be a female executive.
And in other news – women are being blamed for their own rapes again. This time by the Absolutely Fabulous Joanna Lumley. Sure, people behave badly, but hey women don’t rape themselves.
A great comment I saw on Facebook today: the big framing problem* with approaching rape prevention in terms of “here’s what you, as a woman, should do to avoid being raped” is that it all boils down to “make sure someone else gets raped instead of you.”
*The other big problems falling under the “also this approach has never actually addressed the realities of rape and relies on stranger-in-a-dark-alley myths” heading
QFT. Although the people that think that women cause rape by how they dress etc, presumably also believe that the man wouldn’t have raped at all if he hadn’t been made to at that time (eg by being exposed to a woman in a short skirt).
presumably also believe that the man wouldnât have raped at all if he hadnât been made to at that time
The trouble with that line is all the kids, old ladies and housewives cleaning windows* that get raped.
*Years a go a woman was at home cleaning the windows one morning. A man spotted her, found the door unlocked and went in and raped her. The police were reported as saying women should protect themselves by locking their doors when home alone. Really made me think about where the blame was being laid, that one.
Ah, but those women get raped by real rapists, unlike women in short skirts, who provoke otherwise decent men into raping them by showing too much leg. Or something.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that people will believe whatever, if it means they don’t have to think about the men they know and care about being rapists.
Like you don’t want to think about that if you want to prevent rape, best to keep the men at home with the door locked (as long as you haven’t left any old ladies, or kids with them) and go out yourself kind of thing?
At this point I’d like to express my appreciation for all the caring, kind and thoughtful men I know who would never treat women badly.
Every human being needs to maintain adequate self protection skills. This includes the ability to assess, mitigate, and use strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Maintaining appropriate situational awareness at all times is crucial in being able to perform these tasks adequately, especially in environments where you may have relatively low degrees of control or initiative. The last thing you want to do is find yourself in a situation with low situational awareness combined with low degrees of control combined with an inability to assert the initiative.
Whatever other cultural, moral or philosophical overlays may be placed in the frame, these are the very basics for maximising self protection and survival. “Blame”, “judgement” etc. are exercises for the idle commentariat and media in their leisure time, but completely irrelevant in the critical moments which actually count.
Yes, you have to protect yourself. But why? Does a shopkeeper get robbed because there is no protection against just anyone walking through the door? It’s the thief’s fault, not the shopkeepers. Same process for most opportunistic crime imo.
The situation I described with the window-cleaning rape was not and ‘exercises for the idle commentariat and media in their leisure time’ it was totally relevant being, at the time, a stay at home young mother with the kids at kindergarten. It made me think very much about my situational awareness. And then get angry that I might have to change my innocent behaviour to take into account some very nasty behaviour of others. That’s not a good way for society to be.
Yeah agree its not a good way for society to be. A pervasive sense of insecurity and fear is destructive to communities.
Does a shopkeeper get robbed because there is no protection against just anyone walking through the door?
Shopkeepers tend to minimise how much cash they have on hand, ensure that they don’t hold cash on the premises over weekends and over nights, can install security cameras and alarms, and the better ones ensure that their staff are trained in how to handle situations like robberies etc. to minimise the risk of harm.
Itâs the thiefâs fault, not the shopkeepers. Same process for most opportunistic crime imo.
As I suggested, blame can get assigned any time after the critical moments have been appropriately handled.
You’re heading toward making QoT’s point that what you’re doing is protecting yourself, so the opportunist will pick on someone not as ‘situationally aware’.
Like maybe an old lady living alone who forgot to lock up properly and with a few dollars on the sideboard. Situational awareness doesn’t prevent the crime, just diverts it. Changing the situations, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of potential criminals prevents crime.
The problem is that you and I don’t have all that much control over other peoples beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, but we have a fair bit over our own.
“The problem is that you and I donât have all that much control over other peoples beliefs, attitudes and behaviours…”
No we don’t, not in an individual sense, but in a societal sense it’s possible to reduce the risk. Hence a strong belief in social justice, poverty reduction and all of those other things that lefties fight for.
I think the main difference in our opinions on personal safety is that you’re talking from a position of someone who has a strong belief in your own ability to protect yourself from crime – and I’m pleased that you do have that confidence.
I’m coming from a position where I think I cannot protect myself from crime and my personal safety is often at some risk… unless I provide some sort of physical or virtual barricade (like the way I dress, not being visibly alone, the times I travel or am out on the street etc, etc.), which is not something I’m happy to do – not even close.
Your points are good ones rosy. Self belief is not always that easy to cultivate or keep on hand, and I understand that I can’t speak to the particular environments and situations around your own locality and day to day life.
“I understand that I canât speak to the particular environments and situations around your own locality and day to day life.”
I guess it’s not particular environments and situations, it’s any environment where the onus is on innocent person to keep safe rather than on people generally not to do bad stuff and creating a society that understands that personal freedom doesn’t mean infringing against someone else.
Yes CV youâre right âŚ.. goes without saying that risk awareness is essential, but is it reasonable to expect children, elderly, people under the influence of alcohol, etc. to be fully risk aware, and then also have the ability to deal with “critical moments”?
Managing risk… well you can do this by:
1 – Removing the risk. This is the right way to go, and IMO a good way to ‘remove’ the risk is for society as a whole to challenge every type of justification or excuse for men exploiting their power over others to satisfy their sexual appetite. In other words, repudiate any argument that suggests the rape victim was in part responsible for the crime. Alternatively you could lock up every would-be rapist⌠which is plain nonsense.
2 – Avoiding the risk. For example by not being visible if you’re a vulnerable person (e.g child, woman alone, elderly person), by always locking doors, or only going out if you have a ‘protector’ with you. All clearly unacceptable strategies in a civilised society.
3 â Reducing the likelihood by tackling the immediate conditions which make it easier for a rapist to get away with it. So more street lights, Police, cameras, Big Brother? Not the kind of society I want to live in.
4 – Mitigating the risk e.g. by everyone being able to âmaintain adequate self protection skillsâ and âassert the initiative.â In a world with more criminals and criminality, your advice CV seems to make sense. But is it realistic to expect the vulnerable to hold their own in those âcritical momentsâ.
So letâs not focus on risk mitigation as this may seriously distract attention from the critical job, which is to tackle the societal causes of crime.
âFighting for survivalâ must be more about destroying neoliberal, individualistic and randian ideologies, than teaching our children to constantly look over their shoulders.
I wonder what the women’s caucus thinks of the likely demotion of both Nanaia Mahuta and Maryan Street from the front bench?
Vernon Small’s piece in the Sunday Star Times today sets out some ideas for the reshuffled front bench. As Vernon is usually spoonfed his intelligence from the Leader’s Office, this reflects their current thinking.
Word is that Shane Jones will come through the A-G report fine just in time to be appointed Economic Development spokesperson.
Populist policy-on-the-hoof wins out again. On the surface it looks like
an arbitrary date of Jan 1 2000 apparently defines the condition and safety of your motor vehicle.
There are vehicles that have been wonderfully maintained, serviced and WOF’d that were registered well before 2000. On the other hand there are vehicles that are 5, 6 and 7 years old that you would be very wary of getting into.
So companies that buy for their car fleets save a fuck of a lot of money, and (Tui) rental costs come down accordingly. Meanwhile, what they should be concentrating on is emmssion standards. All new cars should be no more than 100g carbon/km.
Whats the bet the cost of a wof rises considerably to compensate for the lower volumes.
So the only people saving money here, will be those able to afford new cars regularly and large businesses with leased fleets .
Those lower down the ladder will face increased costs as they will still require 6 monthly wofs which will undoubtedly increase in price.
Basically another kick in the guts for the poor. Thanks National, you fucking devious pricks.
I wonder if the Tourism Minister has noticed that Queenstown’s pretty busy this weekend with lots of Australians visiting and that’s due to the fact that Australia Day is a mondayised public holiday?
The very essence of Dredd is that he is closeted – closeted even as a human. Revealing that he is gay or straight or having any overt sexuality would be like him taking his helmet off and that is unthinkable! Drokk!
From the article: “I’d rather a story be provocative than just, ‘and they have a fight’.
OK, maybe. It could be fun to suggest all sorts of things about Dredd and never confirm any of them. If is essence is repression, lets suggest that he might be repressing everything. Next issue: Dredd collects stamps! Maybe or maybe not. Following issue: Dredd makes ships in bottles. Maybe or maybe not. Next issue after that: Dredd is a Morris dancer. Maybe or maybe not…
FWIW, my editor has worked with a lot of the 2000AD writers and has a clue on why he’s been so popular. The writers generally hated him, or rather what he represented, so they tried to show how awful he was… but because the strip has always been satire, any attempt to depict him as awful has only strengthened the satire, so in the end, they all loved Dredd the character and made him better.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes –Â Itâs been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its âFirst 100 Day programmeâ. During this period thereâs been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.âSomebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
Itâs been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its âFirst 100 Day programmeâ. During this period thereâs been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news â packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions â worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writersâ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate â to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlanâs article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlanâs article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Hereâs hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and â perhaps â some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from Chinaâs perspective, this weekâs visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from Chinaâs perspective, this weekâs visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Governmentâs key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
âIt hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.âTHUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology â the Internet â is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the âglory daysâ of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching todayâŚ? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trumpâs hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the partyâs decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for âFutures Exchangeâ) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:Â We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This weekâs government bailout â the fifth in the last eighteen months â of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The governmentâs stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes –Â That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labourâs caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
 Buzz from the Beehive  The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the governmentâs official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes –Â Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? Thatâs the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Governmentâs removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes –Â Â The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ârock solidâ $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The MÄori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labourâs change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. âIâm calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jonesâ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Governmentâs fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Governmentâs miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesnât act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own â and itâs hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own â and itâs hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money â but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Governmentâs proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm". He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,â Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand â European ...
New Zealandâs social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âI want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealandâs social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. âTo coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that todayâs opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. âIt was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealandâs relationship with China, including trade, ...
KÄinga Ora â Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. âEarlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of KÄinga Ora. ...
TÄna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealandâs indispensable strategic partnerships. Â Â Â âSingapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening MĹrena, ngÄ mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, itâs a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. âMarch 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,â Mr Luxon says. âToday we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. Itâs a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asiaâs most populous country. Â âWe are in Jakarta so early in our new governmentâs term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. âWe look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealandâs ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. âThe recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Aucklandâs rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. âOver the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. âThe Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).âAs it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. âParts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. âA $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.  âWe have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Governmentâs priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,â says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Governmentâs commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says itâs a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Governmentâs commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says itâs a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Governmentâs plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âThe SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Governmentâs plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âThe SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. âLower fruit and vege ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
TÄnÄ koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. âFarmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and itâs vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,â ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.  Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. âThe Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. âCurrently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliamentâs Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. âOne of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. اŮŘłŮŮŮŮا٠ؚŮŮŮŮ In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. Itâs a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. âSimon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. âHelp is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Governmentâs restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,â says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. âNew Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gazaâs al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. âThe occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places theyâre ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queenslandâs chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It canât be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet ChlĂśe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. âOn her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Itâs been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its âFirst 100 Day programmeâ. During this period thereâs been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and canât be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as âTransport for Allâ, is actively opposing the governmentâs transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Councilâs various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his âmisguided political viewsâ. âI get knocked down, but I get up again,â blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guineaâs Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last monthâs massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFLâs 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parentsâ (or grandparentsâ) lives were like prior to moving â for kids in particular, theyâre too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge âIf you donât know who your mob are, you donât know who you are,â Detective Andrea âAndieâ Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University Itâs commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their partiesâ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yiâs visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit â including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in TÄmaki Makaurau. Itâs one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
Thereâs ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealandâs ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: âHis Excellencyâs speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to âno new taxesâ as part of Budget 2024. âMr Luxonâs refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the âno new taxesâ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Governmentâs Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that thereâs a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown thatâs difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, thereâs nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australiaâs political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode â and how theyâre making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: PÄkehÄ Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversationâs series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that thereâs a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the governmentâs campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs ...
KÄinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
KÄinga Ora is New Zealandâs biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime KÄinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and whatâs the real reason our skin is suffering?Itâs one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981âs underarm incident. Weâre quick to tell international travellers that the worldâs pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bobâs relationship with certain members of Lincolnâs academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clarkâs 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGPâs races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global seriesâ return to New Zealand have left this past yearâs controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflixâs 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflixâs 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Today is da day, so to say, the day of cutting the air and future focus.
I hate those last two words, sorry, they send a chill down my spine, as that was Bennett’s recipe to deal to us WINZ “bludgers”, was it not???
Anyway, today is SHEARER DAY, it is the day of make or break again, once again. We had one late November last year, where all was good, until the Cunliffe slashing took place, but, aye, it was the hyped up housing speech.
Now I am looking forward now, I want to hear and smile, to learn and yearn, to love and hate, whatever, I want to hear bloody Shearer speak the speech for the nation.
This is going to be it, to be interesting, that stuff late last year was so staged and over-exercised, I want to hear and see what our great friend Mike Smith has been telling us. Shearer is all good, a real success, will win 2014, and he is a HOT shot of sorts.
I am waiting and hearing and listening. Let us wait and see and discuss later today. I had a night through, unusual, but I get this, to work on real BIG projects I cannot divulge on. It is done, in the pipeline, I will watch the space, and once something comes of it, I may share it here, at least in bits.
Do not fall for all this hype crap and stay real and honest, folks, we are all in it together, even with JK bastard. We are “humane”, and even the wrongdoers will not be thrown off the life boats here. I wonder if they would treat us the same. Good night, good morning or good day, whatever. Take care and enjoy!
Nah, today is Turei Day đ
http://thestandard.org.nz/green-party-im-in-for-the-future/
LOLZ, the sun is shining bright in it’s sky and everything looks so GREEN…
I tried to find on the Labour website anything to do with Shearer making his speech at Wainuiomata today given all the Labour emails go to Spam in my inbox, but I couldn’t find anything on their website. I wanted to know what time, where etc. It’s probably in my emails, but if I were someone who didn’t receive emails and heard Shearer was giving a speech in Wainuiomata and wanted to see if Cpt Mumblefuck really mumbles fuck, I’d like to know where to go…
Another example of the “closed shop” that is the once great New Zealand Labour Party.
btw: When going into their website it’s got “Nationals Departure Lounge” right at the top in much bigger font than the Labour logo, wtf? Bad web design and editing principles.
Sherarer’s speech is happening right now presumably as it was scheduled for 1.30pm in the Summer School programme.
This is not good.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8228299/World-asks-is-NZ-milk-safe-to-drink
The Washington Post, running a story from the Bloomberg wire service, said Fonterra and the Government were facing a “milk scare”.
That panic was sparked by a Wall Street Journal article which labelled DCD a “toxic” substance that could cause damage to New Zealand’s $10 billion dairy industry. Farmers apply DCD to pastures to prevent the fertiliser byproduct nitrate from getting into rivers and lakes.
On Friday, dairy company Fonterra announced that it had found low levels of the fertiliser aid dicyandiamide (DCD) in dairy products. The tests were undertaken in September, two months before the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was alerted.
That delay has caused Labour’s trade spokesman, Clayton Cosgrove, to question whether such a decision could cause more widespread damage.
This is good. Industrial dairy is not only not sustainable, it is causing massive damage to the land in NZ. Bout time the spotlight was on those destructive practices.
It is possible for us to make a living without fucking the environment we are part of and are dependent on.
Industrial dairy is not only not sustainable, it is causing massive damage to the land in NZ.
And is set to do more damage with the massive government input into irrigation and water storage schemes
From a press release from Forest & Bird :
Hi Rosy and Hi Colonial Weka. I see the discussion around the recent National Govt irrigation funding announcement is going on today as well. I have copied my reply to you at yesterdays Open Mike, here:
âItâs all a bit cloak and dagger to me. Itâs also rolling over the conutryâs democracy, if itâs Canterburyâ.
Exactly. The sacking of the elected representatives of ECAN was a breath taking act of tyranny, with the intention of blocking attempts from concerned parties who wish to take the matter of irrigation to the environment court. The documents obtained by The Press under the OIA spell out clearly the intention of the govt to âsuspend democracyâ in favour of economic growth for the Canterbury region: (And for whose benefit really?)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7874996/Race-to-irrigate-behind-ECan-move
John Mintoâs view:
http://www.converge.org.nz/watchdog/24/07.htm
So water storage plans aside for Hawkeâs Bay, Wellington and Nelson Tasman (thanks for actually reading the pdfâs on the nat site!) One of the big issues around the announcemment of the $80 million funding for irrigation is the removal of the democratic process. Itâs just not any old irrigation scheme.
Secondly, as you mentioned, is the issue of the environment. The expansion of dairying in Canterbury surely canât be a sustainable move and one that the environment wonât be able to support long term. Climate change experts predict that dry regions of NZ (eg Canterbury) will continue to get drier and experience more droughts where as wetter areas (eg, west coast) will continue to get wetter and experience more floods. We had an example of this over Xmas/NY with floods in the west coast and ultra hot dry and windy conditions over the other side of the alps that contributed to scrub fires⌠And of course I agree with you in regard to the issue of industrial farming and itâs intensification. Just how much can you force out of an animal and out of the land that supports that animal?
The burden on the environment will be too much.
Oh for a govt with a vision!
Comment from the article: It is not melamine, its not as poisonous. Hallelujah!
Now Key will shit bricks if his beloved farming sector starts to slow down. There goes his fictitious surplus even further out of reach
Even water is toxic taken in large amounts…
Obviously, but it is still not a good look.
not even watering down milk
This NZ Herald article was malicious and disgusting: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10861651
“So, why should we attempt to “cure” child poverty, given that the disease does not really exist and even if it did, we do not care? Perhaps we should abolish the Children’s Commission.”
The last time I visit their site, Grant should get a room with Ann Coulter. I’d rather a better sleep, than read the herald. Maybe the families in poverty can sue for libel, he claims they don’t exist.
Just for Jenny.
http://www.greens.org.nz/speeches/state-planet-speech-2013
One of a Green co-leaders major speeches.
Ignoring AGW?
Thank you for the compliment.
I will continue to hold their feet to the fire until they stop trying to play down climate change and agree to make it an election issue in 2014.
Let us not see a repeat of the shameful US presidential election in this country where all sides have an unspoken gentleman’s agreement not to discuss this issue.
I will continue to hold their feet to the fire
Yes, I’m sure it’s your constant dominating of Standard Open Mike threads that’s forced Turei to mention climate change despite the will of her political masters. đ
Turei is is a political leader in her own right. Responsible for her own decisions and policy statements. Good, or ill.
She (hopefully) is not beholden to the male political masters you cynically allude to.
I will do my, admitted little, best to ask her and other Green leaders to take on board my reservations about their political direction. (Even despite threats from you to expunge my comments.)
This looks interesting:
http://lhp.org.nz/?p=542
XSector 868873 year of glorious Viper report from Madam Luicheng in all briefness: Operation D&C~DC proceeding in lagging measure to neutralise opposition to standard infiltration and acquisiton of bounteous resource. DC target resisted temptation and to be replaced with other willing tool Deluded Independent Commentators. Proceeding. Sub-operation DCD early release in current season.
Sector Summary: D&C most absolute effectiveness measure in progressive fields over all time, to continue. DC D&C role vacancy filled easily by standard DICs as DCD plan devalues target. Key snake figurehead held firmly in position by own propaganda units. Largest socialist resource operation now corporatised and open to normal acquisitions. Year of Viper Snake’s Grass acquisition target progressing to plan.
‘
The history of the Nobel prize in economics has been revealed.
In recognition of this auspicious event. Along with the New Years Honours list I think we should create a high profile New Zealand version. By which this country can identify the recipients and accord them the proper recognition they deserve.
In no particular order, I would like to forward my list of innaugral nominees, they are: Roger Douglas, Don Brash, Ruth Richardson, Bill English, Steven Joyce, David Parker.
Good article – thanks.
Individual Employment Contracts and the impact on company formations over the last 20 years.
(A really hard figure to calculate, because of the “Self-Employed-Contractor”)
Do individual employment contracts really help Aoteoroa ?
Self Employed Contractor won’t be Employment contracts. They’re contractual matters.
Individual employment contracts are the worst thing given the “requirement” to not “discuss your pay level with your colleagues”
I’d rather see group contracts for departments/divisions of MNCs and other large corporations. So somewhere like the Warehouse will have “Stockroom employment agreements” and “front of house employment agreements” “supervisor employment agreements” that are standard and contain the paybands in writing in the agreement to show what people on that agreement can earn up to.
But given the militant attitude of employers against unions, unlikely to happen unless legislated.
At the cost of job security, seems to be one of the missing pieces of policies at the moment.
School leavers need the support of collective bargaining let alone the rest of the work force.
Lesson for today… Know your place, and it’s not in the boardrooms or the bars.
Davos – apparently the elite of the elite companies that attend would rather send only four male delegates rather than the five executives that they’re entitled to send if that fifth person must be a female executive.
And in other news – women are being blamed for their own rapes again. This time by the Absolutely Fabulous Joanna Lumley. Sure, people behave badly, but hey women don’t rape themselves.
A great comment I saw on Facebook today: the big framing problem* with approaching rape prevention in terms of “here’s what you, as a woman, should do to avoid being raped” is that it all boils down to “make sure someone else gets raped instead of you.”
*The other big problems falling under the “also this approach has never actually addressed the realities of rape and relies on stranger-in-a-dark-alley myths” heading
QFT. Although the people that think that women cause rape by how they dress etc, presumably also believe that the man wouldn’t have raped at all if he hadn’t been made to at that time (eg by being exposed to a woman in a short skirt).
presumably also believe that the man wouldnât have raped at all if he hadnât been made to at that time
The trouble with that line is all the kids, old ladies and housewives cleaning windows* that get raped.
*Years a go a woman was at home cleaning the windows one morning. A man spotted her, found the door unlocked and went in and raped her. The police were reported as saying women should protect themselves by locking their doors when home alone. Really made me think about where the blame was being laid, that one.
Ah, but those women get raped by real rapists, unlike women in short skirts, who provoke otherwise decent men into raping them by showing too much leg. Or something.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that people will believe whatever, if it means they don’t have to think about the men they know and care about being rapists.
Like you don’t want to think about that if you want to prevent rape, best to keep the men at home with the door locked (as long as you haven’t left any old ladies, or kids with them) and go out yourself kind of thing?
At this point I’d like to express my appreciation for all the caring, kind and thoughtful men I know who would never treat women badly.
Every human being needs to maintain adequate self protection skills. This includes the ability to assess, mitigate, and use strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Maintaining appropriate situational awareness at all times is crucial in being able to perform these tasks adequately, especially in environments where you may have relatively low degrees of control or initiative. The last thing you want to do is find yourself in a situation with low situational awareness combined with low degrees of control combined with an inability to assert the initiative.
Whatever other cultural, moral or philosophical overlays may be placed in the frame, these are the very basics for maximising self protection and survival. “Blame”, “judgement” etc. are exercises for the idle commentariat and media in their leisure time, but completely irrelevant in the critical moments which actually count.
Yes, you have to protect yourself. But why? Does a shopkeeper get robbed because there is no protection against just anyone walking through the door? It’s the thief’s fault, not the shopkeepers. Same process for most opportunistic crime imo.
The situation I described with the window-cleaning rape was not and ‘exercises for the idle commentariat and media in their leisure time’ it was totally relevant being, at the time, a stay at home young mother with the kids at kindergarten. It made me think very much about my situational awareness. And then get angry that I might have to change my innocent behaviour to take into account some very nasty behaviour of others. That’s not a good way for society to be.
Yeah agree its not a good way for society to be. A pervasive sense of insecurity and fear is destructive to communities.
Shopkeepers tend to minimise how much cash they have on hand, ensure that they don’t hold cash on the premises over weekends and over nights, can install security cameras and alarms, and the better ones ensure that their staff are trained in how to handle situations like robberies etc. to minimise the risk of harm.
As I suggested, blame can get assigned any time after the critical moments have been appropriately handled.
You’re heading toward making QoT’s point that what you’re doing is protecting yourself, so the opportunist will pick on someone not as ‘situationally aware’.
Like maybe an old lady living alone who forgot to lock up properly and with a few dollars on the sideboard. Situational awareness doesn’t prevent the crime, just diverts it. Changing the situations, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of potential criminals prevents crime.
The problem is that you and I don’t have all that much control over other peoples beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, but we have a fair bit over our own.
“The problem is that you and I donât have all that much control over other peoples beliefs, attitudes and behaviours…”
No we don’t, not in an individual sense, but in a societal sense it’s possible to reduce the risk. Hence a strong belief in social justice, poverty reduction and all of those other things that lefties fight for.
I think the main difference in our opinions on personal safety is that you’re talking from a position of someone who has a strong belief in your own ability to protect yourself from crime – and I’m pleased that you do have that confidence.
I’m coming from a position where I think I cannot protect myself from crime and my personal safety is often at some risk… unless I provide some sort of physical or virtual barricade (like the way I dress, not being visibly alone, the times I travel or am out on the street etc, etc.), which is not something I’m happy to do – not even close.
Your points are good ones rosy. Self belief is not always that easy to cultivate or keep on hand, and I understand that I can’t speak to the particular environments and situations around your own locality and day to day life.
“Your points are good ones rosy.”
Thanks CV
“I understand that I canât speak to the particular environments and situations around your own locality and day to day life.”
I guess it’s not particular environments and situations, it’s any environment where the onus is on innocent person to keep safe rather than on people generally not to do bad stuff and creating a society that understands that personal freedom doesn’t mean infringing against someone else.
Yes CV youâre right âŚ.. goes without saying that risk awareness is essential, but is it reasonable to expect children, elderly, people under the influence of alcohol, etc. to be fully risk aware, and then also have the ability to deal with “critical moments”?
Managing risk… well you can do this by:
1 – Removing the risk. This is the right way to go, and IMO a good way to ‘remove’ the risk is for society as a whole to challenge every type of justification or excuse for men exploiting their power over others to satisfy their sexual appetite. In other words, repudiate any argument that suggests the rape victim was in part responsible for the crime. Alternatively you could lock up every would-be rapist⌠which is plain nonsense.
2 – Avoiding the risk. For example by not being visible if you’re a vulnerable person (e.g child, woman alone, elderly person), by always locking doors, or only going out if you have a ‘protector’ with you. All clearly unacceptable strategies in a civilised society.
3 â Reducing the likelihood by tackling the immediate conditions which make it easier for a rapist to get away with it. So more street lights, Police, cameras, Big Brother? Not the kind of society I want to live in.
4 – Mitigating the risk e.g. by everyone being able to âmaintain adequate self protection skillsâ and âassert the initiative.â In a world with more criminals and criminality, your advice CV seems to make sense. But is it realistic to expect the vulnerable to hold their own in those âcritical momentsâ.
So letâs not focus on risk mitigation as this may seriously distract attention from the critical job, which is to tackle the societal causes of crime.
âFighting for survivalâ must be more about destroying neoliberal, individualistic and randian ideologies, than teaching our children to constantly look over their shoulders.
I wonder what the women’s caucus thinks of the likely demotion of both Nanaia Mahuta and Maryan Street from the front bench?
Vernon Small’s piece in the Sunday Star Times today sets out some ideas for the reshuffled front bench. As Vernon is usually spoonfed his intelligence from the Leader’s Office, this reflects their current thinking.
Word is that Shane Jones will come through the A-G report fine just in time to be appointed Economic Development spokesperson.
Milk = overseas earnings = money for taxes = money to fund health and education and benefits
Mining = taxes = ?
mmmmm
If we sold off your grandmother to the Russians, it’d have the same effect.
Populist policy-on-the-hoof wins out again. On the surface it looks like
an arbitrary date of Jan 1 2000 apparently defines the condition and safety of your motor vehicle.
There are vehicles that have been wonderfully maintained, serviced and WOF’d that were registered well before 2000. On the other hand there are vehicles that are 5, 6 and 7 years old that you would be very wary of getting into.
“Changes to WoF system aim to save $159m annually”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10861731
So companies that buy for their car fleets save a fuck of a lot of money, and (Tui) rental costs come down accordingly. Meanwhile, what they should be concentrating on is emmssion standards. All new cars should be no more than 100g carbon/km.
Another saving for the more affluent who own the newest vehicles.
Another 2000 jobs lost (according to MTA)
More Pike River type policy that will result in a rise in road deaths.
Whats the bet the cost of a wof rises considerably to compensate for the lower volumes.
So the only people saving money here, will be those able to afford new cars regularly and large businesses with leased fleets .
Those lower down the ladder will face increased costs as they will still require 6 monthly wofs which will undoubtedly increase in price.
Basically another kick in the guts for the poor. Thanks National, you fucking devious pricks.
Whoops -meant to be a reply to 13
You are probably correct clashman, that would be the Nact way to “ballance” the ledger.
Would sleepy hobbits wake up over such a tactic I wonder, or would they mobilise themselves for a protest similar to the French truck drivers(?)
I wonder if the Tourism Minister has noticed that Queenstown’s pretty busy this weekend with lots of Australians visiting and that’s due to the fact that Australia Day is a mondayised public holiday?
The trailer for The Revisionaries, a documentary about the hijacking of US public school syllabuses by the religious right.
Attention Citizens! Dredd Gay Shock!
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/comic-book-hero-judge-dredd-might-be-gay-8466959.html
The very essence of Dredd is that he is closeted – closeted even as a human. Revealing that he is gay or straight or having any overt sexuality would be like him taking his helmet off and that is unthinkable! Drokk!
lol, just point me to the perp, citizen
From the article:
“I’d rather a story be provocative than just, ‘and they have a fight’.
OK, maybe. It could be fun to suggest all sorts of things about Dredd and never confirm any of them. If is essence is repression, lets suggest that he might be repressing everything. Next issue: Dredd collects stamps! Maybe or maybe not. Following issue: Dredd makes ships in bottles. Maybe or maybe not. Next issue after that: Dredd is a Morris dancer. Maybe or maybe not…
FWIW, my editor has worked with a lot of the 2000AD writers and has a clue on why he’s been so popular. The writers generally hated him, or rather what he represented, so they tried to show how awful he was… but because the strip has always been satire, any attempt to depict him as awful has only strengthened the satire, so in the end, they all loved Dredd the character and made him better.
It’s only a surprise to those who don’t read Judge Dredd.
Here’s an example of pregnant men in #300.
http://calamity-coyote.blogspot.co.nz/2010/08/reason-1457-why-judge-dredd-is-awesome.html
and this episode has been known about for some time. We were discussing it months ago.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/10/29/and-finally-a-very-gay-judge-dredd/
Non-comic fans are all outraged as are what seems to be mainly US media.
I think it’s pretty cool and entirely consistent with the Dredd universe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oi4yKFOLcg
Oh I’m cool with Dredd being gay, I’m just not cool with him not being repressed about… everything.
Patrolling a MegaCity is a tough job and feelings are liabilities on the tough streets.
When I was writing that only TRP had posted.
Cool. No worries. We can’t get into mistaken arguments over Judge Dredd, can we? đ
I’ve always thought Dredd’s man servant droid Walter was an pictorial euphemism.
Garage conversions are National’s secret solution to the housing crisis:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/john-keys-housing-solutions.html