Why does David Cunliffe support Deep Sea Oil Drilling?
Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in November is the most powerful storm ever recorded, it was preceded by Hurricane Bopha and Hurricane Sandy all unprecedented record breaking Superstorms. Australia has suffered two, hottest ever, record breaking heatwaves in a row. Low lying Pacific Atoll nations are at risk of becoming uninhabitable due to storm surges from Superstorms and the slow but relentless rise in sea level.
Climate Change is a near and present danger.
We must convince David Cunliffe to change his mind over deep sea oil.
Climate scientists say, that we must halt all unconventional oil extraction, like fracking, like deep sea and Arctic drilling, like tar sands and shale oil.
As well as the threat of oil spills, Green Party politicians say that Deep Sea Oil Drilling must be opposed on climate change grounds.
An election in the American Coal State of Virginia, was decided on climate change issues. But not in the way you might expect. Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat, Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the race for Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe was critical of the coal industry saying that he hoped never to see another coal fired power plant ever opened in the state. Cuccinelli argued on behalf of the coal industry and jobs.
“McAuliffe beat Cucinelli”
McAuliffe’s victory over Cucinelli came as a surprise to US politicians who deny the science, or who repeat the oil industry’s lies out of fear. This result also took many of the main stream US media pundits who pit the environment against job creation by surprise.
A recent poll taken in the state found that over 60% of voters in Virginia believe that human activity is driving climate change.
There are hardly any polls taken of New Zealanders views on climate change.
But this figure of 60% is similar to that found by a 2012 Horizon poll of 2829 New Zealanders aged over 18 with a 95% confidence of plus or minus 1.8% accuracy.
64.4 per cent wanted Parliament to do more
60.6 per cent wanted the Prime Minister to do more
(This poll was taken before Sandy, before Bopha, before Haiyan, and before the Australian Heatwaves)
A new political dynamic is emerging. Climate Change is an election winner, not a loser.
If you are a Labour Party member, or supporter concerned about the environment, and you want your party to win the election, tell your leader David Cunliffe to rethink his support for Deep Sea Oil Drilling.
Like the citizens of the US Coal State of Virginia we must see the climate change elephant in the room.
I disagree, the mistake of the last election (lost by just 10,000) was the lack of space between the Greens and Labour (asset sales). It was correct to attack asset sales, still is. It was also good that lots more people split their vote and gave Greens a go. Cunliffe has obvious seen the need to differentiate, not only for Labours interests. Voting Green just gives the partnership an idea how far they can go or not. If you like Green policy split your vote. If not, vote Labour, either way you win and you get more say. National voters can vote Labour in the knowledge they will de-emphasis the Greens, while they know its risky giving Key their vote, he may lose, or worse win with the five head monster with a untried baby head. Its not like Labour is that different from the socialist left leaning Key.
…and Climategate laid bare the methods used by the AGW extremists to shut that debate down eh? Even now we see argument that “democracy should be suspended”, that “deniers should be jailed” and bizarrely that “China has the best political system to combat AGW”. Attempts made to hound academics who don’t enthusiastically join in the group think out of their jobs., attempts (often succesful) to impose censorship on media.
Free and honest debate is essential to science, that is what Partridge is pointing out.
If you were interested in the ruminations of open minds, you would not be reading The Quadrant. The minds that dribble there are closed tighter than a steel trap.
..and of course any ‘evidence’ must be considered in the context from which it comes.
..(as in i was able to present with some confidence..the evidence of meat/dairy causing cancer..’cos it was published in a reputable peer-reviewed academic-journal…
..whereas this is a far-right-rag..end-of-story..)
..the language on that homepage is table-leg-chewing in the extreme..
..i wouldn’t trust them to tell me the time of fucken day..
..eh..?
..and that you ask/expect us to read this swill..
..really does yrslf no favours..
..eh..?
..and for some more laffs..why don’t you tell us..grumpy..
..how tyou reckon those 95% of climate-scientists are able to keep that omerta so tight..eh..?
..death-threats..?..d’yareckon..?
..i’d be fascinated to hear yr theories on this..there..grumpy..
So the mantra of Global Warming lives on in the halls of the ignorant and illiterate. Certainly appears that way. Face it, the AGW crowd have become the flat earthers, the brief fad joins the ranks of the Y2K idiots.
grumpy, is science not more of a spectrum than a never-over argument. For example, “the earth is not flat” is something that would be at the settled end of the spectrum, whereas “black holes are full of jelly beans” is at the unsettled end of the spectrum.
Y2K was a serious issue caused by shortsightedness of some programmers – and it was the concerted efforts of programmers that made the millenial roll-over a non-catastrophe. If only AGW could be so easily fixed…
You add nothing but bigotry. Stop wasting our space.
The whole purpose of Y2K was to scare businesses into upgrading their computer systems, wouldn’t surprise me if Microsoft wasn’t behind the whole thing.
Y2K was something; but not what reported on the news – journalists trying to make a story out of a coding error. But the point is that AGW is real and not something we can easily patchup.
We might agree that “climate change” is real but there has been no warming for 17 years and some scientists are even predicting a cooling phase. Even if we were to agree that “climate change” is real, there is a whole new argument as to whether it is man-made or even if it can be halted or controlled by man.
Climate always changes (well at least for the last few million years).
Y2K wasn’t a coding error, and neither is it fair to describe it as “shortsightedness of some programmers”.
Many of the systems concerned were originally developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
They were designed to run on computers that were tiny compared to today’s systems and an extra byte of storage to hold the two digits of the century in every date field was very hard to justify, particularly as the typical life of a computer system developed in the 1960’s was probably less that 10 years.
Do most people involved in the industry today really understand how small mainframe systems were?
A typical computer system for a New Zealand company in the late 1960s was, say, an IBM 360, model 30 with tape drives and 3 2311 disc drives.
It had 64k of memory. That is 64 THOUSAND bytes. A disc held 7.25 megabytes so the whole system had 21.75 MILLION bytes of disc.
Today a typical PC probably has 2 gigabytes of memory and a terabyte of disc. That is about 32,000 times the memory and 45,000 times the disc. An extra byte for the century simply wasn’t feasible. Remember this is a PC and the old machine was a mainframe.
They decision not to allow for it was not shortsighted. It was completely rational and sensible considering how sparse was the memory and disc available, and considering that the systems were expected to be replaced within a decade.
“Y2K was something; but not what reported on the news – journalists trying to make a story out of a coding error. But the point is that AGW is real and not something we can easily patchup.”
Face it, the AGW crowd have become the flat earthers
Interesting that Paltridge’s paper proves nothing. All it does is raise some concerns about whether or not man made global warming has been conclusively proved. Yet Grumpy falls in the trap of confusing slight doubt that something is happening for conclusive proof that it is not …
….but Mickey…..”the science is settled”!
I agree Paltridge’s paper does not disprove AGW, that is not what I claimed. It certainly casts considerable doubt on the motives of those pushing it and the probable overstatement of it’s effects.
It does nothing of the sort. You are conflating a statistical possibility that something may not actually be occurring with proof that it is not occurring.
I read the article before I commented. That’s how I know it confirms AGW. Attribution of individual weather events is notoriously difficult, this is not new information. Pall et al and Min et al (both published in Nature 2012) are two examples. Hansen Sato & Ruedi 2012 also provides an overview.
FFS – it is Nature Magazine!!! Of course it does not prove AGW is not happening but it does throw considerable doubt (from a warmist source” that the link to “Extreme Weather” which is so abused by media and politicians, is, at best, dubious.
The answer to the oft-asked question of whether an event is caused by climate change is that it is the wrong question. All weather events are affected by climate change because the environment in which they occur is warmer and moister than it used to be.
You know grumpy, if you posted an article saying the same thing but written by someone with no connections to Monckton and the oil industry I’d read it. But Garth Paltridge , no thanks.
This bit from Trevett’s Herald piece (reprinted in ODT) is wonderfully manipulative:
“Ms Turei was critical of the National Party’s education announcement last week. That policy rewarded good teachers and principals and set up a system for them to share their skills and knowledge across other schools. Ms Turei said it did nothing to address the primary cause of under-achievement which was poverty.”
That’s some impressive skill with which she (Claire T) implies that Turei said that Nat’s scheme; “rewarded good teachers and principals and set up a system for them to share their skills and knowledge”, when she (Turei) said no such thing.
Skill, Pasu? Simple re-hashing of dubious tory propaganda more like. Dubious in it’s entirety actually, because no matter how highly parents may rate their current principal, the waving of large amounts of cash to entice them to piss off and interfere with the BOT from the school down the road is not terribly thrilling. Bash all teachers one day, reward hand-picked individuals – prior to any performance at all – the next? Try harder John.
Radio NZ National
First item on the news bulletin is an opinion from Richard Prebble on what he thinks about the Labour leaders timing of a State of the Nation speech.
What got me was the introduction to the news item where a ‘former Labour MP’ was critical of Cunliffe. While it is true that Prebble is a former Labour MP, I am sure even he would prefer the characterisation that the item then gave, of ‘former ACT leader’. The former Labour MP tag was an attention grabber, and misleading, as I then expected a criticism from within the Labour Party.
So the lead off item was that a former ACT leader was criticising Cunliffe. Big deal? Worthy of lead off item? Honest portrayal of Prebble’s status?
I see Hekia’s comment “inequality only equates to 18 percent of underachievement.” has been removed from the TV3 article http://www.3news.co.nz/Green-Party-in-denial-over-inequality—Parata/tabid/423/articleID/329814/Default.aspx. The same has happened on “Stuff’s” online site although it was printed in the DomPost’ “Inequality was a driver of under-achievment but accounted for only 18 per cent of the difference between students who were disadvantaged and those who were not” she said. “The other 82 per cent was the result of the quality of teaching and school leadership and the expectations of parents and communities”
Said another way Hekia’s bullshit, i figure she pulled such figures from an orifice which shall go unmentioned, says that under a National Government happily tossing 300+ million bucks into the pot in what looks like an effort to get teachers and principles fighting among each other for a slice of the filthy lucre, there will be a failure rate across the education spectrum of 18%…
But, but, but… “quality of teaching” and “principals/school leaders” are well below “socioeconomic status” on the Hattie Index! Surely David Farrar will be calling her a liar any minute now.
But Prebble is only famous because the Stake thru the heart didn’t work, and he was rejuvenated. Sooner or later this old Vampire will shrivel up and turn to dust.
However what he says should be taken with a pound of salt!
Much mirth was generated last night while watching Prime News coverage of Metiria Turei’s speech on the Green Party’s education policy for deprived kids,
A couple of items later and cut to the Ads and here’s the Meridian Energy ad which also promotes ‘food in schools’ telling everybody that 1 in 4 Kiwi Kids are going to school hungry,
To rub salt into wounded ‘wing-nuts’ everywhere, Prime repeated the ad after the news…
Posted this as a belated response to mdxxkea on Open Mike yesterday, but am reposting here (if it is allowed) to generate discussion – and solutions – on today’s thread:
“I’m all for the educational/community hubs – just a couple of points about having them at schools.
1. Many of the disengaged have had disastrous experiences at schools – and will be loathe to return to them in a positive way later on in their lives. You may miss out on reaching those who have the most to benefit – just because of the choice of venue.
2. Schools are already underresourced and overcrowded – where are the facilities and capacity that will allow this to happen without capital investment?
3. You are introducing the community – many of whom are unknown individuals – into the school environment – how do you then ensure safety for both those individuals and the students of that school?
4. Future governments – using the MoE – can destroy these programmes even if they are successful by claiming they are focusing on “getting back to basics”
Alternatives:
1. Adjust the stated policy to deal with these potential problems and ensure that the continuation of these programmes is strengthened.
2. Create community hubs in local community facilities that are underutilised – obvious choice is to use local sports facilities that are not in use during the weekdays. Ensure cooperation between schools and hubs but try to set up hubs so that the communities own them – makes it more likely to survive long-term.”
Interesting!!!, $11,000 sleepouts snapped up for offices, so says the Herald online in what looks suspiciously like an advertisement dressed up as news,
The attached article goes on to say the the Chinese manufacturer of these ‘flat-pack’ buildings can supply ‘complete’ 2 bedroom units for $40,000,(i assume that the 40 grand price tag includes the ‘ticket’ having been ‘clipped’ substantially by the Auckland suppliers featured in the article),
i have to wonder just how robust these 2 bedroom units are and whether they will stand the test of time, along with a question mark surrounding the term ‘complete’, the question being does this include kitchen/shower/laundry,
Considering that a NZ supplier was quoted in the same article claiming to be able to supply a similar sleepout to the one featured for 5 or 6 thousand dollars there is probably room for movement in the cost of a complete 2 bedroom unit,(but even 40 thousand is cheap),
Are these ‘flat pack’ factory built housing units the answer to the gross shortage of HousingNZ rental property, my initial view if the questions posed above were answered positively would have to be Yes,
Having had a good look at a couple of village type housing complexes purpose built onsite for HousingNZ which cost millions of dollars i would in conclusion say that while these village type clusters were well built, some with garages some without,all with a reasonable sized garden/lawn area and well fenced to provide a sense of privacy the multi-million dollar cost of such ‘excellent’ use of scarce space could be trimmed substantially with the use of such flat pack factory built housing…
Yep, very interesting. Home ownership without having to own land brings the cost down massively, as does owner/builder, no building consents, and use of recycled/reused/upcycled materials.
Jay Shafer – a long time US proponent of tiny houses – talks about the politics of this movement. Pretty long at 24 min – but some salient points about the political aspect – in addition to the usual economical and ecological reasons.
But as much as he enjoys talking about design, what he really wanted to talk about was the politics of tiny houses. Why building and zoning codes are stacked against tiny houses, how the costs of purchase and upkeep compare to the big houses he calls “debtors’ prisons”, and why, when the Big One shakes the land around San Francisco Bay, he’d rather be in his tiny house than anywhere else.
The tiny house movement in the States is primarly a middle class one, and it’s no coincidence that it’s grown so much at the same time as the recession and home-owning/mortgage issues there have affected the middle classes. But it has the potential to reach beyond that, particularly where skills are taught/shared and people form groups to help each other build. Unfortunately such alt middle class groups don’t have a good history of expanding to including people affected by poverty. Still, in NZ perhaps some of the middle classes could move into tiny homes, freeing up regular houses for low income people.
The consent issues in NZ are different than the US too, it’s much easier here at the moment. That would need to be safeguarded if a movement here arises. Already I hear that the minimum size building for which consents apply has shrunk (presumably to prevent people from living in small, cheap dwellings).
Shipping container conversion is the other area that bears potential. We have plenty, and as they are moveable rather than permanent buildings I suspect that the consent issues are different, which would keep costs down.
Small housing is also important in a resource depleted future, esp when it comes to energy (it’s way easier to heat a small space than a large one), and being able to move the building in response to the environment.
NZFemme, nice little homes, reminds me of the ‘homes’ i had the pleasure to see at one of the ‘Ohu’ set up under the auspices of Norm Kirk’s Labour Government,
Although far more primitive in nature, these little houses, some built with actual trees growing through their center put Peter Jackson’s Hobbit-town to shame,
i fear tho, while a great way for the individual to build their own home the concept might be a little ‘too far out there’ for the provision of a mass of low cost rental accommodation which is my main area of interest,
If the state wanted to go ‘trailer homes’ with all the negative connotations ascribed to such housing i would suggest that for 40-60,000 luxury 5th wheeler caravans set up on a properly serviced site would be a far better fit,(obviously for single people)…
The benefit of these ‘trailer’ homes is that they require no building consent and can move, if job or life situations change. I also believe there are issues with toxicity with traditional/luxury trailers.
So, for low income families/young people the initial financial layout can reduce the costs of renting and/or eliminate them if you find someone who is willing to have you on site.
Agreed on toxicity issues (which I think might be a problem with the Chinese import housing too). And the $50,000 range of mobile homes aren’t the luxury ones (think over 100 grand), and they’re not that big. Tinyhomes are built out to max size, I think in NZ for towing that’s something like 11 metres? A quick look at the mobile homes online, $50,000 gets you 6 or 7 metres.
Plenty of couples live in tiny housing (sometimes even with kids). Not for everyone granted.
There are companies starting to build too, so it’s not just for owner/builders. Tiny houses, container conversions etc.
I do agree that immediate or even medium solutions for mass low cost housing aren’t going to come from the tiny house movement though.
Again, is there any link to this ‘toxicity’ in 5th wheeler or flat-pack housing, with regards to the flat-pack housing such toxicity would be a matter of materials used and in a New Zealand situation,(the NZ supplier in the original Herald online article pointed out that using timber construction they can still produce at least the featured sleep-out for far less than the imported one featured),such toxic materials could be designed out of such housing,
How that would effect cost i have no means of calculating…
Hi bad12, sorry for the delay was AFK for a few hours.
From recollection I saw this mentioned in a couple of documentaries – but for the life of me I can’t remember which ones. However, googled outgassing motorhomes and came up with a blog ref to EPA RV’s outgassing Archives. Bit old though.
But as you say, this can be fixed with alternative materials – and along with design – that is what tiny trailer homes are.
Molly a link to this suggested toxicity of trailer homes/caravans would have been nice,(not a must i will have a Google later and see what i can find),
An excellent link to the ‘serviced site’, exactly what i would envisage and much the same as the two HousingNZ villages i have had a good look at previously, i would suggest tho that more space or fencing is needed with the picture showing the housing a little ‘too close for comfort’ in the front on aspect,
Pity the site didn’t include the actual cost, flat-pack housing on a suitably serviced site while not ‘as pretty’ as that shown might be found to be a more economical solution in the same vein when looking for mass housing suitable for the HousingNZ estate much of which features two properties to the acre…
As a post-script it appears that HousingNZ after nine months of ‘thinking’ have decided to sell the Gordon Wilson apartment complex in central Wellington, meanwhile, as plans go ahead to flick off this valuable property located on the Terrace which can accommodate 100+ tenants 100 people wait,and wait,and wait on HousingNZ’s urgent housing list, a small sample of those with dire housing needs as National’s housing criteria denies most applicants even the luxury of the long wait,
This is more of Nick Smith and National’s unspoken of Asset Sales, with the HousingNZ estate said to be worth 50 billion dollars and Smith along with the HousingNZ CEO making statements in the vein of ”i plan for HousingNZ to provide 20% less of the social housing and NGO’s to pick up the shortfall”, and, ”If a property is worth $750,000 and is empty it will be sold” it is easy to see the looming cluster-f**k that this will cause in the supply of affordable rental accommodation to those on the lowest incomes…
Agree on the State Housing – and Labour need to step up to the plate.
But they also need to proof it from further meddling: ie. pick some model that will share ownership with local community trusts or similar. Else the next right wing government will sell it all off again.
Neolibs are good at death by a thousand cuts. They chip away at long-term programmes in order to crow about short term benefits.
Along with finding solutions – the left need to design methods of tamper-proofing. If communities own 51% of the State Housing in an area, then a national government cannot sell it without their say so.
As for the Gordon Wilson sale, – words fail me. That sounds like exactly the type of housing they should be keeping – but HNZ in National hands is not about providing housing is it?
Yes there’s two tragedies occurring at the same time, the ransacking of the HousingNZ estate is not only a social catastrophe,(a cynic would suggest deliberate engineering to keep property prices going up along with the data on ‘economic growth’),and an Asset Sale that will in fact dwarf in monetary terms the selling of the Power generators,
Across the country Smith has been gleefully selling property as fast as He can, Hamilton 123 homes sold with 120 on the urgent waiting list,(remembering all the time that this is National’s criteria a far tighter regime than that of Labour),
Auckland while Paula Bennett holds a public meeting to decry the $30,000 a week provided to the owner of a ‘holiday park’ via His 300 rack rented tenants, most of whom are beneficiaries Nick Smith has ripped out at least 300 state houses from the area or simply sold them to the speculators, and on it goes,
Yes i agree with you on the ‘future proofing’ of State Housing, my little thought on this is Yes to housing trusts, the actual property should be vested in such trusts who would have a management overview, perhaps there need be a partnership with HousingNZ and such trusts where rents are still paid directly to HousingNZ while management passes to such housing trusts with the trust management being able to draw down on rents that have been paid plus the government subsidy to address maintainence issues,
That sounds a little complicated but with the actual ownership in Housing Trusts while finances are held by HousingNZ who could/would have a representative as a trust member the security of public ownership could be maintained even in the face of a Tory government and financial security of such housing trusts could be maintained by both having a HousingNZ rep on the trust as a liason while having HousingNZ in the role of accounting for spending to keep such trusts solvent…
Housing Trust idea sounds like a pretty good start. Let’s hope Labour picks it up… Long term tenancy allows people to make roots in a place and build community networks.
I believe there is more to housing than just putting a roof over peoples heads.
If HNZ can build healthy and safe communities as part of their stock – the social benefits of this are considerable and increase with time.
I nearly puked this morning when I heard richard preeble poormouthing David Cunliffe on RadioNew Zealand this morning. Is this news or are RNZ turning into shills for the tories?
Does RadioNew Zealand have any standards at all?
And I’m getting really pissed off with grumpy for posting links all the time.
why dont you say what you have to say instead of tying people up in fruitless searches for your bullshit!
And its official: wail boil is an addict.
Reliable sources report that he spends at least 15 minutes every morning when he wakes up looking in the mirror, he has a picture of himself as his screen saver and mirrors all around his workstation.
Time for him to join the noo noo heads, nitwits and narcississts 12 step programme.
I’ve been looking at service provision by governments as a general topic and got some interesting threads that I’ll put in here as I’m not sure what is the best current place for them.
Australian ideas on government – good to find what they are thinking. It should be enlightened. http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/archive/publications-archive/devolved-government
and http://www.opengovguide.com/about-this-guide/
Information about Open Government Guide – I was interested as to who was behind this outfit so am showing the names of those involved. Who has the Guide been developed by?
The Guide was first published as a report by the Transparency and Accountability Initiative (T/AI) in 2011 and has been updated as an online resource in 2013. T/A I is a donor collaborative that aims to seize momentum and expand the impact breadth and coordination of funding and activity in the transparency and accountability filed as well as to explore applications of this work in new areas.
The collaborative includes the Ford Foundation, Hivos, the International Budget Partnership, the Omidyar Network, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the Revenue Watech Institute, the UK Department for International Development and the William and Flora Hewett Foundation.
Note in the University of Birmingham link you will need to put voucher in the search space and that should give you 21 papers on their use. Which should be interesting.
Don’t know what happened but some of the links above don’t work.
The nlgn.org.uk -Choice one – no.
At the bottom the bhutan studies – no.
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Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne There has never been an opening ceremony quite like it. For the first time in Olympic Games history, the ceremony took place outside a stadium arena. Despite a rainy and miserable Paris ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
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Why does David Cunliffe support Deep Sea Oil Drilling?
Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in November is the most powerful storm ever recorded, it was preceded by Hurricane Bopha and Hurricane Sandy all unprecedented record breaking Superstorms. Australia has suffered two, hottest ever, record breaking heatwaves in a row. Low lying Pacific Atoll nations are at risk of becoming uninhabitable due to storm surges from Superstorms and the slow but relentless rise in sea level.
Climate Change is a near and present danger.
We must convince David Cunliffe to change his mind over deep sea oil.
Climate scientists say, that we must halt all unconventional oil extraction, like fracking, like deep sea and Arctic drilling, like tar sands and shale oil.
As well as the threat of oil spills, Green Party politicians say that Deep Sea Oil Drilling must be opposed on climate change grounds.
An election in the American Coal State of Virginia, was decided on climate change issues. But not in the way you might expect. Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat, Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the race for Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe was critical of the coal industry saying that he hoped never to see another coal fired power plant ever opened in the state. Cuccinelli argued on behalf of the coal industry and jobs.
“McAuliffe beat Cucinelli”
McAuliffe’s victory over Cucinelli came as a surprise to US politicians who deny the science, or who repeat the oil industry’s lies out of fear. This result also took many of the main stream US media pundits who pit the environment against job creation by surprise.
A recent poll taken in the state found that over 60% of voters in Virginia believe that human activity is driving climate change.
There are hardly any polls taken of New Zealanders views on climate change.
But this figure of 60% is similar to that found by a 2012 Horizon poll of 2829 New Zealanders aged over 18 with a 95% confidence of plus or minus 1.8% accuracy.
64.4 per cent wanted Parliament to do more
60.6 per cent wanted the Prime Minister to do more
(This poll was taken before Sandy, before Bopha, before Haiyan, and before the Australian Heatwaves)
A new political dynamic is emerging. Climate Change is an election winner, not a loser.
If you are a Labour Party member, or supporter concerned about the environment, and you want your party to win the election, tell your leader David Cunliffe to rethink his support for Deep Sea Oil Drilling.
Like the citizens of the US Coal State of Virginia we must see the climate change elephant in the room.
“A new political dynamic is emerging. Climate Change is an election winner, not a loser.
Nah, don’t think so. There are lots of people who say they want more action on climate change, as long as it doesn’t adversely impact on them.
I disagree, the mistake of the last election (lost by just 10,000) was the lack of space between the Greens and Labour (asset sales). It was correct to attack asset sales, still is. It was also good that lots more people split their vote and gave Greens a go. Cunliffe has obvious seen the need to differentiate, not only for Labours interests. Voting Green just gives the partnership an idea how far they can go or not. If you like Green policy split your vote. If not, vote Labour, either way you win and you get more say. National voters can vote Labour in the knowledge they will de-emphasis the Greens, while they know its risky giving Key their vote, he may lose, or worse win with the five head monster with a untried baby head. Its not like Labour is that different from the socialist left leaning Key.
another lab/grns..coalition-song..
..(this for maybe later in the relationship..?.
..’whispered words i don’t believe..
..i’ve got teeth you cannot see..’..?..)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhyIV-XLgPo
(and a great/classic kee-wee track too..
..whoar..!..
..it’s a ‘grinder’…eh..?..it wears you down..)
phillip ure
key-quote..(this morn..)
“..i’m very suspect..”
phillip ure..
Doing my bit to bring common sense to the argument.
https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2014/01-02/fundamental-uncertainties-climate-change/
Don’t think you can disregard the author but no doubt the response will be critical of where it is published…….
Hey, Grumpy, are you ok with your name being known? And, as to the post, the argument is over, so best we just move on to doing something about it.
That’s the thing about science, the argument is never over……an open mind is a pre-requisite for science.
@ grumpy..
‘..the argument is never over..’
(said in ponderous tones..?..no doubt..?..
..and..a cliche-award for that person..!..)
..but..yes it is..grumpy..
..haven’t you heard..?
..we are now pretty certain the earth isn’t flat…eh..?
..why don’t you take it from there..?
..and work yr way forward..
..mm??
phillip ure..
That’s the thing about science, the argument occurs in peer-reviewed journals. FIFY
…and Climategate laid bare the methods used by the AGW extremists to shut that debate down eh? Even now we see argument that “democracy should be suspended”, that “deniers should be jailed” and bizarrely that “China has the best political system to combat AGW”. Attempts made to hound academics who don’t enthusiastically join in the group think out of their jobs., attempts (often succesful) to impose censorship on media.
Free and honest debate is essential to science, that is what Partridge is pointing out.
What’s his next shattering revelation going to be? The Sun is hot? Water is wet?
I look forward to your citing the peer-reviewed research that calls for a suspension of democracy.
If you were interested in the ruminations of open minds, you would not be reading The Quadrant. The minds that dribble there are closed tighter than a steel trap.
@ grumpy..
“..no doubt the response will be critical of where it is published..”
..well..yes..grumpy..
..seeing as the home-page of yr link reveals it to be a cess-pit of rightwing conspiracy-theories..
..them arguing that 95% of the worlds’ climate-scientists are involved in this massive conspiracy..
..(and that none of these conspiracy-scientists..has yet has ‘blown the whistle’ on this conspiracy..eh..?
..imagine the payday they would get from the kochs’..eh..?
..if they could produce ‘conspiracy-evidence’..eh..?
..but..nah..!
..tighter than the fucken mafia..those conspiring climate-scientists..eh..?
..and 95% of them ‘in on it’..eh..?
..absolutely – fucken – barking..!
..thanks for the laffs..there..grumpy..
..phillip ure..
Clearly another knee jerk reaction without reading the link, thought so…..
@ grumpy..
..if it looks like a duck..
..walks like a duck..
..and ..as in this case..quacks like a duck..
..it probably is a duck..
..eh..?
..and of course any ‘evidence’ must be considered in the context from which it comes.
..(as in i was able to present with some confidence..the evidence of meat/dairy causing cancer..’cos it was published in a reputable peer-reviewed academic-journal…
..whereas this is a far-right-rag..end-of-story..)
..the language on that homepage is table-leg-chewing in the extreme..
..i wouldn’t trust them to tell me the time of fucken day..
..eh..?
..and that you ask/expect us to read this swill..
..really does yrslf no favours..
..eh..?
..and for some more laffs..why don’t you tell us..grumpy..
..how tyou reckon those 95% of climate-scientists are able to keep that omerta so tight..eh..?
..death-threats..?..d’yareckon..?
..i’d be fascinated to hear yr theories on this..there..grumpy..
..eh..?
…do tell..!
..phillip ure..
So the mantra of Global Warming lives on in the halls of the ignorant and illiterate. Certainly appears that way. Face it, the AGW crowd have become the flat earthers, the brief fad joins the ranks of the Y2K idiots.
grumpy, is science not more of a spectrum than a never-over argument. For example, “the earth is not flat” is something that would be at the settled end of the spectrum, whereas “black holes are full of jelly beans” is at the unsettled end of the spectrum.
Where does AGW fit on that spectrum do you think?
Grumpy Idiot
Y2K was a serious issue caused by shortsightedness of some programmers – and it was the concerted efforts of programmers that made the millenial roll-over a non-catastrophe. If only AGW could be so easily fixed…
You add nothing but bigotry. Stop wasting our space.
Y2K was a complete con.
The whole purpose of Y2K was to scare businesses into upgrading their computer systems, wouldn’t surprise me if Microsoft wasn’t behind the whole thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem#Opposing_view
BM
Y2K was something; but not what reported on the news – journalists trying to make a story out of a coding error. But the point is that AGW is real and not something we can easily patchup.
We might agree that “climate change” is real but there has been no warming for 17 years and some scientists are even predicting a cooling phase. Even if we were to agree that “climate change” is real, there is a whole new argument as to whether it is man-made or even if it can be halted or controlled by man.
Climate always changes (well at least for the last few million years).
Yawn. Can’t you do better than this sorry-assed collection of feeble zombies?
You are doing your best to look like an idiot or a liar, as this graphic demonstrates.
Lift your game, you boring tr*ll.
Y2K wasn’t a coding error, and neither is it fair to describe it as “shortsightedness of some programmers”.
Many of the systems concerned were originally developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
They were designed to run on computers that were tiny compared to today’s systems and an extra byte of storage to hold the two digits of the century in every date field was very hard to justify, particularly as the typical life of a computer system developed in the 1960’s was probably less that 10 years.
Do most people involved in the industry today really understand how small mainframe systems were?
A typical computer system for a New Zealand company in the late 1960s was, say, an IBM 360, model 30 with tape drives and 3 2311 disc drives.
It had 64k of memory. That is 64 THOUSAND bytes. A disc held 7.25 megabytes so the whole system had 21.75 MILLION bytes of disc.
Today a typical PC probably has 2 gigabytes of memory and a terabyte of disc. That is about 32,000 times the memory and 45,000 times the disc. An extra byte for the century simply wasn’t feasible. Remember this is a PC and the old machine was a mainframe.
They decision not to allow for it was not shortsighted. It was completely rational and sensible considering how sparse was the memory and disc available, and considering that the systems were expected to be replaced within a decade.
Here endeth an oldtimers rant.
“Y2K was something; but not what reported on the news – journalists trying to make a story out of a coding error. But the point is that AGW is real and not something we can easily patchup.”
What was it then?
Weka
Read alwyn above (seems a strange thing for my fingers to type – haven’t put my fingers in that pattern before). “Coding error” was quicker to type.
Bullshit.
(heh..!..)..
..silly..silly..grumpy…eh..?
..leaping from rock to rock..(‘y2k’..?..whoar..!..)
..and no answer to that ‘how do they do it?’-question..?
..mm..??
..just ignoring that elephant in yer room..eh..?
..heh..!
..phillip ure..
Face it, the AGW crowd have become the flat earthers
Interesting that Paltridge’s paper proves nothing. All it does is raise some concerns about whether or not man made global warming has been conclusively proved. Yet Grumpy falls in the trap of confusing slight doubt that something is happening for conclusive proof that it is not …
….but Mickey…..”the science is settled”!
I agree Paltridge’s paper does not disprove AGW, that is not what I claimed. It certainly casts considerable doubt on the motives of those pushing it and the probable overstatement of it’s effects.
It does nothing of the sort. You are conflating a statistical possibility that something may not actually be occurring with proof that it is not occurring.
….or, more exactly, a reality that does not match the predictions by the models used to scare the shit out of us.
Bullshit.
The Arctic has warmed more than the Antarctic – predicted by a model.
Nights have warmed more than days – predicted by a model.
Winter has warmed more than summer – predicted by a model.
The amount and pace of warming – predicted by a model.
Changes in migration patterns – predicted by a model.
Changes to the treeline – predicted by a model.
Increased insurance claims due to weather events – predicted by multiple models.
You are completely shit at this stupid game you’ve invented. Embarrassing.
:..lives on in Nature, NASA, and all of the academies of science. FIFY
I presume you mean THIS Nature.
http://www.nature.com/news/extreme-weather-1.11428
…also casts doubt on some of the wilder unsubstantiated claims made by warmists.
Denies AGW. Links to an article that affirms AGW.
Sad.
Read the article. It is critical of claims being made linking extreme weather with climate change and points out gaps in the models.
“Better models are needed before exceptional events can be reliably linked to global warming.”
So how does this prove that man made climate change is not happening? All it shows is that one scientist is not convinced.
I read the article before I commented. That’s how I know it confirms AGW. Attribution of individual weather events is notoriously difficult, this is not new information. Pall et al and Min et al (both published in Nature 2012) are two examples. Hansen Sato & Ruedi 2012 also provides an overview.
FFS – it is Nature Magazine!!! Of course it does not prove AGW is not happening but it does throw considerable doubt (from a warmist source” that the link to “Extreme Weather” which is so abused by media and politicians, is, at best, dubious.
For more comment on the “Nature” article;
http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/my-comment-on-the-nature-article-extreme-weather-better-models-are-needed-before-exceptional-events-can-be-reliably-linked-to-global-warming/
Trenberth 2012, Journal of Climatic Change.
Oh? THAT Trenberth…….
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100119442/climategate-2-0-the-most-damning-email-of-them-all/
Hell Grumpy don’t ya think you could have gotten something a little less Head in the sand deniers?
well..that’s grumpy done and dusted for the day..
.eh..?
..phillip ure..
You know grumpy, if you posted an article saying the same thing but written by someone with no connections to Monckton and the oil industry I’d read it. But Garth Paltridge , no thanks.
Where is a link or post to the greens state of the nation speech? Third biggest party and all that? Perhaps karol is working on one.
Anyway stuff and herald have nothing on online first headlines. Herald has editorial on it but brown ranks a headline.
Third biggest party but this has less coverage than colin craig who is not in Parliament. Media influencing not reflecting again?
Grumpy there is far more evidence to support the theory of man influence climate change than the flat earthers ever had.
Do you believe that since industrialisation and human population growth man has had no negative impact on his ecosystem and environment?
Tracy
Speech: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1401/S00139/reclaiming-our-childrens-birth-right.htm
Press Release: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1401/S00138/green-party-launch-policy-to-tackle-inequality-on-education.htm
This bit from Trevett’s Herald piece (reprinted in ODT) is wonderfully manipulative:
“Ms Turei was critical of the National Party’s education announcement last week. That policy rewarded good teachers and principals and set up a system for them to share their skills and knowledge across other schools. Ms Turei said it did nothing to address the primary cause of under-achievement which was poverty.”
That’s some impressive skill with which she (Claire T) implies that Turei said that Nat’s scheme; “rewarded good teachers and principals and set up a system for them to share their skills and knowledge”, when she (Turei) said no such thing.
Skill, Pasu? Simple re-hashing of dubious tory propaganda more like. Dubious in it’s entirety actually, because no matter how highly parents may rate their current principal, the waving of large amounts of cash to entice them to piss off and interfere with the BOT from the school down the road is not terribly thrilling. Bash all teachers one day, reward hand-picked individuals – prior to any performance at all – the next? Try harder John.
@ tracey..
..and while conceding the eyewatering differences between blanket coverage of chem-trail col’s every brain-fart/arse-scratch..
..and the general ignoring of most others..by that corporate/access-media..
..and tho’ i am all for giving them a rark-up..most of the time..
..you are factually incorrect..as this morn i have seen coverage on both the herald and stuff websites..
..so i dunno where yr ‘no-coverage’ claims come from..
..but you’d hafta ask..
..just how up for/to the job are the green party media-team..?
..i dunno who they are..
..but they don’t seem too crash-hot at their job..
..there was no pre-publicity for the speech..
..(i kinda carry the conceit i keep an eye on things..and i didn’t know..hadn’t heard..and had actually wondered..)
..phillip ure..
This help?
https://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/green-party-launch-major-policy-tackle-impact-growing-inequality-education
Radio NZ National
First item on the news bulletin is an opinion from Richard Prebble on what he thinks about the Labour leaders timing of a State of the Nation speech.
WTF.
Yep and he had a line of spin that since David’s speech was last he has missed the boat. Prebble had written it off even before the speech was given …
I wish they had a rule of refusing comment from clearly partisan commentators …
Yeah, it’s pretty stupid. Lets come up with a news piece whose longevity will span this morning only, from someone clearly partisan.
What got me was the introduction to the news item where a ‘former Labour MP’ was critical of Cunliffe. While it is true that Prebble is a former Labour MP, I am sure even he would prefer the characterisation that the item then gave, of ‘former ACT leader’. The former Labour MP tag was an attention grabber, and misleading, as I then expected a criticism from within the Labour Party.
So the lead off item was that a former ACT leader was criticising Cunliffe. Big deal? Worthy of lead off item? Honest portrayal of Prebble’s status?
I see Hekia’s comment “inequality only equates to 18 percent of underachievement.” has been removed from the TV3 article http://www.3news.co.nz/Green-Party-in-denial-over-inequality—Parata/tabid/423/articleID/329814/Default.aspx. The same has happened on “Stuff’s” online site although it was printed in the DomPost’ “Inequality was a driver of under-achievment but accounted for only 18 per cent of the difference between students who were disadvantaged and those who were not” she said. “The other 82 per cent was the result of the quality of teaching and school leadership and the expectations of parents and communities”
Wow and TV3 let your comment through, without editing it seems.
Said another way Hekia’s bullshit, i figure she pulled such figures from an orifice which shall go unmentioned, says that under a National Government happily tossing 300+ million bucks into the pot in what looks like an effort to get teachers and principles fighting among each other for a slice of the filthy lucre, there will be a failure rate across the education spectrum of 18%…
But, but, but… “quality of teaching” and “principals/school leaders” are well below “socioeconomic status” on the Hattie Index! Surely David Farrar will be calling her a liar any minute now.
But Prebble is only famous because the Stake thru the heart didn’t work, and he was rejuvenated. Sooner or later this old Vampire will shrivel up and turn to dust.
However what he says should be taken with a pound of salt!
Much mirth was generated last night while watching Prime News coverage of Metiria Turei’s speech on the Green Party’s education policy for deprived kids,
A couple of items later and cut to the Ads and here’s the Meridian Energy ad which also promotes ‘food in schools’ telling everybody that 1 in 4 Kiwi Kids are going to school hungry,
To rub salt into wounded ‘wing-nuts’ everywhere, Prime repeated the ad after the news…
Posted this as a belated response to mdxxkea on Open Mike yesterday, but am reposting here (if it is allowed) to generate discussion – and solutions – on today’s thread:
“I’m all for the educational/community hubs – just a couple of points about having them at schools.
1. Many of the disengaged have had disastrous experiences at schools – and will be loathe to return to them in a positive way later on in their lives. You may miss out on reaching those who have the most to benefit – just because of the choice of venue.
2. Schools are already underresourced and overcrowded – where are the facilities and capacity that will allow this to happen without capital investment?
3. You are introducing the community – many of whom are unknown individuals – into the school environment – how do you then ensure safety for both those individuals and the students of that school?
4. Future governments – using the MoE – can destroy these programmes even if they are successful by claiming they are focusing on “getting back to basics”
Alternatives:
1. Adjust the stated policy to deal with these potential problems and ensure that the continuation of these programmes is strengthened.
2. Create community hubs in local community facilities that are underutilised – obvious choice is to use local sports facilities that are not in use during the weekdays. Ensure cooperation between schools and hubs but try to set up hubs so that the communities own them – makes it more likely to survive long-term.”
Interesting!!!, $11,000 sleepouts snapped up for offices, so says the Herald online in what looks suspiciously like an advertisement dressed up as news,
The attached article goes on to say the the Chinese manufacturer of these ‘flat-pack’ buildings can supply ‘complete’ 2 bedroom units for $40,000,(i assume that the 40 grand price tag includes the ‘ticket’ having been ‘clipped’ substantially by the Auckland suppliers featured in the article),
i have to wonder just how robust these 2 bedroom units are and whether they will stand the test of time, along with a question mark surrounding the term ‘complete’, the question being does this include kitchen/shower/laundry,
Considering that a NZ supplier was quoted in the same article claiming to be able to supply a similar sleepout to the one featured for 5 or 6 thousand dollars there is probably room for movement in the cost of a complete 2 bedroom unit,(but even 40 thousand is cheap),
Are these ‘flat pack’ factory built housing units the answer to the gross shortage of HousingNZ rental property, my initial view if the questions posed above were answered positively would have to be Yes,
Having had a good look at a couple of village type housing complexes purpose built onsite for HousingNZ which cost millions of dollars i would in conclusion say that while these village type clusters were well built, some with garages some without,all with a reasonable sized garden/lawn area and well fenced to provide a sense of privacy the multi-million dollar cost of such ‘excellent’ use of scarce space could be trimmed substantially with the use of such flat pack factory built housing…
There’s a growing Tiny House movement in NZ that’s really captured my attention in the last month. A few links:
http://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/
http://www.tinyhouseliving.com/tag/new-zealand/
Really innovative stuff going on.
Yep, very interesting. Home ownership without having to own land brings the cost down massively, as does owner/builder, no building consents, and use of recycled/reused/upcycled materials.
Jay Shafer – a long time US proponent of tiny houses – talks about the politics of this movement. Pretty long at 24 min – but some salient points about the political aspect – in addition to the usual economical and ecological reasons.
Thanks, I hadn’t seen that. Will have a look.
But as much as he enjoys talking about design, what he really wanted to talk about was the politics of tiny houses. Why building and zoning codes are stacked against tiny houses, how the costs of purchase and upkeep compare to the big houses he calls “debtors’ prisons”, and why, when the Big One shakes the land around San Francisco Bay, he’d rather be in his tiny house than anywhere else.
The tiny house movement in the States is primarly a middle class one, and it’s no coincidence that it’s grown so much at the same time as the recession and home-owning/mortgage issues there have affected the middle classes. But it has the potential to reach beyond that, particularly where skills are taught/shared and people form groups to help each other build. Unfortunately such alt middle class groups don’t have a good history of expanding to including people affected by poverty. Still, in NZ perhaps some of the middle classes could move into tiny homes, freeing up regular houses for low income people.
The consent issues in NZ are different than the US too, it’s much easier here at the moment. That would need to be safeguarded if a movement here arises. Already I hear that the minimum size building for which consents apply has shrunk (presumably to prevent people from living in small, cheap dwellings).
Shipping container conversion is the other area that bears potential. We have plenty, and as they are moveable rather than permanent buildings I suspect that the consent issues are different, which would keep costs down.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-living/house-of-the-week/8179960/House-of-the-week-Wairarapa
Small housing is also important in a resource depleted future, esp when it comes to energy (it’s way easier to heat a small space than a large one), and being able to move the building in response to the environment.
Shafer: “mandatory consumption laws”, that’s good.
NZFemme, nice little homes, reminds me of the ‘homes’ i had the pleasure to see at one of the ‘Ohu’ set up under the auspices of Norm Kirk’s Labour Government,
Although far more primitive in nature, these little houses, some built with actual trees growing through their center put Peter Jackson’s Hobbit-town to shame,
i fear tho, while a great way for the individual to build their own home the concept might be a little ‘too far out there’ for the provision of a mass of low cost rental accommodation which is my main area of interest,
If the state wanted to go ‘trailer homes’ with all the negative connotations ascribed to such housing i would suggest that for 40-60,000 luxury 5th wheeler caravans set up on a properly serviced site would be a far better fit,(obviously for single people)…
The benefit of these ‘trailer’ homes is that they require no building consent and can move, if job or life situations change. I also believe there are issues with toxicity with traditional/luxury trailers.
So, for low income families/young people the initial financial layout can reduce the costs of renting and/or eliminate them if you find someone who is willing to have you on site.
For the more stuff-accumulative – scale up a bit to something like the cottages on the Tumbleweed house site.
As for your suggestion re the properly serviced site – something along the lines of this?
Agreed on toxicity issues (which I think might be a problem with the Chinese import housing too). And the $50,000 range of mobile homes aren’t the luxury ones (think over 100 grand), and they’re not that big. Tinyhomes are built out to max size, I think in NZ for towing that’s something like 11 metres? A quick look at the mobile homes online, $50,000 gets you 6 or 7 metres.
Plenty of couples live in tiny housing (sometimes even with kids). Not for everyone granted.
There are companies starting to build too, so it’s not just for owner/builders. Tiny houses, container conversions etc.
I do agree that immediate or even medium solutions for mass low cost housing aren’t going to come from the tiny house movement though.
Again, is there any link to this ‘toxicity’ in 5th wheeler or flat-pack housing, with regards to the flat-pack housing such toxicity would be a matter of materials used and in a New Zealand situation,(the NZ supplier in the original Herald online article pointed out that using timber construction they can still produce at least the featured sleep-out for far less than the imported one featured),such toxic materials could be designed out of such housing,
How that would effect cost i have no means of calculating…
Hi bad12, sorry for the delay was AFK for a few hours.
From recollection I saw this mentioned in a couple of documentaries – but for the life of me I can’t remember which ones. However, googled outgassing motorhomes and came up with a blog ref to EPA RV’s outgassing Archives. Bit old though.
But as you say, this can be fixed with alternative materials – and along with design – that is what tiny trailer homes are.
Molly a link to this suggested toxicity of trailer homes/caravans would have been nice,(not a must i will have a Google later and see what i can find),
An excellent link to the ‘serviced site’, exactly what i would envisage and much the same as the two HousingNZ villages i have had a good look at previously, i would suggest tho that more space or fencing is needed with the picture showing the housing a little ‘too close for comfort’ in the front on aspect,
Pity the site didn’t include the actual cost, flat-pack housing on a suitably serviced site while not ‘as pretty’ as that shown might be found to be a more economical solution in the same vein when looking for mass housing suitable for the HousingNZ estate much of which features two properties to the acre…
As a post-script it appears that HousingNZ after nine months of ‘thinking’ have decided to sell the Gordon Wilson apartment complex in central Wellington, meanwhile, as plans go ahead to flick off this valuable property located on the Terrace which can accommodate 100+ tenants 100 people wait,and wait,and wait on HousingNZ’s urgent housing list, a small sample of those with dire housing needs as National’s housing criteria denies most applicants even the luxury of the long wait,
This is more of Nick Smith and National’s unspoken of Asset Sales, with the HousingNZ estate said to be worth 50 billion dollars and Smith along with the HousingNZ CEO making statements in the vein of ”i plan for HousingNZ to provide 20% less of the social housing and NGO’s to pick up the shortfall”, and, ”If a property is worth $750,000 and is empty it will be sold” it is easy to see the looming cluster-f**k that this will cause in the supply of affordable rental accommodation to those on the lowest incomes…
Agree on the State Housing – and Labour need to step up to the plate.
But they also need to proof it from further meddling: ie. pick some model that will share ownership with local community trusts or similar. Else the next right wing government will sell it all off again.
Neolibs are good at death by a thousand cuts. They chip away at long-term programmes in order to crow about short term benefits.
Along with finding solutions – the left need to design methods of tamper-proofing. If communities own 51% of the State Housing in an area, then a national government cannot sell it without their say so.
As for the Gordon Wilson sale, – words fail me. That sounds like exactly the type of housing they should be keeping – but HNZ in National hands is not about providing housing is it?
Yes there’s two tragedies occurring at the same time, the ransacking of the HousingNZ estate is not only a social catastrophe,(a cynic would suggest deliberate engineering to keep property prices going up along with the data on ‘economic growth’),and an Asset Sale that will in fact dwarf in monetary terms the selling of the Power generators,
Across the country Smith has been gleefully selling property as fast as He can, Hamilton 123 homes sold with 120 on the urgent waiting list,(remembering all the time that this is National’s criteria a far tighter regime than that of Labour),
Auckland while Paula Bennett holds a public meeting to decry the $30,000 a week provided to the owner of a ‘holiday park’ via His 300 rack rented tenants, most of whom are beneficiaries Nick Smith has ripped out at least 300 state houses from the area or simply sold them to the speculators, and on it goes,
Yes i agree with you on the ‘future proofing’ of State Housing, my little thought on this is Yes to housing trusts, the actual property should be vested in such trusts who would have a management overview, perhaps there need be a partnership with HousingNZ and such trusts where rents are still paid directly to HousingNZ while management passes to such housing trusts with the trust management being able to draw down on rents that have been paid plus the government subsidy to address maintainence issues,
That sounds a little complicated but with the actual ownership in Housing Trusts while finances are held by HousingNZ who could/would have a representative as a trust member the security of public ownership could be maintained even in the face of a Tory government and financial security of such housing trusts could be maintained by both having a HousingNZ rep on the trust as a liason while having HousingNZ in the role of accounting for spending to keep such trusts solvent…
Housing Trust idea sounds like a pretty good start. Let’s hope Labour picks it up… Long term tenancy allows people to make roots in a place and build community networks.
I believe there is more to housing than just putting a roof over peoples heads.
If HNZ can build healthy and safe communities as part of their stock – the social benefits of this are considerable and increase with time.
On National Radio, the Green policy on education was a welcome add on to the weak labour response to Hekia and JK on education.
What is or should be the purpose of ‘The System’ in your view?
Who should the System be for?
And by system I’m not referring to the political system, I am instead referring to the all pervasive one that we all live under and are subjected too.
Phillip ure
Reading is a skill. I did not say the online had no articles. I said
” Anyway stuff and herald have nothing on online first headlines. Herald has editorial on it but brown ranks a headline.”
I nearly puked this morning when I heard richard preeble poormouthing David Cunliffe on RadioNew Zealand this morning. Is this news or are RNZ turning into shills for the tories?
Does RadioNew Zealand have any standards at all?
And I’m getting really pissed off with grumpy for posting links all the time.
why dont you say what you have to say instead of tying people up in fruitless searches for your bullshit!
And its official: wail boil is an addict.
Reliable sources report that he spends at least 15 minutes every morning when he wakes up looking in the mirror, he has a picture of himself as his screen saver and mirrors all around his workstation.
Time for him to join the noo noo heads, nitwits and narcississts 12 step programme.
I’ve been looking at service provision by governments as a general topic and got some interesting threads that I’ll put in here as I’m not sure what is the best current place for them.
Australian ideas on government – good to find what they are thinking. It should be enlightened.
http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/archive/publications-archive/devolved-government
and
http://www.opengovguide.com/about-this-guide/
Information about Open Government Guide – I was interested as to who was behind this outfit so am showing the names of those involved.
Who has the Guide been developed by?
The Guide was first published as a report by the Transparency and Accountability Initiative (T/AI) in 2011 and has been updated as an online resource in 2013. T/A I is a donor collaborative that aims to seize momentum and expand the impact breadth and coordination of funding and activity in the transparency and accountability filed as well as to explore applications of this work in new areas.
The collaborative includes the Ford Foundation, Hivos, the International Budget Partnership, the Omidyar Network, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the Revenue Watech Institute, the UK Department for International Development and the William and Flora Hewett Foundation.
and getting background on government voucher use by citizens –
University of Birmingham listing of sources and info on voucher use
http://www.gsdrc.org/index.cfm?objectid=BC43B4A1-423B-4047-ACB9ED3D0A3A9BDC
and
http://www.nlgn.org.uk/pdfs/upload/Choice%20and%20local%20services.pdf
and
an interesting economist that seems to have a heart plus practicality –
About Nobel laureate Indian Economist Amartya Sen –
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/amartya-sen-the-taste-of-true-freedom-8688089.html
and
Public Choice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_choice
and
Interesting sounding info on economics –
[PDF]
Public Opinion, Happiness, and the Will of the People – Centre for ..
and
http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/publicationFiles/…/01Public
OpinionsbyRichar…
Note in the University of Birmingham link you will need to put voucher in the search space and that should give you 21 papers on their use. Which should be interesting.
Don’t know what happened but some of the links above don’t work.
The nlgn.org.uk -Choice one – no.
At the bottom the bhutan studies – no.
Choice and local services – it had a hidden character on the end of it.
Public Opinion, Happiness, and the Will of the People: Policy-making in a Democracy