“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard.”
Marion Elliot-Said, better known as Poly Styrene, has died of cancer. She was one of the first woman to adopt punk and with the band X Ray Specs played raucous anti-establishment and anti-consumerist songs in the years when music mattered.
In later life, she entered a Krishna temple and wanted to be remembered for her spirituality. However, I guess this song will remain her legacy:
Oh. How sad. She can’t be that old. I remmeber her songs. Loved them at the time. I also remember seeing her perform at an anti-Nazi League rally. We could do with a bit of that protest energy now.
Pity I had to hear the news to go searching youtube to remember who she was and the bands music, and those days of listening to the original BFM as this was the only outlet for any alt music (There was later on a rebel radio station many years later on Waiheke for a year or so from memory ). Also back then the influence of the sax by many british bands of that time
RIP M.E.S.
Gangs are on the rise. Intimidation is rife. Hell even the PnS in
Hamilton is too intimidated to actually arrest the shoplifters
(either there’s no law against taking from a open shop without
paying or why?). When three men accompany a man who shoots into
the dark are not charged with manslaughter, you have to worry
about the laws of NZ. When ACT a supposed liberty loving party
decides to let a loophole in car noise stand, that gangs use
to intimidate home owners and move into an area. Whatever happened
to the seizure of property, if gang members assist one another in
criminal acts why are the houses they do it from, that assist
each other by being next door to each other not also seized.
When Housing New Zealand does not know how to eject tenants
whose friends, visitors, intimidate the street, how can you not think
that the gangs have infiltrated many of the political parties,
government social departments, and are slow removing, deregulating.
Come on! John Key has now decided to shake all the departments up,
so they are even more ineffective.
Its a break down in law and order, letting criminal use gangs,
create an economy that pushes young people into gang culture,
removes or reshuffles existing law and government departments
and inevitable create new ways for gangs to innovate their tactics
in the new vacuum. As The right keep saying, the market is
much better at innovating, and the left says the markets aren’t
always good for the citizens, when are we as a society going to
connect the dots?
[lprent: Fixed the e-mail and got rid of the dup comment. ]
if gang members assist one another in criminal acts why are the houses they do it from, that assist each other by being next door to each other not also seized.
Most Gang members rent the houses they live in.
When Housing New Zealand does not know how to eject tenants whose friends, visitors, intimidate the street, how can you not think that the gangs have infiltrated many of the political parties, government social departments, and are slow removing, deregulating. Come on!
Housing New Zealand cannot evict people for being in gangs. The Government, as much as it might like to, cannot evict people for being Maori either. They should not intimidate or interfere in peoples lives for who they are or what they do within the law. Perhaps you might support the new fascist regime, but most people don’t. Gangs are a symptom of a failing society. You can make changes so that gangs do not have disaffected people to recruit. You cannot get rid of gangs by evicting their members from their housing.
Zeebop. The National Party is a gang but a “respectable” one. They wear a patch but its in badge form. Their gang has an air of arrogance and intimidate all those who get in their way. They look out for each other and even build roads to keep other gang members happy. The Key to survival is to just agree with them and keep quiet and avoid eye contact.
People think the government does not have enough funds to pay for new infrastructure and would rather see user pays and public-private partnership options to finance future projects, new research shows.
The New Zealand Council of Infrastructure and Development’s Funding Infrastructure study says that given the gloomy economic climate, Kiwis don’t want the Government to borrow or increase taxes to fund infrastructure, with only 8 and 10 percent supporting the respective options.
Instead, 40 per cent of respondents prefer user-pays models, such as tolls on motorways, and 35 per cent want the private sector to be more involved through PPP in funding new infrastructure such as roads, public transport, ports and utilities
Some 18 per cent favour the partial sale of publicly owned assets, such as power companies, ports or airports, as funding source.
About 24 per cent say the government should not proceed with projects it did not have the money for.
Not sure if off the cuff survey responses will do justice to complex questions like these.
National have quite a way to go to get support for partial asset sales.
National have quite a way to go to get support for partial asset sales.
Who would have thought that ripping off our children and grandchildren in order to concentrate ownership of the nation\’s assets in the hands of the few and the rich, many of them foreigners, would be such a hard sell.
By the way mate trying to conflate the results from a survey on “user pays” with asset sales where “we all pay” is a serious over-reach.
Interesting PeteG. Wonder if respondents were able to give more than one answer to each question? That and that but not that.
500 being surveyed is a bit thin. And for ordinary folk like me each suggestion would require a fairly careful explanation to be adequately informed in order to give a fair answer.
“National have quite a way to go to get support for partial asset sales.” That is why Key needs Brash/Act to be “forced unwillingly” to go ahead with such sales.
(No way of getting quotes bold italics etc today?)
The New Zealand Council of Infrastructure and Developmentâs Funding Infrastructure
There’s your problem right there. It’s a right-wing think tank that starts off with a conclusion and then goes off to get/twist/spin the numbers to prove it.
I always thought the biggest flaw with carbon emissions agreements was that there was little incentive for the consuming countries to reduce consumption seeing as the counting was in production that was increasingly in developing countries with no restrictions of carbon emissions. Now there is a report out dealing with this scenario:
Cuts in carbon emissions by developed countries since 1990 have been cancelled out many times over by increases in imported goods from developing countries such as China, according to the most comprehensive global figures ever compiled.
Previous studies have shown the significance of “outsourced” emissions for specific countries, but the latest research, published on Monday, provides the first global view of how international trade altered national carbon footprints during the period of the Kyoto protocol.
Doesnât mention the *awkward* question about how many folks get trained and then disappear.
Disappear with their US paid for firearm, munitions, training, supplies, intel, pay (which probably doesn’t get stopped until someone figures out they have gone)…
Brian Easton has written an excellent piece in the Listener for the week April 30-May 6 2011 titled ‘Will the Budget be fair?
‘We object so strongly to having our own incomes further reduced by taxation that we think the incomes of pensioners should be reduced instead… In times of depression it is necessary to curtail the community’s consumption of many goods and services. Already people with large or moderate incomes have diminished their expenditure on many of the pleasant but unnecessary things which formerly they enjoyed. Most of them are, however, still tolerably comfortable. A great deal of money is spent on motor cars and holidays, on racing and other amusements. But rather curtail further expenditure of this kind, we think it will become necessary to reduce expenditure… [that] would be most advantageous to the whole community.
So wrote University of Otago professor Alan Fisher in 1932, satirising the attitudes of many of the elite as New Zealand struggles with the impact of the Great Depression.’
If you can lay your hands on this Listener do so because the whole piece is so on the money for our times and these are words to live by.
I got fed up with the Listener after it turned into a right wing rag that ran constant middle class angst stories about healthcare, crime, educational failure, material aspirations etc. In the end I sent them a letter telling them they were no longer on the purchase list.
Agreed completely. With Pamela Stirling and Joanne Black calling the shots what else would you expect. I remember when they dumped Gordon Campbell – according to Stirling it had nothing to do with politics, it was the business case. Some business case that involves dropping the best journalist the magazine had and consistent ‘award winner’.
If I read one more Listener cover story about how to improve my brain power I’ll be powerful enough to generate all of Christchurch’s electricity needs just by having a quick think (we’ve just had powercuts again here in the South of Christchurch).
Stirling and Black are self-satisfied twats but I like Easton’s articles. Gordon Campbell now has a weekly gig with the Kapiti Observer but it’s behind a paywall – he’s written some good articles holding the government’s feet to the fire.
Have a look for Brian Easton’s own website (I think it is in the blogroll in the reference sites – yep http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/ ). He often puts his columns and speeches up there.
The Fukushima Dai-Ichi station had 6,415 people on site that day. More than 5,500, like Matsumoto and Imamura, were subcontractors who reported to their clusters of offices in the plant for a head count.
From 1997 to 2000, Paul Fusco made repeated trips to the areas surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear plant. What was meant to be a quick visit turned into a long-term project as he found himself overwhelmed by the fate of the children born within the radiation zone of Chernobyl and the love that their caregivers provided. In this multimedia piece, featuring images from his trips, Fusco reflects on the horrific legacy of the Chernobyl disaster.
And wiki leaking all the relevant emails over the Act would probably be more effective than a low orbital ion cannon attack, given how stupid certain National and ACT MP’s are…
[EDIT] And what’s to bet someone brainless will take that teh wrong way.
ZeeBop – your post sounds like National Party electioneering to me
‘Law and order’ is one of their stated platforms and just like them you don’t provide any evidence to back up you claim that lawlessness is on the rise.
Gangs would have little traction in a New Zealand that valued its citizens, a New Zealand with decent pay and opportunities for all, a New Zealand where everyone has a voice in Parliament and a New Zealand that embraced pastimes other than money worship, witch hunts and scapegoating.
You claim that its a break down in law and order – I say its a break down of Democracy.
You would presumably put more people in prison where thanks to a new law they no longer have a voice when the problem is that people already feel so disenfranchised that they form alternative societies and hidden economies.
There is no escalating gang problem – there is however an escalating comprehension problem around what we need to do as a country to prevent more and more people falling by the wayside as the mainstream slavishly lusts after fools gold and in petty spite blames the poor and the weak for their discontent.
[was supposed to be posted as reply to 3 but refresh issues thwarted intent]
The OECD advice to us is get capital gains tax and that the present taxation system favours the wealthy. House prices have doubled in years 2002-2007 and for working people now in rented houses – the majority would find it impossible to buy at present. Think that\’s right. E&OE That is something that Don Brash wanted – less people putting their money into buying houses. Labour couldn\’t bring themselves to introduce the tax though new ideas of sweat equity etc got talked about (implemented?). Will National have the balls to introduce it even just one specially tailored to please their paymasters, and not hurt the average citizen too much?
Just noticed that the date on today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s Open Mike is wrong. Either that or I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ve been in an chocolate overdose based coma since Easter.
(and still haveing to duplicate post as the ani-spam is still freaking out, maaan.)
((maybe something to do with the \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’installing components swflash.cab\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ message running along the bottom?))
((maybe something to do with the \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\âinstalling components swflash.cab\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\â message running along the bottom?))
Probably. I’ve just run a set of tests on several browsers (including with IE) on both servers, and I can’t get any errors with the anti-spam. Has anyone else had problems since I removed the javascript editor?
I had problems earlier today posting to the Horizon poll thread. Is it something to do with a timeout? It seems to work fine after a refresh and immediate paste and send, whereas if you spend some time writing the comment it won’t send.
Edit: And this short and quick comment worked fine.
Had a problem with this comment (previously). It came up with the same antispam word as a comment I just did previously. This antispam word is different so, fingers crossed …
They explained away the bone fractures, didnât ask what caused the lacerations, and called the hallucinations routine. Rather than blowing the whistle, medical professionals entrusted with the care of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay turned a blind eye when there were clear indications of abuse.
The profits from the RWC are probably overstated in order to dupe us into welcoming the income of great wealth. Overstated predictions
Just trying the shortened link.
I\’m wondering where the benny bashers are on this one. Looks like the poor old duck was in a Housing NZ unit & must have been claiming a benefit for many years. I feel sad for the life this woman had, and wondered if she received any help along the way with her addictions, but also a bit cynical about all these tributes. Drunk, abusive beneficiary? Nobody cares about you, unless you\’ve been sitting around long enough to become part of the view.
And Rodney was proudly proclaiming to Campbell that Act had democratic processes that would be followed….. after his ramming through of the supercity without consultation, he can claim to value democracy?
And as for Tweedle Dee…. a proven liar, and critical of Key, who, it seems will be happy to work with this resurrected ex National leader…. recreational fiction is more believable.
Brash got his talking points in, kindly letting labour know what he will be saying for the next 7 months.
300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, that’s 1.2Billion a month, all families know you don’t keep borrowing to fund regular spending.
Pretty predictable, but Labour need to get their own lines to kill this stuff.
Most people that have been governor of a reserve bank know that a country’s economy is not the same thing as a family’s checking account, so why does Brash want NZ to think it is?
Greece had brash style austerity forced on them, and it’s making their deficit worse not better. It hasn’t worked there, it hasn’t worked in Spain, it hasn’t worked in Ireland, it’s not working in Britain. It doesn’t solve the problem it’s aimed at solving.
When brash was the bought and paid for leader of national all he wanted to do was cut taxes on the rich and slash services for the rest of us. He claimed a surplus was theft. Now he’s the bought and paid for leader of ACT all he wants to do is cut taxes for the rich and slash services for the rest of us. He claims a deficit is like krypton. The only things that change are his excuses and the colour of the car his backers put him in.
300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week
Yep, onto it Pb, now we see the polling that produced the coup – \”$300/wk debt for every family\” and of course the old favourite \”One law for all\” relaunched by the original artist in the dulcet contemporary tones of \”We are all New Zealanders\” (even Australians if you listen again!)
One consolation: the polls must also show a narrowing gap to force this unpredictable old nag out of the stable so early. Not sure it\’ll run again, not with this dissipated old hack as jockey.
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, âsaving the planetâ is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
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I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
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The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to âget New Zealand back on track.â When you look at the basic promisesâto trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
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Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. âThe data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
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Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
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Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Governmentâs planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulationâs report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whÄnau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under Nationalâs Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Governmentâs latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te PÄti MÄori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te PÄti MÄori government. This warning comes ahead of todayâs third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Governmentâs announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning itâs a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing.   ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to âsuper chargeâ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the countryâs gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-nationalâs disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Governmentâs new child poverty targets that are based on a new âpersistent povertyâ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Governmentâs Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets.  ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata MÄori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for MÄori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Billâwhich allows landlords to end tenancies with no reasonâignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing âlossmaking paper productionâ. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatreâs restoration. ...
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction PlanâHe Ara Anamataâa blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. âThe Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). âAt my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,â Mr Luxon says. âNew Zealandâs ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealandâs intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. âThe government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,â Mr Penk says. âApplications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Governmentâs measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âImproving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. âOur focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. âThe redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. âRegulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. âSynthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the NgÄruawÄhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âI would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. âI would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. âIt has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whataâs appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayersâ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. âTreasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. âFreedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last yearâs Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Networkâs new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThe Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âDelivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. âCabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âAs a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âMr Horsleyâs experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. âHe is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. âEarlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. âThe Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill â the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawkeâs Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.âThe Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âPlanting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. âThese trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). âThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. âThis Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
âAccelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,â says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mĆ te tangata, mahia â if itâs good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sectorâs delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for MÄori and all New Zealanders, MÄori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. âI would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. âThe appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Boardâs capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âIn the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Governmentâs $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. âThis fund is part of the Governmentâs commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commissionâs plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.âThe Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best â providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Governmentâs Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.âNew Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.âCouncils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealandâs Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shukerâs new novel about⊠an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free â overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Hereâs how to make it to Jesusâs birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update âfucked up your lifeâ? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries â and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report âIt looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,â says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israelâs ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly ârisk-averse approachâ to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a âfreedom of speech statementâ ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
Itâs a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word âdementiaâ, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life â but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright lawâs conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ćtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a âcase of the give-upsâ. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeuâs Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, heâs not planning on simply idling his way through â he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ćtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fijiâs capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Womenâs Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound â a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig â who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by âhis children, loved ones, and sunflowersâ â was the ...
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscisâs / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if youâve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, thereâs a good chance youâve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...
If something big is going to happen in Ferndale, itâs going to happen at Christmas. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If thereâs one episode of Shortland Street you should watch each year, itâs the annual Christmas cliffhanger. The final episode of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William A. Stoltz, Lecturer and expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, heâs yet to reveal key appointees to Americaâs powerful cyber warfare and intelligence institutions. ...
Announcing the top 10 books of the the year at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) The phenomenal Irish writer is the unsurprising chart topper for 2024 with her fourth novel that, much like her first ...
“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard.”
Marion Elliot-Said, better known as Poly Styrene, has died of cancer. She was one of the first woman to adopt punk and with the band X Ray Specs played raucous anti-establishment and anti-consumerist songs in the years when music mattered.
In later life, she entered a Krishna temple and wanted to be remembered for her spirituality. However, I guess this song will remain her legacy:
Oh. How sad. She can’t be that old. I remmeber her songs. Loved them at the time. I also remember seeing her perform at an anti-Nazi League rally. We could do with a bit of that protest energy now.
Only 53. Like Strummer, way to early to go. There\’s a couple of nice articles on the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/apr/26/poly-styrene-dies-aged-53
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/apr/26/poly-styrene-x-ray-spex
Pity I had to hear the news to go searching youtube to remember who she was and the bands music, and those days of listening to the original BFM as this was the only outlet for any alt music (There was later on a rebel radio station many years later on Waiheke for a year or so from memory ). Also back then the influence of the sax by many british bands of that time
RIP M.E.S.
I followed the Guardian link and noticed, also, that Phoebe Snow has just died! Does anyone remember her?
What interesting women they both were!
Vicky
Can’t find the election results anywhere … đ
Gangs are on the rise. Intimidation is rife. Hell even the PnS in
Hamilton is too intimidated to actually arrest the shoplifters
(either there’s no law against taking from a open shop without
paying or why?). When three men accompany a man who shoots into
the dark are not charged with manslaughter, you have to worry
about the laws of NZ. When ACT a supposed liberty loving party
decides to let a loophole in car noise stand, that gangs use
to intimidate home owners and move into an area. Whatever happened
to the seizure of property, if gang members assist one another in
criminal acts why are the houses they do it from, that assist
each other by being next door to each other not also seized.
When Housing New Zealand does not know how to eject tenants
whose friends, visitors, intimidate the street, how can you not think
that the gangs have infiltrated many of the political parties,
government social departments, and are slow removing, deregulating.
Come on! John Key has now decided to shake all the departments up,
so they are even more ineffective.
Its a break down in law and order, letting criminal use gangs,
create an economy that pushes young people into gang culture,
removes or reshuffles existing law and government departments
and inevitable create new ways for gangs to innovate their tactics
in the new vacuum. As The right keep saying, the market is
much better at innovating, and the left says the markets aren’t
always good for the citizens, when are we as a society going to
connect the dots?
[lprent: Fixed the e-mail and got rid of the dup comment. ]
Zeebop
Most Gang members rent the houses they live in.
Housing New Zealand cannot evict people for being in gangs. The Government, as much as it might like to, cannot evict people for being Maori either. They should not intimidate or interfere in peoples lives for who they are or what they do within the law. Perhaps you might support the new fascist regime, but most people don’t. Gangs are a symptom of a failing society. You can make changes so that gangs do not have disaffected people to recruit. You cannot get rid of gangs by evicting their members from their housing.
Zeebop. The National Party is a gang but a “respectable” one. They wear a patch but its in badge form. Their gang has an air of arrogance and intimidate all those who get in their way. They look out for each other and even build roads to keep other gang members happy. The Key to survival is to just agree with them and keep quiet and avoid eye contact.
How to pay our way? User pays option the best: survey
Not sure if off the cuff survey responses will do justice to complex questions like these.
National have quite a way to go to get support for partial asset sales.
Who would have thought that ripping off our children and grandchildren in order to concentrate ownership of the nation\’s assets in the hands of the few and the rich, many of them foreigners, would be such a hard sell.
By the way mate trying to conflate the results from a survey on “user pays” with asset sales where “we all pay” is a serious over-reach.
A couple of ways to look at it:
– partial asset sales are even less popular than a partial Labour government so should be opposed
– partial asset sales are more popular than the Greens, Act, Maori Party and NZF combined, should none or all have an airing in parliament?
Both of those ways are utterly stupid.
It is PeteG after all.
SnoopDog is more popular than all those above options so according to PeteG\’s formula Snoop\’s the next to get representation in the House.
Specking to people from the UK PPP’s have been a disaster over their. STOP ASSET SALES .
Only 18% favour partial sales HA! there’s your answer. STOP ASSET SALES .
Who are ‘The New Zealand Council of Infrastructure and Development’ just a bunch of people pushing there own barrows like peteG. STOP ASSET SALES .
Interesting PeteG. Wonder if respondents were able to give more than one answer to each question? That and that but not that.
500 being surveyed is a bit thin. And for ordinary folk like me each suggestion would require a fairly careful explanation to be adequately informed in order to give a fair answer.
“National have quite a way to go to get support for partial asset sales.” That is why Key needs Brash/Act to be “forced unwillingly” to go ahead with such sales.
(No way of getting quotes bold italics etc today?)
There’s your problem right there. It’s a right-wing think tank that starts off with a conclusion and then goes off to get/twist/spin the numbers to prove it.
I always thought the biggest flaw with carbon emissions agreements was that there was little incentive for the consuming countries to reduce consumption seeing as the counting was in production that was increasingly in developing countries with no restrictions of carbon emissions. Now there is a report out dealing with this scenario:
An audit of the Police (read security forces) in Afghanistan reckons that it’s all corrupt and that the numbers on the payroll don’t reflect reality.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703856704576285380546943792.html
Doesn’t mention the *awkward* question about how many folks get trained and then disappear.
Sucks to be training and financing both sides eh? Clap louder though, we’re WINNING!
Disappear with their US paid for firearm, munitions, training, supplies, intel, pay (which probably doesn’t get stopped until someone figures out they have gone)…
Brian Easton has written an excellent piece in the Listener for the week April 30-May 6 2011 titled ‘Will the Budget be fair?
‘We object so strongly to having our own incomes further reduced by taxation that we think the incomes of pensioners should be reduced instead… In times of depression it is necessary to curtail the community’s consumption of many goods and services. Already people with large or moderate incomes have diminished their expenditure on many of the pleasant but unnecessary things which formerly they enjoyed. Most of them are, however, still tolerably comfortable. A great deal of money is spent on motor cars and holidays, on racing and other amusements. But rather curtail further expenditure of this kind, we think it will become necessary to reduce expenditure… [that] would be most advantageous to the whole community.
So wrote University of Otago professor Alan Fisher in 1932, satirising the attitudes of many of the elite as New Zealand struggles with the impact of the Great Depression.’
If you can lay your hands on this Listener do so because the whole piece is so on the money for our times and these are words to live by.
M. Went looking online Listener but most recent Easton column is for 5 April. Have to wait I guess as I have long since given up on the Listener.
I got fed up with the Listener after it turned into a right wing rag that ran constant middle class angst stories about healthcare, crime, educational failure, material aspirations etc. In the end I sent them a letter telling them they were no longer on the purchase list.
Yes, I feel the same way about the Listener. I am terribly disappointed with what it has become..
V.
Agreed completely. With Pamela Stirling and Joanne Black calling the shots what else would you expect. I remember when they dumped Gordon Campbell – according to Stirling it had nothing to do with politics, it was the business case. Some business case that involves dropping the best journalist the magazine had and consistent ‘award winner’.
If I read one more Listener cover story about how to improve my brain power I’ll be powerful enough to generate all of Christchurch’s electricity needs just by having a quick think (we’ve just had powercuts again here in the South of Christchurch).
Stirling and Black are self-satisfied twats but I like Easton’s articles. Gordon Campbell now has a weekly gig with the Kapiti Observer but it’s behind a paywall – he’s written some good articles holding the government’s feet to the fire.
Have a look for Brian Easton’s own website (I think it is in the blogroll in the reference sites – yep http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/ ). He often puts his columns and speeches up there.
A terrifying account of the Fukushima disaster.
The Fukushima Dai-Ichi station had 6,415 people on site that day. More than 5,500, like Matsumoto and Imamura, were subcontractors who reported to their clusters of offices in the plant for a head count.
more
The legacy of Chernobyl.
From 1997 to 2000, Paul Fusco made repeated trips to the areas surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear plant. What was meant to be a quick visit turned into a long-term project as he found himself overwhelmed by the fate of the children born within the radiation zone of Chernobyl and the love that their caregivers provided. In this multimedia piece, featuring images from his trips, Fusco reflects on the horrific legacy of the Chernobyl disaster.
From 11-12 I will be on Vinny Eastwood’s show. I will be talking about Derivatives, Credit default swaps, Andrew Krieger and John Key.
See you there!
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/hackers-threaten-parliament-s-website-4143047
Oh yes please.
And wiki leaking all the relevant emails over the Act would probably be more effective than a low orbital ion cannon attack, given how stupid certain National and ACT MP’s are…
[EDIT] And what’s to bet someone brainless will take that teh wrong way.
ZeeBop – your post sounds like National Party electioneering to me
‘Law and order’ is one of their stated platforms and just like them you don’t provide any evidence to back up you claim that lawlessness is on the rise.
Gangs would have little traction in a New Zealand that valued its citizens, a New Zealand with decent pay and opportunities for all, a New Zealand where everyone has a voice in Parliament and a New Zealand that embraced pastimes other than money worship, witch hunts and scapegoating.
You claim that its a break down in law and order – I say its a break down of Democracy.
You would presumably put more people in prison where thanks to a new law they no longer have a voice when the problem is that people already feel so disenfranchised that they form alternative societies and hidden economies.
There is no escalating gang problem – there is however an escalating comprehension problem around what we need to do as a country to prevent more and more people falling by the wayside as the mainstream slavishly lusts after fools gold and in petty spite blames the poor and the weak for their discontent.
[was supposed to be posted as reply to 3 but refresh issues thwarted intent]
The OECD advice to us is get capital gains tax and that the present taxation system favours the wealthy. House prices have doubled in years 2002-2007 and for working people now in rented houses – the majority would find it impossible to buy at present. Think that\’s right. E&OE That is something that Don Brash wanted – less people putting their money into buying houses. Labour couldn\’t bring themselves to introduce the tax though new ideas of sweat equity etc got talked about (implemented?). Will National have the balls to introduce it even just one specially tailored to please their paymasters, and not hurt the average citizen too much?
Just noticed that the date on today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s Open Mike is wrong. Either that or I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ve been in an chocolate overdose based coma since Easter.
(and still haveing to duplicate post as the ani-spam is still freaking out, maaan.)
((maybe something to do with the \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’installing components swflash.cab\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ message running along the bottom?))
Fifth attempt at posting this!!!
6th attempt
7th go
And it won’t let me email to sysop, either.
Thanks – fixed.
Ouch…. I will have another look this evening at the comment posting.
((maybe something to do with the \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\âinstalling components swflash.cab\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\â message running along the bottom?))
Probably. I’ve just run a set of tests on several browsers (including with IE) on both servers, and I can’t get any errors with the anti-spam. Has anyone else had problems since I removed the javascript editor?
Yep, including today. It stil takes 2-3 tries to post eg that post I did on Gordon Campbell\’s article about Brash & Act.
And with this one – Firefox on Vista.
PS: It is easier since the reversion to the old form of commenting – the other one played havoc with link codes when the anti-spam didn’t work.
Ok. I’ll check the logs to see what failed with that one – the date/time + Ip should allow me to dig it out.
I had problems earlier today posting to the Horizon poll thread. Is it something to do with a timeout? It seems to work fine after a refresh and immediate paste and send, whereas if you spend some time writing the comment it won’t send.
Edit: And this short and quick comment worked fine.
Cheers, LP, no problems with this comment, so hopefully problem solved.
Had a problem with this comment (previously). It came up with the same antispam word as a comment I just did previously. This antispam word is different so, fingers crossed …
Is it just me or have all the options for Bold itallics quote and so on no longer visible/available?
Using Firefox on Mac.
LP turned it off yesterday.
Yep, so back to using basic html.
Pricks.
They explained away the bone fractures, didnât ask what caused the lacerations, and called the hallucinations routine. Rather than blowing the whistle, medical professionals entrusted with the care of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay turned a blind eye when there were clear indications of abuse.
What on earth is ‘routine hallucinations’ supposed to mean? I agree with you, Joe90… Che cazzo! Coglione… Bastardi!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4931107/UK-PM-signals-air-tax-reform-in-talks-with-Key
” “I’m eating for New Zealand,” he joked. ”
is it me or is that comment somewhat distasteful with today’s record use of foodbanks and rocketing supermarket prices
it’s just you
Middle of this decade is shaping up to be veeeeery interesting.
The profits from the RWC are probably overstated in order to dupe us into welcoming the income of great wealth.
Overstated predictions
Just trying the shortened link.
Damn Should have been Overstated Predictions
Damn again should have been http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10721722
a banker’s progress
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/archive/2011/04/03
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/national/4927850/Well-known-street-woman-dies
I\’m wondering where the benny bashers are on this one. Looks like the poor old duck was in a Housing NZ unit & must have been claiming a benefit for many years. I feel sad for the life this woman had, and wondered if she received any help along the way with her addictions, but also a bit cynical about all these tributes. Drunk, abusive beneficiary? Nobody cares about you, unless you\’ve been sitting around long enough to become part of the view.
John Key says only MPs can be Ministers. Is this true? I thought the PM could appoint anyone as a Minister.
Even an Opposition MP?
Or Bronagh?
Anyone at all, I thought. It’s a convention that they’re MPs from the PM’s party but I don’t know if it’s anything more than a convention.
Does anyone know? Can the PM appoint anyone as a Minister?
Anyone in Parliament. He can’t appoint Judy Bailey.
In the States, the Pres can appoint whoever he or she likes.
Ah, thanks. Bummer about Judy though.
Yes. Everything would be OK if we just had Judy.
Campbell’s got tweedledum, then tweedledee. Competing realities in such close proximity. Hope they’ve update the folks @CERN.
And Rodney was proudly proclaiming to Campbell that Act had democratic processes that would be followed….. after his ramming through of the supercity without consultation, he can claim to value democracy?
And as for Tweedle Dee…. a proven liar, and critical of Key, who, it seems will be happy to work with this resurrected ex National leader…. recreational fiction is more believable.
Just when you think some people had shuffled off…..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19473099@N05
Brash got his talking points in, kindly letting labour know what he will be saying for the next 7 months.
300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, that’s 1.2Billion a month, all families know you don’t keep borrowing to fund regular spending.
Pretty predictable, but Labour need to get their own lines to kill this stuff.
Most people that have been governor of a reserve bank know that a country’s economy is not the same thing as a family’s checking account, so why does Brash want NZ to think it is?
Greece had brash style austerity forced on them, and it’s making their deficit worse not better. It hasn’t worked there, it hasn’t worked in Spain, it hasn’t worked in Ireland, it’s not working in Britain. It doesn’t solve the problem it’s aimed at solving.
When brash was the bought and paid for leader of national all he wanted to do was cut taxes on the rich and slash services for the rest of us. He claimed a surplus was theft. Now he’s the bought and paid for leader of ACT all he wants to do is cut taxes for the rich and slash services for the rest of us. He claims a deficit is like krypton. The only things that change are his excuses and the colour of the car his backers put him in.
300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week, 300 Million a week
Yep, onto it Pb, now we see the polling that produced the coup – \”$300/wk debt for every family\” and of course the old favourite \”One law for all\” relaunched by the original artist in the dulcet contemporary tones of \”We are all New Zealanders\” (even Australians if you listen again!)
One consolation: the polls must also show a narrowing gap to force this unpredictable old nag out of the stable so early. Not sure it\’ll run again, not with this dissipated old hack as jockey.
I know! Apparently article three of the treaty says Australians are New Zealanders. What the fuck does that even mean?
And who is he supporting in the world cup?
Lying old goat is just aching to slash taxes for the few and assistance for the many.
Cops alleged to be planning armed raids against Te Whanau a Apanui in response to Petrobas protests.
http://mauistreet.blogspot.com/2011/04/terror-raids-in-te-whanau-apanui.html
http://mauistreet.blogspot.com/2011/04/terror-raids-in-te-whanau-apanui-2.html#comments
John has been having quite a lot of productive dinners recently.
Reports that his soirée with Cameron was full on and he has managed to discuss a lot of NZ issues. He is heading off to Paris to have dinner with Sarkozy where he expects to discuss New Zealand trade issues. All over dinner mind you as reported on RNZ this evening.
Strange when he has dinner in New Zealand with the likes of Impey he makes just passing comments and that he hadnât met with MediaWorkâs Brent Impey to discuss a $43 million Government loan at all.
‘…..Australian Police given standing ovation at airport…’ from John Keys ANZAC speech
PUKE – PUKE – DOUBLE PUKE
As long as any other option remains there is no place for foreign military or police on New Zealand\’s sovereign soil.
Our government has no authority to reassign its mandate or the execution thereof to an external party.
The people of New Zealand have the right to be shepherded by their own.
Trouble is the dog-eared politicians organising the shepherding are barking mad and not properly House trained.
No Welfare for Whalers This Year?
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110426-1.html