”The former Dunedin Labour MP told the Otago Daily Times when contacted yesterday he would ask chief executive Brian Roche about zero-hours contracts when the pair met tomorrow.
”I want to talk with the chief executive about that.
”I would be very concerned if we were involved in any kind of permanent arrangement around zero-hour contracts,” Sir Michael said.
& more information about NZ Posts PPM (Postal Pay Model – paid for volume not hours worked), is on the monday there was no mail because of snow (the trucks couldn’t get over the Kilmogs), so no volume, no pay.
And there would be no delivery issue in Dunedin that day if the mail was not sorted in Chch as there was minimal snow in the city itself.
Posties are part of a community network that grows more important with the ageing population, with more people at home in their old age.
But instead we get a zerohours exploited workforce, privatisation by stealth to DX Mail, and a too readily accepted story about technology change/TINA.
Some small providers are stepping up like taxi firms delivering mail in small towns, which is fine as it’s filling a gap in a public service, but leading to an overall outcome of fragmentation and inefficiency.
No less than the president himself has promised, “No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.” National Economic Council chief Jeffrey Zients has stated, “It is an often repeated, but inaccurate, claim that ISDS [a provision of the TPP] gives companies the right to weaken labor or environmental standards, for example, suggesting that a trade agreement could result in the United States having to lower its minimum wage. The reality is that ISDS does not and cannot require countries to change any law or regulation.”
That’s right…. it’s a “choice”. Eliminating all but two options (in this case be sued or change the law – see you have ALL the control!) works for four year old children, so why wouldn’t it work for an apathetic, dumb and numb population?
“Being sued” is just another way of saying that the government would compensate for losses attributable to legislative changes. I’d love that. Road user charges go up, I get compensated by the government. Max Bradford enacts a faith-based electricity market, I get compensated for that too.
Tell the corporations to get in line or fuck off. ISDS my ass.
This is one of those reports you need to read to get to the good news. It appears that now 6 years after the banks melted down – we are getting some prosecutions of some individuals who knew they were acting immorally and corruptly. That said, some of the major players are still walking free – what a odd world we live in – when people who cause such despair, heartbreak, and death – walk free, because they have the biggest check book.
Also I see Chris Trotter is calling trick dicky out. Well done Chris. Hoot’s your lying is getting out of whack again. I know, I know to you, it’s just propaganda promoting you set of ideals. However, when you cross the line – you will get called on it.
Hmmm I thought Kalashinkov himself designed the AKM circa 1949 or 1950 to improve upon his original AK47 design. And yes, I suspect that China has made the majority of those worldwide now as what is generally called an AK47 is actually the slightly updated AKM model.
And conservative fiscal policies do enormous social harm. That’s true even for the mildest, most generous version of “fiscal conservatism” — low taxes, small government, reduced regulation, a free market. These policies perpetuate human rights abuses. They make life harder for people who already have hard lives. Even if the people supporting these policies don’t intend this, the policies are racist, sexist, classist (obviously), ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and otherwise socially retrograde. In many ways, they do more harm than so-called “social policies” that are supposedly separate from economic ones.
Translation for the middle-class overlords in the Labour Party. The good deeds you do with your human rights policies (aka the odious term “identity politics”) are completely undermined by the harm you do to the groups you purport to support with your craven fiscal positioning.
Unless you are only interested in protecting the human rights of the wealthiest 10-15 percent. Surely that couldn’t be true?
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I find it funny that it is the Labour Party which is driven to undermine the universality of the NZ welfare state.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases. Oil is a limited resource. Gas is a limited resource. Fresh water is a limited resource. Top soil is a limited resource. Bismuth and helium are limited resources. But electronic ones and zeroes sitting on a spreadsheet? It’s a total misconception of what a “resource” is.
Labour is simply avoiding asking itself the hard questions when it comes to socioeconomic policy like universal NZ super: is it a critical priority to fully fund it. If the answer is YES then money will always be available because the Government can spend into existence the money required. OR if its politics require it, it can instead TAX back in previously issued money in order to re-spend it on NZ super.
In essence, what Labour is saying when it discusses means testing NZ Super or raising the Super eligibility age is:
– We are not willing to borrow the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to tax in the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to issue the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– We are however willing to cut Kiwis’ entitlement to universal NZ super.
And as a reminder, these are MPs all on very generous parliamentary Kiwi Saver schemes all on incomes well into the top 2%, deciding this for everyone else.
It doesnt really matter anymore. Little’s comments about super last week probably cost Labour the next election. They will not be trusted on super ever again.
You’re the one calling money a resource, CV, so it’s you with the misconception. Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight. QE works, but only if it’s constrained. Your fantasy about ones and zeroes ends with massive inflation that actually ruins the lives of the majority. Have a look at the lessons from Zimbabwe and Argentina where the practical results of your fantasy can be seen. If you destroy the value of the currency, it’s working people that pay.
What is the difference between just flooding an economy with bank notes and flooding an economy with public works ‘paid for’ with newly created government money?
I get how the first scenario leads to huge levels of inflation, but the second would appear to be a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.
“a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.”
There is Bill, because the money does not stay with the Public Works.
In order to complete the public works the money has to go to suppliers / contractors / workers / architects / lawyers / etc etc, and so in fact it does spill through to the wider economy and act as an inflationary force.
If you are building up productive capacities and capabilities, inflation will not be a problem. And if inflation appears to be taking hold, the money supply can always be briefly tightened as new competitive suppliers are created.
Of course, globally the economic problem is one of deflation – insufficient money supply in many areas of the real economy.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
You have to see money as a flow from the government and back to the government. From the government is creating the money and back to the government is destroying it.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
Or increasing compulsory savings.
Or slowing down of credit/loans extended by the private sector.
Or encouraging capital investment.
Or any number of other ways to slow down or reduce money supply in the real economy
There are so many ways to manage an economy intelligently, and all the orthodox types can think about is squeezing life out of the economy using the blunt inhumane mallets of keeping unemployment up, wages down, and benefits on the bread line.
CV just, quite specifically, said that money isn’t a resource.
Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight.
Agreed but it’s really a question of how that constraint is applied. ATM there is, effectively, almost no constraint on the explosion of money in the system as the explosion in housing prices shows.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases.
Can you point to the part of that sentence that says that money is a resource?
Edit: (I’ve got to disappear for a while, but the guts of it is this: we all know (including the Labour hierarchy) that the physical object ‘money’ is an unlimited resource. We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences. That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value. And when you dilute its value, most of us suffer. As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history …)
We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences.
And, in fact, we are and the consequences are massive house price inflation especially in Auckland.
See, you can’t just say that we can’t print money while we’re massively printing money (well, the private banks are).
As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history
Yeah, I recall that and the cause was the same as today. Massive returns from investment for foreign investors in housing. Despite the capital controls of the time we were still being flooded by foreign investment wanting to get its part of the ~20% mortgage market here.
There’s a reason why both major religions in the world ban usury and it’s because it crashes the economy.
That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value.
This is a false concept. Money is already priced in multiple ways and therefore its “agreed value” is being constantly determined by what worthwhile things an economy can supply for the money you have. It is that focus on the real economy which is key.
Of course as TRP now admits, there is no real shortage of money other than the artificial one that the system is designed to inflict upon the majority of the population. In other words: austerity for you; ZIRP for us.
Oh TRP, I’m simply working through a process of discovery of your true views. No need for the condescension. You really are used to being the boss, I guess. More tomorrow.
Check your reading comprehension skills dude; I said I was trying to find out what you really think. If you want to hide it, fine, I wasn’t that interested in the first place.
[Ok, so that second sentence confirms it. Withdraw or take some time off. TRP]
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Please do not presume to make statements about what I do or don’t recognise. You are possibly the person least likely to have any insight on the matter.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives. The importance of keeping inflation low by keeping buying power and money supply tight, the use of unemployment to shrink consumer inflation, the importance of annual economic growth combined with tight fiscal discipline, the importance of government surpluses and balancing the books to keep the confidence of the markets, etc.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Nope. You are welcome to stop making up shit about authors on this site.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
Why are you referring to authors privilege based on my commenting about something you wrote somewhere else? If you think my conclusion about your economic views are inaccurate, just say so. I am quite happy to be corrected.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
But is the label accurate or inaccurate, from your perspective? Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
Since the 1970s the establishment within each of the Anglo FVEY nations has adopted neoliberal economic paradigms and decision frameworks. The USA, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ. That’s been the true revolution.
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I think that’s unfair, CV.
The whole point of the article is that if you care about people you care about economics and human rights. The two can’t be separated into neat little spheres. I think Stephanie understands this better than most.
The real problem is not that the Labour Party does or does not agree with Modern Monetary Theory, it’s that proposing it destroys fiscal credibility in the eyes of the public. The Greens proposed QE last election, and got relentlessly attacked on the subject for weeks, even if it now turns out everyone else is doing QE anyway…
It’s funny how all the right wing rush out the line GODWIN when anybody describes anything the right wing do as fascist.
But conversely – when right wingers describe the left in tired old left, almost Stalinist terms – no one bats an eyelid?
Hell I dislike the old left as much as the next person – unimaginative, staid, misogynistic, homophobic, and just too overbearing for words. Yes it was sacrilegious, but we have moved on.
So why do we let the right define us as so?
[lprent: The Godwin thing invariably degenerates into boring flamewars. Godwin is a shortcut for people who have seen it degenerate a thousand times before to say “shut the fuck up” to the idiot starting to use it it as if it was a new tactic. That includes the stalin, various kims, pinochet and every other pissant dictatorial metaphor to replace their inability to use their brains.
When people express what they actually think rather than sprouting slogans we tend to be more tolerant. Doesn’t matter if we think they are nutters from the right or left (and there are many on the left who are exactly as dogmatic). But if they get boring about it and deteriorate into slogans then you’ll find that commenters and moderators will bat more than an eyelid. It isn’t a recipe for long term tolerance in any net environment. ]
The Left have not got a strong defining narrative or paradigm for what its mission is in the 21st century, so others find it easy to define us especially as they have a powerful and far reaching communications infrastructure to do it with.
“We need to KILL THEM ALL!
And if some women and children get killed, so be it.” Paul Henry, TV3, Wednesday 27 May 2015
Paul Henry, Hillary Barry (sycophant), Jim Kayes (sycophant)
“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.” — Plato
As the last item on the 7 a.m. news, Hillary Barry reads about a Danish radio host who has bludgeoned a rabbit to death with a bicycle pump, cooked it, then eaten it live on air. She is clearly appalled by this…..
HILLARY BARRY: Bludgeoning it with a bicycle pump? JIM KAYES: Good kicker. PAUL HENRY: Now that’s a technical term and a lot of viewers won’t know what that means. JIM KAYES: “Kicker” means the last story. HENRY: Thank you.
Hillary Barry’s brief display of humanitarian revulsion was interesting, especially in light of her reaction to the bloodthirsty ranting that would occur in the studio just over an hour later. While she made no bones about her tender feelings for the fate of a rabbit in Denmark, she was less keen to defend human beings in Iraq and Syria as they came under a savage rhetorical assault.
7:12 a.m. ….
Along with endorsing the Key government’s cynical, rotten “plan” to house people under power lines, Henry’s mission today is to endorse the American-led campaign against ISIS. To this end, Henry interviews Steve Hoadley, an extreme right wing American who glories in the title of “Associate Professor of International Relations” at Auckland University. Hoadley is notorious for stating, at the very height of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza in 2008-9—what Israeli generals chortlingly termed “twenty-two days of madness”—that he supported the Israelis because they were civilized compared to the people they were destroying. Today, however, Hoadley delivered an anodyne and uncontroversial summary of the situation in Iraq; the unhinged ranting would come not from him, but from Paul Henry.
7:16 a.m. ….
Henry heaps scorn on the Labour Party politicians who have dared to question the land that the government wants to force people to live on—next to cemeteries and under electric power lines. “How STUPID are THEY?” he snarls.
8:05….
Hillary Barry reads the weather, including for Alexandra, which she daringly and controversially calls “Alex”… HILLARY BARRY: I know you don’t like me saying Alex, but I DO.
8:07….
Jim reads the sports news, corpsing throughout, because he has just told a mildly amusing joke.
8:10 a.m. ….. HENRY: I just can’t get over the idea of the British putting in these duck lanes. JIM KAYES: That IS very funny. HENRY: It’s just too STUPID for words.
After the 8 o’clock news, there’s a regular “panel”—two guests who are supposed to reflect on current issues. Today’s panel features former reality TV star Joe Cotton, billed as a “broadcaster”, and RadioLIVE host Andrew Patterson.….
HENRY: All right, Labour have had a field day with this 430 hectares. It can’t ALL be beachfront property! Would you buy a house next to a graveyard? The thing that annoys me about this is that Labour—this is the opposition just saying things to be an opposition.
Andrew Patterson apparently has nothing to say about this; he simply agrees with Henry. And Joe Cotton, instead of saying something thoughtful or challenging, launches in to an unfunny diversionary spiel about poltergeists and horror movies.
HENRY: Are you in favor of our troops being in Iraq? ANDREW PATTERSON: No I’m not comfortable. But of course you’ve got to do SOMETHING. HENRY: It sends a very clear message that New Zealand is WITH the United States and the rest of the willing. Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES. ANDREW PATTERSON:[gravely] Of course, of COURSE. HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it? JOE COTTON:[baffled sigh] Whooooooof…. HENRY: We have to POUND them and SQUASH them don’t we? ANDREW PATTERSON: I guess the big question here is: how do we counter the ideology? HENRY: It’s hard. It’s hard…..
8:35 a.m. …. HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY:[softly] I’m afraid so. JIM KAYES:[softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so. HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD! We have to KILL THEM ALL! And in the course of this, bombs are going to bounce into tents where there are women and children! But we must not get up in arms about that! Kill them all! HILLARY BARRY:[clearly uncomfortable] Mmm hmmm. JIM KAYES:[gravely] That’s the reality of war.
HILLARY: I’d like some feedback on this Alex/Alexandra controversy! Paul thinks I should say Alexandra. PAUL HENRY: I think you are being too casual towards the people of Alexandra when you call their town Alex. HILLARY BARRY:[mock-scolding] Look who’s calling me casual!
HENRY: Just on this ISIS thing again. THEY thrive because WE hesitate. They’re not LIKE us. JIM KAYES: We fight in a conventional, honest way. Whereas— HENRY: Exactly! We need to KILL THEM ALL! And if some women and children get killed, so be it.
PAUL HENRY: Right, on the phone, we have Cade from Alexandra. Are you happy with Alex, Cade, or is it Alexandra? For a fact we know that it is Alexandra not Alex, are we all agreed on that? What kind of a name is Cade anyway? HILLARY BARRY:[giggling] Stop being MEAN!
Jim Kayes snickers dutifully.
8:59 a.m…… HENRY: I’d like to dedicate this show to our troops in Iraq, who are on the frontline in the war against ISIS—a war we are part of, like it or not.
Don’t worry, my friend, I watch and listen to creeps like Henry so that you don’t have to. Keep an eye out for some more transcripts* from some of his earlier shows, which I’m starting to write up now.
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)? Because if it was real… *vomits entire contents of his body, entrails, viscera and all, onto the floor*
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)?
He actually said that. I think I got that bit exactly verbatim.
This morning, as a parting shot, Henry dedicated the programme to the senile thug “Sir” Robert Jones, whose actions apparently lend “colour” to our lives.
Nah, Realblue was suggesting that Hone’s parents were somehow equivalent to Bank’s folks. Which is the purest bullshit, of course. Banks is a very complicated fellow and his upbringing in poverty hasn’t taught him any compassion for the poor. It’s just made him determined to be as distant from poverty as possible and by any means necessary. So the apple/tree analogy is pretty apt.
One of Hones parents abused children, the appalling Titiwhai.Clearly you and Morrissey are ok with that. Fair enough. Morrisey brought Banks parents into it, then you join in with an inevitable “look over there” response. The classy left eh?
Across a dalliance of rainbows,
A little crooked man smiles,
With time-filled grace,
Why do thee frown,
When across that big blue sky,
Ruptures of magnificence awaits?
Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
If John Banks was an honest, decent citizen, I would not invoke the memory of his criminal parents. The fact is, though, he is not a decent, honest citizen, and his parents’ criminality obviously did affect him deeply.
But you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
Although I’d place Banks in the ‘crooks’ column, that’s a pretty rotten thing to say. People are not their parents and may or may not learn to be like them.
you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
I recognize that there are people all over the country that have risen above their family circumstances, many of them far more onerous than John Banks’s circumstances, and gone on to live decent, honest lives where they have been an asset rather than an outrage to the community. Banks, on the other hand, has behaved with the most flagrant dishonesty; to point out the link to his criminal parents is entirely appropriate, I would have thought.
Or do you think Banks’s behaviour just springs out of nowhere?
Again, it was the sweeping generalisation I object to, not to a possible specific comment that Banks may have learned to be frugal with the truth from his parents.
If one of Banks’s kids is involved with money-laundering of, say, fifty thousand dollars that he’s asked to be paid for in two separate cheques, then yes, the obvious influence of his father will be remarked upon.
If, on the other hand, his kids somehow transcend the handicap of having a dishonest criminal stepdad, then I would applaud them, just as I would have applauded Banks if he had acted with integrity and honour in his political career.
didnt his parent assist women to abort children? at a time when women were criminals for controlling their own lives and bodirs. Or have i confused them with someone else
The story is fairly well known and has been in the public arena for decades.
From Wikipedia: “When he was a young child, his parents Archie and Kitty were imprisoned for procuring abortions. His father was a career criminal and his mother an alcoholic.”
I think casting his parents as the altruistic and enlightened saviours of women with unwanted pregnancies is probably a bit of a reach. More likely it was just another string to their bow of criminal enterprise.
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
Carmel Sepuloni has been charged with, or convicted of, dishonesty offences? If she has been, your analogy will have merit; if she has not, you are simply ignorant.
To prevent us thinking you are ignorant, could you post evidence for us of Carmel Sepuloni’s criminality?
Ah, okay, so even though you aren’t convicted of anything, the fact you are charged is the key to your argument.
In that case Hone Harawira does fall into your criteria, mother has been convicted (assault) and he has been charged (failure to remove a vehicle from a road).
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament, notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them.
Banks, on the other hand, is neither honest nor respected, and that won’t change no matter how much you try to divert and smear other, superior politicians.
Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny. They are not like their parents; Banks on the other hand, has betrayed his public fiduciary duty as an elected representative—which makes him far worse than his notorious parents.
“notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them”
Like when Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the “Ka Mate” haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones? Or do we metaphorically abuse him?
“You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament”
Yeah, Hone was really respected for his “white mother fuckers” rant, and respected in that he had a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs because they had “lost trust and confidence” in Mr Harawira, that he “acted unethically and without integrity” and that he “deliberately undermined” the party and the leaders. Or respected because he said Osama bin Laden’s actions were those of “a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people” and that people should not be damning him but mourn him?
“Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny”
No, Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques, then admitted to receiving payments from that man, but never declared how much he had been paid…hmm sounds familiar
Unfortunately you have made some wildly confused statements in your rant, Bob. However, since you have at least endeavoured to defend your corner, I will deal with each of the points you raise, even though most of them are, sadly, quite spurious.
1.) Like when Harawira was part of He Taua….
Hone Harawira was, like other Māori students at Auckland in 1979, incensed by the racist, demeaning behaviour of the Engineering students’ mock haka party. For years, he and other young Māori leaders had repeatedly protested against those goons and demanded they stop their provocation. The He Taua action was the last resort, after the racists had treated all the Māori protests with contempt.
But it looks like you have made up your mind that the provocateurs were the victims rather than the instigators of the trouble; nothing anyone says is likely to change your mind. Let’s move on to your next point….
2.) “…white mother fuckers….”
Okay, that was a foolish thing to write in an email. You make a reasonable point there, Bob. I presume you have been equally outraged at the far more numerous racist and sexist outbursts by National Party MPs like John “Hone” Carter, Jonathan Coleman, —and John Banks.
3.) a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs
So he’s not a team player. That’s not a sin, and it’s not a crime, and it’s not an ethical lapse. Why would you even mention this irrelevant point?
4.) Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques…
The problem with what Banks did was not Kim Dotcom—it was Banks’s illegal actions. You don’t seem quite up to speed with the facts and issues of the case.
5.) …hmm sounds familiar
No, you’ve (perhaps deliberately) missed the point again. Hone Harawira’s open dealings with Kim Dotcom were utterly different from Banks’s hamfisted attempts to rort the system.
That’s not what you think it is, CV. Minimum wage workers already pay very little tax as the UK has a tax free threshold of ten thousand pounds. What this really means is locking in the minimum wage at its current low rate. It also allows the rich to sneer at the working poor (look how much I pay in tax while the plebs pay nothing etc).
It’s actually a very Blairite kind of move; at first glance, vaguely progressive, but at heart, just more patronising conservatism. What’s needed is Labour’s policy of lifting the minimum wage and gradually bringing in a living wage.
Um, that question makes no sense. Can you try again?
Edit: to save time, I should point out that I’ve never been short of an opinion. I thought that would have been pretty obvious by now! And my opinion on this matter is that all income earners should pay tax and that tax should be levied on a graduated scale, with lower income earners paying very little. A UBI would be even better starting point, of course.
A historical note on taxing benefits – none were taxed until one day Muldoon decided unemployment beneficiaries should be taxed. up until then Sickness and Unemployment Benefit were paid at the same rate. When taxing of all benefits was brought in the already reduced rate of Unemployment Benefit was treated as if it wasn’t already taxed and taxed again.
IMO, rather than making low income tax free, all benefits need to be increased and so does the minimum wage. Incomes over $70,000 a year need to have a higher rate of tax, and an even higher rate should apply at $150,000. Capital gains of any sort should be taxed.
We are being continually told that aucklands housing problem is predominately all about supply.
Well, we are lifting supply to the market, but there are “unforeseen” consequences:
The ability to find contractors is prooving difficult, as the level of activity increases this is more than matched by price increase well beyond inflation. E.g cost of pipes, diesel is increasing flowing onto increase tender costs for the earthworks component.Council processing of consents, s224s late last year it was within 3 weeks now it is taking 2 months. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/construction-costs-making-impossible-build-affordable-homes-developer-6241175
Does no one ever consider, that by increasing supply you are increasing the demand on building products the ability for construction coys to deliver ?
He seems to have some hang-up about the oppo. members doing their job and grilling their opposite numbers in the House. Yesterday was a supreme example. Peter’s was attempting to ask a supplementary question. He prefaced it with a handful of words to the effect his question was not in response to the first part of the minister’s answer. It was a point of explanation. Misterrrr Speaker appeared to take it the wrong way and issued him with a warning . Peter’s started to explain what he was doing. Misterrrr Speaker threw him out of the house!
Previous to that incident Key had been screeching at Little across the chamber (including the Super gaffe 🙄 ) – none of them had anything to do with Little’s original questions but hey… that’s okay. He just gets a mild admonishment usually delivered in a voice tinged with amusement.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well. Key gets away with more shit than I’ve ever seen any Speaker allow. It’s disgraceful ! The larrikan head boy has it all over the headmaster.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well
Yep, meant to add that. If all the m****s out there who thinks he’s such a loverlee guy watched question time in the House and saw his narrowed ice cold eyes and heard his sly, mendacious and puerile-ridden shrieking (at Little in particular) they would drop dead with shock. Serves them right. They are getting exactly what they deserve – which is nothing.
Given how quickly the PM said he wouldnt stop nzers from coming home who were fighting for isis… rather makes me think its cos he knows there arent any… which makes a bit of a mockery of his breathless haste to surveil cos of the threat of nzers being radicalised… just pondering
According to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the using of NZ taxpayer funds to bribe a Saudi businessman is all the fault of the Clark administration!!
But – – but – – Helen Clark did it. Where have I heard this before?
The All Blacks play well and have a good win. People like Paul Henry say, “We were all over them, we played well.” The All Blacks lose and people like Paul Henry say, “They were hopeless, they should’ve played better.”
A war is happening and New Zealand troops are sent:
HENRY: … Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
…
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD!
_____________________________________________________
I have opined before that if the need were so serious for troops to go, John Key and Mike Hosking would have ensured that their kids signed up, did the training and demanded they be sent. (Their parents would no doubt have done the demanding too.)
Paul Henry, wanting to get in there ‘strong and hard’ seems to have the attitude to want to be, to demand to be their commanding officer. Yeah.
Any chance the TV could show us how serious it is about hard news and sent Paul Henry off to Iraq to do an imbed and go out on some patrols towards ISIS territory –
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
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 ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
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Cullen to look into concerns over use of zerohour contracts at NZ Post and gives undertaking of sorts about their use.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/343643/chairman-check-contracts
”The former Dunedin Labour MP told the Otago Daily Times when contacted yesterday he would ask chief executive Brian Roche about zero-hours contracts when the pair met tomorrow.
”I want to talk with the chief executive about that.
”I would be very concerned if we were involved in any kind of permanent arrangement around zero-hour contracts,” Sir Michael said.
& more information about NZ Posts PPM (Postal Pay Model – paid for volume not hours worked), is on the monday there was no mail because of snow (the trucks couldn’t get over the Kilmogs), so no volume, no pay.
And there would be no delivery issue in Dunedin that day if the mail was not sorted in Chch as there was minimal snow in the city itself.
Posties are part of a community network that grows more important with the ageing population, with more people at home in their old age.
But instead we get a zerohours exploited workforce, privatisation by stealth to DX Mail, and a too readily accepted story about technology change/TINA.
Some small providers are stepping up like taxi firms delivering mail in small towns, which is fine as it’s filling a gap in a public service, but leading to an overall outcome of fragmentation and inefficiency.
http://wallstreetexaminer.com/2015/05/heres-the-most-pernicious-obama-administration-falsehood-on-tpp/
No less than the president himself has promised, “No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.” National Economic Council chief Jeffrey Zients has stated, “It is an often repeated, but inaccurate, claim that ISDS [a provision of the TPP] gives companies the right to weaken labor or environmental standards, for example, suggesting that a trade agreement could result in the United States having to lower its minimum wage. The reality is that ISDS does not and cannot require countries to change any law or regulation.”
That’s right…. it’s a “choice”. Eliminating all but two options (in this case be sued or change the law – see you have ALL the control!) works for four year old children, so why wouldn’t it work for an apathetic, dumb and numb population?
I don’t see it that way.
“Being sued” is just another way of saying that the government would compensate for losses attributable to legislative changes. I’d love that. Road user charges go up, I get compensated by the government. Max Bradford enacts a faith-based electricity market, I get compensated for that too.
Tell the corporations to get in line or fuck off. ISDS my ass.
This is one of those reports you need to read to get to the good news. It appears that now 6 years after the banks melted down – we are getting some prosecutions of some individuals who knew they were acting immorally and corruptly. That said, some of the major players are still walking free – what a odd world we live in – when people who cause such despair, heartbreak, and death – walk free, because they have the biggest check book.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/05/22/17377/bankers-major-institutions-still-havent-been-held-responsible-financial-crash
Because I saw the petition from Jacinda Ardern being promoted on the standard, and it’s not really appropriate to put this – on that page.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/going-backwards-table-talk-2-at-ika.html
Also I see Chris Trotter is calling trick dicky out. Well done Chris. Hoot’s your lying is getting out of whack again. I know, I know to you, it’s just propaganda promoting you set of ideals. However, when you cross the line – you will get called on it.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/tricky-customer-why-is-matthew-hooton.html
Raw: Waitress knocks groping man to ground
Seems reasonable. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to be more concerned with the perpetrator of assault than the person assaulted.
@DTB it looks like she was more than capable of taking care of herself !
A tough young russian lady, good on her !
she probably knows how to field strip an AKM.
akm = Chinese copy
And yes they teach kids how to field strip an AK47 or they used to
Hmmm I thought Kalashinkov himself designed the AKM circa 1949 or 1950 to improve upon his original AK47 design. And yes, I suspect that China has made the majority of those worldwide now as what is generally called an AK47 is actually the slightly updated AKM model.
Might have my facts wrong though…
Would she have responded so had she had her hair stroked/pulled?
Probably.
That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need any support from those around her.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/here-are-7-things-people-who-say-theyre-fiscally-conservative-but-socially-liberal-dont-understand/
via boots theory:
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/qotd-on-being-fiscally-conservative-but-socially-liberal/
And conservative fiscal policies do enormous social harm. That’s true even for the mildest, most generous version of “fiscal conservatism” — low taxes, small government, reduced regulation, a free market. These policies perpetuate human rights abuses. They make life harder for people who already have hard lives. Even if the people supporting these policies don’t intend this, the policies are racist, sexist, classist (obviously), ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and otherwise socially retrograde. In many ways, they do more harm than so-called “social policies” that are supposedly separate from economic ones.
Translation for the middle-class overlords in the Labour Party. The good deeds you do with your human rights policies (aka the odious term “identity politics”) are completely undermined by the harm you do to the groups you purport to support with your craven fiscal positioning.
Unless you are only interested in protecting the human rights of the wealthiest 10-15 percent. Surely that couldn’t be true?
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I find it funny that it is the Labour Party which is driven to undermine the universality of the NZ welfare state.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases. Oil is a limited resource. Gas is a limited resource. Fresh water is a limited resource. Top soil is a limited resource. Bismuth and helium are limited resources. But electronic ones and zeroes sitting on a spreadsheet? It’s a total misconception of what a “resource” is.
Labour is simply avoiding asking itself the hard questions when it comes to socioeconomic policy like universal NZ super: is it a critical priority to fully fund it. If the answer is YES then money will always be available because the Government can spend into existence the money required. OR if its politics require it, it can instead TAX back in previously issued money in order to re-spend it on NZ super.
In essence, what Labour is saying when it discusses means testing NZ Super or raising the Super eligibility age is:
– We are not willing to borrow the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to tax in the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to issue the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– We are however willing to cut Kiwis’ entitlement to universal NZ super.
And as a reminder, these are MPs all on very generous parliamentary Kiwi Saver schemes all on incomes well into the top 2%, deciding this for everyone else.
It doesnt really matter anymore. Little’s comments about super last week probably cost Labour the next election. They will not be trusted on super ever again.
Yeah, I know.
You’re the one calling money a resource, CV, so it’s you with the misconception. Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight. QE works, but only if it’s constrained. Your fantasy about ones and zeroes ends with massive inflation that actually ruins the lives of the majority. Have a look at the lessons from Zimbabwe and Argentina where the practical results of your fantasy can be seen. If you destroy the value of the currency, it’s working people that pay.
What is the difference between just flooding an economy with bank notes and flooding an economy with public works ‘paid for’ with newly created government money?
I get how the first scenario leads to huge levels of inflation, but the second would appear to be a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.
“a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.”
There is Bill, because the money does not stay with the Public Works.
In order to complete the public works the money has to go to suppliers / contractors / workers / architects / lawyers / etc etc, and so in fact it does spill through to the wider economy and act as an inflationary force.
If you are building up productive capacities and capabilities, inflation will not be a problem. And if inflation appears to be taking hold, the money supply can always be briefly tightened as new competitive suppliers are created.
Of course, globally the economic problem is one of deflation – insufficient money supply in many areas of the real economy.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
You have to see money as a flow from the government and back to the government. From the government is creating the money and back to the government is destroying it.
Or increasing compulsory savings.
Or slowing down of credit/loans extended by the private sector.
Or encouraging capital investment.
Or any number of other ways to slow down or reduce money supply in the real economy
There are so many ways to manage an economy intelligently, and all the orthodox types can think about is squeezing life out of the economy using the blunt inhumane mallets of keeping unemployment up, wages down, and benefits on the bread line.
CV just, quite specifically, said that money isn’t a resource.
Agreed but it’s really a question of how that constraint is applied. ATM there is, effectively, almost no constraint on the explosion of money in the system as the explosion in housing prices shows.
The ‘resource’ thing was CV’s strawman crack in the comment 6.1 above. He made it up, hence he’s the one calling it a resource, nobody else.
Can you point to the part of that sentence that says that money is a resource?
Yes.
Edit: (I’ve got to disappear for a while, but the guts of it is this: we all know (including the Labour hierarchy) that the physical object ‘money’ is an unlimited resource. We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences. That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value. And when you dilute its value, most of us suffer. As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history …)
And, in fact, we are and the consequences are massive house price inflation especially in Auckland.
See, you can’t just say that we can’t print money while we’re massively printing money (well, the private banks are).
Yeah, I recall that and the cause was the same as today. Massive returns from investment for foreign investors in housing. Despite the capital controls of the time we were still being flooded by foreign investment wanting to get its part of the ~20% mortgage market here.
There’s a reason why both major religions in the world ban usury and it’s because it crashes the economy.
This is a false concept. Money is already priced in multiple ways and therefore its “agreed value” is being constantly determined by what worthwhile things an economy can supply for the money you have. It is that focus on the real economy which is key.
Of course as TRP now admits, there is no real shortage of money other than the artificial one that the system is designed to inflict upon the majority of the population. In other words: austerity for you; ZIRP for us.
“as TRP now admits …”
I’ve never said otherwise. Sharpen up, CV.
Oh TRP, I’m simply working through a process of discovery of your true views. No need for the condescension. You really are used to being the boss, I guess. More tomorrow.
Are you calling me a liar?
Are you calling me a dullard?
Answer the question, CV.
Do you really think that you are the boss?
Check your reading comprehension skills dude; I said I was trying to find out what you really think. If you want to hide it, fine, I wasn’t that interested in the first place.
[Ok, so that second sentence confirms it. Withdraw or take some time off. TRP]
I withdraw my previous comments as per your orders, Te Reo Putake.
[Thank you. Let’s move on, aye? TRP]
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Please do not presume to make statements about what I do or don’t recognise. You are possibly the person least likely to have any insight on the matter.
Hi Stephanie,
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives. The importance of keeping inflation low by keeping buying power and money supply tight, the use of unemployment to shrink consumer inflation, the importance of annual economic growth combined with tight fiscal discipline, the importance of government surpluses and balancing the books to keep the confidence of the markets, etc.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Nope. You are welcome to stop making up shit about authors on this site.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
Why are you referring to authors privilege based on my commenting about something you wrote somewhere else? If you think my conclusion about your economic views are inaccurate, just say so. I am quite happy to be corrected.
But is the label accurate or inaccurate, from your perspective? Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
Since the 1970s the establishment within each of the Anglo FVEY nations has adopted neoliberal economic paradigms and decision frameworks. The USA, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ. That’s been the true revolution.
Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
You say “non-committal”, I say “unwilling to be baited into a conversation where you’ve already set the ground rules so you cannot be argued with.”
Give it up CV.
If Steph wanted her opinions analysed or questioned, she’d publish them.
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I think that’s unfair, CV.
The whole point of the article is that if you care about people you care about economics and human rights. The two can’t be separated into neat little spheres. I think Stephanie understands this better than most.
And I doubt she is naive about the Labour Party.
Plus, no need to bring her into it at all. Focus on the issues.
But a feminist who advocates for Side Issues No One Cares About was getting positive attention! This is a travesty!!!
The real problem is not that the Labour Party does or does not agree with Modern Monetary Theory, it’s that proposing it destroys fiscal credibility in the eyes of the public. The Greens proposed QE last election, and got relentlessly attacked on the subject for weeks, even if it now turns out everyone else is doing QE anyway…
A observation on my readings this morning.
It’s funny how all the right wing rush out the line GODWIN when anybody describes anything the right wing do as fascist.
But conversely – when right wingers describe the left in tired old left, almost Stalinist terms – no one bats an eyelid?
Hell I dislike the old left as much as the next person – unimaginative, staid, misogynistic, homophobic, and just too overbearing for words. Yes it was sacrilegious, but we have moved on.
So why do we let the right define us as so?
[lprent: The Godwin thing invariably degenerates into boring flamewars. Godwin is a shortcut for people who have seen it degenerate a thousand times before to say “shut the fuck up” to the idiot starting to use it it as if it was a new tactic. That includes the stalin, various kims, pinochet and every other pissant dictatorial metaphor to replace their inability to use their brains.
When people express what they actually think rather than sprouting slogans we tend to be more tolerant. Doesn’t matter if we think they are nutters from the right or left (and there are many on the left who are exactly as dogmatic). But if they get boring about it and deteriorate into slogans then you’ll find that commenters and moderators will bat more than an eyelid. It isn’t a recipe for long term tolerance in any net environment. ]
The Left have not got a strong defining narrative or paradigm for what its mission is in the 21st century, so others find it easy to define us especially as they have a powerful and far reaching communications infrastructure to do it with.
“We need to KILL THEM ALL!
And if some women and children get killed, so be it.”
Paul Henry, TV3, Wednesday 27 May 2015
Paul Henry, Hillary Barry (sycophant), Jim Kayes (sycophant)
“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.” — Plato
As the last item on the 7 a.m. news, Hillary Barry reads about a Danish radio host who has bludgeoned a rabbit to death with a bicycle pump, cooked it, then eaten it live on air. She is clearly appalled by this…..
HILLARY BARRY: Bludgeoning it with a bicycle pump?
JIM KAYES: Good kicker.
PAUL HENRY: Now that’s a technical term and a lot of viewers won’t know what that means.
JIM KAYES: “Kicker” means the last story.
HENRY: Thank you.
Hillary Barry’s brief display of humanitarian revulsion was interesting, especially in light of her reaction to the bloodthirsty ranting that would occur in the studio just over an hour later. While she made no bones about her tender feelings for the fate of a rabbit in Denmark, she was less keen to defend human beings in Iraq and Syria as they came under a savage rhetorical assault.
7:12 a.m. ….
Along with endorsing the Key government’s cynical, rotten “plan” to house people under power lines, Henry’s mission today is to endorse the American-led campaign against ISIS. To this end, Henry interviews Steve Hoadley, an extreme right wing American who glories in the title of “Associate Professor of International Relations” at Auckland University. Hoadley is notorious for stating, at the very height of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza in 2008-9—what Israeli generals chortlingly termed “twenty-two days of madness”—that he supported the Israelis because they were civilized compared to the people they were destroying. Today, however, Hoadley delivered an anodyne and uncontroversial summary of the situation in Iraq; the unhinged ranting would come not from him, but from Paul Henry.
7:16 a.m. ….
Henry heaps scorn on the Labour Party politicians who have dared to question the land that the government wants to force people to live on—next to cemeteries and under electric power lines. “How STUPID are THEY?” he snarls.
8:05….
Hillary Barry reads the weather, including for Alexandra, which she daringly and controversially calls “Alex”…
HILLARY BARRY: I know you don’t like me saying Alex, but I DO.
8:07….
Jim reads the sports news, corpsing throughout, because he has just told a mildly amusing joke.
8:10 a.m. …..
HENRY: I just can’t get over the idea of the British putting in these duck lanes.
JIM KAYES: That IS very funny.
HENRY: It’s just too STUPID for words.
After the 8 o’clock news, there’s a regular “panel”—two guests who are supposed to reflect on current issues. Today’s panel features former reality TV star Joe Cotton, billed as a “broadcaster”, and RadioLIVE host Andrew Patterson.….
HENRY: All right, Labour have had a field day with this 430 hectares. It can’t ALL be beachfront property! Would you buy a house next to a graveyard? The thing that annoys me about this is that Labour—this is the opposition just saying things to be an opposition.
Andrew Patterson apparently has nothing to say about this; he simply agrees with Henry. And Joe Cotton, instead of saying something thoughtful or challenging, launches in to an unfunny diversionary spiel about poltergeists and horror movies.
HENRY: Are you in favor of our troops being in Iraq?
ANDREW PATTERSON: No I’m not comfortable. But of course you’ve got to do SOMETHING.
HENRY: It sends a very clear message that New Zealand is WITH the United States and the rest of the willing. Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
JOE COTTON: [baffled sigh] Whooooooof….
HENRY: We have to POUND them and SQUASH them don’t we?
ANDREW PATTERSON: I guess the big question here is: how do we counter the ideology?
HENRY: It’s hard. It’s hard…..
8:35 a.m. ….
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them!
HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD! We have to KILL THEM ALL! And in the course of this, bombs are going to bounce into tents where there are women and children! But we must not get up in arms about that! Kill them all!
HILLARY BARRY: [clearly uncomfortable] Mmm hmmm.
JIM KAYES: [gravely] That’s the reality of war.
HILLARY: I’d like some feedback on this Alex/Alexandra controversy! Paul thinks I should say Alexandra.
PAUL HENRY: I think you are being too casual towards the people of Alexandra when you call their town Alex.
HILLARY BARRY: [mock-scolding] Look who’s calling me casual!
HENRY: Just on this ISIS thing again. THEY thrive because WE hesitate. They’re not LIKE us.
JIM KAYES: We fight in a conventional, honest way. Whereas—
HENRY: Exactly! We need to KILL THEM ALL! And if some women and children get killed, so be it.
PAUL HENRY: Right, on the phone, we have Cade from Alexandra. Are you happy with Alex, Cade, or is it Alexandra? For a fact we know that it is Alexandra not Alex, are we all agreed on that? What kind of a name is Cade anyway?
HILLARY BARRY: [giggling] Stop being MEAN!
Jim Kayes snickers dutifully.
8:59 a.m……
HENRY: I’d like to dedicate this show to our troops in Iraq, who are on the frontline in the war against ISIS—a war we are part of, like it or not.
And that is why my friend I do not watch or listen to Henry
Don’t worry, my friend, I watch and listen to creeps like Henry so that you don’t have to. Keep an eye out for some more transcripts* from some of his earlier shows, which I’m starting to write up now.
* Yes, Felix, I know, I know….
Haha, excellent.
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)? Because if it was real… *vomits entire contents of his body, entrails, viscera and all, onto the floor*
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)?
He actually said that. I think I got that bit exactly verbatim.
This morning, as a parting shot, Henry dedicated the programme to the senile thug “Sir” Robert Jones, whose actions apparently lend “colour” to our lives.
paul henry unhinged. Very frightening. For this sub human we lose Clive??
JOHN BANKS : crook or not? read, listen to him & judge for yourself
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/john-banks-a-tale-of-two-cheques/
Crook.
His parents were two of the most notorious criminals in Auckland; the rotten apple doesn’t roll far from the tree.
Indeed “Harawira” springs to mind.
That’s a foolish thing to say. Hone Harawira is a serious and thoughtful person. John Banks is not.
Or do you have some evidence of Hone Harawira receiving secret, illegal payments of money like John Banks?
Parents, Moz. The comment was about the parents.
Fair enough, Te Reo—but this fool seemed to be suggesting Hone Harawira was in some way comparable to John Banks.
Nah, Realblue was suggesting that Hone’s parents were somehow equivalent to Bank’s folks. Which is the purest bullshit, of course. Banks is a very complicated fellow and his upbringing in poverty hasn’t taught him any compassion for the poor. It’s just made him determined to be as distant from poverty as possible and by any means necessary. So the apple/tree analogy is pretty apt.
Thanks for that, Te Reo. A model of exposition, as always!
I’m here to help, Moz!
One of Hones parents abused children, the appalling Titiwhai.Clearly you and Morrissey are ok with that. Fair enough. Morrisey brought Banks parents into it, then you join in with an inevitable “look over there” response. The classy left eh?
So that’s one parent, as opposed to both. So do you acknowledge you owe Hone’s dad an apology?
Across a dalliance of rainbows,
A little crooked man smiles,
With time-filled grace,
Why do thee frown,
When across that big blue sky,
Ruptures of magnificence awaits?
No I don’t, his and his family’s crimes usually involve violence. A much lesser sin in your eyes clearly.
I’m going to call you out on that mate. Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
Agreed I’m surprised Morrisey hasn’t attacked Banks kids yet. Day isn’t over I guess. Shabby stuff indeed.
Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
If John Banks was an honest, decent citizen, I would not invoke the memory of his criminal parents. The fact is, though, he is not a decent, honest citizen, and his parents’ criminality obviously did affect him deeply.
“the rotten apple”
But you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
Although I’d place Banks in the ‘crooks’ column, that’s a pretty rotten thing to say. People are not their parents and may or may not learn to be like them.
you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
I recognize that there are people all over the country that have risen above their family circumstances, many of them far more onerous than John Banks’s circumstances, and gone on to live decent, honest lives where they have been an asset rather than an outrage to the community. Banks, on the other hand, has behaved with the most flagrant dishonesty; to point out the link to his criminal parents is entirely appropriate, I would have thought.
Or do you think Banks’s behaviour just springs out of nowhere?
Again, it was the sweeping generalisation I object to, not to a possible specific comment that Banks may have learned to be frugal with the truth from his parents.
Agreed I’m surprised Morrisey hasn’t attacked Banks kids yet.
If one of Banks’s kids is involved with money-laundering of, say, fifty thousand dollars that he’s asked to be paid for in two separate cheques, then yes, the obvious influence of his father will be remarked upon.
If, on the other hand, his kids somehow transcend the handicap of having a dishonest criminal stepdad, then I would applaud them, just as I would have applauded Banks if he had acted with integrity and honour in his political career.
didnt his parent assist women to abort children? at a time when women were criminals for controlling their own lives and bodirs. Or have i confused them with someone else
The story is fairly well known and has been in the public arena for decades.
From Wikipedia: “When he was a young child, his parents Archie and Kitty were imprisoned for procuring abortions. His father was a career criminal and his mother an alcoholic.”
I think casting his parents as the altruistic and enlightened saviours of women with unwanted pregnancies is probably a bit of a reach. More likely it was just another string to their bow of criminal enterprise.
as i wrote my memory wasnt clear. but it needs to be looked at in the context of the day. and reports of it in the same way.
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
Carmel Sepuloni has been charged with, or convicted of, dishonesty offences? If she has been, your analogy will have merit; if she has not, you are simply ignorant.
To prevent us thinking you are ignorant, could you post evidence for us of Carmel Sepuloni’s criminality?
Ah, okay, so even though you aren’t convicted of anything, the fact you are charged is the key to your argument.
In that case Hone Harawira does fall into your criteria, mother has been convicted (assault) and he has been charged (failure to remove a vehicle from a road).
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament, notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them.
Banks, on the other hand, is neither honest nor respected, and that won’t change no matter how much you try to divert and smear other, superior politicians.
Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny. They are not like their parents; Banks on the other hand, has betrayed his public fiduciary duty as an elected representative—which makes him far worse than his notorious parents.
“notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them”
Like when Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the “Ka Mate” haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones? Or do we metaphorically abuse him?
“You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament”
Yeah, Hone was really respected for his “white mother fuckers” rant, and respected in that he had a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs because they had “lost trust and confidence” in Mr Harawira, that he “acted unethically and without integrity” and that he “deliberately undermined” the party and the leaders. Or respected because he said Osama bin Laden’s actions were those of “a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people” and that people should not be damning him but mourn him?
“Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny”
No, Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques, then admitted to receiving payments from that man, but never declared how much he had been paid…hmm sounds familiar
Unfortunately you have made some wildly confused statements in your rant, Bob. However, since you have at least endeavoured to defend your corner, I will deal with each of the points you raise, even though most of them are, sadly, quite spurious.
1.) Like when Harawira was part of He Taua….
Hone Harawira was, like other Māori students at Auckland in 1979, incensed by the racist, demeaning behaviour of the Engineering students’ mock haka party. For years, he and other young Māori leaders had repeatedly protested against those goons and demanded they stop their provocation. The He Taua action was the last resort, after the racists had treated all the Māori protests with contempt.
But it looks like you have made up your mind that the provocateurs were the victims rather than the instigators of the trouble; nothing anyone says is likely to change your mind. Let’s move on to your next point….
2.) “…white mother fuckers….”
Okay, that was a foolish thing to write in an email. You make a reasonable point there, Bob. I presume you have been equally outraged at the far more numerous racist and sexist outbursts by National Party MPs like John “Hone” Carter, Jonathan Coleman, —and John Banks.
3.) a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs
So he’s not a team player. That’s not a sin, and it’s not a crime, and it’s not an ethical lapse. Why would you even mention this irrelevant point?
4.) Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques…
The problem with what Banks did was not Kim Dotcom—it was Banks’s illegal actions. You don’t seem quite up to speed with the facts and issues of the case.
5.) …hmm sounds familiar
No, you’ve (perhaps deliberately) missed the point again. Hone Harawira’s open dealings with Kim Dotcom were utterly different from Banks’s hamfisted attempts to rort the system.
So the UK Tories are about to announce that anyone working up to 30 hours per week on the minimum wage will be income tax free.
Interesting the playbook they are all sharing. What is UK Labour going to come back with? Blairite Nu Labour 2?
That’s not what you think it is, CV. Minimum wage workers already pay very little tax as the UK has a tax free threshold of ten thousand pounds. What this really means is locking in the minimum wage at its current low rate. It also allows the rich to sneer at the working poor (look how much I pay in tax while the plebs pay nothing etc).
It’s actually a very Blairite kind of move; at first glance, vaguely progressive, but at heart, just more patronising conservatism. What’s needed is Labour’s policy of lifting the minimum wage and gradually bringing in a living wage.
Odd idea the Left has that making beneficiaries and low paid workers pay tax means the rich now sneer at them less. Has it worked in NZ?
Well, that maybe your idea, but that’s not what I wrote. Sharpen up!
So you don’t think that beneficiaries and low wage earners should be subject to income tax? Or are you avoiding having an opinion on the issue?
Um, that question makes no sense. Can you try again?
Edit: to save time, I should point out that I’ve never been short of an opinion. I thought that would have been pretty obvious by now! And my opinion on this matter is that all income earners should pay tax and that tax should be levied on a graduated scale, with lower income earners paying very little. A UBI would be even better starting point, of course.
Thanks for your answer to the question which “makes no sense” – that benes should indeed pay income tax.
A historical note on taxing benefits – none were taxed until one day Muldoon decided unemployment beneficiaries should be taxed. up until then Sickness and Unemployment Benefit were paid at the same rate. When taxing of all benefits was brought in the already reduced rate of Unemployment Benefit was treated as if it wasn’t already taxed and taxed again.
IMO, rather than making low income tax free, all benefits need to be increased and so does the minimum wage. Incomes over $70,000 a year need to have a higher rate of tax, and an even higher rate should apply at $150,000. Capital gains of any sort should be taxed.
70000 includes teachers, nurses, police. Perhaps you should asked them. Are you trying to punish them for something?
Most teachers and nurses earn less than $70,000.
“Thanks for your answer to the question which “makes no sense” – that benes should indeed pay income tax.”
D’uh! If you get some spare time, look up the words income and benefit and see if you can suss the difference.
We are being continually told that aucklands housing problem is predominately all about supply.
Well, we are lifting supply to the market, but there are “unforeseen” consequences:
The ability to find contractors is prooving difficult, as the level of activity increases this is more than matched by price increase well beyond inflation. E.g cost of pipes, diesel is increasing flowing onto increase tender costs for the earthworks component.Council processing of consents, s224s late last year it was within 3 weeks now it is taking 2 months.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/construction-costs-making-impossible-build-affordable-homes-developer-6241175
Does no one ever consider, that by increasing supply you are increasing the demand on building products the ability for construction coys to deliver ?
fletchers will have… considered extra costs for construction materials
Passengers applaud as obnoxious political extremist escorted off plane
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sir-bob-jones-booted-off-flight-refusing-listen-crew-6322883
Since we left wingers have no sense of humour, according to Sir Bob, we don’t find this at all funny. No sirree bob!
Thousands of Turkish workers are currently taking on the bosses, the repressive state and the yellow union they were corralled into following the 1981 military coup:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/turkish-car-workers-take-on-bosses-state-and-yellow-union/
When is something going to be done about David Carter?
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-fingerprints-of-biased-speaker.html
The guy’s a complete and utter failure as a Speaker. He must be the worst NZ’s ever had. Something needs to be done.
Oww… you beat me by 20 minutes link,n all.
He seems to have some hang-up about the oppo. members doing their job and grilling their opposite numbers in the House. Yesterday was a supreme example. Peter’s was attempting to ask a supplementary question. He prefaced it with a handful of words to the effect his question was not in response to the first part of the minister’s answer. It was a point of explanation. Misterrrr Speaker appeared to take it the wrong way and issued him with a warning . Peter’s started to explain what he was doing. Misterrrr Speaker threw him out of the house!
Previous to that incident Key had been screeching at Little across the chamber (including the Super gaffe 🙄 ) – none of them had anything to do with Little’s original questions but hey… that’s okay. He just gets a mild admonishment usually delivered in a voice tinged with amusement.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well. Key gets away with more shit than I’ve ever seen any Speaker allow. It’s disgraceful ! The larrikan head boy has it all over the headmaster.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well
Yep, meant to add that. If all the m****s out there who thinks he’s such a loverlee guy watched question time in the House and saw his narrowed ice cold eyes and heard his sly, mendacious and puerile-ridden shrieking (at Little in particular) they would drop dead with shock. Serves them right. They are getting exactly what they deserve – which is nothing.
Given how quickly the PM said he wouldnt stop nzers from coming home who were fighting for isis… rather makes me think its cos he knows there arent any… which makes a bit of a mockery of his breathless haste to surveil cos of the threat of nzers being radicalised… just pondering
According to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the using of NZ taxpayer funds to bribe a Saudi businessman is all the fault of the Clark administration!!
But – – but – – Helen Clark did it. Where have I heard this before?
Bob Jones thrown off a plane for being a douche.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11455485
If only such would happen more often…
Meanwhile in stacking public institutions with stooges/jobs for the boys news
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11455565
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11455485
Supreme Court of New Zealand, watch out. You just do not do that to ‘the entitled’ !
Another fabulous role model drawn from our ruling class hahaha…….
The All Blacks play well and have a good win. People like Paul Henry say, “We were all over them, we played well.” The All Blacks lose and people like Paul Henry say, “They were hopeless, they should’ve played better.”
A war is happening and New Zealand troops are sent:
HENRY: … Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
…
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD!
_____________________________________________________
I have opined before that if the need were so serious for troops to go, John Key and Mike Hosking would have ensured that their kids signed up, did the training and demanded they be sent. (Their parents would no doubt have done the demanding too.)
Paul Henry, wanting to get in there ‘strong and hard’ seems to have the attitude to want to be, to demand to be their commanding officer. Yeah.
Any chance the TV could show us how serious it is about hard news and sent Paul Henry off to Iraq to do an imbed and go out on some patrols towards ISIS territory –