Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
‘Is NZ facing a crisis of conscience?
The housing crisis has taken on a more visible form, with the issues of emergency housing and homelessness.
The causes of homelessness and need for emergency housing are complex, but the common thread is poverty. And no place to turn. At the end of the tether, society decides whether to simply let it happen, or to care and act.
New Zealand has long taken a caring approach. A safety net has been a part of the social contract in post-war New Zealand…..’
One document that has received particular attention is a PowerPoint presentation that said a trio of data-related companies — HBGary Federal, Palantir Technologies and Berico Technologies — could help attack WikiLeaks, which is rumored to be preparing to release internal e-mails from Bank of America.
One idea was to submit fake documents covertly to WikiLeaks, and then expose them as forgeries to discredit the group. It also suggested pressuring WikiLeaks’ supporters — notably Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com — by threatening their careers.
“Without the support of people like Glenn, WikiLeaks would fold,” the presentation said.
Another set of documents proposed similar ways to embarrass adversaries of the Chamber of Commerce for an initial fee of $200,000 and $2 million later.
Palantir Technologies won the awe of the United States’ intelligence community when it developed tools for large-scale data-mining, earning itself acclaim as “the War on Terror’s Secret Weapon”.
It set up shop in Wellington last year, advertising for an “embedded analyst” who was needed “to support our Palantir Government client base”
……..
A spokesman for the institute said it aimed to be a “positive influence” on the intelligence community by providing “support, advice and opportunities” to ” improve intelligence practice in and for New Zealand”.
It didn’t take long to divert the media attention from heart-wrenching homelessness to ‘big tax cuts’, as promised by Key to appease the greedy and selfish National-voting base.
Vandana Shiva:
When the US talks of strong patent laws, it is restricting itself to the corporate interest. On criteria of corporate rights at the cost of nature and people, US laws are strong. On grounds of ethical considerations and social and ecological justice, they are weak. Instead of India being bullied to destroy her civilisational legacy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakam, her carefully and democratically evolved laws related to Biodiversity, the Rights of Mother Earth, and rights of people to their collective intellectual and cultural heritage, it is time for the US government to stop being an instrument of the ethically, scientifically and legally perverse construction of global corporations to define life as their invention and property. https://medium.com/@drvandanashiva/seeds-biodiversity-and-iprs-845187d00951#.eaxdeo50l
The cancer of Corporate rule of US should not be allowed to metastasise via TPP, TTIP, TISA etc.
Last night at 6 on Daily Review 26/05/2016, Gangnam Style provided a link to John Armstrong’s blog, and a quote from his latest post on homelessness and the demolition of Housing NZ.
You will recall that John Armstrong was the Senior Political Correspondent at the NZ Herald for many years, prior to his retirement due to serious illness. IMHO Armstrong, for the most part, appeared to be a strong National supporter in his Herald columns.
I was therefore extremely surprised to read the excerpt from Armstrong’s blog post that Gangnam Style posted last night ; and the full post at the blog itself –
Although Armstrong’s political bias at times used to annoy me, nevertheless I always respected his ability and experience in political analysis. His posts on his blog (only four to date) continue to reflect these qualities; but with a quite different attitude to National and Key.
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions. I wonder who of the current MSM journalists the same criteria would apply?
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions.
If that is the case then we now have proof that journalists are forced to write in favour of the political-right.
“The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has attacked foreign investors for using homes in the capital as “gold bricks for investment” following a Guardian investigation that revealed the UK’s tallest residential skyscraper is now more than 60% foreign-owned and is under-occupied.
Facing questions from the London Assembly for the first time since he was elected mayor, Khan warned that building thousands of new homes a year in London to solve the housing crisis would mean nothing if “they are all bought by investors in the Middle East and Asia for use as second homes or they sit empty”.
The London skyscraper that is a stark symbol of the housing crisis
He said: “The Guardian’s front page today is an example of the consequences of the last eight years of being obsessed by numbers rather than [building] the right sorts of homes.”
From the same article – will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?
“Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who sits on the Commons communities select committee, which scrutinises housing policy, said the fact that the five-storey Tower penthouse was owned by an oligarch who had not yet lived there was ridiculous.
Blackman said it might now be time to consider a policy demanding buyers of UK properties commit to living in the UK for more than 90 days a year.
Ken Livingstone, who also backed the scheme when he was mayor of London, said he had no idea so many foreign buyers would be seeking to deposit money in London property.
He described the international buy-up as appalling. “I was very keen to get foreign investment into London, but that was in terms of constructing developments and creating new jobs, not flogging them off to people who just keep them there in case there is a coup and they have to flee,” he said.”
+100 save nz….” will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?”…this is clearly not an issue of racism..it is an issue of swamping
….and this from an honest Chinese property developer, who presumably is not racist
‘Wall of Chinese capital buying up Australian properties’
I suppose the builders are happy.
The owners who rent the buildings out to “investors” are happy.
The previous owners would be happy to sell the buildings to “investors.”
So it would seem that like here in NZ, everyone with vested interests will also be happy.
Market forces you know.
“The thing about foreign ownership is it requires more study. Is it good or bad for the market?” said Dugan. “Some people who are investing in the condo market for the long term can be quite helpful because they’ve been adding to the rental supply.”
P.E.I., equally, wants foreign investors and has a program to encourage them to come to the island, but it wants them to buy and become residents.
This is a small province, if there’s no rules, it could be bought out
Scott MacKenzie, chair and chief executive of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission known as IRAC, says the application alone costs one per cent of the purchase price, although if the deal falls through and you are rejected, only 50 per cent of the fee is refunded.
In a normal year P.E.I. gets 100 applications for individuals that exceed the 50-acre or 165-feet of shoreline limits, and about 50 applications from corporations. There are a number of considerations before an appeal will be considered. One of the stipulations is that no more than 30 per cent of a community be made up of non-islanders.
Tourism PEI
“If you are coming here to move here and be a resident of P.E.I. and be a member of the community, even though you are a non-resident right now, there is a good strong chance that the application will go through. If you are a corporate farmer from Ontario and you realize that you can buy farmland in P.E.I. for $2,500 an acre, whereas it would cost you $25,000 in Ontario and you simply want 1,000 acres to farm from afar, you’ve got a problem,” MacKenzie said.
Tracking out-of-province buyers might be a problem elsewhere in Canada but P.E.I. keeps a handle on the situation through a tax structure that effectively doubles property taxes for non-residents, creating an incentive for people to prove they are living on the island and meet the minimum stay of 183 days.”
– Financial Post
Worth reading the whole article for a real world example of how one of the necessary changes for NZ housing can be legislated, and how that plays a positive part for long-term affordability.
zealot
ˈzɛlət/Submit
noun
a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, Young Turk, diehard, activist, militant; More
antonyms: moderate
historical
a member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy and resisting the Romans until AD 70.
noun: Zealot; plural noun: Zealots
Well you’d have to remove the religious factor as I’m atheist (well I guess agnostic but only because I can’t prove there’s no god however I also can’t prove there isn’t a flying spaghetti monster)
I think pat’s point is that you’re still making substantially irrational value judgements (like a religious person) about smoking. In some cases demonstrably wrong, as smoking has in fact been associated with reduced rates of some things like alzheimers.
I’m resigned to the fact that I’ve reluctantly become a “success story” because I quit when it got too expensive. But I’ll never understand why people who need to use several perjorative adjectives about smoking don’t seem to think that their attitudes are irrational.
I fucking enjoyed it, and the wowsers took it away. That’s democracy. But the campaign of encouraging ostracism and bullying of smokers is ugly.
BTW, this is one of my rantable issues, so I’ll try to keep an eye my responses. 🙂
It might well be filthy and disgusting to you, but there are lots of filthy or smelly people around. Normal response is not to say “filthy” AND “disgusting”, though.
But of course all of that is your personal value judgement. Including whether it’s worth it.
query: is the stress caused by being part of about the only acceptable target for widespread discrimination and abuse a larger or smaller threat to the health of others than simply having a smoke in the open air?
I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes. Otherwise I think your comparison misses the mark. We all get impacted by different things in different ways, but as a society I think it’s pretty much accepted now that cigarette smoke is impactful across the board.
“I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes.”
Don’t really have people leaving their engines running at my place. Usually it’s when I’m sitting somewhere public and someone pulls up. All sorts of places, including places in nature, beside parks, in carparks etc.
I think you really should be more clear in what you mean McFlock. Are you talking about govt policy, a business asking its customers not to smoke inside, me asking someone to not smoke in my house, someone asking you to not smoke in your house, etc?
Open air? You made a very general statement, which leaves everyone guessing, wrongly apparently.
While I had in mind the latest local government bylaws that are unenforceable, the main point was the telling. As in saying you”put that out now and generally making a fuss, pretend coughing, all that bullshit.
That’s the environment we’re in now. Arseholes with an excuse to harass.
I guess it’s hard to know where to go after that. If someone is smoking and that smoke is affecting me (see Draco’s original comment above), then how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment? I mean, I can see how someone being an arsehole with it would be horrible, and even harrassing, but it doesn’t work as a general principle. Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment?
Asking, not so much. Telling, however, is more common than simply asking, and passive-aggressive “asking” is more common still. When I smoked in public, I was abused more often than asked. And in the open air, the only way you or draco are “affected” is by smell when you’re within 20 feet or so. What do you do on the bus when a smelly person sits in front of you – ask them to bathe more often?
But even with asking, there’s no smoking in all workplaces, bars, restaurants, and public transport. Even my flat is non-smoking, as a (common) condition of the lease. So where are the addicted people supposed to smoke without some jerk who prefers to stay and rant rather than move on like a normal human being? Nowehere. Society is conditioned to scowl at smokers, and smokers are conditioned to accept it, every fucking day.
Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
When the “exposure” is bugger-all beyond smell, the least hazardous and inconvenient option for all concerned is to just move on.
I do it when folk start a drum circle in the park, because that’s not my thing. I don’t yell at them to stop, hold my head in mock agony, and say that their drumming might give a small number of people a really bad migraine. And before you respond that smoking causes worse things than a migraine, not in the levels people are exposed to in NZ these days. Oh, I’ve met people who got all wheezy after coming within 50 feet of a smoker, but for some reason they only got wheezy when they saw the smoker, and smog didn’t seem to affect them at all.
This same right you have for offending people around here, if you tease that out too it’s logical conclusion everyone offends every one at some point.
So maybe that three way duel works out. 😉
Some would say the tax revenue smokers currently generate fiscally benefits the health system.
Moreover, a number of those that can’t quit will be forced to make savings elsewhere – i.e. doctors visits, nutrition, home heating etc… Leading to poorer health outcomes for them and their families.
what a good parrot pr and can you say pollie wants a cracker ?
dirty and disgusting i.m.o. is what we as humans are doing to the planet ie oceans full of plastic etc pollution on a grand scale war and violence …smokers….?/ pftt
I’m surprised a political party struggling for support are happy to turn their nose up to that while closing their eyes to the wider carnage – i.e assaults, theft, incarceration and fiscal suffering.
About twenty years ago anti-smoking adverts changed tack into “de-normalising” smoking. Basically, people are conditioned to judge smokers negatively, and smokers have been conditioned to accept it.
Personally, I reckon smoking illustrates the problem with capitalism rather than tobacco – smoking’s at the lowest level in decades, but soft drinks and fast food are still incredibly popular.
It’s apalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids. The majority will just see tax increases as another reason to give up.
I hear Annette King supports the taxes, she is a smart women.
Thankyou for raising the appalling burden of addiction on its victms and their families. Your concern and empathy for your fellow human beings is once again brought to the fore as an example to us all, and you are a reminder of what it is to be a well-rounded human being.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
They’re addicts, which means a lot of them will pay as much tax as a government wants. Every year, successive governments look on smokers as a bunch of people they can hold upside down by their ankles and shake to see how much falls out of their pockets. Labour are no different from National in that respect. They then phrase it in terms of “health initiatives” or some such bullshit. At least your P dealer doesn’t pretend he’s robbing you blind in a noble and charitable effort to get you to quit.
There’s an awful lot of people with chronic, serious mental health problems who chain smoke. Many of them picked up the habit as inpatients pre hospital smoking bans. They’re completely addicted and cutting down, yet alone quitting just isn’t part of the equation. And the vast majority are on benefits, and the smokes are going to take priority no matter what they cost. That’s the reality.
Revealed: 9% rise in London properties owned by offshore firms
Land Registry data of past 10 months shows 40,000 properties – from entire apartment complexes to wine cellars and car parks – registered in tax havens
China unveils ‘straddling bus’ design to beat traffic jams
The concept vehicle is designed to float above the clogged-up streets of some of the country’s biggest cities
Make sure you don’t deviate off your car lane. Ooops. Squished.
I had strong urges to sail my home made yacht under an oil platform floating off the top of the South Island. So tempting but never realised.
Interesting that the overide vehicle is the Chinese innovation.
Decades ago Japanese goods were regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Currently Chinese goods have been regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Our ethnic communities who traditionally are conservative voters and would most likely vote National will not be happy with this constant rise in the cigarette tax. They do seem to be quite prolific with their smoking, and there could be a back lash at the ballot box with the annual increase, will this now mean that Customs will have to not only work hard at detecting C.Meth coming into the country but now have contraband ciggies coming in as well to be searching for. Poor airport dogs will now have another skill to learn.
Stockists of ciggies will also have to barricade their shops up like Fort Knox, seems weird to me that alcohol can be bought in supermarkets and quite cheaply at that and they flog the ciggies for all their worth. The Booze Barons must give heaps to Nationals coffers to be coddled so. National’s mantra is personal responsibility – it works with sugar and junk food and they give them a wide berth – no consistency at all with their laws. The food industries must give generously as well. The whole system is a rort.
Another rightwing government adopts a; “if no one hears about it then it isn’t happening”, approach to a crisis:
the report “World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate”, which Unesco jointly published with the United Nations environment program and the Union of Concerned Scientists on Friday, initially had a key chapter on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as small sections on Kakadu and the Tasmanian forests.
But when the Australian Department of Environment saw a draft of the report, it objected, and every mention of Australia was removed by Unesco.
Fortunately, this attempt at suppressing information may insure that this will be the most read section of the report, now that the removed text has been published. This excerpt is mainly chosen for the appropriateness of the cited author’s name, but the whole is certainly worth the time:
Without global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions coupled with local management responses to increase resilience, current projections suggest that coral cover could decline to 5-10% of the GBR by the early 2020s from 28% in 1985 – a potential loss of 80% in just 40 years (De’ath et al 2012).
Robert Guyton
I need to keep thinking on this ecology ‘thing’.
On 22 May at 7.10 you said Douglas fir are “wilding pines” along with the better known contorta and are spreading at pace where conditions invite. A new wild would involve each of these trees in a new and complex mix and don’t forget, broom and gorse are straining at the leash to be given their unfettered chance to populate their favourite degraded landscapes.
Dynamic cycle of life or frozen picture in time? I’m for complex and ever-evolving landscapes. King Canute has a message for those who engage in the battle against incoming tides.
Are there farmers already enabling this sort of land regeneration (I’m thinking that gorse is nitrogen fixing too?), and if we ran a workshop on it in our areas, would we be able to link people into an internet site where they can communicate with others for info and feedback?
Are there workshops on forest gardens being carried out in your area scheduled for the future and what dates? Is there a forum on-line that people can go to for ideas and inspiration?
Another classic example in that part of the world is Hinewai. It’s a very important and successful example of native restoration by working with the natural systems there. Including regenerating via gorse.
Grey, I’m think that Robert Guyton will travel to run workshops. The gorse regeneration thing is even accepted by DOC now. If you google DOC and gorse you should find some information on their thinking (you’ll probably have to sift through some slash and spray hits).
Unfortunately I don’t think the NZ regenag etc people are big online outside of Facebook.
Alternatively if the gorse has been there for a few years, and you have willing labour, it’s not too diffiult to saw off the gorse at the base and put stumpkiller on the stumps. Then once you’ve cleared an area (which you can do pretty quickly with gorse), just plant your natives and I think you would get a 20-30 year headstart in comparison to waiting for seeds to germinate in the soil and for the gorse above to die off so they get enough light and room to grow well.
The Australian government reckons a report on the impact of global warming on some of its ‘natural wonders’ would be really bad for business (tourist industry), kind of implying that the trashing of things like the Great Barrier Reef by global warming…getting why my head hurts?
All mentions of Australia were removed from the final version of a Unesco report on climate change and world heritage sites after the Australian government objected on the grounds it could impact on tourism.
They must have noticed in Australia how useful our 100% Pure meme is. Just keep on sending out the bumf as usual, one day there will be a cruise liner turn up to a destination in Oz and there won’t be anything to look at except termite mounds.
weka
That was an interesting bunch of tweets and example of how effective they can be for disseminating information.
I liked El Cid —
“Democracy is so much cleaner if rich people can elect other rich people without all those ‘rules’ or ‘voters'”
and noted the combative comment from Securitay…. at the end. (Refer to something faulty and someone is sure to request an immediate alternative policy plan from you as an alternative!) —
“can you explain what you believe the world should have done? “
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The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
‘Is NZ facing a crisis of conscience?
The housing crisis has taken on a more visible form, with the issues of emergency housing and homelessness.
The causes of homelessness and need for emergency housing are complex, but the common thread is poverty. And no place to turn. At the end of the tether, society decides whether to simply let it happen, or to care and act.
New Zealand has long taken a caring approach. A safety net has been a part of the social contract in post-war New Zealand…..’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/304722/is-nz-facing-a-crisis-of-conscience
Well said Paul (1) + 1000.
Nothing to add to what you have said there.
Exactly what is Palantir doing in NZ?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/us/politics/12hackers.html?_r=0
From a 2013 NZ Herald article by David Fisher:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899920
Positive influence?!!!!
It’s a poor show when you have to invent lies to be able to discredit whistleblowers.
i guess we now know who the big beneficiary of English’s extra $300m spy budget is. Forget the hungry kids.
And anyone can end up on the watchlist.
Being on the watchlist doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a threat – Kitteridge.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80149371/rebecca-kitteridge-this-job-has-got-me-by-the-throat–spy-boss
It’s all the plutocrats have. The truth shows them for what they are and what they’re doing to the world and it’s peoples.
Democracy? Freedom of speech? Transparency? Truth? Power balance?
What’s that in the 21st centuary?
It didn’t take long to divert the media attention from heart-wrenching homelessness to ‘big tax cuts’, as promised by Key to appease the greedy and selfish National-voting base.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11645678
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/80443600/tax-cuts-more-viable-after-safe-secure-budget
Just because the MSM has shifted focus doesn’t actually mean that the people have.
Vandana Shiva:
When the US talks of strong patent laws, it is restricting itself to the corporate interest. On criteria of corporate rights at the cost of nature and people, US laws are strong. On grounds of ethical considerations and social and ecological justice, they are weak. Instead of India being bullied to destroy her civilisational legacy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakam, her carefully and democratically evolved laws related to Biodiversity, the Rights of Mother Earth, and rights of people to their collective intellectual and cultural heritage, it is time for the US government to stop being an instrument of the ethically, scientifically and legally perverse construction of global corporations to define life as their invention and property.
https://medium.com/@drvandanashiva/seeds-biodiversity-and-iprs-845187d00951#.eaxdeo50l
The cancer of Corporate rule of US should not be allowed to metastasise via TPP, TTIP, TISA etc.
+1
Corporatisation of the world has become a serious problem and we need to stop it now before it destroys us.
The Budget – ‘where’s our money?’ schools ask.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/80441088/jo-moir-schools-will-look-to-parents-pockets-after-a-freeze-on-school-operational-funding
+1
Last night at 6 on Daily Review 26/05/2016, Gangnam Style provided a link to John Armstrong’s blog, and a quote from his latest post on homelessness and the demolition of Housing NZ.
http://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-26052016/#comment-1179443
You will recall that John Armstrong was the Senior Political Correspondent at the NZ Herald for many years, prior to his retirement due to serious illness. IMHO Armstrong, for the most part, appeared to be a strong National supporter in his Herald columns.
I was therefore extremely surprised to read the excerpt from Armstrong’s blog post that Gangnam Style posted last night ; and the full post at the blog itself –
https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/
Although Armstrong’s political bias at times used to annoy me, nevertheless I always respected his ability and experience in political analysis. His posts on his blog (only four to date) continue to reflect these qualities; but with a quite different attitude to National and Key.
I highly recommend reading his blog and posts.
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions. I wonder who of the current MSM journalists the same criteria would apply?
If that is the case then we now have proof that journalists are forced to write in favour of the political-right.
Very few as the bulk that remain are copy/paste kids who wouldnt know intellectual rigour and fact checking if it they had a threesome together.
@ VV thanks for posting well worth the read.
“The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has attacked foreign investors for using homes in the capital as “gold bricks for investment” following a Guardian investigation that revealed the UK’s tallest residential skyscraper is now more than 60% foreign-owned and is under-occupied.
Facing questions from the London Assembly for the first time since he was elected mayor, Khan warned that building thousands of new homes a year in London to solve the housing crisis would mean nothing if “they are all bought by investors in the Middle East and Asia for use as second homes or they sit empty”.
The London skyscraper that is a stark symbol of the housing crisis
He said: “The Guardian’s front page today is an example of the consequences of the last eight years of being obsessed by numbers rather than [building] the right sorts of homes.”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/25/sadiq-khan-condemns-foreign-investors-london-homes-gold-bricks-housing-policy?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=174100&subid=13842748&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
From the same article – will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?
“Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who sits on the Commons communities select committee, which scrutinises housing policy, said the fact that the five-storey Tower penthouse was owned by an oligarch who had not yet lived there was ridiculous.
Blackman said it might now be time to consider a policy demanding buyers of UK properties commit to living in the UK for more than 90 days a year.
Ken Livingstone, who also backed the scheme when he was mayor of London, said he had no idea so many foreign buyers would be seeking to deposit money in London property.
He described the international buy-up as appalling. “I was very keen to get foreign investment into London, but that was in terms of constructing developments and creating new jobs, not flogging them off to people who just keep them there in case there is a coup and they have to flee,” he said.”
+100 save nz….” will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?”…this is clearly not an issue of racism..it is an issue of swamping
….and this from an honest Chinese property developer, who presumably is not racist
‘Wall of Chinese capital buying up Australian properties’
http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/wall-of-chinese-capital-buying-up-australian-properties-20150628-ghztdf.html
I suppose the builders are happy.
The owners who rent the buildings out to “investors” are happy.
The previous owners would be happy to sell the buildings to “investors.”
So it would seem that like here in NZ, everyone with vested interests will also be happy.
Market forces you know.
What Canadians in Prince Edward Island did a couple of decades ago affected the prices in that province which is the second cheapest province to buy housing:
Prince Edward Island, the one place in Canada where foreign property buyers must check in
– Financial Post
Worth reading the whole article for a real world example of how one of the necessary changes for NZ housing can be legislated, and how that plays a positive part for long-term affordability.
About 550,000 New Zealanders are daily smokers.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
Peters has slammed the move (tax increases) calling it an attack.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/cigarette-price-hike-will-see-kids-go-hungry—peters-2016052707#axzz49cNCdqQY
Once again, Labour are aligning with National.
Thoughts?
the position on smoking depends upon your religion
Good, smoking is a disgusting, filthy habit with no health benefits. Well done to Labour for doing this.
zealot
ˈzɛlət/Submit
noun
a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, Young Turk, diehard, activist, militant; More
antonyms: moderate
historical
a member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy and resisting the Romans until AD 70.
noun: Zealot; plural noun: Zealots
next target?
Well you’d have to remove the religious factor as I’m atheist (well I guess agnostic but only because I can’t prove there’s no god however I also can’t prove there isn’t a flying spaghetti monster)
I think pat’s point is that you’re still making substantially irrational value judgements (like a religious person) about smoking. In some cases demonstrably wrong, as smoking has in fact been associated with reduced rates of some things like alzheimers.
I’m resigned to the fact that I’ve reluctantly become a “success story” because I quit when it got too expensive. But I’ll never understand why people who need to use several perjorative adjectives about smoking don’t seem to think that their attitudes are irrational.
I fucking enjoyed it, and the wowsers took it away. That’s democracy. But the campaign of encouraging ostracism and bullying of smokers is ugly.
BTW, this is one of my rantable issues, so I’ll try to keep an eye my responses. 🙂
Rants are always entertaining so go for it 🙂
But it stacks up, at least partially anyway, for being filthy and disgusting:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disgusting
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filthy
and as for health benefits while I grudgingly admit there:
http://www.livescience.com/15115-5-health-benefits-smoking-disease.html
I’m not sure its worth it
It might well be filthy and disgusting to you, but there are lots of filthy or smelly people around. Normal response is not to say “filthy” AND “disgusting”, though.
But of course all of that is your personal value judgement. Including whether it’s worth it.
query: is the stress caused by being part of about the only acceptable target for widespread discrimination and abuse a larger or smaller threat to the health of others than simply having a smoke in the open air?
Simple answer is yes
lol – unless they’re equivalent, in which case the answer is no.
aint human nature grand….well the question remains, who shall be the next target?
Here here McFlock,
flying spaghetti monster
PR by the way, their is such a thing, it’s happening around a high chair in this country nearly everyday. 👿
http://www.venganza.org/
Oh its coming big time, get your pirate gears ready me hearties!
What right do smokers have to affect others without their permission?
Exactly the same right others have to affect smokers.
Exactly – none.
And yet smokers keep smoking where they affect others and then complain when others tell them to stop.
Some people seem to think that they are affected by the mere existence of smokers or someone smoking.
And think it’s ok to tell them to stop.
If you’re talking about exposure to smoke, sure. Why wouldn’t it be ok?
do you acost drivers of motor vehicles and berate them for impacting your world?
I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes. Otherwise I think your comparison misses the mark. We all get impacted by different things in different ways, but as a society I think it’s pretty much accepted now that cigarette smoke is impactful across the board.
I don’t support the tobacco tax btw.
“I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes.”
that infers at your place abode….yes?
Don’t really have people leaving their engines running at my place. Usually it’s when I’m sitting somewhere public and someone pulls up. All sorts of places, including places in nature, beside parks, in carparks etc.
of course….I should have known better.
Because the stress.and other effect of interpersonal conflict is probably a greater health risk to others than a cigarette in the open air.
I think you really should be more clear in what you mean McFlock. Are you talking about govt policy, a business asking its customers not to smoke inside, me asking someone to not smoke in my house, someone asking you to not smoke in your house, etc?
Open air? You made a very general statement, which leaves everyone guessing, wrongly apparently.
While I had in mind the latest local government bylaws that are unenforceable, the main point was the telling. As in saying you”put that out now and generally making a fuss, pretend coughing, all that bullshit.
That’s the environment we’re in now. Arseholes with an excuse to harass.
I guess it’s hard to know where to go after that. If someone is smoking and that smoke is affecting me (see Draco’s original comment above), then how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment? I mean, I can see how someone being an arsehole with it would be horrible, and even harrassing, but it doesn’t work as a general principle. Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
What are the bylaws?
For example, the Auckalnd policy that tries to use “social pressure”, and similar bylaw from Hutt city.
Asking, not so much. Telling, however, is more common than simply asking, and passive-aggressive “asking” is more common still. When I smoked in public, I was abused more often than asked. And in the open air, the only way you or draco are “affected” is by smell when you’re within 20 feet or so. What do you do on the bus when a smelly person sits in front of you – ask them to bathe more often?
But even with asking, there’s no smoking in all workplaces, bars, restaurants, and public transport. Even my flat is non-smoking, as a (common) condition of the lease. So where are the addicted people supposed to smoke without some jerk who prefers to stay and rant rather than move on like a normal human being? Nowehere. Society is conditioned to scowl at smokers, and smokers are conditioned to accept it, every fucking day.
When the “exposure” is bugger-all beyond smell, the least hazardous and inconvenient option for all concerned is to just move on.
I do it when folk start a drum circle in the park, because that’s not my thing. I don’t yell at them to stop, hold my head in mock agony, and say that their drumming might give a small number of people a really bad migraine. And before you respond that smoking causes worse things than a migraine, not in the levels people are exposed to in NZ these days. Oh, I’ve met people who got all wheezy after coming within 50 feet of a smoker, but for some reason they only got wheezy when they saw the smoker, and smog didn’t seem to affect them at all.
This same right you have for offending people around here, if you tease that out too it’s logical conclusion everyone offends every one at some point.
So maybe that three way duel works out. 😉
Some would say the tax revenue smokers currently generate fiscally benefits the health system.
Moreover, a number of those that can’t quit will be forced to make savings elsewhere – i.e. doctors visits, nutrition, home heating etc… Leading to poorer health outcomes for them and their families.
what about drinking (alcohol) is this alright ?
what a good parrot pr and can you say pollie wants a cracker ?
dirty and disgusting i.m.o. is what we as humans are doing to the planet ie oceans full of plastic etc pollution on a grand scale war and violence …smokers….?/ pftt
I think it’s a good time to give up smoking.
The concern is for those that can’t and its wider impact.
550K daily smokers out of an adult population of 3.5M seems like a hell of a lot…
I’m surprised a political party struggling for support are happy to turn their nose up to that while closing their eyes to the wider carnage – i.e assaults, theft, incarceration and fiscal suffering.
About twenty years ago anti-smoking adverts changed tack into “de-normalising” smoking. Basically, people are conditioned to judge smokers negatively, and smokers have been conditioned to accept it.
Personally, I reckon smoking illustrates the problem with capitalism rather than tobacco – smoking’s at the lowest level in decades, but soft drinks and fast food are still incredibly popular.
Yes, the anti-smoking campaign has resulted in the demonisation and discrimination of smokers becoming socially acceptable.
It’s apalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids. The majority will just see tax increases as another reason to give up.
I hear Annette King supports the taxes, she is a smart women.
Thankyou for raising the appalling burden of addiction on its victms and their families. Your concern and empathy for your fellow human beings is once again brought to the fore as an example to us all, and you are a reminder of what it is to be a well-rounded human being.
“It’s appalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids”
That’s the power of addiction.
It’s appalling Labour are supporting policy that will result in further fiscal hardship and more children suffering.
About 550,000 New Zealanders are daily smokers.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
They’re addicts, which means a lot of them will pay as much tax as a government wants. Every year, successive governments look on smokers as a bunch of people they can hold upside down by their ankles and shake to see how much falls out of their pockets. Labour are no different from National in that respect. They then phrase it in terms of “health initiatives” or some such bullshit. At least your P dealer doesn’t pretend he’s robbing you blind in a noble and charitable effort to get you to quit.
There’s an awful lot of people with chronic, serious mental health problems who chain smoke. Many of them picked up the habit as inpatients pre hospital smoking bans. They’re completely addicted and cutting down, yet alone quitting just isn’t part of the equation. And the vast majority are on benefits, and the smokes are going to take priority no matter what they cost. That’s the reality.
Revealed: 9% rise in London properties owned by offshore firms
Land Registry data of past 10 months shows 40,000 properties – from entire apartment complexes to wine cellars and car parks – registered in tax havens
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/26/revealed-9-rise-in-london-properties-owned-by-offshore-firms
China unveils ‘straddling bus’ design to beat traffic jams
The concept vehicle is designed to float above the clogged-up streets of some of the country’s biggest cities
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/26/china-straddling-floating-bus-beat-traffic-jams
Yum, yum, yum I eat cars for breakfast.
Emergency slide entry/exits 🙄
Apart from looking like an evil 1970s Star Wars vehicle, not a bad idea!
Make sure you don’t deviate off your car lane. Ooops. Squished.
I had strong urges to sail my home made yacht under an oil platform floating off the top of the South Island. So tempting but never realised.
Interesting that the overide vehicle is the Chinese innovation.
Decades ago Japanese goods were regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Currently Chinese goods have been regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
If they put the two rails much closer together and the ‘bus’ ran alongside the traffic, that might work.
Why use up more space?
Our ethnic communities who traditionally are conservative voters and would most likely vote National will not be happy with this constant rise in the cigarette tax. They do seem to be quite prolific with their smoking, and there could be a back lash at the ballot box with the annual increase, will this now mean that Customs will have to not only work hard at detecting C.Meth coming into the country but now have contraband ciggies coming in as well to be searching for. Poor airport dogs will now have another skill to learn.
Stockists of ciggies will also have to barricade their shops up like Fort Knox, seems weird to me that alcohol can be bought in supermarkets and quite cheaply at that and they flog the ciggies for all their worth. The Booze Barons must give heaps to Nationals coffers to be coddled so. National’s mantra is personal responsibility – it works with sugar and junk food and they give them a wide berth – no consistency at all with their laws. The food industries must give generously as well. The whole system is a rort.
Legislation raising tobacco taxes by 10 per cent a year for the next four years was supported by every party except NZ First.
Therefore, NZ First would be the sole benefactor of any backlash at the ballot box in this regard.
Bless em..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z53YSMofgvs
Another rightwing government adopts a; “if no one hears about it then it isn’t happening”, approach to a crisis:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention
Fortunately, this attempt at suppressing information may insure that this will be the most read section of the report, now that the removed text has been published. This excerpt is mainly chosen for the appropriateness of the cited author’s name, but the whole is certainly worth the time:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/revealed-the-report-on-the-great-barrier-reef-that-australia-didnt-want-the-world-to-see
Robert Guyton
I need to keep thinking on this ecology ‘thing’.
On 22 May at 7.10 you said
Douglas fir are “wilding pines” along with the better known contorta and are spreading at pace where conditions invite. A new wild would involve each of these trees in a new and complex mix and don’t forget, broom and gorse are straining at the leash to be given their unfettered chance to populate their favourite degraded landscapes.
Dynamic cycle of life or frozen picture in time? I’m for complex and ever-evolving landscapes. King Canute has a message for those who engage in the battle against incoming tides.
Are there farmers already enabling this sort of land regeneration (I’m thinking that gorse is nitrogen fixing too?), and if we ran a workshop on it in our areas, would we be able to link people into an internet site where they can communicate with others for info and feedback?
Are there workshops on forest gardens being carried out in your area scheduled for the future and what dates? Is there a forum on-line that people can go to for ideas and inspiration?
Your comment remainds me of interesting personal story that was on radio a few years back.
A woman on the Banks Peninsula (IIRC) started her natives by throwing clay balls mixed with native seeds into the extensive gorse growing on her land.
The gorse acted as a nursery cover for the seeds to get established, and then as they grew they took over the gorse until it disappeared.
Another classic example in that part of the world is Hinewai. It’s a very important and successful example of native restoration by working with the natural systems there. Including regenerating via gorse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinewai_Reserve
Grey, I’m think that Robert Guyton will travel to run workshops. The gorse regeneration thing is even accepted by DOC now. If you google DOC and gorse you should find some information on their thinking (you’ll probably have to sift through some slash and spray hits).
Unfortunately I don’t think the NZ regenag etc people are big online outside of Facebook.
That’s good stuff to hear Molly and weka. Thanks for that info.
Alternatively if the gorse has been there for a few years, and you have willing labour, it’s not too diffiult to saw off the gorse at the base and put stumpkiller on the stumps. Then once you’ve cleared an area (which you can do pretty quickly with gorse), just plant your natives and I think you would get a 20-30 year headstart in comparison to waiting for seeds to germinate in the soil and for the gorse above to die off so they get enough light and room to grow well.
Head. Hurts.
The Australian government reckons a report on the impact of global warming on some of its ‘natural wonders’ would be really bad for business (tourist industry), kind of implying that the trashing of things like the Great Barrier Reef by global warming…getting why my head hurts?
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention
Here’s a link to the suppressed report as updated by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
http://blog.ucsusa.org/adam-markham/australias-iconic-great-barrier-reef-world-heritage-site-at-risk-from-global-warming?_ga=1.71838295.554248257.1464305420
They must have noticed in Australia how useful our 100% Pure meme is. Just keep on sending out the bumf as usual, one day there will be a cruise liner turn up to a destination in Oz and there won’t be anything to look at except termite mounds.
Nice tweeted summary of what happened in Brazil. I don’t know much about Brazil’s political system but I can’t help but think would this happen in NZ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/MissEllieMae/status/735478874587430913
they ran a soft coup in Australia way back, so why not here if required.
weka
That was an interesting bunch of tweets and example of how effective they can be for disseminating information.
I liked El Cid —
“Democracy is so much cleaner if rich people can elect other rich people without all those ‘rules’ or ‘voters'”
and noted the combative comment from Securitay…. at the end. (Refer to something faulty and someone is sure to request an immediate alternative policy plan from you as an alternative!) —
“can you explain what you believe the world should have done? “
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/304999/scrapped-ets-subsidy-may-cause-energy-price-rises
This is why the ETS is just a sick joke. If all companies have to do is pass the cost on then it will not reduce emissions .