Open Mike 27/06/2017
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6:00 am, June 27th, 2017 - 56 comments
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
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A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
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The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
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With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
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For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
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All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
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The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
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The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
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Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
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Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
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Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
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After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
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Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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An interesting addition to the GMO – agrichemical use debate, with a few twists.
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/26/slugging-it-out-with-a-new-contender-in-the-gmo-debate/
In yesterday’s debate about water extraction I expressed support of the idea of water bottling for export, with conditions, one of which was that it didn’t risk damaging environmental treasures.
Here’s a proposal I am very wary of, since it appears to risk the environmental treasure that is the Te Waihou springs.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11879762
They ALL risk damaging the environment whether treasure or not. You just want to make money or allow someone else too – why again? No real reason other than greed and hubris imo.
Jesse Mulligan calling the government out.
‘Prime Minister Bill English says his government is delivering for all New Zealanders,”
https://www.facebook.com/TheProjectNZ/videos/1024072487729404/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
What the Gnashionals are delivering to me is the equivalent of junk mail. I’ve put a sign up asking no more in my letter box. So now I get the occasional flyer, mostly from real estate agents. A pretty parallel to government and its bloody delivery!
The brighter future.
‘South Auckland solo mum Maariri Pakuria pregnant and homeless.
A pregnant woman days from giving birth faces living in a south Auckland motel with her newborn and young daughter as she waits to be assessed for a state house.
Maariri Pakuria, 20, and her four-year-old were placed in “emergency accomodation” in Manurewa after she went into a Work and Income office 10 days ago.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11882181
Come to ed for your daily gloom report, as if some how Shite never should happen but makes good click bait ( for likes of paul) or can be managed away completely by a more extreme socialism vs an already middle of the road socialist government we already have
Theresa May and the Holy Grail. Swallow your coffee and put the mug down before watching.
https://youtu.be/7qOyT3ZkUxI
The technology of that Holy Grail is very clever Andre. And so is the content.
I won’t go into detail here, but for anyone who is interested, despite Andrew Little claiming the intern scheme was “not a Labour thing” and he didn’t have anything to do with it until last Monday, he, Jacinda Ardern, other Labour MPs and candidates were at a party event with the interns the week before.
And it’s clear that the interns were working with a number of Labour candidates in Auckland electorates.
I don’t think Little has been straight on Labour’s involvement in the fellowship/intern scheme, with his own knowledge of the scheme, and what went wrong that led to McCarten’s sudden departure from his Labour job and sudden intervention by the Labour leadership and head office even though Little, MPs and candidates were involved with the interns and they were clearly involved with the Labour Party in far more ways than using the name.
https://yournz.org/2017/06/27/little-and-labour-mps-with-interns/
zzzz
Insubstantial, tenuous drivel.
Wow, you’re really into the ‘Attack Labour’ mode ATM.
So, tell me, why are you working so hard to distract from National’s apparent crimes?
Quick, get the police to re-open the inquiry! Oh, wait that’s the other party’s scandal..
lol. Pete’s got a dilemma today though, can’t blame Dickson anymore or make out it’s just an employment dispute. So I guess another round of deep beige reporting on Labour it is then.
That’s fucking diabolical Pete.
You yourself put up the video that demonstrates you’re lying through your back teeth in that first paragraph.
When you put up the video yesterday, you may remember I thanked you for bringing it to my attention and then transcribed some relevant bits of it .So without further ado, and with an eye to the claims around timing and involvement that you make in the first para of your comment above…
Without authority, approval or mandate they went ahead and did stuff. The next I became aware was about May this year when the party was getting messages from students about what was (unclear) within days of arriving …the party stepped in straight away to people who were associated with it and said “What is going on? There’s no approval for this. This is not a party thing”. The party was given assurances. ‘We’ve got funding, we’ve got a programme sorted out and nothing to worry about.’
Then we got the complaints this week and the minute that happened, because we were aware the Labour Party name was associated with it … it’s not about legal technicalities, I take a very dim view of those who hide behind legalities and say it it moral responsibility that is the most important thing, we take responsibility.
Re Pete, “you yourself put up the video that proves your’e lying”
Thank you Bill. Typical lying and/or spinning to use facts out of order and context.
@ Peter George (6) states ….
“I don’t think Little has been straight on Labour’s involvement in the fellowship/intern scheme, …”
Pure comedy, considering …
Bill English has been absolutely straight all the way through the Barclay business, hasn’t he??
Oh dear, oh dear.
Thanks for the laugh Pete. I do love good humour. Any more from where that came from?
The United States government can no longer deny funding to groups on the grounds that they are religious in nature:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/trinity-lutheran/531399/
Now, that worked great with a Lutheran university, but I suspect that this pulling down one of the major barriers that form the church-state distinction in the United States, might not work so well once other religions start applying this test.
Hehe
Wonder how that’s going to go once the Satanists start applying for government funding 😈
The New Zealand Initiative assisted in this:
https://nzier.org.nz/static/media/filer_public/c1/04/c1040885-5c29-493b-a394-d31d313bab7e/nzier_insight_70_peak_inequality.pdf
Why am I not convinced?
Perhaps they just included the rich people in the survey?
Ed1, perhaps it is too much like Smith’s housing affordability to be believable?
Bill English to Steven Joyce RE: What to do about Barclay
Wow, all kinds of fun clickbait today. Smoke dope to keep your BMI down!
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/26/science-regular-consumption-of-marijuana-keeps-you-thin-fit-and-active_partner/
Liu Xiaobo’s unbearable fate is stark symbol of where China is heading
Treatment of dying Nobel peace prize winner is emblematic of China’s iron rule. Tania Branigan on the remarkable man she nearly met – the day he was arrested
“Beijing has never appreciated overseas criticism of its human rights record, but after the peace prize it toughened its stance, determined that countries should pay a price for challenging it. The punishment of Norway, because its Nobel committee had made the award, sent a message to the rest of the world: stay out of it. Increasingly, foreign governments have listened.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/26/liu-xiaobos-unbearable-fate-is-stark-symbol-of-where-china-is-heading
Winston Peters and NZF gaining momentum with 800 people turning up at their Campaign Launch in Palmerston North on Sunday, a good turn out for a small rural NZ town. Evidently a number of under 40 year old’s present, it would appear NZF is gaining support in the Provinces and have announced a strong candidate to stand in the now vacant Southland Clutha Electorate.
If Corbyn = Winston and
Jacinda = Lorde, then
English must = Spithill
Good analogy looking at today’s result, however most of the NZ Voting Public are asleep and we have 1.o million couch surfers too lazy to vote ?
So probably another 4 year of the Natzis until things get real bad for the masses.
Yep winniefirst is building. Reminds me of trump. And you know, he could go quite close to all the way
Crikey that’s awesome, I think it may be more people than the Nat Conference this weekend. Am sure I heard somewhere that the Nat’s had a turn out of around 600, but I could be wrong.
Awesome Cinny? It’s more like a disaster…… NZF are conservative populists and I shudder to think what will happen if they get up around 10%. Don’t take any notice of Winnie’s criticism of the right, he’s just another Muldoon.
@ garibaldi (12.3.1) … well Winston was Muldoon’s protege` Just look at him in action sometimes and his mentor comes through loud and clear!
How is that awesome? Voting NZF is not a vote to change the govt because Peters could still choose to give National a 4th term. Doesn’t matter what his voters or members want, nor what you or I think about he will do, the only thing we know for certain is that he won’t say before the election and that he will keep both options open.
Palmerston North = a small rural NZ town ???????
Palmerston North is a city!!!
Winston’s saying all the things Southland farmers want to hear.
this barclay stuff, could it get winstons man in the south in striking range?
& students – no more loan…
When the farmers & the students are on the same page, + a couple of other groups, we might see a swing.
Lord Joffe obituary
Lawyer who helped Nelson Mandela escape the death penalty
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/26/lord-joffe-obituary
I have finally cracked it.
No tv.
Haven’t watched the rugby and realise I feel nothing about that.
Haven’t watched the cup and realise I feel nothing about that.
I am not tryiing to reduce others enjoyment of these things – for me, I feel free. And feeling free is awesome.
It’s good ah, but then you find Netflix, and it all goes to hell in a hand-basket.
Then you watch Twin Peaks, and shit just gets really weird.
Playing scrabble on phone quite good – oh I’ve worked it out – I’m old!!!
I don’t watch scheduled TV at all, there really isn’t anything of interest.
All the shows I watch are on the web, currently enjoying American Gods and Legion, good series, I recommend them.
That’s pretty much the only reason we have a television.
Onya
True to form, the rats over at the sewer have begun doxxing Glenys Dickson.
Over at WhaleOil and KiwiBlog ?
KB
Food prices in Melbourne 1/2 compared to Auckland, the problem we have in NZ 90% of the fresh food distribution is controlled by two companies Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises Ltd. (NZ Herald Article 27/06/17)
I don’t know how people on minimum wages can afford to feed their families fresh fruit and vegetables hence they eat junk food ?
A VERY important item TT. Working in Aus this past four years I’ve mentioned this several times while commenting here. Not only is our building industry a total rip-off with prices per metre double in NZ … but just a simple trip to the supermarket is an eye opener.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11882574
We regularly shop at ALDI’s. It’s a brilliant, subversive model. Smaller shops, all with a common layout, smaller selection but quite sufficient. A typical 10 day shop for two adults, that fills a standard trolley, always comes in around A$160 -190 depending on what we splurge on.
That’s what get’s me. NZ wages are 25-35% lower, superannuation provision is marginal, housing is way dearer and the general cost of living is definitely higher. The main areas where NZ does better are education and health care costs.
Kiwis are being royally fucked over.
We have to go home once or twice a year for family reasons, and each time we really notice the difference. Aus is going through a flat patch alright (typical conservative government slow-down), but we are still WAY better off living here than NZ for the time being.
What the item doesn’t say, and perhaps you are not aware of, Red Logix, is that a huge amount of our current fresh food is in short supply because of extreme flooding and crop damage just before it was all due to be picked. Hence the high prices this winter for many usually reasonably priced vege.
Fair point Jenny, this winter may be especially bad; the linked article may well have some extreme comparisons. Still it’s something we’ve been aware of for a few years now; even when the weather has not been a factor.
The underlying story here is that the big supermarket chains on both sides of the Tasman are a rip-off duopoly. And until ALDI’s or someone similar sets up in NZ you aren’t going to get a better choice.
Would be great to see any future government have a crack at anti-cartel legislation.
Simon Power thought about it.
Our Commerce Commission seriously needs the same teeth as the ACCC.
Even higher prices in our rural area then the cities.
Supine obedience is not rewarded in the world of realpolitik – it just means that you can be taken foR granted.
Shit stirrers charter!!
More excellent writing from Fintan O’Toole.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-ireland-must-be-tough-to-avoid-being-sold-out-in-brexit-deal-1.3133860?mode=amp