If there was wrongdoing found, then I’m sure that would be reported, as such tax evasion cases generally are. But up until then, it’s not really the public’s business.
So suddenly Paula Bennet & Company views on benefit frauds and others view on tax evasion..is no longer a matter of public interest or public business? funny how things change.
trouble is that even despite that cluthasouthland is a safe seat. But hopefully liz craig will get enough to put some worries in the minds of nat powerbrokers.
It’s particularly interesting in light of the article “Mine blast rings on in PM’s ears” in the Herald, which makes a day in Key’s campaign sound like a fairly poorly organised and fruitless affair. The difference is, of course, that it doesn’t imply that that sort of thing would never happen to Cunliffe.
“Twyford could not point out one of the properties he was talking about, saying they were scattered through the development.
The party could also not say how many $360,000 homes would be built.
Cunliffe and Twyford brought Auckland couple Jordy Leigh, 20 and Harrison Smith, 20, to support their policy.
With a joint income of $75,000, under Labour’s plan their mortgage repayments would be $577 a week, compared with $777 under National. If interest rates remained at 8 per cent, they would save nearly $150,000 in interest and more than $110,000 on their mortgage principal.
However, Leigh, an EPMU union member, said their first home would still be out of reach even under Labour.”
And Phillip – Colorado is still there right? It hasn’t blown up or anything? The world is still turning? Indeed society has not collapsed, while the world slowly brings back weed to normality.
But no – lets keep it in the hands of gangs – then introduce more law and order policies which undermine civil rights.
The electricity policy re-launch was helpful, but what Labour really needs this week is a faster response to Key’s election-launch housing initiative. Housing policy needs to be matched in the media against housing policy.
Possibly the worst of Labour’s policies. What was funny was at the retirement function of a particular electricity boss the other day, he spent 5 minutes plastering Labour’s policy with Parker in the room. You should have seen his face. Absolute gold.
And now right on cue Cunliffe gets back into the game with housing.
$360,000 for your first house, humble though it may be.
100,000 new homes for New Zealand.
This is the closest to middle class aspirational policy.
Go you good things.
Russel Norman impressed me the most. He came across as convincing and went a long way to showing the Greens to be a responsible party and not ‘loonies’ when it comes to finance as the nats and the media love to portray them.
Yes and the MSM regurgitate the instability themes around that bad bad ‘left’ when greens/labour were a very stable coalition in their own right last time out. More inconveniently ignored facts.
@ yeshe
I have decided after watching The Hollow Men and the Frost/Nixon dvds my blood pressure mightn’t be up to more Dirty Politics just now. I will read it, probably after the election, by which time I will either be in a told you so/smug frame of mind or very depressed. Appreciated your suggestions though.
I reckon National’s election campaign is really starting to unravel. They are playing defence on a lot of fronts now and attack is looking less likely as we head into the last bit of the campaign.
Have heard from a very good source that if the Fonterra auction stays where it is, then the Fonterra payout will be around $5 per KGMS, perhaps under, which would mean many farmers would be forced off their farms. Most farmers would be losing money. Its a drop of just under $6b in export receipts…our so called “Rock Star” economy has gone, big time.
This doesn’t seem to be making much noise in the media, although Bernard hickey did mention on RNZ The Panel last Friday.
Funny isn’t it? The govt that owns the companies that essentially determine the price of milk powder is the same govt that owns the companies that buy up the farms when the price of milk powder drops.
Sure, they overpay for a few years but considering most of it went into improving the farms they end up owning, I’d say it was money well spent.
Had GREAT day yesterday out in the Helensville electorate.
Got an overwhelmingly positive response from shop keepers in Kumeu / Huapai and have posters up all over the place.
They’re advertising the Public Meeting I’ve called for Saturday 30 August in the Helensville War Memorial Hall (49 Commercial Rd) from 2pm – 5pm.
‘Stop corruption and dirty politics!’
Myself and fellow anti- corruption ‘Public Watchdog / whistleblower’ Grace Haden will be exposing corruption at local and central government level which has NOT (yet) had mainstream media coverage and – more importantly – be putting forward simple, straightforward policies to STOP ‘white collar’ crime, corruption, ‘corporate welfare’ and ‘dirty politics’.
This Public Meeting is being organised mainly for the benefit of the voting public residing in the Helensville electorate.
Unfortunately, the timing does clash with the march being organised in Auckland starting at 1pm.
My fault – when checking the availability of this Helensville Hall – only Friday night and Saturday were free, and I chose Saturday without double- checking other events.
However, in my view, what’s being discussed in Helensville at this meeting will complement concerns that will be expressed in marches in main centres all over New Zealand this Saturday.
What’s making this Public Meeting somewhat different is that I have invited all political parties who were represented at the Helensville candidates meeting held at the Kumeu Baptist Church on 11 August 2014, to have 5 minutes each to put forward their policies on these issues.
Representatives of all political parties who chose to attend are welcome to bring their political advertising material with them.
Is Judith Collins living in some fantasy denial world ?
Today she is claiming that the Privacy Commissioner has completely exonerated her from guilt in revealing Mr. Pleasant’s personal contact details to Slater. In fact she claimed this more than once.
Philip your liver kidneys heart arteries veins duodenum will be wishing you had rejected the high fat high salt peanut butter !
+ your cannabis intake being as “high” as you claim your kidneys will be over loaded and your liver will be getting scared!
Everything in moderation just. Because you are vegan it doesn’t mean your any healthier!
Avocada and banana would be healthier and much nicer tasting do try.
You have given up other addictions your physiological addiction to Dope seem’s not to bother you no drug is completely safe!
Well according to the bloods I had done recently I’m in fine fettle (well everything they tested is in the right range) but if it helps both the bacon and eggs were free-range and the bread was brown
I thought it was all the sugar they stick in the cheap stuff that makes it toast quick? Vogel’s is my pick of the commercial loaves but mostly I buy European Bakery here in Queenstown. A very good sourdough and at $4.60 a loaf it’s a bargain too.
yes it all ‘helps’, but nothing helps the pig who was dead. I’ve always pondered the missing moment I cannot find anywhere in the universe where ‘dead body’ suddenly becomes ‘fresh meat’.
‘Cunliffe vs Key – first leaders debate: what does winning & losing look like?’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 27, 2014
“The first leaders debate happens this Thursday, 7pm on TV One. I have been invited to be part of the Green Party’s ‘Green Room’ to commentate on the debate as it happens so I will be live tweeting my thoughts during that, but before we get to there, let’s look at what winning and losing looks like for Key and Cunliffe…
Maori TV kicked off with it’s Maori electorate candidates debates on Monday night. First up was Te Tai Tonga. It was a little lacklustre with the exception of the most fine, sharp and fabulous Georgina Beyer (IMP).
What stood out was the polls, and how opposite the results were for Maori TV compared to the poll results we hear about all the time. 43% of Te Tai Tonga voters would give their party vote to Labour while 17% would give their party vote to National:
Throughout the programme street interviews were conducted. Overwhelmingly people wanted this government out. There was one man supportive of the Key Government but even then he didn’t sound he was that convinced of what he was saying.
Not for the first time I thought about how overlooked the Maori view and experience is in our mainstream media. After watching Maori TV for a bit and switching back to TV1 and 3 you get the feeling that those chanels are aiming their programmes at a mono culture, and what a dull pasty culture it is they promote.
the difference in styles of the political shows are stark too..
..native affairs is a reasoned dialogue..
..where guests are allowed to say their piece..
..as opposed to the sneering/combative/cynical/gotcha!-bullshit routinely served up by the usual suspects on pakeha tv..
..native affairs seems to believe in letting the audience make their own minds up..
..as opposed to having some clown going in there primed to trip-up the guests..and to drive the agenda/content of any interview..(you know who you are..)
..and thus showing total disrespect to those they are meant to be there to serve..
..the audience..
..in the main the audience leaves those mainstream encounters..none the wiser..
Maori TV is always a breath of fresh air compared to the other channels. Yes, great doco’s! High standards all round, and brought to the viewer with heart, flair and integrity.
The other channels are really lacking by comparison.
During the last election I abandoned TV 1 and 3 for election coverage all together in favour of the down to earth feisty debates and discourse on Maori. Putting the “reality” into TV!
This election campaign is different from 2011 however and I will give the leaders debate on TV 1 a go on Thursday. Hoping that DC will own it 🙂 (Thanks for the heads up Chooky)
+100 Rosie …agree!…”After watching Maori TV for a bit and switching back to TV1 and 3 you get the feeling that those chanels are aiming their programmes at a mono culture, and what a dull pasty culture it is they promote.”
and the “fine, sharp and fabulous Georgina Beyer”….I have always been a fan of hers too
+100% Rosie. I love Maori TV and most especially Mihingarangi Forbes … she does to political TV what Nigella does to chocolate — with an incisive intellect. Always watch it, and it seems it is the last media spot with any integrity. No wonder some pollies want it excised from our screens.
And Marae is always worth a look on TV1 .. some fine reporting on issues that don’t make the front page of MSM .. but they should.
And good luck tonight with your meeting … Duplicitous Dunne — Done and Dusted !
Hi yeshe. Do you mean the ‘future of the public service’ talk that Virginia Andersen is hosting? I won’t be in attendance at that one but will be at the first of the candidates meeting next Monday night.
Dunne and dusted indeed! I’m getting anxious and impatient for this election to be over.
And yes, Jamie Whyte is one of those pollies who would like to see Maori TV gone. Remember that painful interview…….. Oh my goodness. +1 to your words on Mihingarangi Forbes.
I got my partner to watch that Jamie Whyte interview over the weekend Rosie, and it was worse watching him on a third viewing. He not only looked like a fish out of water, but you have to wonder if he was on something. The glossy eyes, the slightly slurred speech, the inability to put logical connections together. And the slow, very slow reactions to Ms Forbes questions was just odd.
I’m all for the legalisation of weed, but man, hitting that stuff before being interviewed by the consummate professional Mihingarangi Forbes, would just be foolish.
Lols. I put his strange performance down to nerves and discomfort at being in the presence of a woman who is capable of exposing his faulty logic for all it’s worth.
Your suggestion is much more interesting though. Could be something in mind alts theory. When John Campbell went to the home of him and his wife the other day they were drinking bubbly in the middle of the day. Probably not just “sparkling wine” either probably the real deal champagne.
After watching Maori TV for a bit and switching back to TV1 and 3 you get the feeling that those chanels are aiming their programmes at a mono culture, and what a dull pasty culture it is they promote.
IMO, it’s closer to a lack of culture that they promote. Everything’s the same and everything’s Americanised.
+100 Marty Mars….seems like a good traction result to me
…and apparently a high proportion of Maori also support Winston Peters… so I heard I think on Morning Report yesterday…although I cant find the statistics
maybe there needs to be an analysis Post on the Maori vote ?
Thats over double the other polls nadis! Don’t know about poll data for Te Tai Tokerau. I imagine that will be available on the night they cover that electorate. I’m really interested to see what in happening in Waiariki…………….
That poll result was just for starters for one electorate. On completion of the debates there may be a more comprehensive result. As for the IMP polling at 3%, yes I agree that has more of an impact in the general seats than 6% in the Maori, but it IS interesting……….And how realistic is that 3% ish polling in the general seats anyway? Could be much higher in reality for all we know.
I’m going to wait till I hear more about Tame Iti’s joining the Maori Party list before I speculate too much. I am a bit worried though – he carries much mana and influence, and yes in those regions you mention, in particular.
The polls on last nights Te Tai Tonga election coverage showed that the vast majority don’t support the Maori party in a coalition with National. This is of no comfort though. If the Maori Party do retain their seats they will just go with the Nats again, if the Nats have the numbers. As Tame said last night on 3 News “best to be at the table” which is the philosophy of the party. Could be a spanner in the works………….
Very disappointing about Iti. Still, it’s a timely reminder that Māori have their own politics and they don’t match Pākehā ones, or even make sense to the mainstream.
I think it’s come to a point that any Christian who votes for national is no longer in touch with what it means to be a Christian. The hate and conceit that national now attack the poor is more than unseemly, it is an attack at core Christian beliefs.
Thomas Aquinas wrote “Greed is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.”
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4:18–19
For any Christians who want to take a look further at this, please read these wonderful papers. From the Gospel Manifesto 2014.
You’ve highlighted the major failing of the left, the belief that people can be pigeon-holed into groups and those groups must vote a certain way therefore you get amazement when people designated into a group go against what they’re “supposed” to do
Not really, the left believe Maori, Polynesians, the working class must all vote for the left and if they dare say otherwise the left act like they’ve committed an act of betrayal
The Mad Butchers probably the best example
Rather then accept that people have individual views and act accordingly…
Yes, because you don’t get multiple cases of people on the right saying the same thing, assuming that people similar to “them” must vote the way they do. Albeit I’m more versed in US examples, but it’s fucking universal human behaviour stemming from ye olde tribalism. I see it every time I bother going through the forums on steam for games, or any cultural stuff such as movies and music, the assumption that just because “I” like/dislike it and “I” maps to all these other people, they should like/dislike it as well.
But hey, why bother dealing with reality when you can slag off the left and try and score points oh brainless one?
NickS, PR lives in the world of assumption. He can’t tell the difference between a theological argument and political one. He thinks his propaganda infused thoughts are of his own free will. For PR the world is best defined by, the left is always wrong.
But worst of all, PR is an broken record of sad one liners from the 80’s.
PR
In the party votes of the last election 31323 or 84% of Maori votes went to Labour and a mere 5894 or 16% wanted National. More than five times as many voted for Labour.
The ‘act of betrayal’ you mention was committed by the rightfully elected Maori Party members who wrongfully went against the wishes of their own people and colluded with National and ACT.
It’s nothing to do with what the left believe- It’s what the voters believe- or should have faith that when they cast their vote it will be taken seriously.
Exactly Chooky. What an absurd suggestion by Pukey. As if anyone wants to hear what that lying, toxic, evil, scheming bag of slime has to say. How Pukey can support Slater is beyond me.
I know its a forlorn hope but why not see what hes put up and make up your own mind rather then take as gospel what Hager says (the reason being of course that it suits the lefts narrative to believe what Hager says and to disregard anything Slater says)
why bother seeing what a degenerate, compulsive liar-for hire has to say? It’s worthless – any similarity with reality can only be purely coincidental.
Pukey once I went there half by mistake to check something out….and guess what? ….i was repelled 10 feet backwards across the room….such was my horror at what i saw !
….I dont want to go there again!…it is not good for the health or the spirit…or the soul !
The person at the centre of National’s Dirty Tricks and Lies campaign puts up a post exclaiming that the person who caught him in his lies with evidence is lying?
Yeah, I think you’re the one with a problem – pure gullibility.
It is on a par with the media going to ask the PM about a book that posits National are conducting dirty politics in a manner that allows the PM to retain a ‘nice-guy’ persona -that it deliberately separates him from the dirt – allows for ‘plausible deniability’.
….Then, when the PM predictably responds ‘no nuffink to do with me, I am not connected in any way. I am not responsible, I am merely the Prime Minister of this country – the head of the GCSB I might add…. it was my office, those who work under me….my office that is…not me… or someone else……Labour…I mean the left, yes it was the left’s fault. Nope, not me. I wasn’t there, I don’t remember, I didn’t read it, I didn’t, see, hear or say nuffink, in fact… I know nothing. I am Mr Nice Guy….remember….Wanna beer?…. and palease can-we-move-right-along-to-some-real-issues-now…like singing my praises, discussing how fractured the Labour party is and how they need a new leader, like we used to (oh those where the days my friend) and what a great and united team I lead ….cough….nixt quistion please?”
( you dont know what you are talking about Naki man !…I bet you are a friend of Judith’s)
‘Crusher Collins caught out lying about Privacy Commissioner – is this her last, last, last chance again?’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 27, 2014
“Is Judith lying about being cleared by the Privacy Commissioner to denigrate a public servant part of her last, last, last chance or is this a new last, last, last chance?…
Cooky you need to stop drinking from Bummers frothing sewer it has poisoned your mind.
I don’t know Crusher and Bummers mother might be a nice lady but that doesn’t stop her son from being a toxic twat.
lol…Naki man …this is why i go over to Martyn Bradbury’s the other side….for up to date considered political analysis ( you should try it)
‘A Matter of Whether John Key is Credible’
By Selwyn Manning / August 23, 2014
In reality, John Key is the last man standing, he speaks directly to the reasonably minded New Zealand voter. From this platform they will be asked to judge for themselves whether their Prime Minister is credible… or not. Game on, or game over, they will be the judge.
[lprent: Copyright violation and just bad manners choking the comments feed with someone elses thoughts..
Next time I see one of these I will just coin toss twice to see how long your ban will be. 1 day, 1 week, 6 months or a year? While I am sure that they probably won’t mind at TDB, it is bad practise and bad manners to dump whole posts on another site. A para on why you think it is important. A few quoted teaser paras. A link. That is what the net is for,
derrrh…i thought that had gone into a black hole…now it has reappeared with a dire warning!
…note I always reference anything I put here very carefully …so i very much doubt “copyright violation”…as you say over on TDB they “probably won’t mind” their post came in this direction
but “bad practice and bad manners”…well I guess I will take a break
Actually, I understood that it is a copyright violation to post the whole of someone’s article somewhere else, even if referenced. That’s why in our posts we only use extracts from news articles and other blogs. Posting the whole thing can mean people not going to the other sites to read it.
Apart from anything else, I’d already read the whole of that post on TDB a couple of days previously. Posting the whole post just disrupts the flow of discussion. I’d have been more interested in reading your response to the post, and why it was relevant to the TS discussion.
Is is copyright infringement to copy & paste a news article on facebook?
Even if you give the link to the place you got it from, and you clearly state that you didn’t write it yourself?
[…]
the owner of the article MUST give you permission, not the persons company they work for, not there boss, the person that wrote it must give you consent.
…actually I was going to edit it…cut it back and make a comment.
( I often edit and make comments right up until the last minute…sometimes i even delete the whole contribution all together, which was quite a possablity in this case because i was reacting to provocation )
i hadnt finished with it!….but before i could do anything more it disappeared into a black hole…much to my surprise!…I presumed I had been edited off the board!..,Surveilled….Censored
Interesting….such sensitivity
…and as regarding “violating copyright”….I am sure Selwyn Manning would like the widest possible dissemination…it may even encourage people to check out the website he contributes to…this can only be a good thing imo
NM
“toxic Bummer Bradburys frothing sewer,”
Boy you must have salivated when you invented that charming and oh so clever phrase.(needs an apostrophe though).
lol….would it be a full berka or just partial ie would you still be able to see those eyes?…might be even more scarey just to see those eyes…would scare the dogs!…i would be in favour of a full berka in his case ( even although I dont approve of berkas at all for women)
Posts link from known scumbag and lair for hire, who despite claiming Hager is lying still hasn’t filed a defamation suit in light of the negative impact of Hager’s Dirty Politics on Slater’s [insert correct word here, ‘Nick can’t recall the right word :herpderp:].
Which so far hasn’t been refuted my any reliable source.
And again, if Hager was lying, why hasn’t Slater et al filed for defamation of character? NZ defamation law, while not perfect, is still quite clear in such a case as this and yet Slater hasn’t bothered with it despite protesting that Hager is lying.
Of course, given you history, evidently such a point is far too hard for you :smug:
If you had half a brain NakiMoan you’d know that perfunctorily prefacing an actionable defamation with the words “in my opinion” is on its own meaningless as a defence.
When will you absorb that the words Hager published are not his words ? They are the words of your fellow foul old ‘masters of the universe’.
What a load of shit. He is lying about what Hager wrote, and the Whalespew Army, who hang like ticks from his scrotum, are lapping it up. Hager has made it clear that Gusher did not arrange for the prisoner transfer. It was someone else, probably high up in Corrections. In itself this is very worrying.
I cannot get over how thick and deluded the Whalespew army actually are. How do they remember to breathe?
. OPINION: The National Party advertisement shows a sleek, expensive, racing hull manned by a team of handsome heroes, in smart, expensive, blue uniforms.
The opposition are seen as dumpy persons clad in motley red or green, muddling about in an unseaworthy little tub.
Good, clean, pre-election fun- poking perhaps, but sadly it betrays a condescending attitude much more divisive and scornful of New Zealand society than the presumed bickering in the opposition’s boat.
There is no excuse for such class arrogance. Success, we are persuaded, lies with the golden youth of our nation, the sort of affluent young athletes who row as a hobby.
Proud as we are of our Olympic champions, they are not the average Kiwi.
A better nautical image for Aotea-Roa might be a double- hulled Polynesian canoe, a waka hourua, each hull separate but bound together, ensuring stability and a shared destination through negotiation and collaboration.
Crew could wear red and green in puerile political symbolism, but I would much prefer to show distinctive Maori, Samoan, Indian, European and Asian faces to truly represent our multicultural society. Rite, ko te rite! Rite, ko te rite! Tiaia, a tiaia. Toki hika toki! Altogether, altogether now.
Except its not about a “better nautical image for Aotea-Roa”. It’s actually called political advertising for the National Party. Next thing Arthur will be criticising Weet-bix and Gillette commercials.
I agree with that letter writer joe90. The ad inadvertently reinforces all that is wrong with the current government and the attitudes of its people.
It suggests that you need to be one of them to be a “winner” and that if you are not one of them then you are a “loser”. It splits the population. It is not inclusive. It is negative. It is spiteful.
It is nasty.
It is Dirty politics writ large.
The National Party type people will still not be able to see this – they have become soaked in their own indoctrination. No wonder they are surprised by the hatred being shown towards them right now – they are blinkered fools suffering under the obesity of their greed and selfishness.
Agree that it splits the population. This has crept into NZ society since the National party took office. and is the reason for the bitterness in this campaign.
John Key constantly reinforces this with policy: assets sales taking something once owned by everyone and selling it cheap to “winners”. He also does it with comments such as calling a 93% rejection by the primary teachers union as a “stunt” intimating they are “losers”.
It basically would have been something along the lines of “Look at those headdresses! They’re great! I’ve never seen them in fashion before so this would be a new innovative thing I could do!”.
Of course she didn’t stop to find out why they hadn’t been in fashion before.
They have been used in fashion before, and other designers have been slammed for it. It’s hard to believe that Trelise Cooper was unaware of this. Her apology seems genuine enough albeit pretty white priviliged, although as someone on twitter pointed out, even the apologies are recycled.
Her “apology” isn’t an apology, it’s an insult to anyone who thinks Cooper’s actions are unwise. I’m not offended by her actions, they just lower my opinion of her, such as it is. The faux apology lowers it further.
If she were sincere she’d apologise for something she did (‘I’m sorry I employed a crass racist stereotype’, for example), not the imagined pain in other people’s minds.
well I guess it is similar to the French using the moko and Maori tattoos as a fashion statement…not necessarily inherently racist or to give offense…in fact a mark of admiration and fascination for an ethnic and exotic art form…but ignorance shown of the real proscribed spiritual and cultural significance
imo ….where it is used with a full understanding and in defiance of the proscribed cultural specialness… then it becomes lack of respect, insulting and appropriation….and possibly racist
…what about Maori design?…is it legitimate for non Maori to use this ?…koru, Hei matua, tiki,manaia, toki, roimata, kowhaiwhai?…..or swamp kauri treasured by the Maori for Maori sculpture?…or pounamu?
As with all things internet, the answer is yes, no, and maybe.
“”This is appalling offensive cultural appropriation,” said Morgan Ashworth.”
I agree, except not with the appalling, or the necessarily offensive, as OAB points out.
“”Utterly shameful, racist and ignorant,” commented Lisa Cullimore Ryder.”
Not shameful or racist, but somewhat ignorant.
“People were similarly outraged on Twitter, brandishing Ms Cooper as ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’.”
Not definitively, I would guess her not to be racist at all, but to prove it would require testing not often done on victims of the Online Politically Correct crowd. How would we prove that the electrical impulses of Trelise Cooper’s brain would light up in the same places when shown a small mouse or insect, for example, or the picture of a Native American? Not the kind of testing that can be done from a seat in front of a PC monitor.
Prejudice is alive and well though, and malice, and ignorance, and ignorance mixed with privilege, social status or celebrity worship, and that will find targets of convenience as required and cause horrific damage to people. She may not be entirely responsible for the feelings of others, but offense is triggered by external factors, so she’s not entirely blameless either. More a case of stepping in a turd and unwittingly walking it into a neighbour’s house because she didn’t know about what’s in farm paddocks, than purposely scooping it up and wiping it on their face with glee.
If she was American (Native or not) there would be contexts where it could be neither racism or appropriation. Since she is Kiwi, she has learned the hard way to be a bit more mindful.
There are different kinds of racism. That she was unaware of what she was doing doesn’t stop her from being racist. It’s pretty simple – appropriating culture applies across the board. If you don’t get that then that’s racist.
I think you’re applying the wrong terminology, what she did may certainly have been unthinking and culturally insensitive, I disagree that is was racist according to what I understand is the meaning of the word.
‘The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.’
google ‘institutional racism’, that will give an overview of how racism plays out within structures that is different from the personal belief racism you referred to. You could try googling something like ‘racism 101’ or ‘anti-racism’ too, probably will take you to US discussion on racism, but you could try ‘anti-racism’ +nz. Reading writing on decolonisation in NZ is pretty enlightening as well. Sorry, am a bit brain fried tonight to dig up some direct links.
In the case of Cooper, I think her white privilege prevents her from making a proper apology. It’s likely she doesn’t get the depth of her ignorance yet. She most likely doesn’t hold thoughts of white people are superior to Indians, but her world view will be supporting idea about race and ethnicity that are deeply entrenched in society and have huge negative impacts on people of ethnicities that aren’t the dominant culture. We can call the cultural insensitivity, but I think it goes far beyond a personal failing to understand a mistake.
I was heartened by the overwhelming number of people that took her to task on twitter compared to those that couldn’t see what the fuss was about. The cynic in my wonders how much of her apology was generated by fear of negative feedback. She needs to go steps further.
she should have put her models in the Pope’s head gear…and in the Pope’s dress and jewellery ….until that old Queen changes Vatican contraceptive law and Vatican sexist law against women ….a fashion statement should be made ….imo
it stops where religious institutionalised sexism and racism and bigotry stops…generally found in patriarchal monotheism ( i am with Richard Dawkins on this)
VTO You are an apologist for scum. You know nothing about my politics, Scott is promoting rape culture and threatening to kill. This type of behaviour would only be acceptable to a mutton head like yourself.
[RL: Take it up with Mr Scott. You are in completely the wrong place.]
There is a Reid Research poll out tonight. The Conservatives appear to have breached the embargo by claiming they are at 4.6%. If this is the result it will be very interesting to see who has seeped support. My pick is National, some right wingers with morals have fled elsewhere.
If this was the result on election night and they do not win a seat I would be very pleased.
My hope is that both NZ First and the Conservatives get 4.9%. I am not convinced that Winston won’t go with National to “clean them up.” If Te Ururoa Flavell and David Seymour win their seats, that will just make things more difficult for National to work with NZ First however.
Karen – you need to understand how MMP works. NZF and Conservatives getting 4.9% is actually a fantastic outcome for National. Assume the following vote:
Nats 46%
Lab 30%
Greens 10%
IMP 4% (but win 1 an electorate seat)
United Future 0% (but win 1 electorate seat)
Maori Party 1% (but win one elctorate seat)
ACT 0% (but win one electorte seat)
NZF and UF get 4.5% each and no electorate seat
On that vote, there would be 123 seats in parliament.
Of the 120 electorate seats National would have 61.
Labour: 40
greens 13
imp 6
plus 3 overhang seats for ACT, UF and MP.
You need 62 seats to govern, Nats + Act + UF = 63.
The short version is this:
Overhang seats will likely only occur on the right.
Overhang seats on the right obviously favour national.
Wasted vote (ie NZF and CP in my example) favour National as long as their vote is greater than Lab+ Greens.
Low voter turn out favours national.
I don’t have a really strong political axe to grind either way and you can make valid arguments for different outcomes than I suggest above, but fundamentally, if you want a left government the only high percentage way to make that happen is to have Labour + Greens > say 48% and even then it isnt assured due to at least 3 maybe as many as 4 or 5 overhang seats on the right. I sense that the higher IMP get in the polls, the more middle voters will leak away from Labour and the Greens. To the right, IMP fulfills the same role as ACT does for the left. A bogeyman that hurts the centre right or centre left respectively. Act drives soft nats away while the left prospers, IMP drives soft centre left voters away while the right prospers.
not based on the TV3 poll tonight which is very similar to the example I used. NZF and CP get 10.9% and Nats still 45% not the 40 % you suggest.. An alternative headline for the poll would be “Labour support decimated.”
Decimated in the true sense of the word – 1 in 10 labour voters has left the building on this poll. While the headlines focus on the drop in Nat support and the close balance on seats, Labour support was down more in absolute terms (-2.6 vs 2.5) and in relative terms almost twice the loss of support.
Some stuff NOT included in Hager’s book, relating to Carrick Graham
“he material Rawshark supplied to this paper supports Hager’s conclusions Whale Oil was paid by Facilitate Communications boss Carrick Graham to run disguised attacks against the rivals of Facilitate clients. But Slater denied he provided cash for comment.
“I’m not being paid to write blog posts about people. I’ve done nothing wrong or illegal and somehow I’m the enemy and the crook who breached everyone’s privacy is a hero?”
Graham, a long-term friend of Slater who has attracted controversy for his work for the tobacco industry, this week refused to discuss “that particular book”. “I don’t talk about who I work with, who my clients are or what I do with them. I run a private company and that’s what it is,” he said.
Although some of the material has been covered in Dirty Politics, significant chunks refer to matters yet to be reported. Hager concluded a nexus existed between Slater, Graham and Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich, that was used to surreptitiously attack opponents of corporate members of the council. New evidence shows:
An email from Slater in January 2014 in which the blogger wrote “December hits coin” and invoiced Facilitate Communication $6555.
A series of emails the same month from Graham to Slater, headed “Hit” and sometimes including “KR,” including draft posts savagely critical of council members’ commercial rivals or political opponents. Shortly afterwards Slater posted articles – nearly identical to Graham’s draft – on Whale Oil.
An unreported email exchange between Graham, Slater and Rich discussing the political leanings of the Generation Zero climate-change lobby group, concluding with Graham saying: “That’s our job. They’re on the target list.”
Scoop.co.nz
Of course, just like the right squeal about government staying out of business… and Key talked sternly to AIrNZ over domestic airfares at election time letting people think he was trying to get them lowered when he was shaking their hands on a profit well got and hopefully his blind trust has shares…
Government out of business is never followed by business out of government.
Will ‘Dirty Politics’ Bring Down New Zealand’s Prime Minister? VICE NEWS
Just one month until the New Zealand election and the country’s ruling party is feeling nuclear-level media fallout from a book written using hacked information. Political parties are trying to get policies out amid a media storm caused by ugly revelations in Dirty Politics, authored by internationally renowned investigative journalist Nicky Hager. The 138-page book was released almost two weeks ago and focusses around the long-armed attack strategies used by the National party to belittle their political opponents while retaining a smiling facade
ISNT the history of NZ just great the biggest fishery in the world and we fuck our country with Dairying cause the Asians and the Russians have stolen OUR FISH and now the Asians want to own us completely Fuck em
REALITY CHECK GIVE US BACK OUR COUNTRY
Three strikes binds the hands of Judges. A libertarian however wants to be able to put their case before the judge, influence them. So the howler that ACT are libertarian is a joke. Three strikes is automatic state interference in the courts. Its wrong, its authoritarianism.
I always like it when you feel it necessary to repost the link PR. It’s means everybody sensibly decided to ignore the crap you put up in the first place.
Who nicked our fabulous “Hey Peter! We don’t want a ‘willing seller’ MP for Ohariu” sign we had up at the intersection of Perth St and Ngaio Gorge Road in Ngaio?
Looks like this one but with the above wording on it:
Show some respect and leave our signs where they are. We don’t go around pulling down Nat and UF signs and expect others to play fair too. Like you thief, we have a right to express our political voice, and you try to deny us that voice.
Those signs are a labour of love, taking about 3 hours each to make. We are a community based group and don’t have wads of $$$ to get sign writers to provide a limitless supply of billboards. If you care about people having a right to express their collective views do the decent thing and return our sign to where it was.
Went to a NZEI organised event for Hutt South last night. Almost got Trevor to admit that Labour agrees with the Greens 40% proposed top tax rate. That should please some of you guys ;-).
On page 25 of Dirty Politics. Feeling retrospectively trolled by monikers Mr_Blobby, Cullen’s Sidekick, etc, and anyone who used the hyperbole from Whale Oil site.
Is there a glossary of the hyperbole from WO I can refer to, so I can spend my time ignoring such sock puppet trolls?
There was an interesting talk on Luxembourg and how it keeps its position although such a small state. It was in a talk by Jules Older a Yankiwi based in California. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights
Little Luxembourg ( 20′ 38″ )
19:12 ‘Dr Digital’ a.k.a Jules Older on how Luxembourg has not let it’s relative smallness be a disadvantage in becoming a successful nation (and what New Zealand could learn from this).
Grey warbler. If we wanted to be successful like Luxembourg we would need to set up a banking sector that circumvented anti money laundering laws laws.
Grey warbler. If we wanted to be successful like Luxembourg we would need to set up a banking sector that circumvented anti money laundering laws laws.
@nadis
There was more to Luxembourg’s success as a country than money laundering, though that has been important, and possibly still is though lessening. Did you listen to the whole radio interview? I put up the link so that we could find out things that we didn’t know, or think we know, already.
Disturbed. Apt name given your obvious lack of mental ability. I’m hardly a Nat spinner and wasn’t making poll predictions. I was merely illustrating how the vagaries of mmp van throw up some counterintuitive effects that can be helpful to either side, but given where overhang seats are likely to be will generally favourite the right. If that’s too intellectual for you I apologize.
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...
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Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
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We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
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Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...
A range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...
The New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...
Hospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has made clear his view that any attempt to eliminate COVID-19 entirely in Australia would carry too high an economic cost, while Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says such an aim would require ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stanley Shanapinda, Research Fellow, La Trobe University A conspiracy theory claiming 5G can spread the coronavirus is making the rounds on social media. The myth supposedly gained traction when a Belgian doctor linked the “dangers” of 5G technology to the virus during ...
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Even regional distribution, though South Island is worse. Chart by Keith Rankin. New Zealand now has sufficient case data to get a sense of its regional distribution of Covid19. Surprisingly, Auckland is not dominant, unlike the main business cities in other countries such as London, ...
Analysis by Bryce Edwards.Minister of Health, David Clark. Is David Clark the best possible Minister of Health to be leading New Zealand through the Coronavirus crisis? Confidence in Clark has plummeted with today’s revelation that the Health minister made another recreational trip during the lockdown that appears to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The High Court today quashed the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, who had originally been found guilty on a number of charges by a jury of 12 people. His ...
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Climie, Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Fitbit recently released data showing a global decrease in physical activity levels among users of its activity trackers compared to the same time last year. As we navigate the coronavirus ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Indigo Holcombe-James, Sessional academic, School of Media and Communications, RMIT University Museums, galleries and artist collectives around the world are shutting their doors and moving online in response to coronavirus. But engaging with audiences online requires access, skills and investment. My research ...
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...
The introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) now is totally unaffordable and wrong says Peter Malcolm spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc. A UBI or Universal Basic Income is a Government payout to all adults and some say for children ...
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hamilton, Visiting Fellow, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University No Australian government has ever spent A$130 billion so quickly. Last Tuesday, when the Prime Minister announced the government would subsidise six million jobs for ...
By Anita Roberts in Port Vila While the Vanuatu government is investing its resources in tackling the coronavirus pandemic threat, it is now stretching its resources to tackle other natural disasters posing threats to the lives of the people – Cyclone Harold still moving over the country after lashing ...
New Zealand has 54 new confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 1160, the Health Ministry has confirmed. Today’s new figure is down from the 67 new cases reported yesterday. With 65 people recovering in the past day, today is also the first ...
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...
Misinformation about adrenochrome and its supposed links to Covid-19 has gone into overdrive. But what is it? We separate the substance’s literary history from its real-world functions.If you’ve spent much time online lately, like everyone else in lockdown, you’ve probably fallen down some strange Covid-19 rabbit holes. One word you ...
ANALYSIS:By Sally Young of the University of Melbourne Many newspapers betrayed their readers during the Great Depression and now some are doing so again during the coronavirus pandemic. During the Depression, Australia’s major daily newspapers loudly resisted calls for economic stimulus to revive the economy. Even the tabloids ...
The locked-down residents of a Wellington rest home – including her mum – are treated to a live gig courtesy of historian and author Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki, Te Ātiawa).Ever since I was Dorothy in the New Plymouth Operatic Society’s production of The Wizard of Oz, I have wanted an international ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Perkiss, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong The coronavirus might make Easter celebrations a little subdued this year, but that doesn’t mean going without chocolate eggs. In fact, South Australia’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier reportedly said people should partake in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne The centerpiece of the Commonwealth government’s COVID-19 economic stimulus program is JobKeeper. Priced at A$130 billion, it will pay eligible employers $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee for up to six months. ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Mathews, Professor, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology The High Court today granted Cardinal George Pell special leave to appeal, and unanimously allowed the appeal. In other words, Pell won. His convictions were quashed and he will be released from ...
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University The unfolding COVID-19 situation has brought many changes to school education. NAPLAN tests have been cancelled for 2020 and most children are learning online. Education minister Dan Tehan is meeting with the states on ...
The way we buy our food has changed hugely since the lockdown began. Small New Zealand producers have taken a massive hit, closing stores and struggling with online demand. Here are some ways shoppers can help these businesses.In the first week of lockdown, shoppers panicked. It was a perfectly natural ...
Wellington, 7 April - The Government’s current wage subsidy scheme may insufficiently protect Kiwis from the worst effects of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new report from the New Zealand Initiative. Comparing New Zealand with Australia and Canada, ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...
New Zealand is seeking reciprocal transit arrangements with other nations after a decision to allow foreign nationals to use country's airports to get home. ...
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...
Powerplay - Health Minister David Clark stays in Cabinet after he breaches lockdown rules, but this could compromise the government's Covid-19 response and cause distractions for the prime minister at a crucial time, writes Jane Patterson. ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark answered questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling on the Government to postpone the report due date for Minister Andrew Little’s Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill. This Bill would allow prisoners with a sentence of three years or ...
Reverend Scottie Reeve on the meaning of Easter during the Covid-19 pandemic, and why we need to embark on a journey of collective repentance. On Wednesday while I was going for a walk, I came across a friend on the Wellington waterfront. We’ll call him David. David had no idea what ...
Our essential workers deserve more than a round of applause, but danger pay is not the answer, writes Kerry Davies from the Public Service Association.Did you shower this morning? Is the kitchen clean? Have you changed your sheets since we went into lockdown? Have you vacuumed? Are you taking that ...
The local government sector has banded together to open a helpline for all council drinking and waste water technicians, providing an accessible source of advice for small suppliers across New Zealand to lean on. While drinking and waste water infrastructure ...
This story first appeared in The Mercury Bay Informer and is republished here with permission. Roadblocks could be in place at entry points to the Coromandel this week as the local Civil Defence Controller moves to prevent unlawful travel to the Peninsula during the Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking to The Informer last ...
He Waka Eke Noa – We are all in this together, according to the Prime Minister. Except that we’re not…………………….. After pressure from employees, Fletcher Building executives have shown the way with their decision to take a 30 ...
New Zealanders in need during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to further benefit from a food charity’s distribution programme. KiwiHarvest, a national food rescue charity which collects food from retailers before it goes to waste and distributes it to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is slamming ATEED as completely out of touch with the economic reality of Aucklanders after the agency posted a job advertisement for a newly created role: a “Digital Content Specialist” . “ATEED should be ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. Today’s contentHealth minister demoted, Bridges defends commute 1News: ‘I got it wrong’ – David Clark says he’ll continue as Health ...
The Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) will challenge Parliament’s Health Select Committee tomorrow morning, saying the Government’s vaping bill in its current form runs the risk of protecting Big Tobacco. Director of AVCA, Nancy Loucas, says ...
How quickly the political landscape can change. A month ago, Deputy PM Winston Peters, along with PM Jacinda Ardern, was deep into a trans-Tasman sledging match after Ardern attacked Australia’s hardline deportation. But as the coronavirus crisis broadened, it was Peters on the line to Canberra seeking Australia’s assistance in ...
Today New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) President Captain Andrew Ridling said: “Yesterday NZALPA met several times with Air New Zealand CEO Mr Greg Foran and his executive team to continue our discussions on cost-cutting measures ...
Mr Davis, AWUNZ spokesman, said; “The Provincial Growth Fund needs a Union heart not only a commercial mind. Shane Jones needs to accept that work creation is the only goal. I don't mean generously-paid jobs either for the Wellington insiders" ...
BSA has today released a guidance note which it has prepared with a working group of broadcasters to guide broadcasters when reporting on terrorism, violent extremism and crisis events. The guidance note follows the issue of decisions by the BSA last ...
‘Paint is peeling from the old truck workshop walls. Some days you can taste rust on the autumn wind, like swallowing iron and blood and pollen.’Read more Lockdown Letters hereIT’S GONE BELLY UP FOR THE WORLD.I bet the doomsday preppers are feeling smug right now, locking down in their DIY ...
The National Iwi Chairs Forum welcomes the further clarity and guidance on Alert Level 4 rules during lockdown, issued by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield over the weekend. Speaking from the Wellington base of the National Iwi Chairs Forums ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark will be answering questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
There’s a desperate scramble to stop more major media companies failing. Duncan Greive explains what’s going on – and how it might play out.The most recent edition of the reigning newspaper of the year, the Sunday Star-Times, was a pearler. It opened with a substantial analysis from political editor Luke ...
CEAC again reviewed the NZTA National Land Transport Programme “2021–24 NLTP development” plan and CEAC is shocked that NZTA has assumed itself as “Transport Agency” - but is only a Gov’t designated “Road controlling authority” (RTA) ...
By RNZ News New Zealand’s Health Minister David Clark has revealed that he took a trip to the beach during the alert level 4 lockdown and has offered to resign. Dr Clark said he drove his family 20km from his house in Dunedin to Doctor’s Point Beach for a ...
As people across New Zealand and the Commonwealth are experiencing unprecedented changes to their lives, concerns for family and friends, and financial uncertainty, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I send my enduring thanks to those who continue ...
As New Zealanders lockdown in their bubbles, Neighbourhood Support New Zealand is launching the Good Neighbour Awards, recognising those who are helping others while staying safe. Launching today, the weekly Good Neighbour Award is about celebrating ...
Thousands of children and their families living in poverty in towns and rural communities across New Zealand will soon be receiving emergency food relief packages from KidsCan. The charity usually supplies food to 787 schools and 55 early childhood centres across ...
UK PM put into intensive care; US death toll over 10k; Trump tweets about 'fake news' as New York buries dead in parks; Germany and Israel tighten lockdownsBoris in intensive care: Shortly after Downing Street reported him to be in "good spirits", BBC political editor Laura Kuensberg tweeted that Prime ...
The Government is working on a way to get home the 79 New Zealanders in Vanuatu. Cyclone Harold, a powerful category 5 made landfall on Vanuatu island of Santo yesterday with destructive winds. ...
Today (Tuesday 07 April) Inland Revenue’s Working for Families customers receive their first payment for the new tax year and for some the amount they get may be different. The amount may have changed from what they received last month, based ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sanderson, Professor of Information Retrieval, RMIT University Wrapping your head around the scale of a global pandemic is not easy, and the volume of stats and data can be bewildering. What, for instance, are we to make of the fact Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Saeri, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University More Australians are worried about the longer-lasting, societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – specifically that the health system could be overburdened and the country could enter a recession – ...
Auckland Airport launches a $1.2b capital raising, but Auckland Council pulls out; Marsden Point cuts production again as Covid-19 hits fuel demand; Kiwi Property cancels dividend tooDown day: The NZ sharemarket lost ground yesterday following the announcement of a second major capital raising in as many days and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Meekan, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science It might surprise you to learn that nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War are now helping conserve whale sharks, the largest living fish. Growing up to 18 metres – longer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University The Australian summer just gone will be remembered as the moment when human-caused climate change struck hard. First came drought, then deadly bushfires, and now a bout of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many temporary Australian residents will be excluded from the JobSeeker Payment and Coronavirus Supplement to be provided to permanent residents. In this open letter to the prime minister, 40 leading Australian ...
For those keen to avoid the long and awkward queues at supermarkets, there may be a new technological solution.Long supermarket lines have become the bane of the lockdown era, with many people worried that the overcrowding and long wait times may burst their bubbles. Those concerns have prompted a Dunedin-based ...
David Clark has disclosed he took a trip to the beach with his family during lockdown and offered his resignation. The Prime Minister keeps him as Health Minister, but demotes him. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted Health Minister David Clark to the bottom of the Cabinet and stripped him ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Health minister David Clark suffers major demotion, government launches mental health tools, and more outline given on decision to leave lockdown.In breaking news, health minister David Clark has been severely demoted by the Prime Minister. Last week, a story came out ...
Open mike 27/08/2014 
Open mike is your post.
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...9 hours ago
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...12 hours ago
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...13 hours ago
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...14 hours ago
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ... 15 hours ago
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...1 day ago
Nick Wilson,1 Ayesha Verrall,1,2 Len Cook,3 Alistair Gray,3 Amanda Kvalsvig,1 Michael Baker,1 (1epidemiologists, 2infectious disease physician, 3statisticians) In this blog, we raise ideas for how New Zealand might optimise testing to both identify cases in the community as part of the COVID-19 elimination strategy, and to confirm when the virus ...1 day ago
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggests Research into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...1 day ago
As far as anyone can say, New Zeaand still has a general election scheduled for September 19 this year. The election will be accompanied by two referenda, one of which will ask voters:Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?The official campaign period for the cannabis referendum begins ...2 days ago
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...2 days ago
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ... 2 days ago
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...3 days ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...3 days ago
We must root out the traitors among us! ...4 days ago
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...5 days ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 7 days ago
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...7 days ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...1 week ago
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...11 hours ago
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...2 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...2 weeks ago
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...10 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has made clear his view that any attempt to eliminate COVID-19 entirely in Australia would carry too high an economic cost, while Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says such an aim would require ...41 mins ago
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...6 hours ago
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...7 hours ago
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...7 hours ago
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...8 hours ago
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...8 hours ago
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...8 hours ago
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...9 hours ago
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...10 hours ago
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...10 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...11 hours ago
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...12 hours ago
Up to 400 Air New Zealand pilots look set to lose their jobs as part of the airline's plan to slash one third of its workforce. ...12 hours ago
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Have payments to Slater been reported as income to the IRD?
Lol, exactly what I was wondering as I was reading about the invoices he issued to Facilitate. Easy grubby money, plenty of it to.
Hopefully the IRD will do an investigation. But I doubt we’ll find out publicly as it’s not really in the public interest.
Oh, I think at this point in time it is in the public interest. Dirty Politics has thrown it in there.
If there was wrongdoing found, then I’m sure that would be reported, as such tax evasion cases generally are. But up until then, it’s not really the public’s business.
So suddenly Paula Bennet & Company views on benefit frauds and others view on tax evasion..is no longer a matter of public interest or public business? funny how things change.
What’s to bet the slug was also pulling a benefit at the same time…
Re. ‘Kill the PM’ song not worth a response – Key
https://tvnz.co.nz/vote-2014-news/kill-pm-song-not-worth-response-key-6064653
.. do we have a Luskian agent provocateur in our midst ?
It would not be the first time.
We need a hacker to look into Lusk and his continuing dirty tricks
+++++100% someone’s still an operative, seems like to me.
watch clutha/southland I reckon, and is it Hutt ? … big tobacco’s Nat boys …. they are Lusk’s future. God forbid they should be ours.
trouble is that even despite that cluthasouthland is a safe seat. But hopefully liz craig will get enough to put some worries in the minds of nat powerbrokers.
Weird tho, David Farrar reckons that ‘the left’ has to ‘respond’ to it pronto.
Biased media reporting with the usual personality driven comments (as opposed to the issues discussed) by Fairfax Media.
I guess that’s what you get if you’re owned by a large overseas mining corporation.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/10427022/The-slick-and-the-dead-calm
It’s particularly interesting in light of the article “Mine blast rings on in PM’s ears” in the Herald, which makes a day in Key’s campaign sound like a fairly poorly organised and fruitless affair. The difference is, of course, that it doesn’t imply that that sort of thing would never happen to Cunliffe.
“it doesn’t imply that that sort of thing would never happen to Cunliffe” As shown by his omnishambles of a housing policy re-release today!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10430104/Homes-still-out-of-reach-under-Labour
“Twyford could not point out one of the properties he was talking about, saying they were scattered through the development.
The party could also not say how many $360,000 homes would be built.
Cunliffe and Twyford brought Auckland couple Jordy Leigh, 20 and Harrison Smith, 20, to support their policy.
With a joint income of $75,000, under Labour’s plan their mortgage repayments would be $577 a week, compared with $777 under National. If interest rates remained at 8 per cent, they would save nearly $150,000 in interest and more than $110,000 on their mortgage principal.
However, Leigh, an EPMU union member, said their first home would still be out of reach even under Labour.”
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/legalizing-weed-is-%E2%80%98a-security-issue-says-uruguayan-president-comment-the-cheapest-weed-in-the-world/
(ed:..a fascinating aspect of what has been done in uruguay..
..is that to ensure the removal of criminal-elements entirely from the market..
..mujica has mandated that the govt-grown/supplied cannabis in uruguay –
(if you wd rather not read my comment on this..you can go directly to source..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/21/mujica-weed-security-_n_5698413.html?utm_hp_ref=latino-voices )
And Phillip – Colorado is still there right? It hasn’t blown up or anything? The world is still turning? Indeed society has not collapsed, while the world slowly brings back weed to normality.
But no – lets keep it in the hands of gangs – then introduce more law and order policies which undermine civil rights.
then there is that latest herald digi-poll..
..showing that only just under 20% want things to continue as they are..
..but the politicians still all run from it..
..is 80% not enough of a mandate for them..?
..are they hanging tough for 100%..?
But, then they can’t have their racist laws Philip.
Or help out their mates who own the private prisons.
The electricity policy re-launch was helpful, but what Labour really needs this week is a faster response to Key’s election-launch housing initiative. Housing policy needs to be matched in the media against housing policy.
Possibly the worst of Labour’s policies. What was funny was at the retirement function of a particular electricity boss the other day, he spent 5 minutes plastering Labour’s policy with Parker in the room. You should have seen his face. Absolute gold.
And now right on cue Cunliffe gets back into the game with housing.
$360,000 for your first house, humble though it may be.
100,000 new homes for New Zealand.
This is the closest to middle class aspirational policy.
Go you good things.
Anyone detect a winner out of last nights Queenstown Radio Live economic debate?
Russel Norman impressed me the most. He came across as convincing and went a long way to showing the Greens to be a responsible party and not ‘loonies’ when it comes to finance as the nats and the media love to portray them.
Yes and the MSM regurgitate the instability themes around that bad bad ‘left’ when greens/labour were a very stable coalition in their own right last time out. More inconveniently ignored facts.
We have never had a Labour / Greens coalition in government.
I just bumped into Russel Norman in Queenstown. It was a pleasure to shake his hand and wish him and the Greens well for the election.
@belladonna .. did you see the offers yesterday to loan you Dirty Politics ? fyi .. go back to your library reference ..
@ yeshe
I have decided after watching The Hollow Men and the Frost/Nixon dvds my blood pressure mightn’t be up to more Dirty Politics just now. I will read it, probably after the election, by which time I will either be in a told you so/smug frame of mind or very depressed. Appreciated your suggestions though.
that’s a heavy diet of filthy you’ve been on, I understand. take best care down there .. the offers are always there if you want …
Russel talked to a packed meeting in Wanaka yesterday. The Force is with the Greens; not putting a foot wrong.
Watch for increasing attacks on them from the Nats. Oops I forgot, their attack dogs have been muzzled.
I reckon National’s election campaign is really starting to unravel. They are playing defence on a lot of fronts now and attack is looking less likely as we head into the last bit of the campaign.
Have heard from a very good source that if the Fonterra auction stays where it is, then the Fonterra payout will be around $5 per KGMS, perhaps under, which would mean many farmers would be forced off their farms. Most farmers would be losing money. Its a drop of just under $6b in export receipts…our so called “Rock Star” economy has gone, big time.
This doesn’t seem to be making much noise in the media, although Bernard hickey did mention on RNZ The Panel last Friday.
++++++100%
Funny isn’t it? The govt that owns the companies that essentially determine the price of milk powder is the same govt that owns the companies that buy up the farms when the price of milk powder drops.
Sure, they overpay for a few years but considering most of it went into improving the farms they end up owning, I’d say it was money well spent.
Had GREAT day yesterday out in the Helensville electorate.
Got an overwhelmingly positive response from shop keepers in Kumeu / Huapai and have posters up all over the place.
They’re advertising the Public Meeting I’ve called for Saturday 30 August in the Helensville War Memorial Hall (49 Commercial Rd) from 2pm – 5pm.
‘Stop corruption and dirty politics!’
Myself and fellow anti- corruption ‘Public Watchdog / whistleblower’ Grace Haden will be exposing corruption at local and central government level which has NOT (yet) had mainstream media coverage and – more importantly – be putting forward simple, straightforward policies to STOP ‘white collar’ crime, corruption, ‘corporate welfare’ and ‘dirty politics’.
This Public Meeting is being organised mainly for the benefit of the voting public residing in the Helensville electorate.
Unfortunately, the timing does clash with the march being organised in Auckland starting at 1pm.
My fault – when checking the availability of this Helensville Hall – only Friday night and Saturday were free, and I chose Saturday without double- checking other events.
However, in my view, what’s being discussed in Helensville at this meeting will complement concerns that will be expressed in marches in main centres all over New Zealand this Saturday.
What’s making this Public Meeting somewhat different is that I have invited all political parties who were represented at the Helensville candidates meeting held at the Kumeu Baptist Church on 11 August 2014, to have 5 minutes each to put forward their policies on these issues.
Representatives of all political parties who chose to attend are welcome to bring their political advertising material with them.
Local papers are/ have advertised this meeting.
It should be FUN!
Cheers
Penny Bright
Great work Penny! All the very best for your campaign 🙂
Nice Penny, Good luck with that.
+100… Go Penny!
Is Judith Collins living in some fantasy denial world ?
Today she is claiming that the Privacy Commissioner has completely exonerated her from guilt in revealing Mr. Pleasant’s personal contact details to Slater. In fact she claimed this more than once.
Judith Collins – liar. Unrepentant liar. Demonstrably unfit to be a member of parliament even, let alone a minister.
morning laugh .. Paula Benefit, fighting back some years earlier … really Paula ?
and if you don’t already visit this website, you are missing some fine humour …
https://www.facebook.com/StandDownJohnKey
chrs 4 those two..i’ve thrown them up @whoar..
..ya just gotta luv that key full-face moko/gang-name tattoed on forehead pic..
New Zealand’s own Cirque du Soleil -or is it Disney Land?
Slater-Lusk-Williams- Farrar-Key-Collins-Rankin-Jamiwhite-Colin( aka Sue) Craig and now good old Tama Iti.The list goes on.
David Cunliffe and his colleagues seem awfully normal and genuine in comparison.Even Winston (nearly).
Tame Iti
Shame he only has a relatively low list ranking. I would love to see him in parliament.
aucklanders interested shd note that nicky hager is giving a public talk @ the hall on the cnr dominion rd and balmoral rd @ 7.30 2nite..
..and real political junkies can do a twofer..
..’cos you can have face-to-face questioning of green mp’s from 5 pm – 6.30 @ the alleluya cafe in st kevins arcade on k rd…
..and then you can pop down the road for hager..
..(..mmm!!..politics-o.d..!..)
..i have some questions for hague re pot..
..and for mathers re the vivisectors..
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/25/nicky-hager-livestream-on-the-daily-blog-7-30pm-wednesday-27th/
Thanks CnrJoe
i just tried something i had only read about before..
..(xtra-crunchy) peanut butter and banana on toast..(connons wholemeal..aficianados will nod in agreement..)
..and i hafta say..
..i’ll be going back there again..
..the lingering aftertaste is particularly piquant..
’bout time Phillip ! 😀
that’s what i’m feeling about the matter too..
..i am being quite harsh on myself here..for my laggardness on such an important/life-affirming experience..
Philip your liver kidneys heart arteries veins duodenum will be wishing you had rejected the high fat high salt peanut butter !
+ your cannabis intake being as “high” as you claim your kidneys will be over loaded and your liver will be getting scared!
Everything in moderation just. Because you are vegan it doesn’t mean your any healthier!
Avocada and banana would be healthier and much nicer tasting do try.
You have given up other addictions your physiological addiction to Dope seem’s not to bother you no drug is completely safe!
but tricle..!..it’s one of the few vices i have left..!
..leave me be with my pot and my peanut butter..!
..and on the plus side for all those organs you cited..
..t don’t eat meat/animal-fats/cheese..
..i don’t drink alcohol..i exercise..
..so..y’know..!
..(and i agree..avo/banana is up there..)
..and something that may have purists screaming:..have you tried hummus on tomato-based pasta dishes yet..?
..oohh!!!…that lifts them to a whole new level..
Phillip, add to your hummus some steamed pumpkin, garlic, peanut butter, a little curry powder, lemon juice, olive oil and a little salt, very yummy.
i will bookmark that..
test..
“.. your cannabis intake being as “high” as you claim..”
sheesh..!..i wish…!
..compared to packing multi-layers grass/hashish chillums of days of yore..
..my consumption now is almost homeopathic-dose sized..
hashish chillums ,… Hav’nt heard that word in a while,oh the memorys.
a good/well-packed/layered-one shd last 30-40 mins..
..and should be able to floor a room full of people…
..to have most of them all feet-up…
..and only the real drug-pigs left still battling on..(ahem..!..)
..the young folks now with their..’but it’s hydroponic!’..?
..meh..!..they don’t know what a good toasting is..
I had bacon and eggs on toast last night, quite delicious so you should try it
there you see on display..the wit/innovation of those on the right..
..i wonder how p.r.s’ organs are holding up..?..under onslaughts like that..?
..whoar..!
..’holy pig-fat-denialist..!..batman..!’..
Well according to the bloods I had done recently I’m in fine fettle (well everything they tested is in the right range) but if it helps both the bacon and eggs were free-range and the bread was brown
y’know what the marker is for high-quality bread..?
..how long it takes to toast..
..connons wholemeal has to be as long as possible on my toaster..
..and then some more..a 12 out of ten..
..whereas brown supermarket -bread is nearing burnt with one sixth of that toasting-time..
..a 2/10..
..that’s ‘cos there is so much air in it..
..and air doesn’t take long to toast..
It’s Breadman Bakery organic rye sourdough from chch for me. All the way!
You really think I buy cheap bread?
as you are a rightwing/neo-lib-ratbag..
..one for whom the current system runs..
..probably not..
..that’s only for the poor-folks..eh..?
..the ‘losers’..in yr paradigm of choice..
Wow assumption much?
oh no..!..are you like one of those sad cases you wd see clustering around rich actites..like flies around shit..?
..that most tragic of individuals..the ‘poor’-rightie..?
..dear me..!..what a life of dislocation/serial-humiliations that must be..
..you wd need good quality bread..
I thought it was all the sugar they stick in the cheap stuff that makes it toast quick? Vogel’s is my pick of the commercial loaves but mostly I buy European Bakery here in Queenstown. A very good sourdough and at $4.60 a loaf it’s a bargain too.
sugar + air..?
..and it’s interesting how over the last 5-6 yrs most breads have gone vegan…
(..and ya/we didn’t even notice..didya/we..?..)
..vogels is notable for being such a hold-out on that..
..one of the few still using dairy in their bread….
.
yes it all ‘helps’, but nothing helps the pig who was dead. I’ve always pondered the missing moment I cannot find anywhere in the universe where ‘dead body’ suddenly becomes ‘fresh meat’.
Try looking in the butchery section of the supermarket.
or not..the smell is vile..
really? makes me hungry.
yeah..it used to do that for me..too..
..and for most others who now no longer do..
..no doubt you love the smell of beer..
..once again..another one that used to do it for me..too..
..lifes a journey..eh..?
..imagine just staying in the same place yr entire life..eh..?
..’holy stunted-development..!..batman..!’
If I translated your gibberish correctly, the arrogant implication is that where you are is forwards, or better than, where I am.
Frankly, you’ve done nothing to indicate anything other than the opposite: where you are seems to be a drug-addled delusion.
do i think it is ‘better’ – on multiple levels – not to eat animals..?
..guilty as charged..
what’s that got to do with beer?
or not…the smell is vile..
Can some journalist out there please ask the National Party if Jason Ede remains on their payroll ?
How very black ops is his disappearance. Someone must be paying him a veritable fortune to remain completely hidden until well after the election.
His absence seems the biggest proof of all.
+100…would love to see a profile on him….is he working for an agency/govt outside New Zealand?
I re watched The Hollowmen last night, & Ede is in the footage talking to Richard Long, so he has been on the payroll for a while it seems.
thanks…had better watch that…he is the invisible man in this whole recent saga…so the man to watch for
‘Cunliffe vs Key – first leaders debate: what does winning & losing look like?’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 27, 2014
“The first leaders debate happens this Thursday, 7pm on TV One. I have been invited to be part of the Green Party’s ‘Green Room’ to commentate on the debate as it happens so I will be live tweeting my thoughts during that, but before we get to there, let’s look at what winning and losing looks like for Key and Cunliffe…
Maori TV kicked off with it’s Maori electorate candidates debates on Monday night. First up was Te Tai Tonga. It was a little lacklustre with the exception of the most fine, sharp and fabulous Georgina Beyer (IMP).
What stood out was the polls, and how opposite the results were for Maori TV compared to the poll results we hear about all the time. 43% of Te Tai Tonga voters would give their party vote to Labour while 17% would give their party vote to National:
https://www.maoritelevision.com/news/politics/kowhiri-14-labour-ahead-polls-te-tai-tonga
Throughout the programme street interviews were conducted. Overwhelmingly people wanted this government out. There was one man supportive of the Key Government but even then he didn’t sound he was that convinced of what he was saying.
Not for the first time I thought about how overlooked the Maori view and experience is in our mainstream media. After watching Maori TV for a bit and switching back to TV1 and 3 you get the feeling that those chanels are aiming their programmes at a mono culture, and what a dull pasty culture it is they promote.
@ rosie..
..aye..!
..the docos they show are invariably of a very high quality..(tues nites..whoar..!)..
..and so so much more..
..if i was told i cd only have one channel..i’d pick maori tv..
..and pakeha that don’t dip into maori tv..
..really are restricting their vision..
the difference in styles of the political shows are stark too..
..native affairs is a reasoned dialogue..
..where guests are allowed to say their piece..
..as opposed to the sneering/combative/cynical/gotcha!-bullshit routinely served up by the usual suspects on pakeha tv..
..native affairs seems to believe in letting the audience make their own minds up..
..as opposed to having some clown going in there primed to trip-up the guests..and to drive the agenda/content of any interview..(you know who you are..)
..and thus showing total disrespect to those they are meant to be there to serve..
..the audience..
..in the main the audience leaves those mainstream encounters..none the wiser..
..which behooves who..exactly..?
Agreed phillip.
Maori TV is always a breath of fresh air compared to the other channels. Yes, great doco’s! High standards all round, and brought to the viewer with heart, flair and integrity.
The other channels are really lacking by comparison.
During the last election I abandoned TV 1 and 3 for election coverage all together in favour of the down to earth feisty debates and discourse on Maori. Putting the “reality” into TV!
This election campaign is different from 2011 however and I will give the leaders debate on TV 1 a go on Thursday. Hoping that DC will own it 🙂 (Thanks for the heads up Chooky)
+100 Rosie …agree!…”After watching Maori TV for a bit and switching back to TV1 and 3 you get the feeling that those chanels are aiming their programmes at a mono culture, and what a dull pasty culture it is they promote.”
and the “fine, sharp and fabulous Georgina Beyer”….I have always been a fan of hers too
+100% Rosie. I love Maori TV and most especially Mihingarangi Forbes … she does to political TV what Nigella does to chocolate — with an incisive intellect. Always watch it, and it seems it is the last media spot with any integrity. No wonder some pollies want it excised from our screens.
And Marae is always worth a look on TV1 .. some fine reporting on issues that don’t make the front page of MSM .. but they should.
And good luck tonight with your meeting … Duplicitous Dunne — Done and Dusted !
“Duplicitous Dunne — Done and Dusted !”…i am drinking a glass of champagne on the night on that!
Me too Chooky! I’m sure there will be glasses raised all over the country if Dunne goes!
Hi yeshe. Do you mean the ‘future of the public service’ talk that Virginia Andersen is hosting? I won’t be in attendance at that one but will be at the first of the candidates meeting next Monday night.
Dunne and dusted indeed! I’m getting anxious and impatient for this election to be over.
And yes, Jamie Whyte is one of those pollies who would like to see Maori TV gone. Remember that painful interview…….. Oh my goodness. +1 to your words on Mihingarangi Forbes.
I got my partner to watch that Jamie Whyte interview over the weekend Rosie, and it was worse watching him on a third viewing. He not only looked like a fish out of water, but you have to wonder if he was on something. The glossy eyes, the slightly slurred speech, the inability to put logical connections together. And the slow, very slow reactions to Ms Forbes questions was just odd.
I’m all for the legalisation of weed, but man, hitting that stuff before being interviewed by the consummate professional Mihingarangi Forbes, would just be foolish.
Lols. I put his strange performance down to nerves and discomfort at being in the presence of a woman who is capable of exposing his faulty logic for all it’s worth.
Your suggestion is much more interesting though. Could be something in mind alts theory. When John Campbell went to the home of him and his wife the other day they were drinking bubbly in the middle of the day. Probably not just “sparkling wine” either probably the real deal champagne.
That happens to anyone who drinks though the day,whats his policy on pot.?
@rosie .. oops, made a mistake about the meeting … here’s to next week then !
IMO, it’s closer to a lack of culture that they promote. Everything’s the same and everything’s Americanised.
The lack of traction by Mana is interesting. 6%?
Is there any poll data for Te Tai Tokerau?
6% is not a lack of traction it is a demonstration of traction.
+100 Marty Mars….seems like a good traction result to me
…and apparently a high proportion of Maori also support Winston Peters… so I heard I think on Morning Report yesterday…although I cant find the statistics
maybe there needs to be an analysis Post on the Maori vote ?
Thats over double the other polls nadis! Don’t know about poll data for Te Tai Tokerau. I imagine that will be available on the night they cover that electorate. I’m really interested to see what in happening in Waiariki…………….
6% in a Maori seat? About a third of National support? Underwhelming………
3% support for IMP in the general electorate is orders of magnitude more impressive than 6% in a Maori seat.
Does Tame Iti throwing in with Maori change the outlook for Mana? I guess it would in BOP/East coast, what about in the other regions?
That poll result was just for starters for one electorate. On completion of the debates there may be a more comprehensive result. As for the IMP polling at 3%, yes I agree that has more of an impact in the general seats than 6% in the Maori, but it IS interesting……….And how realistic is that 3% ish polling in the general seats anyway? Could be much higher in reality for all we know.
I’m going to wait till I hear more about Tame Iti’s joining the Maori Party list before I speculate too much. I am a bit worried though – he carries much mana and influence, and yes in those regions you mention, in particular.
The polls on last nights Te Tai Tonga election coverage showed that the vast majority don’t support the Maori party in a coalition with National. This is of no comfort though. If the Maori Party do retain their seats they will just go with the Nats again, if the Nats have the numbers. As Tame said last night on 3 News “best to be at the table” which is the philosophy of the party. Could be a spanner in the works………….
Very disappointing about Iti. Still, it’s a timely reminder that Māori have their own politics and they don’t match Pākehā ones, or even make sense to the mainstream.
Given that Mana’s centre of support is at the other end of the country, it’s not so bad as all that.
I think it’s come to a point that any Christian who votes for national is no longer in touch with what it means to be a Christian. The hate and conceit that national now attack the poor is more than unseemly, it is an attack at core Christian beliefs.
Thomas Aquinas wrote “Greed is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.”
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Luke 4:18–19
For any Christians who want to take a look further at this, please read these wonderful papers. From the Gospel Manifesto 2014.
http://presbyterian.org.nz/speaking-out/resources-for-speaking-out/discussion-papers/gospel-manifesto-2014
+100…yes agree adam…no REAL CHRISTIAN would vote NACTIONAL!
You’ve highlighted the major failing of the left, the belief that people can be pigeon-holed into groups and those groups must vote a certain way therefore you get amazement when people designated into a group go against what they’re “supposed” to do
🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
Yes, because that’s so totes not a general failing of most people 🙄
Not really, the left believe Maori, Polynesians, the working class must all vote for the left and if they dare say otherwise the left act like they’ve committed an act of betrayal
Rather then accept that people have individual views and act accordingly…
🙄
Yes, because you don’t get multiple cases of people on the right saying the same thing, assuming that people similar to “them” must vote the way they do. Albeit I’m more versed in US examples, but it’s fucking universal human behaviour stemming from ye olde tribalism. I see it every time I bother going through the forums on steam for games, or any cultural stuff such as movies and music, the assumption that just because “I” like/dislike it and “I” maps to all these other people, they should like/dislike it as well.
But hey, why bother dealing with reality when you can slag off the left and try and score points oh brainless one?
NickS, PR lives in the world of assumption. He can’t tell the difference between a theological argument and political one. He thinks his propaganda infused thoughts are of his own free will. For PR the world is best defined by, the left is always wrong.
But worst of all, PR is an broken record of sad one liners from the 80’s.
thanks for your comments, adam.
PR
In the party votes of the last election 31323 or 84% of Maori votes went to Labour and a mere 5894 or 16% wanted National. More than five times as many voted for Labour.
The ‘act of betrayal’ you mention was committed by the rightfully elected Maori Party members who wrongfully went against the wishes of their own people and colluded with National and ACT.
It’s nothing to do with what the left believe- It’s what the voters believe- or should have faith that when they cast their vote it will be taken seriously.
Lovely resource; thank you from my Christian soul.
I don’t suppose anyones interested in knowing about Hagers lies but if you are:
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/08/exclusive-another-hager-fisher-lie-exposed/
You lot might be interested
God NO!….who would go looking on whaleoil?….the oil contamination is toxic and awful!
Also helps when you only want one side of the story as well eh you should look though its full OIA documents and stuff
why don’t you summarise for us..?
..bullet-points will suffice..
Easy enough, Hagers told another lie and heres proof
Done and dusted
heh..!
..you’re funny..!
no thanks…I value my spiritual health…i have seen enough quotes and analysis from that toxic dump site!
Exactly Chooky. What an absurd suggestion by Pukey. As if anyone wants to hear what that lying, toxic, evil, scheming bag of slime has to say. How Pukey can support Slater is beyond me.
Pukey needs to get off the cooking sherry ….drink some fine single malt whiskey and VOTE CUNLIFFE!
I know its a forlorn hope but why not see what hes put up and make up your own mind rather then take as gospel what Hager says (the reason being of course that it suits the lefts narrative to believe what Hager says and to disregard anything Slater says)
Pukey you really are getting desperate if you want me to read what is on THAT site!
Getting the other side of the story? Yeah crazy though huh
why bother seeing what a degenerate, compulsive liar-for hire has to say? It’s worthless – any similarity with reality can only be purely coincidental.
Pukey once I went there half by mistake to check something out….and guess what? ….i was repelled 10 feet backwards across the room….such was my horror at what i saw !
….I dont want to go there again!…it is not good for the health or the spirit…or the soul !
…LIFE is BEAUTIFUL ( but not on Whaleoil)
Stare into the abyss long enough and the abyss stares back (or something)
well who would want to stare into whaleoil’s abyss?
HI Puckish Rogue,
Have you read ‘Dirty Politics’?
You know, both sides of the story and all.
puckish,
If you need to whine and beg, you’re a fucking useless linkwhore.
“If you need to whine and beg, you’re a fucking useless linkwhore.”
But if he gets paid it’s probably still worth it 🙂
The person at the centre of National’s Dirty Tricks and Lies campaign puts up a post exclaiming that the person who caught him in his lies with evidence is lying?
Yeah, I think you’re the one with a problem – pure gullibility.
+1 DTB
It is on a par with the media going to ask the PM about a book that posits National are conducting dirty politics in a manner that allows the PM to retain a ‘nice-guy’ persona -that it deliberately separates him from the dirt – allows for ‘plausible deniability’.
….Then, when the PM predictably responds ‘no nuffink to do with me, I am not connected in any way. I am not responsible, I am merely the Prime Minister of this country – the head of the GCSB I might add…. it was my office, those who work under me….my office that is…not me… or someone else……Labour…I mean the left, yes it was the left’s fault. Nope, not me. I wasn’t there, I don’t remember, I didn’t read it, I didn’t, see, hear or say nuffink, in fact… I know nothing. I am Mr Nice Guy….remember….Wanna beer?…. and palease can-we-move-right-along-to-some-real-issues-now…like singing my praises, discussing how fractured the Labour party is and how they need a new leader, like we used to (oh those where the days my friend) and what a great and united team I lead ….cough….nixt quistion please?”
Why does it still astonish me?
That comment from someone who visits toxic Bummer Bradburys frothing sewer,
you have to be joking.
Martyn is a lovely boy …I know his Mother
( you dont know what you are talking about Naki man !…I bet you are a friend of Judith’s)
‘Crusher Collins caught out lying about Privacy Commissioner – is this her last, last, last chance again?’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 27, 2014
“Is Judith lying about being cleared by the Privacy Commissioner to denigrate a public servant part of her last, last, last chance or is this a new last, last, last chance?…
Cooky you need to stop drinking from Bummers frothing sewer it has poisoned your mind.
I don’t know Crusher and Bummers mother might be a nice lady but that doesn’t stop her son from being a toxic twat.
lol…Naki man …this is why i go over to Martyn Bradbury’s the other side….for up to date considered political analysis ( you should try it)
[deleted]
[lprent: Copyright violation and just bad manners choking the comments feed with someone elses thoughts..
Next time I see one of these I will just coin toss twice to see how long your ban will be. 1 day, 1 week, 6 months or a year? While I am sure that they probably won’t mind at TDB, it is bad practise and bad manners to dump whole posts on another site. A para on why you think it is important. A few quoted teaser paras. A link. That is what the net is for,
This is your only warning. ]
derrrh…i thought that had gone into a black hole…now it has reappeared with a dire warning!
…note I always reference anything I put here very carefully …so i very much doubt “copyright violation”…as you say over on TDB they “probably won’t mind” their post came in this direction
but “bad practice and bad manners”…well I guess I will take a break
If you link to it and sell it,then people will click the link.
This site is for your thoughts, not somewhere else.
Actually, I understood that it is a copyright violation to post the whole of someone’s article somewhere else, even if referenced. That’s why in our posts we only use extracts from news articles and other blogs. Posting the whole thing can mean people not going to the other sites to read it.
I did point out the usual practice to you a couple of days ago when you posted another whole TDB post.
Apart from anything else, I’d already read the whole of that post on TDB a couple of days previously. Posting the whole post just disrupts the flow of discussion. I’d have been more interested in reading your response to the post, and why it was relevant to the TS discussion.
Edit: NZ yahoo answers. Best answer:
…actually I was going to edit it…cut it back and make a comment.
( I often edit and make comments right up until the last minute…sometimes i even delete the whole contribution all together, which was quite a possablity in this case because i was reacting to provocation )
i hadnt finished with it!….but before i could do anything more it disappeared into a black hole…much to my surprise!…I presumed I had been edited off the board!..,Surveilled….Censored
Interesting….such sensitivity
…and as regarding “violating copyright”….I am sure Selwyn Manning would like the widest possible dissemination…it may even encourage people to check out the website he contributes to…this can only be a good thing imo
NM
“toxic Bummer Bradburys frothing sewer,”
Boy you must have salivated when you invented that charming and oh so clever phrase.(needs an apostrophe though).
Another OIA out to Slater in record time. Looks like he’s still being looked after by Judith Collins.
Very first comment points out that the whole thing is a diversion by Slater. Poor showing.
That’s because Slatter worships himself as a god. He should wear a veil, to protect the rest of us.
lol….would it be a full berka or just partial ie would you still be able to see those eyes?…might be even more scarey just to see those eyes…would scare the dogs!…i would be in favour of a full berka in his case ( even although I dont approve of berkas at all for women)
http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fc1.staticflickr.com%2F1%2F4%2F4072277_76f93da07c.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F54241146%40N00%2F4072277%2F&h=250&w=197&tbnid=qZjYTGNxYDhznM%3A&zoom=1&docid=a9q3zzVk78EHsM&ei=ZQz9U9yFDta68gWavYDoCQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CDQQMygGMAY&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=1304&page=1&start=0&ndsp=20
Yeah that looks good. Chooky.
…
Ah, Puckish Rogue. Living proof that you really can fool some of the people all of the time.
even if the only person ou fool is yourself 🙂
🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
Posts link from known scumbag and lair for hire, who despite claiming Hager is lying still hasn’t filed a defamation suit in light of the negative impact of Hager’s Dirty Politics on Slater’s [insert correct word here, ‘Nick can’t recall the right word :herpderp:].
Yeah who needs the other side of the story when you can just have Hagers opinion
… and a pile of documents from the National Party itself.
(Besides Slater has terminally disqualified himself from having an opinion.)
Hager’s book is the other side of the story to the one that has been dished up to us regularly in the MSM for the last few years.
Which so far hasn’t been refuted my any reliable source.
And again, if Hager was lying, why hasn’t Slater et al filed for defamation of character? NZ defamation law, while not perfect, is still quite clear in such a case as this and yet Slater hasn’t bothered with it despite protesting that Hager is lying.
Of course, given you history, evidently such a point is far too hard for you :smug:
Hager was careful to says things like “in my opinion” rather than state something as fact so he could cover his arse and not get sued
🙄
It doesn’t work that way numpty, you can still get sued for putting forth an opinion if can be shown to false and cause damage.
I can haz non-idiot right wingers for once?
what about all the emails he quoted?
Were those faked?
If you had half a brain NakiMoan you’d know that perfunctorily prefacing an actionable defamation with the words “in my opinion” is on its own meaningless as a defence.
When will you absorb that the words Hager published are not his words ? They are the words of your fellow foul old ‘masters of the universe’.
What a load of shit. He is lying about what Hager wrote, and the Whalespew Army, who hang like ticks from his scrotum, are lapping it up. Hager has made it clear that Gusher did not arrange for the prisoner transfer. It was someone else, probably high up in Corrections. In itself this is very worrying.
I cannot get over how thick and deluded the Whalespew army actually are. How do they remember to breathe?
Well said Mr Bennett.
.
.
OPINION: The National Party advertisement shows a sleek, expensive, racing hull manned by a team of handsome heroes, in smart, expensive, blue uniforms.
The opposition are seen as dumpy persons clad in motley red or green, muddling about in an unseaworthy little tub.
Good, clean, pre-election fun- poking perhaps, but sadly it betrays a condescending attitude much more divisive and scornful of New Zealand society than the presumed bickering in the opposition’s boat.
There is no excuse for such class arrogance. Success, we are persuaded, lies with the golden youth of our nation, the sort of affluent young athletes who row as a hobby.
Proud as we are of our Olympic champions, they are not the average Kiwi.
A better nautical image for Aotea-Roa might be a double- hulled Polynesian canoe, a waka hourua, each hull separate but bound together, ensuring stability and a shared destination through negotiation and collaboration.
Crew could wear red and green in puerile political symbolism, but I would much prefer to show distinctive Maori, Samoan, Indian, European and Asian faces to truly represent our multicultural society. Rite, ko te rite! Rite, ko te rite! Tiaia, a tiaia. Toki hika toki! Altogether, altogether now.
ARTHUR BENNETT
Hastings
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/letters-to-the-editor/10427870/Better-nautical-imagery-available
Except its not about a “better nautical image for Aotea-Roa”. It’s actually called political advertising for the National Party. Next thing Arthur will be criticising Weet-bix and Gillette commercials.
(︶︹︺)
I agree with that letter writer joe90. The ad inadvertently reinforces all that is wrong with the current government and the attitudes of its people.
It suggests that you need to be one of them to be a “winner” and that if you are not one of them then you are a “loser”. It splits the population. It is not inclusive. It is negative. It is spiteful.
It is nasty.
It is Dirty politics writ large.
The National Party type people will still not be able to see this – they have become soaked in their own indoctrination. No wonder they are surprised by the hatred being shown towards them right now – they are blinkered fools suffering under the obesity of their greed and selfishness.
Agree that it splits the population. This has crept into NZ society since the National party took office. and is the reason for the bitterness in this campaign.
John Key constantly reinforces this with policy: assets sales taking something once owned by everyone and selling it cheap to “winners”. He also does it with comments such as calling a 93% rejection by the primary teachers union as a “stunt” intimating they are “losers”.
Yep, absolutely…
… and reinforced by Key’s outrageous refusal to condemn Slater.
Key exemplifies all that is wrong with this portion of the New Zealand population and the attitude it leads. Key is 100% Pure Toxicity.
looks like a sumo wrestler having a nap…..
From the wonderful world of Japanese emoticons – shrug/SFW
Nationals ad =Skullduggery
Trelise Cooper does the right thing:
APOLOGY
I unreservedly apologise and regret any offence I have caused through using Native American Head Dress in my catwalk show.
I genuinely respect and honour all cultures, races and religions.
It was never my intention to disrespect another culture.
It is my hope that through my mistake and ignorance, like me, people now know and are aware of the Sacredness of the head dress to Native Americans.
To those who I have offended, I sincerely apologise.
Dame Trelise Cooper
The right thing to apologise, yes. But what a surprising shame she didn’t know enough not to do it in the first place.
It basically would have been something along the lines of “Look at those headdresses! They’re great! I’ve never seen them in fashion before so this would be a new innovative thing I could do!”.
Of course she didn’t stop to find out why they hadn’t been in fashion before.
They have been used in fashion before, and other designers have been slammed for it. It’s hard to believe that Trelise Cooper was unaware of this. Her apology seems genuine enough albeit pretty white priviliged, although as someone on twitter pointed out, even the apologies are recycled.
Her “apology” isn’t an apology, it’s an insult to anyone who thinks Cooper’s actions are unwise. I’m not offended by her actions, they just lower my opinion of her, such as it is. The faux apology lowers it further.
If she were sincere she’d apologise for something she did (‘I’m sorry I employed a crass racist stereotype’, for example), not the imagined pain in other people’s minds.
well I guess it is similar to the French using the moko and Maori tattoos as a fashion statement…not necessarily inherently racist or to give offense…in fact a mark of admiration and fascination for an ethnic and exotic art form…but ignorance shown of the real proscribed spiritual and cultural significance
imo ….where it is used with a full understanding and in defiance of the proscribed cultural specialness… then it becomes lack of respect, insulting and appropriation….and possibly racist
…what about Maori design?…is it legitimate for non Maori to use this ?…koru, Hei matua, tiki,manaia, toki, roimata, kowhaiwhai?…..or swamp kauri treasured by the Maori for Maori sculpture?…or pounamu?
It isn’t an apology.
She isn’t responsible for the thoughts, feelings nor the “offence” of others, she’s responsible for her own behaviour.
As with all things internet, the answer is yes, no, and maybe.
“”This is appalling offensive cultural appropriation,” said Morgan Ashworth.”
I agree, except not with the appalling, or the necessarily offensive, as OAB points out.
“”Utterly shameful, racist and ignorant,” commented Lisa Cullimore Ryder.”
Not shameful or racist, but somewhat ignorant.
“People were similarly outraged on Twitter, brandishing Ms Cooper as ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’.”
Not definitively, I would guess her not to be racist at all, but to prove it would require testing not often done on victims of the Online Politically Correct crowd. How would we prove that the electrical impulses of Trelise Cooper’s brain would light up in the same places when shown a small mouse or insect, for example, or the picture of a Native American? Not the kind of testing that can be done from a seat in front of a PC monitor.
Prejudice is alive and well though, and malice, and ignorance, and ignorance mixed with privilege, social status or celebrity worship, and that will find targets of convenience as required and cause horrific damage to people. She may not be entirely responsible for the feelings of others, but offense is triggered by external factors, so she’s not entirely blameless either. More a case of stepping in a turd and unwittingly walking it into a neighbour’s house because she didn’t know about what’s in farm paddocks, than purposely scooping it up and wiping it on their face with glee.
If she was American (Native or not) there would be contexts where it could be neither racism or appropriation. Since she is Kiwi, she has learned the hard way to be a bit more mindful.
There are different kinds of racism. That she was unaware of what she was doing doesn’t stop her from being racist. It’s pretty simple – appropriating culture applies across the board. If you don’t get that then that’s racist.
I think you’re applying the wrong terminology, what she did may certainly have been unthinking and culturally insensitive, I disagree that is was racist according to what I understand is the meaning of the word.
‘The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.’
That’s one definition, there are others too.
Can you enlighten me, I’m always interested in how the use and meaning of language evolves over time.
google ‘institutional racism’, that will give an overview of how racism plays out within structures that is different from the personal belief racism you referred to. You could try googling something like ‘racism 101’ or ‘anti-racism’ too, probably will take you to US discussion on racism, but you could try ‘anti-racism’ +nz. Reading writing on decolonisation in NZ is pretty enlightening as well. Sorry, am a bit brain fried tonight to dig up some direct links.
In the case of Cooper, I think her white privilege prevents her from making a proper apology. It’s likely she doesn’t get the depth of her ignorance yet. She most likely doesn’t hold thoughts of white people are superior to Indians, but her world view will be supporting idea about race and ethnicity that are deeply entrenched in society and have huge negative impacts on people of ethnicities that aren’t the dominant culture. We can call the cultural insensitivity, but I think it goes far beyond a personal failing to understand a mistake.
I was heartened by the overwhelming number of people that took her to task on twitter compared to those that couldn’t see what the fuss was about. The cynic in my wonders how much of her apology was generated by fear of negative feedback. She needs to go steps further.
“It isn’t an apology.
She isn’t responsible for the thoughts, feelings nor the “offence” of others, she’s responsible for her own behaviour.”
I cringe whenever I read statements like “I genuinely respect and honour all cultures, races and religions.”
Obviously not.
she should have put her models in the Pope’s head gear…and in the Pope’s dress and jewellery ….until that old Queen changes Vatican contraceptive law and Vatican sexist law against women ….a fashion statement should be made ….imo
How about in a muslim or hindu religious garb ?
…… or does your righteous bigotry stop at the catholic church ?
it stops where religious institutionalised sexism and racism and bigotry stops…generally found in patriarchal monotheism ( i am with Richard Dawkins on this)
OK, it just seems strange that you always seem to target christianity (most often Catholicism with your diatribes.
i dont target Christianity as such …only where it involves institutionalised and systemmatic sexism , racism and abuse
I see that bottom feeding scum Tom Scott is doing his best to promote a rape culture in our country
I hope is charged and convicted.
And then along comes Naki man highlighting all that is muddleheaded….
Scott does not promote a culture, he reflects a culture. A culture generated and fostered by the likes of you and your politics.
VTO You are an apologist for scum. You know nothing about my politics, Scott is promoting rape culture and threatening to kill. This type of behaviour would only be acceptable to a mutton head like yourself.
[RL: Take it up with Mr Scott. You are in completely the wrong place.]
John Key is scum.
John Key stands beside Cameron Slater.
John Key is scum.
Think fool think
There is a Reid Research poll out tonight. The Conservatives appear to have breached the embargo by claiming they are at 4.6%. If this is the result it will be very interesting to see who has seeped support. My pick is National, some right wingers with morals have fled elsewhere.
If this was the result on election night and they do not win a seat I would be very pleased.
National must be scratching its head right now …
Explains why until today Colin Craig has remained silent… he wanted to wait to see if he became a contender for national to throw him a seat…
on the money, Tracey … let’s see. ( he could gift him Papakura maybe ?) 😀
hmmmmmm 😉
Naah my sources inside the beltway tell me he’ll get nothing, its a gamble but its a gamble Key feels will go his way
Over at Pundit Tim Watkins is hinting that there may be a smallish decline for National but nothing dramatic:
http://pundit.co.nz/content/if-this-was-labour-wed-be-calling-it-a-mess
My hope is that both NZ First and the Conservatives get 4.9%. I am not convinced that Winston won’t go with National to “clean them up.” If Te Ururoa Flavell and David Seymour win their seats, that will just make things more difficult for National to work with NZ First however.
Karen – you need to understand how MMP works. NZF and Conservatives getting 4.9% is actually a fantastic outcome for National. Assume the following vote:
Nats 46%
Lab 30%
Greens 10%
IMP 4% (but win 1 an electorate seat)
United Future 0% (but win 1 electorate seat)
Maori Party 1% (but win one elctorate seat)
ACT 0% (but win one electorte seat)
NZF and UF get 4.5% each and no electorate seat
On that vote, there would be 123 seats in parliament.
Of the 120 electorate seats National would have 61.
Labour: 40
greens 13
imp 6
plus 3 overhang seats for ACT, UF and MP.
You need 62 seats to govern, Nats + Act + UF = 63.
The short version is this:
Overhang seats will likely only occur on the right.
Overhang seats on the right obviously favour national.
Wasted vote (ie NZF and CP in my example) favour National as long as their vote is greater than Lab+ Greens.
Low voter turn out favours national.
I don’t have a really strong political axe to grind either way and you can make valid arguments for different outcomes than I suggest above, but fundamentally, if you want a left government the only high percentage way to make that happen is to have Labour + Greens > say 48% and even then it isnt assured due to at least 3 maybe as many as 4 or 5 overhang seats on the right. I sense that the higher IMP get in the polls, the more middle voters will leak away from Labour and the Greens. To the right, IMP fulfills the same role as ACT does for the left. A bogeyman that hurts the centre right or centre left respectively. Act drives soft nats away while the left prospers, IMP drives soft centre left voters away while the right prospers.
Ah, but if the Conservatives get 4.9% and NZFirst the same the National Party will not be getting 46% – more likely it will be around 40%
not based on the TV3 poll tonight which is very similar to the example I used. NZF and CP get 10.9% and Nats still 45% not the 40 % you suggest.. An alternative headline for the poll would be “Labour support decimated.”
Decimated in the true sense of the word – 1 in 10 labour voters has left the building on this poll. While the headlines focus on the drop in Nat support and the close balance on seats, Labour support was down more in absolute terms (-2.6 vs 2.5) and in relative terms almost twice the loss of support.
Gower confirms this on TV3’s news page. He also says the Hager book has given the election campaign “a good shake” whatever that means.
Bomber has a post up about Craig and Peters cannabilising each others votes and both failing to make the threshold 😀
Can’t see NZF missing out.
Some stuff NOT included in Hager’s book, relating to Carrick Graham
“he material Rawshark supplied to this paper supports Hager’s conclusions Whale Oil was paid by Facilitate Communications boss Carrick Graham to run disguised attacks against the rivals of Facilitate clients. But Slater denied he provided cash for comment.
“I’m not being paid to write blog posts about people. I’ve done nothing wrong or illegal and somehow I’m the enemy and the crook who breached everyone’s privacy is a hero?”
Graham, a long-term friend of Slater who has attracted controversy for his work for the tobacco industry, this week refused to discuss “that particular book”. “I don’t talk about who I work with, who my clients are or what I do with them. I run a private company and that’s what it is,” he said.
Although some of the material has been covered in Dirty Politics, significant chunks refer to matters yet to be reported. Hager concluded a nexus existed between Slater, Graham and Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich, that was used to surreptitiously attack opponents of corporate members of the council. New evidence shows:
An email from Slater in January 2014 in which the blogger wrote “December hits coin” and invoiced Facilitate Communication $6555.
A series of emails the same month from Graham to Slater, headed “Hit” and sometimes including “KR,” including draft posts savagely critical of council members’ commercial rivals or political opponents. Shortly afterwards Slater posted articles – nearly identical to Graham’s draft – on Whale Oil.
An unreported email exchange between Graham, Slater and Rich discussing the political leanings of the Generation Zero climate-change lobby group, concluding with Graham saying: “That’s our job. They’re on the target list.”
Scoop.co.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10417726/The-hacker-revealed
A private company messing in public affairs.
Of course, just like the right squeal about government staying out of business… and Key talked sternly to AIrNZ over domestic airfares at election time letting people think he was trying to get them lowered when he was shaking their hands on a profit well got and hopefully his blind trust has shares…
Government out of business is never followed by business out of government.
AND what about the Power prices!!!!
The reality is that they are inseparable. Though that was probably once thought about church and state.
In a democracy government has to govern business.
Ideally business should be kept out of government though the opposite seems to be the trend.
agreed
Will ‘Dirty Politics’ Bring Down New Zealand’s Prime Minister? VICE NEWS
Just one month until the New Zealand election and the country’s ruling party is feeling nuclear-level media fallout from a book written using hacked information. Political parties are trying to get policies out amid a media storm caused by ugly revelations in Dirty Politics, authored by internationally renowned investigative journalist Nicky Hager. The 138-page book was released almost two weeks ago and focusses around the long-armed attack strategies used by the National party to belittle their political opponents while retaining a smiling facade
http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/the-new-zealand-hacker-who-may-bring-down-the-prime-minister
ISNT the history of NZ just great the biggest fishery in the world and we fuck our country with Dairying cause the Asians and the Russians have stolen OUR FISH and now the Asians want to own us completely Fuck em
REALITY CHECK GIVE US BACK OUR COUNTRY
We don’t need someone to give it back, we need to take it back.
Three strikes binds the hands of Judges. A libertarian however wants to be able to put their case before the judge, influence them. So the howler that ACT are libertarian is a joke. Three strikes is automatic state interference in the courts. Its wrong, its authoritarianism.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/08/labours_latest_billboard.html
And these clowns want to run the country. O.M.G.
Kennewick Man a Chatham islander antecedent?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scientists-mysterious-kennewick-man-looked-polynesian-and-came-from-far-away/2014/08/25/45411b2a-27b3-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/08/labours_latest_billboard.html
I always like it when you feel it necessary to repost the link PR. It’s means everybody sensibly decided to ignore the crap you put up in the first place.
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/08/labour-cutting-jobs-next-wait/
So how much do you get paid PR? Is it per click through?
Did you read Hager’s book pr?
And you still go on that website.
Says a lot.
This should not just be applauded it should be shared on face book, we all need good laugh.
Right! Fess up thieves!
Who nicked our fabulous “Hey Peter! We don’t want a ‘willing seller’ MP for Ohariu” sign we had up at the intersection of Perth St and Ngaio Gorge Road in Ngaio?
Looks like this one but with the above wording on it:
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=61648
Show some respect and leave our signs where they are. We don’t go around pulling down Nat and UF signs and expect others to play fair too. Like you thief, we have a right to express our political voice, and you try to deny us that voice.
Those signs are a labour of love, taking about 3 hours each to make. We are a community based group and don’t have wads of $$$ to get sign writers to provide a limitless supply of billboards. If you care about people having a right to express their collective views do the decent thing and return our sign to where it was.
Went to a NZEI organised event for Hutt South last night. Almost got Trevor to admit that Labour agrees with the Greens 40% proposed top tax rate. That should please some of you guys ;-).
The only way to push Labour where they wants to go is return a strong Green party.
The National Party running polls through its friends in the media at Fairfax
Are you in favour of tax cuts?
65% say no.
@Paul
Interesting…!
GP encouraging people to early vote. Political strategy or getting people out to vote?
both
On page 25 of Dirty Politics. Feeling retrospectively trolled by monikers Mr_Blobby, Cullen’s Sidekick, etc, and anyone who used the hyperbole from Whale Oil site.
Is there a glossary of the hyperbole from WO I can refer to, so I can spend my time ignoring such sock puppet trolls?
Easily 200 people in central Auckland at a transport debate with Brownlee, Twyford, Genter, Act, NZFirst.
Very civil and respectful.
Organised by Campaign For Better Transport and TransportBlog so not a huge number of votes to be changed here.
Brownlee says next harbour crossing starts 2025.
Thanks Ad
Any discussion of backtracking by Govt on date for contribution to rail loop?
Meet the candidate evenings. Where abouts are the wellington ones advertised?
@ Rich
Connecting to a previous comment on the advantages of small states forming associations, started off with mention of Scotland.
There was an interesting talk on Luxembourg and how it keeps its position although such a small state. It was in a talk by Jules Older a Yankiwi based in California.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights
Little Luxembourg ( 20′ 38″ )
19:12 ‘Dr Digital’ a.k.a Jules Older on how Luxembourg has not let it’s relative smallness be a disadvantage in becoming a successful nation (and what New Zealand could learn from this).
thanks greywarbler, I have put it aside to listen to later.
This is interesting;
If you start at 3:00 and take special notice of 3:09-3:13, Collins and Key.
(why could I not post this on the Collins thread?)
I’ve tried to post up a link to a you tube video about 3 times. It won’t post, but if I post the same post again it says that I’ve already posted it.
Is there a problem with you tube links?
Nadis the Nat’s spinner buggered up his/her crappy poll predictions again, why do we even read that shit.
Paddy has left taking the power 20th at this rate, so go cry in your martini Nadis.
Winston’s back, and wont go with you evil mate Gonekey.
Grey warbler. If we wanted to be successful like Luxembourg we would need to set up a banking sector that circumvented anti money laundering laws laws.
Grey warbler. If we wanted to be successful like Luxembourg we would need to set up a banking sector that circumvented anti money laundering laws laws.
@nadis
There was more to Luxembourg’s success as a country than money laundering, though that has been important, and possibly still is though lessening. Did you listen to the whole radio interview? I put up the link so that we could find out things that we didn’t know, or think we know, already.
Disturbed. Apt name given your obvious lack of mental ability. I’m hardly a Nat spinner and wasn’t making poll predictions. I was merely illustrating how the vagaries of mmp van throw up some counterintuitive effects that can be helpful to either side, but given where overhang seats are likely to be will generally favourite the right. If that’s too intellectual for you I apologize.
Well, that went well didnt it?
We now are now a few redneck votes away from Garth McVicar being in Parliament.
I KNOW!
BUT Colin wont go into government with people who lie and cheat like Key and Collins, will he?