Open mike 27/09/2014
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7:00 am, September 27th, 2014 - 72 comments
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- NZ announces a third P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctions
The Government has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “New Zealand has long supported ...1 day ago - Pacific trade and development agreement a realityPacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the announcement that the Cook Islands is the eighth nation to ratify this landmark agreement. “The agreement represents ...5 days ago
- Securing a pipeline of teachersThe Government is changing its approach to teacher recruitment as COVID-19 travel restrictions continue, by boosting a range of initiatives to get more Kiwis into teaching. “When we came into Government, we were faced with a teacher supply crisis,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Over the past three years, we ...1 week ago
- Border exceptions for a small number of international students with visasThe Government has established a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies, in the latest set of border exceptions. “The health, safety and wellbeing of people in New Zealand remains the Government’s top priority. Tight border restrictions remain ...1 week ago
- First COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreement signedThe Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 750,000 people – from Pfizer and BioNTech, subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, say Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. ...1 week ago
- International statement – End-to-end encryption and public safetyWe, the undersigned, support strong encryption, which plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cyber security. It also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people, as stated in the 2017 resolution of the ...1 week ago
- Ministry of Defence Biodefence Assessment releasedThe Ministry of Defence has today released a Defence Assessment examining Defence’s role across the spectrum of biological hazards and threats facing New Zealand. Biodefence: Preparing for a New Era of Biological Hazards and Threats looks at how the NZDF supports other agencies’ biodefence activities, and considers the context of ...1 week ago
- New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020 Hon David Parker’s response following Thomas Piketty and Esther Duflo. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever in the world you might be. I first acknowledge the excellent thought provoking speeches of Thomas Piketty and Esther ...1 week ago
- Kaipara Moana restoration takes next stepA Memorandum of Understanding has been signed today at Waihāua Marae between the Crown, local iwi and councils to protect, restore and enhance the mauri of Kaipara Moana in Northland. Environment Minister David Parker signed the document on behalf of the Crown along with representatives from Ngā Maunga Whakahī, Ngāti ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand and Uruguay unite on reducing livestock production emissionsAgriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Carlos María Uriarte have welcomed the launch of a three-year project that will underpin sustainable livestock production in Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. The project called ‘Innovation for pasture management’ is led by Uruguay’s National Institute of Agricultural ...2 weeks ago
- 3100 jobs created through marae upgradesHundreds of marae throughout the country will be upgraded through investments from the Provincial Growth Fund’s refocused post COVID-19 funding to create jobs and put money into the pockets of local tradespeople and businesses, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced. “A total ...2 weeks ago
- Health volunteers recognised in annual awardsHealth Minister Chris Hipkins has announced 9 teams and 14 individuals are the recipients of this year’s Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. “The health volunteer awards celebrate and recognise the thousands of dedicated health sector volunteers who give many hours of their time to help other New Zealanders,” Mr Hipkins ...2 weeks ago
- Community COVID-19 Fund supports Pacific recoveryThe Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says a total of 264 groups and individuals have successfully applied for the Pacific Aotearoa Community COVID-19 Recovery Fund, that will support Pacific communities drive their own COVID-19 recovery strategies, initiatives, and actions. “I am keen to see this Fund support Pacific ...2 weeks ago
- Community benefits from Māori apprenticeshipsUp to 50 Māori apprentices in Wellington will receive paid training to build houses for their local communities, thanks to a $2.75 million investment from the Māori Trades and Training Fund, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Ngāti Toa Rangatira Incorporated to provide its Ngā Kaimahi ...2 weeks ago
- Training fund supports Māori jobseekersRapidly growing sectors will benefit from a $990,000 Māori Trades and Training Fund investment which will see Wellington jobseekers supported into work, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Sapphire Consultants Ltd. to help up to 45 Māori jobseekers into paid training initiatives over two years through ...2 weeks ago
- Ruakura Inland Port development vital infrastructure for WaikatoThe Government is investing $40 million to develop an inland port at Ruakura which will become a freight super-hub and a future business, research and residential development for the Waikato, Urban Development and Transport Minister Phil Twyford, and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The funding has been has ...2 weeks ago
- Appointments made to Defence Expert Review GroupDefence Minister Ron Mark announced today the establishment of an Expert Review Group to review a number of aspects of the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) structure, information management and record-keeping processes. The Expert Review Group’s work arises out of the first recommendation from the Report of the Government’s Inquiry ...2 weeks ago
- No active community cases of COVID-19There are no active community cases of COVID-19 remaining in the country after the last people from the recent outbreak have recovered from the virus, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “This is a big milestone. New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus. The systems ...2 weeks ago
- Clean energy upgrade for more public buildingsMore public buildings will be supported by the Government to upgrade to run on clean energy, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. Minister Shaw announced that Lincoln and Auckland universities will receive support through the Clean-Powered Public Service Fund to replace fossil fuel boilers. Southern, Taranaki, and ...2 weeks ago
- Schools back donations scheme for the second yearMore schools have opted in to the donations scheme for 2021, compared to 2020 when the scheme was introduced. “The families of more than 447,000 students will be better off next year, with 94% of eligible schools and kura opting into the scheme,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is ...2 weeks ago
- Ruapehu cycle trails gets PGF boostThe spectacular Mountains to Sea cycle trail in Ruapehu District will receive $4.6 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund for two additional trails, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This is an exciting development for the local community, and one that will provide significant economic opportunities ...2 weeks ago
- Update to air border order strengthens crew requirementsAdditional measures coming into effect on Monday will boost our defence against COVID-19 entering New Zealand through the air border, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “As part of our precautionary approach and strategy of constant review, we’re tightening the requirements around international aircrew,” Chris Hipkins said. The COVID-19 Public ...3 weeks ago
- A true picture of Māori business activityA better picture of the contribution Māori businesses make to the economy will be possible with changes to the way information is collected about companies and trading enterprises. Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash have announced a new option for Māori enterprises who are part ...3 weeks ago
- PGF funding for Taranaki projectsThe South Taranaki museum, a New Plymouth distillery and a Pasifika building firm will benefit from a Government investment totalling more than $1 million, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. The $1.05m in grants and loans from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help the recipients expand and create ...3 weeks ago
- Fijian Language Week 2020 inspires courage and strength during COVID-19 pandemicThe Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says the theme for the 2020 Fijian Language Week reflects the strong belief by Fijians that their language and culture inspires courage and strength that is strongly needed in times of emergencies, or through a significant challenge like the global COVID-19 pandemic ...3 weeks ago
- Trades training builds on iwi aspirationsAn investment of $2.025 million from the Māori Trades and Training Fund will support Māori to learn new skills while making a positive difference for their communities, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “K3 Development Limited Partnership will receive $2,025,000 for its Takitimu Tuanui apprenticeship programme, which will support the ...3 weeks ago
- Conservation Minister plants two millionth tree in Raglan restorationA long-term conservation project led by the Whaingaroa Harbour Care group in the western Waikato reaches a significant milestone this week, with the planting of the two millionth tree by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Planting the two millionth tree crowns 25 years of commitment and partnership involving Whaingaroa ...3 weeks ago
- Seniors – our parents and grandparentsInternational Older Persons Day is a chance to think about the individual older New Zealanders we know and to confront ageism, Seniors Minister Tracey Martin said today. “What happened around COVID-19 is a reminder that our over-65s are a very large and diverse group of people and we need to ...3 weeks ago
- Residential building sector growing strongerFigures released by Statistics New Zealand today show healthy growth in residential building consents in an environment of Government support for the sector during COVID-19, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. Statistics New Zealand reported today that a record 10,063 townhouses, flats, and units were consented in the August 2020 ...3 weeks ago
- PGF helps Bay of Plenty youth find jobsProvincial Growth Fund (PGF) support for a pathways to work hub in Tauranga will help address high youth unemployment in the Bay of Plenty by connecting young people with training and meaningful employment opportunities, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced. “Priority One Western Bay of Plenty ...3 weeks ago
- Tofiga isn’t sorry about it
Tofiga Fepulea’i is back on stage with some comedic relief in a truly dismal year. Tofiga Fepulea’i cracks up as we discuss some of the trends he’s clicked onto.First, there’s the fitness buzz. Anyone who follows the Laughing Sāmoans comedian online will have seen the videos he posts of he ...22 mins ago - Two High Court of Australia judges will be named soon – unlike Amy Coney Barrett, we know nothing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joe McIntyre, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of South Australia Many Americans were riveted last week by the at times absurd confirmation hearing for US Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The death in mid-September of Ruth Bader Ginsburg thrust the ...34 mins ago - Covid-19 has changed New Zealand forever. The experts explain howSome of the smartest people in the country examine the effects of the pandemic on Aotearoa’s future in 400 words or fewer. There are few corners of society that Covid-19 has not touched. From healthcare to the economy, education to professional sport, the pandemic has changed the way we interact with ...37 mins ago
- Anti-poverty Groups To Labour: Election Results Mean No More Excuses
Child Poverty Action Group, ActionStation and Auckland Action Against Poverty are calling on the new government to follow through quickly on their plan of raising income support so people receiving benefits are no longer locked into poverty. "Labour ...57 mins ago - ‘I wrote The Pōrangi Boy for kids like me’: Shilo Kino on her debut novelThe Marae TV journalist tells the origin story of her debut novel, a young adult book releasing this week.Patricia Grace wrote a story called “It used to be green once” and every year my Pākehā teacher would pull it out in English class and everyone would laugh at the poor ...1 hour ago
- Election night 2020: All the misery, all the tumescent joyA long election campaign finally ended in one five-hour period on Saturday, October 17. José Barbosa was there. This is what he saw.I forgot how covering an election is a lot of fun. My last working election was well over a decade ago, and there’s always this breathlessness that accompanies ...2 hours ago
- Ousted National MP Jo Hayes takes on role with Wairarapa iwi
Jo Hayes failed to win the seat of Mana and missed out on getting back as a list MP because of her party's big election defeat. ...2 hours ago - When and how should the Victoria-NSW border reopen? Is fishing allowed in Victoria? When can I trave...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University Victoria recorded one new case of COVID-19 on Monday, another fantastic result that suggests the coronavirus outbreak there is now being well controlled. Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday the state was “well placed this ...2 hours ago
- Hard to spot, but worth looking out for: 8 surprising tawny frogmouth factsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Les Christidis, Professor, Southern Cross University The tawny frogmouth is one of Australia’s most-loved birds. In fact, it was first runner-up in the Guardian/BirdLife Australia bird of the year poll (behind the endangered black-throated finch). Tawny frogmouths are found throughout Australia, including ...2 hours ago
- Finance Minister’s Commitment To WEAG Recommendations WelcomeWelfare advocate and former Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) member Kay Brereton says she is pleased to hear Finance Minister Grant Robertson describe the WEAG report as the “blueprint” for their welfare policy. “The comments made by Grant on ...2 hours ago
- The budget promises jobs, but does little for workers in the gig economySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nat Kassel, PhD Candidate, Griffith University Treasurer Josh Frydenberg promised a federal budget focused on “jobs, jobs, jobs”. In one sense he didn’t disappoint. His budget speech mentioned jobs 37 times – an average of about once a minute. “This budget is ...2 hours ago
- Judith Collins speaks after National Party caucus meeting: 'Onwards and upwards'Judith Collins is giving a media briefing after the National Party's first caucus meeting since the election, which returned their worst result in years. Watch live here. ...2 hours ago
- What this election means for PasifikaNational’s Pacific MPs are gone, the Greens have their first, and Labour’s Pasifika caucus is now its biggest ever. But will any of this make any real difference to our communities? Do you reckon Moses could have parted the red sea on Saturday night? Because even the bluest, most conservative seats in ...2 hours ago
- Judith Collins speaks after National Party caucus meetingJudith Collins is giving a media briefing after the National Party's first caucus meeting since the election, which returned their worst result in years. Watch live here. ...3 hours ago
- You’ve probably heard of the Green New Deal in the US — is it time for one in Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania After the 2008 global financial crisis, Green New Deals were proposed in various countries as a way to pick up the pieces of the economy. The general idea is to create ...3 hours ago
- On the Rag: What is imposter syndrome and how do we destroy it?Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and a lineup of incredibly successful New Zealand women as they confront their imposter syndrome once and for all. For some it appears as a constant whisper, for others it’s a screeching megaphone in the face at the most inopportune of moments. Many of ...5 hours ago
- Peters and Mark remind us they still have ministerial work to do as governmental caretakers
Hey – look whose names appeared on the only press statement to be posted on The Beehive website yesterday, two days after Election Day and the first statement to be posted on the site since October 15. The names are those of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister ...5 hours ago - Allbirds is launching a new T-shirt – and it’s partly made from crab shellsAfter years of specialising in low-carbon footwear, Allbirds has introduced a new line of sustainable apparel made from an unconventional yet innovative source.In April, when Allbirds announced it would be the first fashion label to introduce a sticker that measured the carbon footprint of each one of its products, it ...5 hours ago
- Government Must Lead Uncomfortable Conversations About SuicideInformation gained in the Key to Life Charitable Trust’s 1,000 Letters Report must be a part of the Government’s preventative measures to tackle suicide prevention in New Zealand – people’s lives depend upon it. “Our hope is that with the ...5 hours ago
- PETA Sends Duncan Garner Vegan GoodiesAs Auckland-based radio host Duncan Garner prepares to begin his new life as a vegan, making good on his promise to go vegan for a year if Labour won the 2020 election, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ...5 hours ago
- Injecting real change in NZ – Greens must not shy away from mandateANALYSIS: By Selwyn Manning, editor of EveningReport.nz There is a mood circulating among some New Zealand circles that it would end badly for the Green Party in 2023 should it negotiate a part within a now-powerful Labour-led government. The argument goes: that should the Greens negotiate roles within the new ...5 hours ago
- US law officials brace for the contingency of Trump refusing to accept election defeatUS law enforcement agencies from the FBI down are preparing contingency plans in case of violence after the November 3 presidential elections. These have been triggered by President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful exit from office, arguing the election results will be “rigged” because of his opposition ...5 hours ago
- With clear mandate, Labour must decide what it really stands forOpinion - A pandemic can change a society's foundations. But if this happens in New Zealand over the next three years, it will be for reasons beyond the control of the sixth Labour government. ...5 hours ago
- Biofouling Measures Approved For Naval VesselsNew measures to prevent biofouling will reduce the risk of Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) vessels introducing marine pests and diseases to New Zealand without creating any undue restrictions on naval operations. Biosecurity New Zealand and the RNZN ...5 hours ago
- 'Fighting every step of the way' – New Green MPNew Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March is ready to "fight tooth and nail" for his communities including rainbow and migrant groups. ...6 hours ago
- COVID-19 Outbreak On A Live Export ShipWhile New Zealand is gearing up to lift a temporary ban on live exports, 25 crew have tested positive for COVID-19 on the livestock carrier Al Messilah, which is docked at Fremantle Port in Western Australia. The ship, which was due to be loading ...6 hours ago
- A world beyond our feet: Rethinking our relationship with where we grow our kaiThe health of our soil is intrinsically linked to the health of our people, and a new book aims to centre matauranga Māori in the quest to stop treating our soil like, well, dirt.We hardly ever think about it, even though it’s literally under our feet. But in the coming ...6 hours ago
- Papua’s Asmat shut off following eight confirmed covid-19 casesPacific Media Centre Newsdesk Asmat regency in Papua has decided to limit access to and from the area for 28 days, starting last Sunday, after eight people in the regency’s capital Agats tested positive for covid-19 on Saturday, reports The Jakarta Post. Acting Asmat regent Triwarno Purnomo said the administration ...6 hours ago
- Election Delivers High Expectations For Working PeopleE tū congratulates the Labour Party and the Green Party for their respective victories after the preliminary results of General Election 2020. While the official count is yet to come, Labour have won enough votes to govern alone, and the Greens are ...7 hours ago
- Week in memes: Tōfā soifua to 19 National MPsToo much news? Here’s the only political round-up you need.I spent Saturday evening reporting from the Act Party election event and witnessed a crowd of Act supporters mumble halfheartedly through Sweet Caroline despite the DJ’s increasingly desperate words of encouragement. I tell you this only to give an indication of ...7 hours ago
- Duncan Garner Will Be Vegan For A YearThe AM Show's Duncan Garner said in July that if Labour won the election, he would go vegan. The Vegan Society is delighted to see a Labour government and we feel confident that after a year of being vegan, reaping the health benefits such as having more ...7 hours ago
- Op-Ed: Enhanced social protection an opportunity Asia Pacific must graspOpinion by By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Chihoko Asada Miyakawa Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). In the fight against COVID-19, success has so far been defined by responses in Asia and the Pacific. ...7 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 20 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Coalition negotiations, shape of government Gordon Campbell: On why the Greens shouldn’t join the government Andrew Geddis (Pundit): What Sort Of Relationship Might Labour And The Greens Agree ...8 hours ago
- Labour’s Small Business Plan A Contradictory Mess“Labour’s plan for small businesses is a contradictory mess”, says ACT’s small business spokesperson and Nelson employer Chris Baillie. “Labour is piling new costs and red tape on SMEs with one hand and giving handouts with the other. ...8 hours ago
- Trump took a sledgehammer to US-China relations. This won’t be an easy fix, even if Biden winsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hui Feng, ARC Future Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University Few would have thought a US-China relationship marked by relative stability for half a century would be upended in just four years. But US President Donald Trump’s privileged tour of the ...9 hours ago
- If we have the guts to give older people a fair go, this is how we fix aged care in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joseph Ibrahim, Professor, Health Law and Ageing Research Unit, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University This article is part of our series on the future of aged care. In the face of the harrowing findings of the Royal Commission into Aged ...9 hours ago
- WHO reform: a call for an early-warning protocol for infectious diseasesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Gluckman, Director of Koi Tū, the Centre for Informed Futures; former Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, University of Auckland The World Health Organization (WHO) has come in for its share of criticism for its handling of ...9 hours ago
- Fewer flights and a pesticide-free pitch? Here’s how Australia’s football codes can cut their ca...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hutchins, Professor of Media and Communications Studies, Monash University Australian sport’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been remarkable. Major leagues reorganised with impressive speed to keep games going. Schedules dissolved, seasons were compressed and players relocated. And the once unthinkable ...9 hours ago
- This is how universities can lead climate actionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabi Mocatta, Lecturer in Communication, Deakin University, and Research Fellow in Climate Change Communication, Climate Futures Programme, University of Tasmania Universities are vital hubs of research and teaching on climate change. As large organisations, they also have significant emissions, which contribute to ...9 hours ago
- Beyond the police state to COVID-safe: life after lockdown will need a novel approachSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Elkins, Senior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University As second-wave outbreaks of COVID-19 around the world demonstrate, it’s a tricky transition from hard lockdowns to more relaxed, but still effective, measures. The responses of different nations (Sweden ...9 hours ago
- Five things to know about the AntichristSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland In the history of the West over the last 2000 years, there has never been a time when someone hasn’t been predicting the end of the world. ...9 hours ago
- National MPs say goodbye as caucus dissects what went wrongNational's caucus will today begin the task of trying to pick up the pieces, at its first meeting following the weekend's crushing defeat. ...9 hours ago
- Live Updates, October 20: Remaining National MPs head to Wellington after election defeatWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 20. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.40am: Election 2020 – what’s next?Election day might be over, but there’s still a lot of developments still to come.The newly re-elected prime minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday held ...9 hours ago
- The Bulletin: System springs into action on Port Covid caseGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: System springs into action on Port Covid case, Labour opens up initial talks with Greens, and New Zealand travellers creating headaches for Aussie states.A clarification on the new case of Covid-19 announced on Sunday – it was not in fact ...10 hours ago
- Business & Investing: Demand high for medical cannabis
Shares in 'green' company highly sought after, green light for Metlifecare takeover ...10 hours ago - Why voters rejected conspiracy theorists
Political hopefuls peddling conspiracy theories have been rejected by New Zealand voters. ...10 hours ago - MediaRoom: TVNZ wins election ratings, NBR wins in court
TVNZ wins election night ratings TVNZ cruised to a comfortable ratings win over Three but, Mark Jennings reports, advances in streaming are creating opportunities for other media. Both TV networks reached over a million viewers with their election night coverage but their days of dominance are starting to dwindle. Stuff’s ...10 hours ago - Simon Sweetman vs Stuff
Simon Sweetman on the death of a critic (himself) I wasn’t there for the start of music journalism in New Zealand – but I was there for the death of it. Some would say I was part of the reason. But you should never read the comments. All I ...10 hours ago - What is Turkey’s President Erdogan up to in Armenia?
The recent flare-up of fighting in the south Caucasus is nasty. After the break up of the Soviet Union, Armenians and Azerbaijanis fought an unpleasant war over the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh with casualties of around 100,000 and one million displaced. Armenia prevailed then. Now Azerbaijan, with the help ...11 hours ago - The roots of National's fall
The National Party is still alive despite a crushing loss, but is it in a state to regrow? ...11 hours ago - Ex-UN climate chief praises PM, urges greater action
The world is running out of time, but in the nick of time, on climate change, Christiana Figueres tells David Williams In December 2015, US President Barack Obama hailed the Paris climate agreement, hammered out between almost 200 countries, as a potential turning point for the world. “The targets we’ve ...11 hours ago - A political fairytale gone wrong
The coming months will be crucial for Boris Johnson, the EU, the British economy – and for the future unity of the United Kingdom. ...11 hours ago - Progress report: NZ's 3 World Cups in 3 years
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: New Zealand will host three World Cups over the next three years, kicking off with rugby in 2021, followed on by cricket in 2022 and topped off with football in 2023. All three major events are at different stages of planning and delivery, but all are progressing on ...11 hours ago - Peters' fight and court bills will go on
Outgoing deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has yet to overturn a $317,000 award against him for legal costs and has another outstanding case to fund. Tim Murphy reports Winston Peters is about to lose his $334,000 salary and staff - but still has unfinished business and bills for two court actions he ...11 hours ago - Labour could out-green the Greens
With Covid we've taken the approach, go hard or go home. We need to go hard on transformative environmental change too – there’ll be no home to go to. ...11 hours ago - A consistent and worrying failure
Despite links to mental ill health and suicide, the government* has failed to progress a recommendation from its own mental health and addiction inquiry to take a stricter regulatory approach to alcohol. Experts have described the lack of action as a missed opportunity. Oliver Lewis reports. Doug Sellman is exasperated. ...11 hours ago - RBNZ to protect notes and coins for the vulnerable
As banks take the opportunity to close down branches and ATMs in the Covid-19 lockdowns, the RBNZ moves to stop cash disappearing entirely. ...11 hours ago - Will Labour swipe right on the Greens to govern?With the government set to take shape in the next few weeks, Labour and the Greens will have to decide on the nature of their relationship for the next three years. Andrew Geddis takes us through the options at hand. Without even knowing the final election result (there are about 500,000 ...12 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern and transforming the would-be transformerThe self-proclaimed governors of transformation have not so far infused the ‘wellbeing’ idea they trumpeted into everyday speech. Do they dare do so now, asks Colin James.Jacinda Ardern claimed a “mandate” on election night to “accelerate our response [to Covid] and our recovery”. Does that portend the “government of transformation” ...12 hours ago
- Siouxsie Wiles: Don’t fall for the Covid contrariansA small but vocal movement calling for the end of lockdown restrictions is gaining steam globally. Dr Siouxsie Wiles explains why such an approach would be a bad idea.As life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are ...12 hours ago
- The Swedish strategy
Are Swedes really conquering Covid with their out-of-the-box thinking on dealing with the pandemic? Another deadly wave of coronavirus is sweeping through Europe, leading to strict lockdowns and states of emergency. But Sweden is sticking to its no-lockdown strategy of voluntary social distancing. Today The Detail looks why millions ...12 hours ago - From ‘beacon of hope’ to ‘incompetent’: world media on Jacinda Ardern’s big election winThe common theme in international media is the Labour leader as antithesis to Donald Trump – but not everyone is bowled over.A landslide win for the New Zealand Labour Party saw the acclamation flow abroad for Jacinda Ardern. Similar plaudits were forthcoming for Jacinta Ardern, Jacinda Adern and Jacinta Adern.I ...17 hours ago
- 'Yo-yo MP' Maureen Pugh not counting on bounce from special votesThis is the third time National's Maureen Pugh has been caught in limbo - she's waiting to see if special votes will mean she's out of Parliament. ...21 hours ago
- New modelling finds investing in childcare and aged care almost pays for itselfSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janine Dixon, Economist at Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University In the absence of an official analysis of the impact of the budget by gender the National Foundation for Australian Women has this morning published its own gender analysis of the budget, ...22 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Leftwing euphoria meets realityAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The political left has been euphoric since Saturday’s night historic landslide victory for Labour. But political commentators from across the spectrum are united in warning that the new Government isn’t about to be transformative. Instead, we will see more of ...22 hours ago
- The Issues With The Proposed Cannabis Legalisation And Control BillAs a non-cannabis user, I strongly believe cannabis should be legalised but I do not think the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill is the best way to do it. The bill aims to reduce harm to people and communities. But it will not reduce the harms ...22 hours ago
- Hell yes it’s time for some more dogs at polling boothsThis election, the nation embraced dogs at polling booths. We ran out of time and capacity to put them all up on Saturday, so here are some of the pooches that got away.Last week, we asked you to send in your photos of dogs at polling booths, promising our election ...22 hours ago
- Embrace This Pandemic, Help The Vulnerable, And Don’t Encourage Drug UseEmbrace, Help, and Don’t Encourage - Embrace This Pandemic, Help The Vulnerable, and Don’t Encourage Drug Use To many people, 2020 was just not their year. Some have lost their jobs, or their loved ones while some have been stuck in parts of ...22 hours ago
- Covid-19: All eyes on ship off Napier coast
As the close contacts of Sunday's Covid-19 community case have been quickly ring-fenced, attention has turned to a ship quarantined off the coast of Napier with 21 contacts on board, Marc Daalder reports All 21 members of the crew of a ship quarantined off the coast of Napier are considered ...23 hours ago - Analysis – ex-National voters opted for Labour as its own handbrakeAnalysis - Many ex-National voters opted for Labour to ensure the Greens don't have the power to pull the party further left, writes Tim Watkin. ...23 hours ago
- As holidaymakers arrive, what does COVID-19 mean for rural health services?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Baker, Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Rural Emergency Medicine, Deakin University At the start of the pandemic, health services in regional cities and small towns braced for a tsunami of cases. Many worried the patient transport system between hospitals would ...23 hours ago
- The National Party looks to get up againHow can National scrape itself off the canvas after a big defeat? Justin Latif talks to MPs and members.Following National’s crushing defeat on election night, the carcass of the party’s unsuccessful campaign is already being picked over by members and MPs.Departing MP and former cabinet minister Alfred Ngaro placed the ...23 hours ago
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there are two pieces of (involuntary) comedic-writing in the herald today..
..one is from the editorial writer roughan..
..where he has decided to ignore keys’ admonition not to gloat..
..to throw that caution to the wind..
..and he almost orgasms all over the page..in his gloating delight..
..the prose gets quite purple..
..and funny story..in doing so he reveals so much for one who hides behind the anonymity of the editorial-writer..
..and of course he also reveals so much of the ethos/imperatives of that rag he writes for..
..and roughan sees no dirty politics..
..(and we can presume no need for the cavalcade of inquiries underway as a result of that book..inquiries that urgent the chief ombudsman called the allegations..if proven..an attack on our democracy..
..but yeah..nah..eh..?…roughan sees none of that..to his eyes it is all so clean..
..it sparkles…)
..roughan also sees no problems with mass-surveillance..
..the list goes on and on..
..and his far-right beliefs..and the prescriptions of that rag he editorialises in..
..are laid bare..
..but the laugh-out-loud/guffaw of the morning is in the latest pile of steaming horse-shit from john armstrong..
..it comes at the end..
..when after this long list of moans about labour/cunnliffe..
..like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a top-hat..
..he presents his solution to labours’ woes..
..and..steel yrslves…!
..it’s shearer…!
(i know..!..i know..!..bloody hilarious..!..eh..?..)
I’d say Stuart Nash with the aim being for 2020, but I’d have a care taker leader for the next 6 months or so.
Nash is fresh and isn’t tainted like the rest of Labours politicians so he’d probably get a much better reception by the public.
Seems to get on really well with all sorts of people which is a real plus and he has a positive vibe to him.
Voters tend to like those sort of qualities.
hilarious..rightwinger bm comes out for/indicts..
..the rightwing outlier..nash..
(he who rode into parliament on the shoulders of far-right nutjob garth mcvicar..)
..i am sure the ever oleaginous nash will warm to yr words/endorsement..
..for others..it just confirms what they already know of him..
What, that he’s the best choice?
Even Martyn Bradbury agrees.
@ bm..
..really..?
..do u have a link for that..?
..and anyway..bradbury wants labour to move to the centre/right..
..his logic is that will leave room for more left parties to flourish..
..and there is a certain logic to that..
..but it would render labor down to a slightly larger nz first..
..the other imperative of course is that minor parties on the left can bang on about ending poverty..
..but if labour aen’t on board..
..it ain’t going anywhere..
..this forms the basis of my thinking..
..that labour can both end poverty..and look after the middle class..
..and getting back to yr point..
..nash is not the one to do that..
..and anyway..he will lose napier next election..
..he got no more votes than he did in ’11..
..and garth mcvicar carved-off 4,500+ from the tory side of the ledger..
..that won’t happen in 2017..
..nash will be riding his fire engine right outta town..
There you go.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/09/25/why-cunliffe-should-probably-just-let-nash-robertson-win/
not so much an endorsement from bradbury then..?
..more a surrender-letter..
..and definitely nuanced in yr claimed ‘endorsement’ of nash by him..eh..?
“..Stuart Nash has all the ambition of a piranha in a feeding frenzy..”
so..bm..you’re bullshitting yet again..eh..?
..is it a day ending in a ‘y’..?
@BM. The only thing missing from Bradbury’s article was the /sarc at the end. Now did you actually read it? Or like most Trolls did you just skim the title?
Why is it that the right wingers continuously tell the left who our leaders should be. We do not do the same to them. It is a waste of precious broadband having to download their idiot comments.
They really, really want Cunliffe gone and either mumbleface back or Robertson who does not command wide support. Why? They don’t care about Labour so it has to be something else.
Gee the other day, I asked who, in Labour, was actually better that Cunnliffe.
Perhaps I should apologise for wasting precious broadband with my idiot comments?? 🙂
yep i nearly lost my breakfast when he started talking about “honest journalism”.
Pleeeeese.
I see Roughan is letting his erection do the writing again today. Were those “Democracy Under Attack” headlines all those years ago actually a declaration of their intent to manufacture opinion?
The herald needs taking out of circulation. Are they stalking David Cunliffe.? How much did Jason Eden get paid to disappear? Do all dear leaders famous sportspeople who tweeted on election day to vote natz get fined?
I hope Cunliffe gets to stay. If he can weather all the crap thrown at him over the last few months and not descend to gutter politics to try and counter key then he has shown great fortitude. He’s not perfect, but who is. Some of Labour’s policies were good and the country has lost out.
John key gloated some time ago that he only been pm for so many years and had already’ seen off’ Goff and Shearer.
Cunliffe going will only add to this perception that he is all powerful. It would be keys worst nightmare for Cunliffe to get back in with full support of EVERYONE!
Cunliffe has shown he has amazing internal fortitude – he’s made of pretty sterling stuff – He MUST STAY!!
Yep, Cunliffe should stay, otherwise the whole circus starts again. Nash is a bit player in the Dirty Politics book, god knows what kinda dirt Slater has on him. Opinion.
+ 100
Just confirms it – John Armstrong has advanced dementia! Cos Shearer was so sparkling and effective the last time right? Shearer is the most dire leader that Labour ever had, no wonder Armstrong wants him back!
Watched Prime Time with Sean Plunket last night. Was very interesting with 3 Labour supporters/experts and Sean looking at a positive future for Labour.
Unable to link to any replay but hope someone else can. It was good.
i watched that..i thought how it was quite amusing how plunkett tried to trot out the handbag of cliches he and the corporate-media have been riffing on..
..and each of them was logically unpacked/dismantled by one of those three guests..(one of whom was rob salmond..)
..i got the feeling it didn’t go at all how plunkett wanted it to..
..and the takeaway fact for me came from the labour historian..
..who noted the labour pm’s who had faced defeat on their first attempt..
..and really..cunnliffe must hang tough..
..and not allow himself to be the whipping boy for all that was/is wrong with labour..
..in their campaign-strategy/f.p.p-thinking/policy-under-delivering..
..’cos the fact still remains..
..cunnliffe is labours’ best hope of/for victory in 2017…
..robertson is just another running-dog for the right..
..one who national/the media want..
..the right are scared of cunnliffe/a re-born labour…
..so you hang tough there..!..mr cunnliffe..
..this too will all pass…
..and then you can get on with doing what you do best..
..dismembering the bullshit of/from national in parliament..
..hanging key up on a hook..
..a task robertson has proven himself hopeless at..
+1000
I don’t like Plunket politics normally but am glad I watched the sanity of the experts. And yes Sean looked a bit miffed that the guests politely rubbished Sean’s negative talking points. It was interesting that he did not bring in Mr Hooten or his ilk in the false name of balance. No shouting down of common sense.
Thanks for the outline. I can never bring myself to watch Plunket. I understood Prime TV doesn’t do any ondemand of their shows.
They are owned by Sky, and hence you have to pay for their drivel if you want it on demand.
If true, this is terrible news, and an undermining of the democratic will of the membership by a right wing cabal prepared to risk the destruction of the Labour Party for personal advancement.
I knew that the ABC dominated caucus would make it impossible for David Cunliffe to lead them. And that they would do there very best to over undermine the democratic decision of the Labour membership.
And the fact that this scum has leaked the possibility of his resignation today, to the media shows that they want to cement it in, ‘He who can shape the argument, wins the argument’.
Faced with this total right wing revolt
What should David Cunliffe do?
Respect the democratic decision of the membership?
Give in? Overturning the democratic decision of the membership?
Or stick it out?
The caucus have made the situation impossible.
If David Cunliffe wants to continue, he has to abandon his revolting caucus and seek support somewhere else.
No one can continue when they are completely isolated, effectively without support, so David Cunliffe needs to seek it outside of his caucus. He has a few options.
Tracey Watkins lays out what she thinks they should be.
David Parker is the black prince behind all the anti Cunliffe feeling in the Labour caucus, in my opinion there is no way that this right wing back stabber should be allowed anywhere near the leadership, even on an interim basis.
UPDATE
Tracy Watkins is at it again:
Is Watkins a Labour caucus member?
Is she a fly on the wall?
Who is it, who keeps leaking the ABC narrative to her?
Cunliffe needs to take a hard line with his mutinous caucus.
If I was in Cunliffe’s shoes I would walk into that meeting and say, “I have decided to form a shadow cabinet with the Greens. Are you in, or out?”
If Robertson-Ardern is the ticket, then it may be prudent for political expediency for Robertson to quickly propose to Ardern with a ring, have an urgent drive-by hetero sexual wedding and come out singing Kumbaya for popular votes. Otherwise, it could be an arduous uphill task going simply by my instincts.
But on the contrary, being gay could actually be an advantage in the modern world. Not sure, though.
Personally, I have no problem. I am just thinking practically of the ‘real’ world.
Being progressive makes NZ feel good about ourselves I think. His being gay probably has as many pluses as minuses and is not the reason for him not being the one right now (the reason for me is that I am not over Cunliffe). It would be like saying the Democrats shouldn’t have gone with Obama as he wouldn’t appeal to racists.
Excellent and diplomatic responses from Marama Davidson on the Paul Henry show last night (sans Paul Henry) about Labour leadership – she said it was up to Labour and she hoped they would be a strong opposition like the Greens – or something like that.
The Paul Henry show journalist (Penfold) was pretty pathetic, making it all about what the LP caucus want, and ignoring the NZLP members’ freferences. She also was superficial in saying election results showed the electorate had rejected Cunliffe.
Early morning clarity bought a revelation of sorts to me. I finally realised why people don’t vote,.
By last night I had come to terms with the fact that if Robertson prevails that I could not vote for him or Labour and that’s after 45 years and thousands of dollars in donations.
I will not vote at all.
I could not live with myself for voting Nat, the Greens are one-dimensional and while I admire Winston’s longevity he does attract serious space-cadets.
I have been proud that Labour has been on the right side of all the big issues in my lifetime, United Nations, workers rights, Vietnam, nuclear testing, apartheid,gay rights etc etc.
I have bought my children up with the belief that it is a duty to support those less fortunate than ourselves and fortunately they have adopted those principles.
But if Grant Robertson thinks he is the answer after being comprehensivly beaten 14 months ago then I will walk away.
He did not get a majority in caucus, that is a myth, he got 16 votes out of 32 on the first ballot, I don’t know what he got on the second but it would not have been resounding.
I have heard that he is rude and dismissive towards those he does not agree with.
Winning bloody expensive elections unfortunately requires corporate donations, Robertson and Barnett as openly gay men will not get a cracker.
Jacinta Ardern as his proposed deputy will be subject to even more disgusting vitriol than Helen Clark had to put up with over her childlessness, ( mid-thirties, no kids, no husband or partner ) the arseholes are waiting in ambush.
A Labour Party with a gay Leader, gay smeared deputy, gay fundraiser and organiser, the Gay Party
Electoral fucking suicide.
Hullo sub 10%, if lucky.
I agree.
Which leaves Shearer or Nash.
BM are you dense or can you not read? For the umpteenth time Nash ONLY got in because McVicar split the right vote. And as for Shearer yeah right, been there, and tried him.
Now I wrote this really slow, so you shouldn’t have trouble understanding it this time around.
I can understand your anger.
Apparently Ardern told the Paul Henry show that she is not interested in being leader – not now nor at any time in the future.
Sexuality has got nothing to do with who is best leader.
The Greens are multi-dimensional – they campaign on 3 planks, covering a range of issue: economy, fair society (issues of income, fairness at work); environment. it includes a focus on local issues re governance, transport, etc, plus international issues, GCSB, TPPA, asset sales, etc, etc. If they increase the number of MPs, it will strengthen the range of the areas they work on.
They can’t get much more than 10%.
I put that down to their fundamentalist fervor and the lack of ability to compromise or negotiate.
The greens, my way or the highway approach to politics rather dooms them to political oblivion.
I put that down to their fundamentalist fervor and the lack of ability to compromise or negotiate.
Myths.
Exhibits A, B and C – MoUs, and the fact that National rejected any further MoUs last time round.
It was the Greens that asked to work with Labour.
Hi Karol, sorry but for many sexuality and politics do matter. And if you want the majority concentrating on politics its best to not have any focus on sexuality. Agree?
Adrian, agreed with reservations about your gay comments.
I think the final caucus vote after Jones dropped out was something like 18-16* Robertson/Cunliffe but the incredibly biased msm NEVER report this because it doesn’t suit their agenda.
*somebody out there will remember the actual numbers.
Another recruit. Welcome aboard.
Dear David Cunliffe
Many of the points above cover the points I wish to raise.
I differ from Adrian in one major respect, until last week I have not voted labour since 1984.
I voted in the hope that we would get a progressive Left coalition whose compromise of common Policy would urgently address the failings of 30 years of regressive thinking.
The massively funded Dirty tricks machine came after you continuously since the leadership contest.
The lack of support and sharing of load by your caucus has been criminal, but not unexpected as the desire by the membership to be rid of the centrist career caucus is pervading.
The increased intensity of media attacks post-election by the dirty tricks machine is your greatest compliment and the abiding reason why you should retain the leadership.
Why?
Its patently obvious that its you& your supporters the Right fears the most .
Those of us blessed with an IQ that exceeds room temperature can see clearly the shower of S***t that 19th century economic theory and 20th century “Growth” mindset is doing globally and the client state ,’yes its all for sale’ mentality of Brandkey is accelerating the demise of our society.
To you and the doubters , reflect on the fact that you & you alone in the Party are capable of managing an electoral triumph in 2017 .
Reflect also ,if that if every member of the caucus found themselves in that most hypothetical situation – out of a job and seeking new employment , you & you alone would be recruited instantly by any number of Business or NGO organisations , locally or internationally , whilst the rest would languish amongst the formerly employed for considerable time.
One more thing , Andrew Little , pick up the phone and call the EPMU and use your formidable skills to garner the support that Cunliffe needs.
Your leadership ambitions need a term or two in Government before the electorate & the media will consider you without a similar derision to the Gays & non-breeders.
No they’re not but I’m sure that National are happy that you think that they are as it’s the fallacious message that they’ve been spreading about the Greens over the last few years.
No it doesn’t as I’ve shown on here before.
Great shot illustrating Open Mike today. Good old Red Dwarf
Kryton: Mr Seymour, Sir, you’re a Smeeeeee.
Seymour: I’m a “Smeeeeee” ?
Kryton: Mr Seymour, you’re a Smeeeeee(g) heeeeee(ad)
Lols. I had a smile when I saw David “rimmer” Seymour on the cover of Open Mike today. David Seymour shall be known as Rimmer from now on.
Smeg head. Word of the day.
( boldsirbrian ….previously known as brian …. conflicting with other “Brian”s )
@ Rosie (5.1.1)
First an acknowledgement. I consistently refer to the Prime Minister as Dirty John. I will continue to do so until an inquiry (with terms of reference accepted by the Opposition) into Dirty Politics is completed, and in the event that he is exonerated. (btw, Where IS Jason Ede?)
However, I would prefer that Seymour be left alone from name calling. He is sincere, and believes in the policies he promotes. He has done nothing wrong. He has got his position as a gift from Dirty John.
I cannot recall any policy he has promoted that I agree with. The only positive I can say about the ACt party is that it is a couple of millimetres up from the bottom rung of a long ladder, where the Conservatives reside.
But Seymour is not the enemy. If he went, there would be others like Jamie Whyte who would fill the vacuum with equal nonsense. The policies that Seymour promotes are what should be targeted.
same Rosie, like twins, AND have you heard the way he speaks.
Dwayne Dibley ……..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6vU_Urxgbg
And Mr Rimmer as a Green Party activist…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WgUktfdDy4&list=PL84D1DB7FE317550A
David Cunliffe needs to take his inspiration for his way forward from what he would have needed to have done if Labour had won the election and form a shadow cabinet with the Greens. Caucusing with the Greens would be the best way for David Cunliffe to counter and sideline the ABC creeps and also be very good practice for the future Left wing Labour/Green Government.
Never fear, The Herald panders to the Key groupies, it’s a third at best, rate newspaper, I certainly read it for sheer entertainment concerning their political posts. What a Joke, they are the main NZ paper? it is remarkable and boy do they talk shit. Really, what a joke of a newspaper, I’d rather read the UK Sun.
Reading Armstrong is like reading the writings of an insane man going through a bad patch. In touch with reality, one wonders, I watched him skulking around the Hagar book launch, looking like Gollum seeking his precious. Pathetic fellow, and O’Sullivan thinks she’s NZ press royalty, views clearly pro hard right philosophy.
Honestly all we read in the Herald is attacks on all other parties except Act and Nats. I mean they give Rodney Hyde and Bob jones opinion pieces to spout whatever they want. It’s a joke.
The rich have to much of a disproportionate representation for policy direction and access to government. they control the media, therefore controlling the population. Democracy? FJK, I think not.
But Richard, Armstrong suggested Shearer as leader. What could possibly go wrong? (sarc)
“There are some really, really vile people out there.”—Mary Beard
Most of them work for the Murdoch empire
Radio New Zealand National, Saturday 27 September 2014
In a mostly excellent interview with Cambridge Univ. Professor of Classics Mary Beard, Kim Hill let herself down when she carelessly stated that the online trolls who abused Mary Beard’s physical appearance were “much viler” than the likes of A.A. Gill, who instigated the abuse. Normally, Gill reserves his venom for hapless but anonymous waiters and chefs; his attitude to powerful and intelligent people is normally one of groveling and toadying. Something about Mary Beard led him to go to his (rather limited and uninteresting) grab-bag of misogynistic smears. Ostensibly, it was her long grey hair and imperfect teeth that enraged him, but I suspect the real seat of his hatred was her principled opposition to the war-mongering U.K. government, which she expressed forcefully in the London Review of Books in October 2001. [1]
I sent Kim the following email, which I am pleased to say she read out on air straight after the interview….
“There are some really, really vile people out there.”—Mary Beard
Dear Kim,
You said that the trolls who swore at Mary Beard online were “much viler” than A.A. Gill, who had used his Sunday Times platform to mock her hair, teeth and general appearance. In fact, it is people like Gill, that buffoonish, ignorant, malicious restaurant critic-cum-political commentator, carefully constructing their insults from positions of power and privilege, protected by the media organizations that employ them, who set the tone of these campaigns of abuse.
As Mary Beard pointed out in her interview, “There are some really, really vile people out there.” And the fact is: we know who they are.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
[1] http://www.lrb.co.uk/v23/n19/nine-eleven-writers/11-september
Yep. Heard that. Agreed.
For instance we know who Armstrong & O’Sullivan are.
Vile ones in leading the Slater-like trashing of good people.
Good job too Morrissey.
So three more years, it’s sinking in now, such a long time, he’s already has 6 years of promises, and excuses and lies all the way, what happened to his dream of a brighter future, easy to say, hard as hell to achieve eh Key.
This years low Fonterra pay out, which NZ seems to run on, small businesses will suffer, a lot of cash flow lost. Man we are in for rough times. Rough I say, batten down the hatches, Car and farm equipment dealerships will become rare as rocking horse shit. it’s all going to get very dire for rural NZ farming towns soon.
The backlash will start eventually, I have faith Key will get rid of himself as his failed ideology will see NZ slide ever further downhill on most measurements of government performance. Expect more outrageous crimes, 25% off benefits they promised.
National caring for their wallets business as usual.
Yep Richard, one of the few consolations of the result is that Key has inherited a self-inflicted poisoned chalice.
Karol, of course sexuality has nothing to do with leadership ability but it has everything to do with perception, and politics is all perception.
The perception that the leader favours their own particular private politics mostly, be they a gay, a woman,an Aucklander, a South Islander, a righty, a lefty, a unionist.
The problem is when the perception is that they have surrounded themselves with others of similiar persuasion.
Then you have CAPTURE.
And voters do not like that, particularly if it does not reflect their own circumstances.
It makes them uncomfortable and they won’t vote for you.
Hi can anyone supply me with the link to the Keep David Cunliffe page on face book?
I don’t go on face book as such, but do have a profile, so maybe I should just log on myself. If anyone can help me let me know.
If people on this site want to keep Cunliffe, best thing is to join Labour its not that expensive and vote (hopefully we will get the chance) and sign the facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/cunliffeforleader
Here is the link.
I finally became a financial member of Labour after waiting many months to see if they would become unified enough to be strong in the election. Eventually, I thought they had done this to a reasonable degree and joined. Now I want my money back if Cunliffe is rolled.
I like Shearer where he is. He is good at what he knows. Grant Robertson would be open to every muck raking, lying innuendos that key and his rabble could find. They would end up making him into the George Michael of NZ. Nothing would be too low for them to stoop to.
Leave Cunliffe in charge.
If the Labour Caucus dumps Cunliffe I’ll be switching to the Greens next election, because you can guarantee if Cunliffe is rolled Labour will swing back to the right to chase the “centre”. Instead of building more robust policy and going back to Clark’s strategy of targeting the party vote and start campaigning earlier in the three year cycle.
I guess the leadership wouldn’t be too unhappy with that if they are able to hoover up some votes from Winston and National. But how a chap who’s whole life has been in parliamentary and political circles and comes third in the party vote in his electorate is going to be able to present as a better option than Winston Peters or Key to the right of the party will be interesting, considering that has been all we’ve heard from Cunliffe opponents.
He’s never been a minister of anything, though I suppose he can say that if he’s doesn’t become leader he might never be the minister of anything…
Still it will be a completely fresh party. It will make 4 leaders in four years and begin to put Labour in some dangerous territory. If things start to go wrong? Changing the leader again would just continue the revolving door…I guess if Grant has got it he’s got at least until the next election. However, he should be spending a long time in South and West Auckland if he has, and in the Maori seats. Otherwise it comes across as this (Wellington) city liberal with a leadership team whose constituencies heavily supports the Greens, and who has avoided a vote from the party after being rejected by them the first time. Not having that support in my book, is just as bad or actually much worse than not having the support of Mallard, Shearer, Goff and Cosgrove, say.
Also, and I hate to say it- it is all about the fundraising. Seemed like they did start earlier, but couldn’t keep up the spend. Business is good for businesses, so there isn’t a lot of cash for Labour. Did think the two advertising campaigns presented a stark contrast as well. I liked Vote Positive and the posters that went up with policy, but the TV presentations seemed a bit weak and not flashy enough.
You seem to think that Robertson is bad.
I also see that the newspapers seem to be pushing Arden for deputy. She would seem to be even worse. At least Robertson managed to win in the electorate.
Can anyone tell me why Arden seems to attract supporters? What has she ever done, inside or outside Parliament?
Where did I say he was bad? Fresh start was the word I used.
However he needs to connect with the base that voted for Labour at this election and make sure they are happy. Is it any better a leader with an unhappy base than one with an unhappy caucus? Obvious statement I would have thought.
To also restate, this doesn’t seem like a move to the right like all the knowledgable pundits have been saying.
Then they must get Phil Geoff as a leader? He would fit that bill.
“If the Labour Caucus dumps Cunliffe I’ll be switching to the Greens next election,”
Same here. May not be the Greens but it certainly won’t be Labour. They can go and get fucked.
I think Cunliffe should stay firm and continue as leader or go for a fresh mandate from the membership. Those MPs who are not happy, are free to resign and be independent or start a new party.
After that, Labour should review their policies. Discard some, fine tune others and bring out new ones.
In my opinion, Labour needs to move to the centre in economic matters, but left in social justice matters and pragmatic in environmental policies.
Capital Gains Tax and Retirement Age Change : Rethinking, debate and public input (through online submissions or indicative referendum) is very necessary for these two policies before the public can feel comfortable to accept the required changes, if any.
A lot of comments seem to pander to week knee syndrome. It seems to be rather so that Mr Cunliffe must have hit a raw nerve with the opposition, why else do they have to go after him all guns blazing even if it costs a nat ministers job before the election? The fact that the rank and file labor caucus reacts as they are just shows learned behaviors. Think about it. Something must have scared the pants off the opposition who in turn paid in kind and the ABC’s where just falling for it. Perhaps the logic of sustainability was just too much as it would allow the country to remain in charge of its own destiny?
An official look at the Fed and Goldmans. One statement – For 100 years there has never been transparency.
http://www.propublica.org/article/carmen-segarras-secret-recordings-from-inside-new-york-fed
Where Key got ethicstraining?
Carmen Segarra was sacked because they had, quote –
“lost confidence in [her] ability to not substitute [her] own judgment for everyone else’s.”
Fuckers.
Also, the transcript of the tapes:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/default/files/TAL536_transcript.pdf
This too:
I don’t want to spoil the revelations of “This American Life”: It’s far better to hear the actual sounds on the radio, as so much of the meaning of the piece is in the tones of the voices — and, especially, in the breathtaking wussiness of the people at the Fed charged with regulating Goldman Sachs. But once you have listened to it — as when you were faced with the newly unignorable truth of what actually happened to that NFL running back’s fiancee in that elevator — consider the following:
1. You sort of knew that the regulators were more or less controlled by the banks. Now you know.
2. The only reason you know is that one woman, Carmen Segarra, has been brave enough to fight the system. She has paid a great price to inform us all of the obvious. She has lost her job, undermined her career, and will no doubt also endure a lifetime of lawsuits and slander.
So what are you going to do about it? At this moment the Fed is probably telling itself that, like the financial crisis, this, too, will blow over. It shouldn’t.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-09-26/the-secret-goldman-sachs-tapes
Fascinating.
Advice to Carmen. I want to help you with your career, I want you to be successful.
It’s really about how you are perceived. You have more sharper elbows, you are breaking eggs. Have a sense of humility. If I was a new person I would say Carmen you are very arrogant. You use ‘definitely’ too often. A lot of it is consensus building, ‘hey what do you think.’
I’m not questioning your knowledge-base.
But she needed to be more relational, quickly, in order to be (Carmen) ‘Not fired.’
Conflicts of interest were common and not handled properly.
Carmen complains about push-back. Peers – She asked direct questions, that needed to be asked, that weren’t wrong to ask. She is told that notes she took at meetings were wrong. That things written down were not said, or were not meant as definite statements. She is forced to put a small recording device on her wrist to ensure that her notes are correct.
The other business-line employees are in group-think it seems. They feel uncomfortable to state what they think before they know what their senior management think, not to be too different from their peers.
Carmen thought – The Fed had the authority to be a good regulator but was afraid to use its own power.
Many of the Fed regulators who leave go to work for the banks they are overseeing.
Carmen was fired. She has taken legal recourse and been turned down. One report on her firing says that it was because of her own faults not because of her unpopular findings by the Fed conciliators.
There is resistance.
Given that parliament seems to be on a path to deliver a bigger surveillance state and less means for whistleblowers to expose its abuses or for journalists to scrutinise it, a bit of push back from the community might have been expected. This is, after all, a pretty important principle: public interest disclosure and press freedom.
Yet nobody, apart from the industry, the Greens and a couple of crossbench parliamentarians stood up for press freedom. The freedom warriors of the Coalition, and the accountability merchants of the ALP, waved the restrictions through without a backward glance. The community as a whole declined to be outraged.
[…]
But what I am saying is: wake the hell up. I have never been more resolved, in 18 years of practising journalism, of the absolute importance of our function in a democracy. I have never been more sure that the opportunity cost associated with doing this job is, actually, worth it.
I believe we matter. I know I’m not alone in that belief. Yet we act as though we don’t matter, and facts don’t matter, and truth doesn’t matter. Call this Dispatch this particular weekend a love letter to my profession, and an outpouring of grief at its failings.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/26/the-acid-test-australian-journalists-must-ask-what-agenda-they-serve
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/22/australias-counter-terror-laws-will-restrict-our-free-speech-and-free-press