Open mike 27/10/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 27th, 2015 - 41 comments
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41 comments on “Open mike 27/10/2015 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    27 October 2015 at 7:08 am

    This article is worthy of a post In its own right.
    Rachel Stewart’s article needs to be widely read.

    ‘New Zealand has reached the pinnacle of world number one in domestic violence’

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/73339236/New-Zealand-has-reached-the-pinnacle-of-world-number-one-in-domestic-violence

  2. Morrissey 2
    27 October 2015 at 7:22 am

    Paul “Kill Them All” Henry counsels his slaves: “Trust Bill English.”
    This pathetic little exchange perfectly sums up the New Zealand media
    Paul Henry, TV3, Tuesday 27 October 2015, 7:06 a.m.

    People in Bill English’s department have been up to some kind of shenanigans involving inappropriate conduct with a sheep. Bill English denies it, and that’s good enough for New Zealand’s version of Sean Hannity (sans the sensitivity and compassion)….

    PAUL “KILL THEM ALL” HENRY: [carefully] I would venture to trust Bill English on this more than I would the media.

    HILLARY BARRY: [dubiously] Mmmmm.

    GEOFF McTAINSH: [unhappily] Mmmmm.

    PAUL HENRY: Ha! Because we ARE the media.

    HILLARY BARRY: Snort.

    ….ad nauseam…

    More sheep news….
    http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/sheep-kills-ageing-owner-in-saudi-2015-10-26-1.608139

    • Paul 2.1
      27 October 2015 at 7:29 am

      Reckon Hoskings is more like Hannity.
      The NZ media are repeaters not reporters.
      They repeat what they’ve been told to say by the finance and banking industry, as does our banker PM Key.

    • savenz 2.2
      27 October 2015 at 1:43 pm

      @Morrissey – love it

  3. Manuka AOR 3
    27 October 2015 at 8:30 am

    On Thursday Auckland Council vote on oil exploration of Auckland’s west coast. Voting is divided, though Len is indicating he won’t be supporting it: “In particular, I’m concerned for the protection of the remaining Maui’s dolphin population, for Kaipara Harbour, which is nursery to an estimated 95 per cent of West Coast snapper stock, for the shellfish gathering, shorebird habitats and the recreational assets of our beaches.”

    Steve Abel from Greenpeace will be making a formal presentation, and says that more than 8,500 people have emailed in their opposition. http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11534676

    • savenz 3.1
      27 October 2015 at 8:42 am

      Yes interesting to see how they all vote on that one. Most of the council seem very keen to destroy our Natural heritage for the promise of magic beans and piles of cash (for others).

      Would be nice for Len and other councillors to stand up for the environment for once.

      • savenz 3.1.1
        27 October 2015 at 10:21 am

        And under the Natz bringing in TPP we will not be able to say NO to every foreign oil company anyway without being hit with massive financial risk to ‘compensate them’ for their right to expect profit from NZ oceans.

  4. savenz 4
    27 October 2015 at 8:38 am

    God I happened to come across a herald as I waited for a takeaway. Could not believe how shallow, thin and pathetic it was! On the last page it was going on about ”best political interview ever where JK reveals about weeing in the shower etc. Could not believe how biased it was! Really took my breath away – and really trying to make Little look bad too. At one point they compared how everyone said they stole something but Little said no ( in a way to imply you should steal something or maybe little is lying?) So subtle but I am starting to see why mainstream NZ are still voting the Nats. Every sentence was political pro JK and anti Labour. It even went as far as talking about the stats between Labour and Nats shaving ‘their downstairs’ in a way to make out the Nats were better. It was so repulsive.

    Even a weeing, stealing, PM is such a bonus for the country according to the Herald!

    The political interview of a century where 10 trivia questions totally unrelated to policy are discussed as AMAZING political interview! Really?

    We are in BIG trouble as a nation.

    • ianmac 4.1
      27 October 2015 at 10:00 am

      What would have happened had the first question to Key been, “Did you back the 81 Tour?” An honest answer forthcoming do you think?

      • savenz 4.1.1
        27 October 2015 at 10:17 am

        PM – Well at the end of the day I’m comfortable with not remembering…

        • Tracey 4.1.1.1
          27 October 2015 at 10:29 am

          With everything he has forgotten in his life, it’s interesting to note what he remembers… like the deleted texts between he and Ritchie McCaw

  6. Draco T Bastard 6
    27 October 2015 at 11:11 am

    What the Steve Jobs Movie Won’t Tell You About Apple’s Success

    It’s not about lack of opportunities. It’s because businesses are choosing to hoard profits or to use them to simply prop up stock options (and hence executive pay). That is bad for innovation and there is nothing inevitable about it. At the same time, governments are being asked to cut back with the austerity craze that continues to plague many nations. So we have a crisis of investment on both the private and public side.

    Innovation policy itself should be seen as part of the deal: the NIH could say: look, we will continue to spend on innovation, but only if you, Big Pharma, also increase your investments along the whole chain. Instead, Big Pharma gets its way and is able to do record-level share buybacks while lobbying for regressive tax policies, falling regulation, and a parasitic patent system which is blocking future innovation.

    It’s an interview with Mariana Mazzucato and goes over how the government is often the basis of any advancement in technology and products on the market contradicting the belief that it all comes from the private sector.

    It’s something that our politicians need to learn both from the standpoint of boosting R&D and then getting the businesses that use that R&D to pay for it in some way.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    27 October 2015 at 12:01 pm

    Governments shouldn’t count on low oil prices: IEA

    If prices continued at current levels, oil investment was likely to decline again in 2016, mainly in high-cost regions, after sliding this year by more than a fifth, said Birol, who took over the top post at the Paris-based IEA in September.

    “If it comes true, this will be the first time in two decades we will see oil investments declining for two consecutive years,” he said. “One should think about medium and long term implications of this lack of investments.”

    U.S. production of light tight oil production had peaked and was expected to decline by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2016, he added, tightening supplies further.

    So much for having centuries of cheap oil to fuel the economy.

  8. Saarbo 8
    27 October 2015 at 12:14 pm

    Just listened to Deborah Russell on RNZ Nine to Noon….excellent improvement on Williams…I hope she becomes a regular commentator. Instead of agreeing with Hooten she successfully challenges him, he doesn’t sound happy.

    She would make an excellent Finance Minister one day.

    • tracey 8.1
      27 October 2015 at 1:21 pm

      Oh, they had to have a different person to his replacement from last week? I presume he is at the rugby world cup?

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    27 October 2015 at 12:35 pm

    TPP, TISA and TTIP agreements are massive Corporate power grabs dressed up as trade deals

    Geraint Davies (UK MP) “The harsh reality is that this deal is being stitched up behind closed doors by negotiators, with the influence of big corporations and the dark arts of corporate lawyers. They are stitching up rules that would be outside contract law and common law, and outside the shining light of democracy, to give powers to multinationals to sue Governments over laws that were designed to protect their citizens.”

    Caroline Lucas (UK MP) pointed out in support of this that “the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, who are in trade agreements that include this kind of investor-state relationship, have been sued 127 times and have lost an amount of money that could have employed 300,000 nurses for a year“.

    We have to acknowledge the simple fact that the TPPA is nothing more than a corporate power grab that will be detrimental to NZ and then get the parliamentarians to withdraw from it.

  10. tracey 10
    27 October 2015 at 1:22 pm

    Interesting piece from Gordon Campbell today on the pay gap. Has rewritten a couple of famouse male quotes in a humourous ay to make his point

    http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2015/10/27/gordon-campbell-on-the-gender-pay-gap/

  12. savenz 12
    27 October 2015 at 1:47 pm

    The Natz wet dream for education in NZ (don’t worry will share with Maori party, plenty of free state education money to ‘vanish’ too)

    The Center for Media and Democracy has released a disturbing year-long report on the lack of accountability, transparency and oversight in the $3.7 billion given to charter schools instead of public schools since the 1990s.

    The report looked at over two decades of appropriations for 11 states and Washington, D.C. The way the process works is the annual budget allocates funds and states apply for the funds which are distributed to the schools. The schools in some states have the ability to apply directly to the Department of Education. What you see when you look specifically at Michigan, who received more than $3.5 million, is that 20 percent of the schools who applied for funding never actually opened. So where did the money go? Does the state or federal government get that money back? No. It just disappears with no accountability. When someone proves they can’t manage funding they get from the government, generally they lose that funding. At the very least there’s a hearing. In Michigan, you can just start another charter school.

    http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/miscellaneous/shocking-report-us-privatized-charter-school-program-riddled-with-fraud-abuse-and-waste/

  13. tracey 13
    27 October 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Little payin ghis own expenses on trip to World Cup Rugby Final.

    English claims the government is economising by having meetings att eh same time. But Key has warned kiwis to brace ourselves for high bills due to much higher costs in London because of the World Cup.

    So, in some instances it’s costing us more to have them there at a peak time?

    The Government is mentioning that Chairing a right wing leaders meeting is part of this economising?

    Should “we” be paying for this, something which is much more “party” or ideologically focused than of wide benefit to NZ?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Democrat_Union

    The International Democrat Union (IDU) is a conservative international alliance of political parties. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway,[1] the IDU comprises 71 full and associate members from 63 different countries.[2] It is chaired by John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand.
    The IDU provides a forum in which political parties holding similar beliefs can come together and exchange views on matters of policy and organisational interest. From this, they act cooperatively, establish contacts, and present a unified voice toward the promotion of centre-right policies around the globe.

    • savenz 13.1
      27 October 2015 at 2:18 pm

      I think it is pretty clear that Key does not work in the interests of NZ at all, but in the interests of The International Democrat Union (IDU).

      The want the return of the empire a one world order controlled by a handful of extremely wealthy white men.

      • Draco T Bastard 13.1.1
        27 October 2015 at 3:28 pm

        +1

      • Tracey 13.1.2
        27 October 2015 at 4:48 pm

        Interestingly the media just reprinted it, without helping people understand that this is NOT a “NZ” gig but a right wingers unite to dominate the world thing…

        I wonder if the person copying and pasting English’s Press release even bothered to do a search?

  14. Draco T Bastard 14
    27 October 2015 at 3:26 pm

    How is our economy really performing?

    Five headline indicators of national success

    In our new report released today, we set out five headline measures of national success for the UK. Our aim is to re-align government policies with what evidence has shown that we, the UK public, want our economy to deliver.

    Adopting these indicators – which capture performance on Good Jobs, Wellbeing, Environment, Fairness and Health – will provide a clear picture of the UK’s social and economic performance, and focus policy-makers attention on the things that genuinely matter to the UK public.

    Sounds like a good idea for NZ to implement. It would certainly be better than the rather limited GDP in combination with the ZOMG, we’ve got a surplus!!!! that both National and Labour think matters.

    The five are:

    1. Good Jobs – not just any job at any cost.
    2. Wellbeing – Improving people’s lives should be the ultimate aim of public policy.
    3. Environment – Our prosperity, and that of future generations, depends on a healthy environment.
    4. Fairness – High levels of inequality have been proven to have corrosive effects on both society and economy.
    5. Health – Good quality healthcare and public health provision is a pre-requisite for all other social and economic goals.

    The present government would, IMO, fail on all of them especially after their attacks on beneficiaries.

  15. Anne 15
    27 October 2015 at 4:06 pm

    It looks like the latest revelations re -the police activity against Nicky Hager are now getting top billing in the MSM.

    … before seeking any legal order in the Hager inquiry, the police went to 16 banks, airlines and phone companies to seek personal information belonging to Hager. For example, detectives wanted Air NZ to reveal any flights he had taken – and who was sitting next to him.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11535858

    And the police claim Hager was only being treated as a witness and not a suspect criminal? Pull the other one!

    • McFlock 15.1
      27 October 2015 at 4:21 pm

      lol
      talk about fishing: “hi, we need to talk about this illegal act or you need to pass me something, let’s book the only form of transport where your seats are allocated with proof of ID”.

      I hope they spent hours contact-tracing the person in the next seat before they found out it was a travelling sales rep.

      • Naturesong 15.1.1
        27 October 2015 at 5:29 pm

        If past behavior is indicative of future action, for the sake of that innocent person, I really, really hope not.

    • Tracey 15.2
      27 October 2015 at 4:51 pm

      In order for the bank to have so easily handed over the information AND meet their obligation for reason to believe a serious crime is being committed the police MUST have told them they believed HAGER was the criminal. The Bank, to defen itself MUST put forward the basis for its belief a “serious” crime had been committed or would be committed by Hager…

      • Draco T Bastard 15.2.1
        27 October 2015 at 5:57 pm

        The only possible defence that the bank has (Should have) is if the police turned up with a warrant which would prove that due consideration has been given. Without a warrant the police shouldn’t have been asking and the bank shouldn’t have been handing information over.

        This obviously needs to be spelled out clearly in legislation so that the police and the banks understand it.

        • Tracey 15.2.1.1
          27 October 2015 at 8:23 pm

          Draco “reason to believe” will also have had judicial consideration in our Courts.

    • RedbaronCV 15.3
      27 October 2015 at 11:09 pm

      So if you happen to wind up quite by accident sitting next to Nicky on a plane the police want your name?? Why- in case you pinched his boiled lolly – that’s a pretty big breach of privacy with respect to unknown third parties?

  16. Morrissey 16
    27 October 2015 at 5:01 pm

    “I interviewed Alistair Campbell a little earlier, and I didn’t bring that up with him, unfortunately…”
    Jesse Mulligan is already apologizing for his pisspoor interview of Blair’s most brutal henchman.
    Radio New Zealand National, Tuesday 27 October 2015, 3:10 p.m.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201776237/feature-interview-alistair-campbell

    The long awaited “interview” with Alistair Campbell (obviously with conditions attached) was not, as it should have been, conducted from within the confines of one of Her Majesty’s prisons, or from one of the hellholes in Iraq or Afghanistan to which so many of his victims were condemned without trial. It is one of the many unconscionable facts of our time that this loathsome, self-pitying monster continues to roam free, appearing frequently and without impediment on the BBC and anyone else who will promise not to ask him any questions about the crimes he has committed. People like Jesse Mulligan for instance, who treated Campbell with the kind of reverence usually extended to someone like the Dalai Lama.

    I’m preparing a verbatim transcript of the whole wretched 25 minutes, but here’s a quick “highlight” reel of the Guru of Burnley’s timeless wisdom….

    1.) Clive Woodward says there are three kinds of people in a team—the warrior, the leader and the talent. “Some people are all three, of course. I like to think I was part warrior, part leader and I was a talent in the Blair government.”

    2.) The Alistair Campbell technique for stress release—rubbing the thumb and forefinger together. “It just calms me down, like when I’m at the Iraq inquiry, coming under aggressive questioning.”

    3.) He didn’t put Vladimir Putin on the cover of his book—because to do so would imply a positive view of Putin. Campbell admits that Putin has been a success—“if you believe that politics is exercising power.” He had an unpleasant experience with him in the build-up to the Iraq War, Campbell says. Putin just lost it, screaming at Tony Blair. “He was just vicious,” recalled Campbell, with a shudder.

    Tough-guy comedian demands yet more violence in Syria

    Twenty minutes later, in the pre-show segment for the light chat show The Panel, producer Zoe George brought up Tony Blair’s defiant reiteration that he had done the right thing in supporting the aggression against Iraq, because Saddam would have been worse than Assad, and history would show that Blair and George W. Bush are in fact heroes instead of the mass murderers they appear to be. Mulligan, who obviously feels some sense of embarrassment at failing to confront Campbell, said: “I interviewed Alistair Campbell a little earlier, and I didn’t bring that up with him, unfortunately…”

    Blair’s dodgy attempt at self-absolution goaded one of today’s Panelists, Jeremy Elwood, to show just what a deeply moral and thoughtful person he (Jeremy Elwood) is. “Why does it have to be an either-or thing? They got rid of Saddam, which is great, but when are they going to do something about Assad?”

    Not one of the other guests in the studio—not his fellow guest Gary Moore, not Zoe George, not host Jesse Mulligan—said a single thing to contest Elwood’s bloodthirsty support for Al Qaeda and the Al Nusra Front.

    Lovers of black comedy might enjoy Jeremy Elwood’s bewildered thoughts about Gaza….
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17072014/#comment-850030

    And here’s Elwood being bullied by Nevil “Breivik” Gibson….
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18102013/#comment-712798

    • Paul 16.1
      27 October 2015 at 5:41 pm

      Why does Elwood get invited on the Panel?
      He lacks insight, originality, intellect, courage, wisdom, humour, …

  17. Morrissey 17
    27 October 2015 at 6:56 pm

    You’ve just answered your own question, Paul.

  18. Morrissey 18
    27 October 2015 at 8:27 pm

    Just how depraved is the American political scene?
    Just look at what this Democratic Party candidate says to impress voters.

    “My son Jim fought as an infantry Marine on the bloody streets of Ramadi.”

    —- Jim Webb, Democratic Party candidate.

    Did candidates for political office in West Germany in the 1950s boast of their sons having fought on the bloody streets of Warsaw, or the bloody streets of Stalingrad, or the bloody streets of Leningrad?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/us/politics/democratic-debate-transcript.html?_r=0

    First Democratic Presidential Debate 2016 by CNN 10-13-2015 – FULL

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    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

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