The Chauvel valedictory speech was a wonderful thing. And at the end of it I had this thought, the guy is so talented and has only been here for a short time. Why does he have to go?
He nailed it when he said this:
“… it is unproductive to keep trying to locate and exclude the supposed enemy within.
Instead, in order to avoid history repeating, it is time for an honest, open, and overdue assessment of why the 2011 campaign produced Labour’s worst ever electoral result. Those responsible for it should make dignified exits
To put it another way, in Gough Whitlam’s immortal words, the party must have both its wings to fly.”
At the end of the speech Mallard stormed out of Parliament without even applauding Chauvel’s speech.
He then tweeted this:
“My decision to seek Hutt South nomination just reinforced”.
Talk about an extreme use of belligerent incompetent use of social media.
There is something wrong with Labour when it loses Chauvel, demotes Cunliffe and Dalziel and refuses to promote Wall. Mallard is clearly part of the problem. He was the campaign manager for the most unsuccessful Labour campaign in over 80 years and has never been held to account.
Mallard is too much of a liability his tweet r.e. Standing in Hutt South was typical foot in mouth behavior, he is such a turn off to voters. If Shearer believes Malard is the heavy hitter that Labour can ill afford to loose well then he is delusional. Shearer needs to start writing ‘thank you for your services letters.’ Clean out deadwood & recruit new talent NOW!
A crisp salute to that Colonial..the Scottish blood in me shudders to think the strong hold Dunedin electorate seats are slipping away care of Curran. Jim K sort your patch out down there & roll her out!
Absolutely spot on. If the people pulling the strings dont make changes soon then Labour may never recover. Mallard and Goff at least need to go. I suspect the main problem may be that Mallard and Goff are heavily involved in pulling the strings.
If the people pulling the strings dont make changes soon then Labour may never recover.
I’m not overly concerned by that. In fact, I think one of the best things that could happen is that Labour becomes a minor party as they’re too close to the present system and won’t change it.
Twitter is great for telling plonkers like that off, sure he most probably won’t listen, that’s obvious to see. But some staffer may take it onboard. What a tool.
+ 1 imo mallard is thick which was quite obvious from a long way out – remember when he said he was indigenous because he lived in Wainuiomata lol – sad and useless and desperately trying to be relevant.
“There is something wrong with Labour when it loses Chauvel, demotes Cunliffe and Dalziel and refuses to promote Wall. Mallard is clearly part of the problem. He was the campaign manager for the most unsuccessful Labour campaign in over 80 years and has never been held to account.
And he is in the middle of current problems.
He has to go.”
All true. But equally important is that the Labour Party needs to put processes in place that allow the party to hold MPs accountable.
Toxic Trevor has performed poorly in Hutt South. If Mallard continues the teen of the past three elections it will be a marginal Labour seat in terms of Party Vote.
He shares poor performance with his neighbours Annette, Grant and Hipkins.
And with Clark not around and no-one else with the guts, there’s seemingly no-one in the party willing or able to tell Mallard to stfu, start thinking and stop being a douche.
Mallard shares alot with many Labour MP’s/candidates, they think they’re so important/relevant/liked and always have smart answers when facts and results show they’ve lost the electorate.
Clark knew what she was doing when she walked having kept bovver boy under a tight reign for years because without some portfolios to have him twiddling his thumbs over this is the kind of behaviour he can be relied on for, the nat’s best friend is a loose opposition MP, step right up trev.
I remain positive it can be turned around (you have to really) but not with the clowns who architected the worst result in 30 years after going up against a lying, corrupt regime with enough dirt, dodgy deals and democratic destruction to end it at term 1.
they don’t hold slipperys gov’t accountable because they don’t know what that is.
If National can sell ’em then they can be bought back. That should now be the message.
Buyers of the shares should be told, loud and clear, that the shares will be taken back at cost plus costs.
The assets do not belong to a bunch of MPs to sell.
Alas Paul that call has only come from Winston, One would think with 80% of Kiwi’s opposed to our assets sales Shearer has a clear mandate to make the call. I won’t hold my breath!
Less than Act but, then, they also got a hell of a lot more than Act got at their first election. This would tend to indicate a possible high level of support and it’s probably in those that didn’t vote last time.
More to the point, I quite like that the party is still around as a sort of “ideal world” conscience for left wing parties in parliament that face decisions of compromise. It’s why I still vote for it occasionally (I might even still be a member) – Alliance policies have a funny way of turning up later as policies of the parliamentary parties.
I don’t care who is the prime minister, or which party is in government, as long as they stay roughly on course for reducing inequality and working for the many, not the few.
More to the point, I quite like that the party is still around as a sort of “ideal world” conscience for left wing parties in parliament that face decisions of compromise.
Personally, I’d prefer if they were actually in parliament and possibly part of the next government. That way we’d know that their values and principals are supported by NZers.
If there’s any chance Shearer and Labour promise this, there’s an accompanying 100% chance of a flip-flop and a further 100% chance that Labour would then sell the remaining 51% of power companies, all of Air NZ and begin ripping up Great Barrier Island in search of coal.
Anyone who is waiting for the established systems to change, needs to re-think their position.
Only the people can go into bat for the injustice which is dominating the country, and its people, sadly in the *me me me* world, its unlikely this will happen.
Should people not stand up for eachother, we are all on the block, just at differing periods of the timeline.
The court has indicated that in relation to Treaty settlements regarding water there are other ways to provide redress. Surely one of those would be to increase fees for licenses to use water . . . That would relate to the right that is being lost; and could increase over time in line with the value of that resource.
For any government to say to investors who purchase shares in a government sell off that they will lose money is somehow not likely to engender confidence in that government subsequently, but the possibility of increased company costs for a known issue is something that any prudent investor would need to take into consideration.
Another possibility is to require all sales of shares in energy companies to be sold to new Zealand residents. Again is the likelihood of such a restriction is known now it may affect the price the price achieved for taxpayers now, but would be a known risk that would be allowed for by prudent investors.
I hope that a Labour / Green government never gets involved in confiscation of property because of a political disagreement, but normal operations of government do need to be allowed for by potential purchasers . . .
Lolz that’s a funny one, need something to have a smile about amidst all the Labour Party carnage on display today,
Lucky me i walked away after that greatly applauded former leader ‘Helen’ told the poorest of the poor to ‘eat s**t’ when dishing out a previous bag of lollies,
It is obvious that the ‘right wing’ of the Labour Party is still in the ascendency for the foreseeable future so rather than continue the wah wah wah those crying a river over this should consider supporting a political party to the left of the current Labour one…
“It is obvious that the ‘right wing’ of the Labour Party is still in the ascendency for the foreseeable future so rather than continue the wah wah wah those crying a river over this should consider supporting a political party to the left of the current Labour one…”
Or just vote Green and continue to put the boot in to caucus knobbers for fun.
LOLZ, yeah but the energy would be better spent on spitting at National, i aint happy one little bit with Labour and am even a bit disappointed with the Green Party which i am a member of for the cynical way that i see both Party’s having ‘used’ public opposition to asset sales and for the lackluster support of both Party’s for the ‘living wage’ campaign,
(1), Both Labour and the Green Party’s could have and in my opinion should have had an alternative policy being shouted at National across the house every day of every week over the sale of the States assets,
The simple policy should be that the ‘Cullen Super Fund’ will be restarted under a Labour/Green Government and that all the shares of the sold assets will be bought and invested within that fund AND that taxation for those who have purchased the shares MIGHT have to rise to enable this to happen,
What tho have we got from our main Opposition Party’s, simply an oppose,oppose,oppose weak at the knees wringing of the hands insipid ‘but our petition for a referendum has the numbers’,
(2), ‘The living wage’, what insipid support that has so far received from both Labour and the Green Party’s, both seem to be operating on the basis of never let an opportunity to advance the cause of the working poor wake you up from your sleep or drag you away from the mirrors in search of your personal vanity,
The unveiling of the ‘living wage campaign’ was a golden opportunity for both Labour and the Green party’s to unveil an election policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour every year while they are in office,
Such a policy showing a clear difference between the Opposition and National along with the Treasury advice that raising the minimum wage does not lead to job losses could and should have been used every day of every week to beat upon this National Government in the Parliament, such a policy is a clear vote winner with anyone concerned with low wage structures in this country and would extend further than those subject to such abysmal wage structures,
What have we got from both Opposition Party’s??? the Zen silence in two areas of concern that are just begging the Opposition to fill with some clear policy….
The simple policy should be that the ‘Cullen Super Fund’ will be restarted under a Labour/Green…
Hate to break it to you but the Cullen Fund isn’t a viable policy. The economic paradigm that we have doesn’t work and so neither does the Cullen Fund.
Vote Green on the List, vote Labour in the constituiency. This is a double whammy, since should Labour start getting overhang…. …I mean what was the point of Clark burning the rope with Maori but to create the Maori party and a over hang of 2 seats. Its bleedingly obvious that was what ACT was for, that was what the new Conservative party is for. So why the frak is any unionist voting Labour on the List???? Someone needs to remind the left that stupid loses elections. Vote Green Duh.
How can a person “lose” their bond because of liquidation? I though all bonds must be lodged at the bond centre place run by the Housing ministry, and if they aren’t then the landlord faces a fine.
Also, surely the 90 day notice is retaliatory because it “dared” to take the landlord to the tribunal? There’s a clear provision in the RTA that prohibits retaliation.
Is there anyone in Invercargill who can help this family?
How can a person “lose” their bond because of liquidation? I though all bonds must be lodged at the bond centre place run by the Housing ministry, and if they aren’t then the landlord faces a fine.
Yep, that’s as I understand it but ask a lawyer. It may be different for a “professional” agency.
Am pretty sure it’s the dame for everyone. The agency is merely a representative of the landlord. xtasy will know for sure, but I’m also pretty sure, too. Hey, xtasy!! What’s the story?!!
If the landlord doesn’t lodge the bond its fraud. Now the current practice is where one side of the party has received goods and service, i.e. beneficiaries have been given money to eat, to see a doctor, to obtain housing, thus assuaging Government duty to provide basic welfare provision to all, when the beneficiary commits fraud they must not only pay back the fraudulent amount but the entire benefit for the period of the fraud. So Landlords who don’t deposit the bond are liable for to repay all the rent for the period of the fraud. Oh, wait, sorry, we live in NZ where there’s one law for government and another for citizens.
Governments, councils, and other public institutions held undeveloped land are naturally insured by their sheer size from the loss of land, and so recoup 100% of the cost. But private holders of land who just brought from council, undeveloped land for consider more than the cost of undeveloped land (as its now easily connected to the road, water, waste, electricity networks) and can now only recoup 50% (an arbitrary amount Brownlee just made up because in his mind its ‘fair’). Oh, wait, that’s okay, we live in NZ where there’s one law for government and another for citizens. I don’t remember anywhere where a citizen can declare what’s fair and it being held over government.
Proportionality another evil National party hates.
What gives? Some land is in the red zone and can be built on but the cost of supplying (fixing the services, water, gas, electricity) means the land is rezoned by edict and brought out at 50% of its pre-quake value. So land loses it value because of access to developed nature of the section, but Brownlee says the land is not developed???? so but for the fact that land is now declared and rezoned due to access to utilities the land is now worth 50%…
So buyers brought land, in housing developments, due to the fact that the land has been developed for the purpose, and government won’t pay 100% because its nots developed, and
other land that is quite able of being built on but can’t be because the cost of developing the land is now exorbitant and so sections rezoned red are undeveloped land.
No still don’t get why sections aren’t getting the full 100% of their premium pre-quake price.
Ah the ‘ownership’ model, bet they all wish now that they had of strong-armed the Governments of the past into supplying EVERYBODY with a home at 25% of household income as rent,
Wait till the next tranche of the Financial collapse of Capitalism kicks in, then you will really hear the middle classes going ouch…
Yes supposedly the ‘bond’ is lodged with Tenancy Services, it then becomes a question of does an insolvency allow the ‘liquidator’ access to this money,
My view is that it shouldn’t as the bond money is only the ‘landlords’ money after application is made to the Tenancy Tribunal by the ‘Landlord’,
i think you will find that as the story unfolds that it is likely that the ‘tenant’ paid 4 weeks rent in advance along with the bond when He rented the house,
This is another case where the ‘little people’ having little knowledge of the law are discriminated against by those who do have a full working knowledge of the laws provisions,
Unfortunately it would be the onus on the tenant who has to ‘prove’ that the 90 days notice is in fact retaliation, the Landlord in this case only need contend that because of the liquidation the bank is to sell the house and wants vacant possession of the property,
Here again we have the glaring evidence of the deregulated economy favoring the haves against the have not’s, tenants are left in all these disputes to fight their own battles with little or no knowledge of the law which is exacerbated when tenants have English only as a second language,
The Tenancy Tribunal should be given the powers and the personal to investigate and prosecute ALL alleged breaches of the law whether alleged to have been committed by the landlord or the tenant….
The legal problem the tenant has is that he paid the bond to the previous Landlord/owner who may not have lodged this bond with Tenancy Services as required by the law and has since become insolvent,
The liquidator has then presumably taken over ‘ownership’ of the property and thus cannot really be held responsible in law for the previous actions of the previous owner…
Yeah, so can a person check that their landlord has the bond. So that people will now go and do so say threes month in. And landlords start going to jail for fraud.
If your landlord posts your bond onwards to the Bond Centre as they should, you will in due course receive a letter and bond number if you don’t get either it’s time to start asking questions.
Landlords absolutely hate leaving money with the government. I had one who didn’t charge a bond, just so the government wouldn’t have his money. I suspect it also helps them claim that rents they receive are less than what they actually get. As far as I know, what this agency has done is totally illegal, but there are far more landlords sitting in courts and tribunals than there are tenants. Funnily enough, this is another activity undertaken by the moneyed class that is never seen as bludging.
“However, just hours after the tribunal decision to say the family could stay, a 90 day notice to terminate the tenancy was put in their letterbox from First National. The family decided not to fight.”
How “bizarre” indeed.
Bonds are held by the Tenancy Office or whatever it is called. So when a landlord goes bust for whatever reason, that should not affect a bond paid in good faith by a tenancy agreement party, i.e. this family as tenants.
When the tenancy is taken over by a new landlord, the bond should still be held by the same office. If a bond should have been “claimed” by any landlord, the tenant would have to be notified of this.
That is unless there are peculiar reasons unknown to me, where bonds can be claimed by creditors of a broke landlord, but it does not make sense.
Yet a 90 day notice may of course be seen as “retaliatory”, but a landlord can always give a 90 day notice, without having to state any reasons. It is the standard notice period to terminante any residential tenancy.
I have had something like that happen to me, where a neighbour intentionally caused problems, provoked me, and when exposed to unreasonable noise for well over an hour in a totally uninsulated flat, my “problem” was starting to take issue and have a verbal exchange with said “neighbour” (from hell). The landlord, another typical “investor” one, did not want any issues and simply gave me notice, because the neighbour’s landlord was one my landlord did not dare to take on.
There is heaps of such shit going on, and NZ could learn from tenancy laws that are common in Central European countries, offering much better protection to tenants.
But then again, I dare not to dream here, as ignorance and mean-spiritness seem to rule so much of NZ affairs in many areas, including tenancies and housing.
It says a deficit of $67million is mostly attributed to an extra $60m of building repair costs and $20m of library depreciation. That adds up to $80million. Mostly?
Then it says this;
“However, ignoring earthquake recovery costs and the library adjustment, the deficit would have been $6.6m…..”
And here was me thinking 80 was more than 67, which would leave a surplus of $13million. This is from a University?
It’s also worth noting that depreciation is a non-cash book entry that doesn’t require any immediate funding.
A lot of the building repair costs would be recovered through insurance which would also be in the profit and loss (that is the only explanation I can come up with).
Saying that I did read that article earlier and thought it was terribly written – it was obviously someone who doesn’t understand accounts and was just throwing down every number they were told.
The impression I got was the deficit was due to the cost of strengthening buildings to new earthquake standards rather than repairing damage, as you say repairs are covered by insurance so there shouldn’t be any extra costs there.
It’s debatable whether you’d put that in the books as an expense or capital expenditure, I’d think it would be more improvements than repairs & maintenance but the beancounters could probably put it down as either. If Uni has the money, which they say they do, I don’t really see why the Govt should fund it when the equity will increase with the higher building valuations.. or lower future depreciation.
It certainly needs more information than what’s been given in that article.
“Yet a 90 day notice may of course be seen as “retaliatory”, but a landlord can always give a 90 day notice, without having to state any reasons. It is the standard notice period to terminante any residential tenancy.”
Yes, that’s right, the 90 day notice can be issued without any reason and basically reflects the fact that the landlord owns the property. I’ve got no problem with that. But even if it can be shown that the issuing of the 90 day notice was retaliatory then my guess is that the tenant still has an action against the landlord. The difference, though, would simply be in the remedy available. For example, if a 90 day was issued and it was found to be retaliatory and the landlord wasn’t prepared to relent and let the tenant stay then the Tribunal couldn’t order the tenancy to continue, but it could order some other remedy, most likely damages.
Hi 1prent, I don’t seem to be able to edit comments. The edit box appears and states Comment Loaded Successfully, however this is not the case and the edit box is blank. Also, The Jackal feed is not appearing while Auckland Transport Blog and Frankly Speaking are appearing twice… I would appreciate these glitches being fixed at your earliest convenience.
Yep, and no. What I said was that I would expend time then. Did, couldn’t find the problem, now allocated to either next weekend or holidays between then and now.
My guess as to what will happen with the shares is this. There will be incentives for kiwis to buy and hold for a period of time. This will mean quite a lot of kiwis will hold shares either directly or through their Kiwisaver accounts. If Labour then say they will Nationalise I suspect it will be as popular as raising the pension age was and CGT. You have be out maneuvered again.
It’s probably been said but I’d like say I am very pleased that Tame Iti has been released from prison. I agree with Tame that he is a political prisoner and I hope his conviction and sentence are overturned by the Supreme Court. I agree with Hone that Tame has increased his mana and I think that mana shows through in his statements, such as
He held no resentment about being in jail nine months, saying he enjoyed his time there and was able to work and be creative with his art.
Iti said he was inspired by reading a book about former South African leader Nelson Mandela and wants to write one on the history of political prisoners in New Zealand.
Also good news also that fellow political prisoner Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara has also been granted parole and will leave prison on Monday.
At least Jane Clifton noticed the travesty of yesterday’s Question time as reported at Stuff: He asked him once, he asked him twice, he asked him three times – but in a strange re- imagining of the biblical parable in Parliament yesterday, it was Speaker David Carter who cried uncle when Green Russel Norman could not get the cock to crow.
The rooster in question, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce, was happy to crow about how clever the Government was to have saved The Hobbit trilogy, but was cheerfully determined not to say whether Hollywood executives had pressured the Government to change labour laws for the films.
Mr Carter let Dr Norman ask the same question three times, and agreed Mr Joyce had not answered it, but argued there was no point spending further time on it. The public would note the refusal to answer, and judge accordingly.
But where are the other watchdogs? Political Journalists? Having cups of tea with the PM no doubt. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/8362005/Avoid-answering-three-times-and-you-are-home-free
I commented on this in yesterday’s open mike. I’m glad Jane Clifton noticed, but otherwise it’s proof positive that the mainstream political media is either asleep at the switch or isn’t interested in biting the hand that is scratching their backs. “The public will judge,” righto.
another “McNeill Survey” spelling trouble http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/spelling-trouble-in-our-classes/1772019/
in writing 32% performing below national standards
for excellent composition Marx there is clearly a Deb utante; Awarded ‘a’
V, for dry, ‘a’ M, for memery, and an H for hart: NO ExpectationS Brian,
read The Deposition of Father McGreevy (comparable to One Hundred Years of Solitude).
On the RMA reform proposals (when A meets A), wonder what Greg’s thoughts are; “sacrifice environment to development”? (duely relaced with couple of polished Gudgeon pins).
“heard the people who live on the ceiling scream and fight most scarily
hearing that noise the first ever feeling saving coupons from packets of tea”
In a “letter to the Dominion editor” a correspondent reminded that in contrast to NK, the US have carried out 1054 nuclear tests physically, official count, with a continuing program of sub-critical tests.
They signed themselves, Chairman, NZDPRK Society; wonders never cease. 😉
Re-engraving history leads into The Handmaids’ Tale. 🙂
Pretty good advice there about Spelling from Brigid: University of Canterbury senior education lecturer Brigid McNeill said teachers typically used a memory-based strategy – spelling tests with pre-taught words – rather than concentrate on developing skills which would help children spell all words correctly.
Teachers feel pressed to use lists of words and testing that list because that’s what parents expect. But it has almost no effect on poor spellers except to put them off for life. They say a teacher that expects 25 words in a learning list must be better than one who expects 10. Go figure.
reading your reply leads to sadness concerning both Brothers, and brothers, and “brothers”; since Primary, been engaging with folk who had their reading, writing, spelling and general Comprehension neglected; (as a child, i patiently tutored my brothers from time to time after school, mandatory really; Interestingly, in context, a brother who really struggled became a Manager with an admirable ability to write presentations / power points, yet, then, he had a generous father, genetically Transference) on that subject, it is always helpful to bone up on Defense Mechanisms; healthy in moderation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_mechanisms
(Highway 61 Revisted, from Pole to Pole).
“Neo-Liberalism has taken the place of left wing radicalism. Career politicians see the use of platitudes and spin as a means to disguise who they really represent. When all the politicians are singing from the same hymn sheet, it is not difficult to understand that the majority of people will repeat like parrots what they are told, only to be confused by the none reality of events which they then find themselves in, lower incomes, lower standard of living and yet rising cost of living.
This is the cost of losing the social wage (welfare state and public services) but people can’t evaluate the loss because there is no-one articulating what it all means to them.”
Long term consequences of poverty on kids and the (now historical) use of social welfare to mitigate it seem to escape most of the commentators on there and none are even bothering to think about the basic fucking question should ask. Such as type of crime and the length of time since it occurred, same with the bad credit + the circumstances it occurred in. Instead, it’s “zomg! theyz gots bad credit!!11!” and plain old bs about “responsibility” without any the basic knowledge to understand the issues poverty creates, let alone any bloody empathy.
Nor is there any recognition that this is part of the problem the loss of state housing in New Zealand has created, where the vulnerable now end up sleeping in their cars, in campgrounds and at shelters provided by charities. If they’re lucky. Or worse yet, wanabe slumlords, though in CHCH’s case those arse hats are busy fleecing the middle class and rebuild workers high rents for what are often frankly crap heaps that pre-quake were cheap just to entice people into being foolish enough to rent.
as Pat Magill laid 😉 it out succinctly, “Land of The Long White Retribution” (yes, threaten a peoples’ illusory impression of themselves with a mirror and they’ll have ya’ sown up legally in no time, regardless of the eventual cost that reflects back.)
Financial and demographic strife will strain or tear Japan’s social fabric…nationalism on the increase…central banks are starting to distrust each other…hyperinflation will wipe out the middle class while the poor stay poor and the rich stay wealthy.
was reading that Abe may break their earlier “demilitarization treaty /s” and go Nuclear
(sadly a lotta tools do not read widely enough, not a Whole Lotta Love)
“Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a surge in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National (47.5%, up 3.5%) now with its biggest lead over the main Opposition Labour Party (30.5%, down 4%) since July 2012. Support for third party the Greens has also dropped to 12.5% (down 1%).
34.5 to 30.5 reinforces a 31.5 support level?
Well, your annual average is okay, but it wouldn’t be much different (i.e. decimal place variation in the average) if this poll result were 36 or 40%.
A) last six month average
(to mid-sept): Labour 32.1, National 44.8
B) previous six month average
midfeb2012-midsept2012 average: Labour 30.3, National 46.2
C) Election november 2011: Labour 27.5%, National 47.3%.
C[i])election to midfeb2012 average: Labour 29.1%, National 46.45%
Ok, C[i] is finicky because RM stopped polling until jan, but I figured it was more fair than going solely by the 2012 election, given we’re talking period trends.
at a couple of percent every six months, with 18 months to go til the election, that’s +6% change for labour on 38%.
Greens seem to be holding, so 12%: that’s 50% without mana or nz1.
National losing at 1% every six months, that’s -3% change, that’s National on 41%.
Does this mean labour can sleepwalk to victory? Nope.
Does it mean Shearer is perfect? Nope.
Does it mean a Left defeat is certain? Fuck no. Cautious optimism is on the table.
Seriously, if Labour want to make a contest of it, they would only need announce tomorrow an election policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year they are next in Government,
They, (Labour), have a Treasury report which directly states that raising the minimum wage will not lead to job losses so with such a policy they could not only beat Slippery’s Government every day of every week in the House, rubbing their face into a policy that the Tory’s just cannot compete on,
Hell with such a policy Labour might even attract quite enough of the ‘did not vote crowd’ to vote for them and save themselves the embarrassment of having to dream up even more election bribes to offer the middle classes in the game of ping pong being played at the moment where Labour try and wrestle a couple of % of the middle classes vote off of Slippery’s crew…
Yeah go on Mac give us a ‘roll your sleeves up’ quote while your at it, lolz Labour can’t bribe the middle class with anything much because the shop is outta lollies now and will be for the next election as well,
What the f**k are Labour going to fight the 2014 election with ‘a larger amount of borrowing’ perhaps, Slippery will make a fool out of Shearer in the television debates if Labour try that,
It’s going to be one hell of a long wait for Shearer to put some meat on the bones of His ‘i’m all for the kiwi battler’ bullshit and if He don’t he can probably guaranty Labour another 3 on the wrong side of the House,
Lolz i like your theory of the trickle down election gains but i think Slippery’s idea of holding onto the middle classes with the spending splash off of the asset sales is going to trump anything that Labour can offer that cohort of voters…
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
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 Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
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 announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Orderimage, ...
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; ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
Opinion: New Health NZ commissioner Lester Levy is authorised to assume operational leadership – chief executive Margie Apa is effectively relegated to his operational deputy The post All-powerful Levy is feudal baron of a $28b fiefdom appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Well last night settled things for me.
Mallard has to go.
The Chauvel valedictory speech was a wonderful thing. And at the end of it I had this thought, the guy is so talented and has only been here for a short time. Why does he have to go?
He nailed it when he said this:
“… it is unproductive to keep trying to locate and exclude the supposed enemy within.
Instead, in order to avoid history repeating, it is time for an honest, open, and overdue assessment of why the 2011 campaign produced Labour’s worst ever electoral result. Those responsible for it should make dignified exits
To put it another way, in Gough Whitlam’s immortal words, the party must have both its wings to fly.”
At the end of the speech Mallard stormed out of Parliament without even applauding Chauvel’s speech.
He then tweeted this:
“My decision to seek Hutt South nomination just reinforced”.
Talk about an extreme use of belligerent incompetent use of social media.
There is something wrong with Labour when it loses Chauvel, demotes Cunliffe and Dalziel and refuses to promote Wall. Mallard is clearly part of the problem. He was the campaign manager for the most unsuccessful Labour campaign in over 80 years and has never been held to account.
And he is in the middle of current problems.
He has to go.
+1 Paddy. Mallard is a disgrace.
Mallard is too much of a liability his tweet r.e. Standing in Hutt South was typical foot in mouth behavior, he is such a turn off to voters. If Shearer believes Malard is the heavy hitter that Labour can ill afford to loose well then he is delusional. Shearer needs to start writing ‘thank you for your services letters.’ Clean out deadwood & recruit new talent NOW!
In that case, I suspect that Clare Curran has taught Trevor Mallard everything that she knows about Twitter.
A crisp salute to that Colonial..the Scottish blood in me shudders to think the strong hold Dunedin electorate seats are slipping away care of Curran. Jim K sort your patch out down there & roll her out!
I guess it is somehow fitting with the Open Government ethos to constantly display one’s arrogance publicly.
Absolutely spot on. If the people pulling the strings dont make changes soon then Labour may never recover. Mallard and Goff at least need to go. I suspect the main problem may be that Mallard and Goff are heavily involved in pulling the strings.
I’m not overly concerned by that. In fact, I think one of the best things that could happen is that Labour becomes a minor party as they’re too close to the present system and won’t change it.
Twitter is great for telling plonkers like that off, sure he most probably won’t listen, that’s obvious to see. But some staffer may take it onboard. What a tool.
+ 1 imo mallard is thick which was quite obvious from a long way out – remember when he said he was indigenous because he lived in Wainuiomata lol – sad and useless and desperately trying to be relevant.
“There is something wrong with Labour when it loses Chauvel, demotes Cunliffe and Dalziel and refuses to promote Wall. Mallard is clearly part of the problem. He was the campaign manager for the most unsuccessful Labour campaign in over 80 years and has never been held to account.
And he is in the middle of current problems.
He has to go.”
All true. But equally important is that the Labour Party needs to put processes in place that allow the party to hold MPs accountable.
Toxic Trevor has performed poorly in Hutt South. If Mallard continues the teen of the past three elections it will be a marginal Labour seat in terms of Party Vote.
He shares poor performance with his neighbours Annette, Grant and Hipkins.
infantility (or should that be infant aside)
+1
And with Clark not around and no-one else with the guts, there’s seemingly no-one in the party willing or able to tell Mallard to stfu, start thinking and stop being a douche.
Mallard shares alot with many Labour MP’s/candidates, they think they’re so important/relevant/liked and always have smart answers when facts and results show they’ve lost the electorate.
Clark knew what she was doing when she walked having kept bovver boy under a tight reign for years because without some portfolios to have him twiddling his thumbs over this is the kind of behaviour he can be relied on for, the nat’s best friend is a loose opposition MP, step right up trev.
I remain positive it can be turned around (you have to really) but not with the clowns who architected the worst result in 30 years after going up against a lying, corrupt regime with enough dirt, dodgy deals and democratic destruction to end it at term 1.
they don’t hold slipperys gov’t accountable because they don’t know what that is.
If National can sell ’em then they can be bought back. That should now be the message.
Buyers of the shares should be told, loud and clear, that the shares will be taken back at cost plus costs.
The assets do not belong to a bunch of MPs to sell.
Buyer beware
“We will renationalise and you will lose your money.”
+1
Alas Paul that call has only come from Winston, One would think with 80% of Kiwi’s opposed to our assets sales Shearer has a clear mandate to make the call. I won’t hold my breath!
It’s also come from The Alliance.
The Alliance?!?!?! FFS, are they still going?
Remind me again, what did they get in the latest political poll?
Less than Act but, then, they also got a hell of a lot more than Act got at their first election. This would tend to indicate a possible high level of support and it’s probably in those that didn’t vote last time.
More to the point, I quite like that the party is still around as a sort of “ideal world” conscience for left wing parties in parliament that face decisions of compromise. It’s why I still vote for it occasionally (I might even still be a member) – Alliance policies have a funny way of turning up later as policies of the parliamentary parties.
I don’t care who is the prime minister, or which party is in government, as long as they stay roughly on course for reducing inequality and working for the many, not the few.
Personally, I’d prefer if they were actually in parliament and possibly part of the next government. That way we’d know that their values and principals are supported by NZers.
If there’s any chance Shearer and Labour promise this, there’s an accompanying 100% chance of a flip-flop and a further 100% chance that Labour would then sell the remaining 51% of power companies, all of Air NZ and begin ripping up Great Barrier Island in search of coal.
There is not even a 0% liklihood of that happening!
Anyone willing to go into bat for them, then?
Hi Mary,
Anyone who is waiting for the established systems to change, needs to re-think their position.
Only the people can go into bat for the injustice which is dominating the country, and its people, sadly in the *me me me* world, its unlikely this will happen.
Should people not stand up for eachother, we are all on the block, just at differing periods of the timeline.
Yes, I agree, even if my comment was meant to be a response to millsy at 10.11!!
The court has indicated that in relation to Treaty settlements regarding water there are other ways to provide redress. Surely one of those would be to increase fees for licenses to use water . . . That would relate to the right that is being lost; and could increase over time in line with the value of that resource.
For any government to say to investors who purchase shares in a government sell off that they will lose money is somehow not likely to engender confidence in that government subsequently, but the possibility of increased company costs for a known issue is something that any prudent investor would need to take into consideration.
Another possibility is to require all sales of shares in energy companies to be sold to new Zealand residents. Again is the likelihood of such a restriction is known now it may affect the price the price achieved for taxpayers now, but would be a known risk that would be allowed for by prudent investors.
I hope that a Labour / Green government never gets involved in confiscation of property because of a political disagreement, but normal operations of government do need to be allowed for by potential purchasers . . .
.
Interesting ad in today’s Situations Vacant.
Lolz that’s a funny one, need something to have a smile about amidst all the Labour Party carnage on display today,
Lucky me i walked away after that greatly applauded former leader ‘Helen’ told the poorest of the poor to ‘eat s**t’ when dishing out a previous bag of lollies,
It is obvious that the ‘right wing’ of the Labour Party is still in the ascendency for the foreseeable future so rather than continue the wah wah wah those crying a river over this should consider supporting a political party to the left of the current Labour one…
Ladies and Gentlemen, place your bets.
“It is obvious that the ‘right wing’ of the Labour Party is still in the ascendency for the foreseeable future so rather than continue the wah wah wah those crying a river over this should consider supporting a political party to the left of the current Labour one…”
Or just vote Green and continue to put the boot in to caucus knobbers for fun.
LOLZ, yeah but the energy would be better spent on spitting at National, i aint happy one little bit with Labour and am even a bit disappointed with the Green Party which i am a member of for the cynical way that i see both Party’s having ‘used’ public opposition to asset sales and for the lackluster support of both Party’s for the ‘living wage’ campaign,
(1), Both Labour and the Green Party’s could have and in my opinion should have had an alternative policy being shouted at National across the house every day of every week over the sale of the States assets,
The simple policy should be that the ‘Cullen Super Fund’ will be restarted under a Labour/Green Government and that all the shares of the sold assets will be bought and invested within that fund AND that taxation for those who have purchased the shares MIGHT have to rise to enable this to happen,
What tho have we got from our main Opposition Party’s, simply an oppose,oppose,oppose weak at the knees wringing of the hands insipid ‘but our petition for a referendum has the numbers’,
(2), ‘The living wage’, what insipid support that has so far received from both Labour and the Green Party’s, both seem to be operating on the basis of never let an opportunity to advance the cause of the working poor wake you up from your sleep or drag you away from the mirrors in search of your personal vanity,
The unveiling of the ‘living wage campaign’ was a golden opportunity for both Labour and the Green party’s to unveil an election policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour every year while they are in office,
Such a policy showing a clear difference between the Opposition and National along with the Treasury advice that raising the minimum wage does not lead to job losses could and should have been used every day of every week to beat upon this National Government in the Parliament, such a policy is a clear vote winner with anyone concerned with low wage structures in this country and would extend further than those subject to such abysmal wage structures,
What have we got from both Opposition Party’s??? the Zen silence in two areas of concern that are just begging the Opposition to fill with some clear policy….
“LOLZ, yeah but the energy would be better spent on spitting at National”
Multi tasking is your friend 😉
“and am even a bit disappointed with the Green Party which i am a member of”
Not a member, but me too.
L+G both need a bit of a wake the fuck up shake. You’re losing.
Fight or fuck off out of the way isn’t too extreme, given the polling.
Hate to break it to you but the Cullen Fund isn’t a viable policy. The economic paradigm that we have doesn’t work and so neither does the Cullen Fund.
Vote Green on the List, vote Labour in the constituiency. This is a double whammy, since should Labour start getting overhang…. …I mean what was the point of Clark burning the rope with Maori but to create the Maori party and a over hang of 2 seats. Its bleedingly obvious that was what ACT was for, that was what the new Conservative party is for. So why the frak is any unionist voting Labour on the List???? Someone needs to remind the left that stupid loses elections. Vote Green Duh.
This is worrying:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8361189/Reprieve-for-family-after-urgent-hearing
How can a person “lose” their bond because of liquidation? I though all bonds must be lodged at the bond centre place run by the Housing ministry, and if they aren’t then the landlord faces a fine.
Also, surely the 90 day notice is retaliatory because it “dared” to take the landlord to the tribunal? There’s a clear provision in the RTA that prohibits retaliation.
Is there anyone in Invercargill who can help this family?
Of course it is retaliatory.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens all the time.
That’s right, so is there anyone in Invercargill who’s prepared to go into bat for these people?
Yep, that’s as I understand it but ask a lawyer. It may be different for a “professional” agency.
Am pretty sure it’s the dame for everyone. The agency is merely a representative of the landlord. xtasy will know for sure, but I’m also pretty sure, too. Hey, xtasy!! What’s the story?!!
If the landlord doesn’t lodge the bond its fraud. Now the current practice is where one side of the party has received goods and service, i.e. beneficiaries have been given money to eat, to see a doctor, to obtain housing, thus assuaging Government duty to provide basic welfare provision to all, when the beneficiary commits fraud they must not only pay back the fraudulent amount but the entire benefit for the period of the fraud. So Landlords who don’t deposit the bond are liable for to repay all the rent for the period of the fraud. Oh, wait, sorry, we live in NZ where there’s one law for government and another for citizens.
Governments, councils, and other public institutions held undeveloped land are naturally insured by their sheer size from the loss of land, and so recoup 100% of the cost. But private holders of land who just brought from council, undeveloped land for consider more than the cost of undeveloped land (as its now easily connected to the road, water, waste, electricity networks) and can now only recoup 50% (an arbitrary amount Brownlee just made up because in his mind its ‘fair’). Oh, wait, that’s okay, we live in NZ where there’s one law for government and another for citizens. I don’t remember anywhere where a citizen can declare what’s fair and it being held over government.
Proportionality another evil National party hates.
What gives? Some land is in the red zone and can be built on but the cost of supplying (fixing the services, water, gas, electricity) means the land is rezoned by edict and brought out at 50% of its pre-quake value. So land loses it value because of access to developed nature of the section, but Brownlee says the land is not developed???? so but for the fact that land is now declared and rezoned due to access to utilities the land is now worth 50%…
So buyers brought land, in housing developments, due to the fact that the land has been developed for the purpose, and government won’t pay 100% because its nots developed, and
other land that is quite able of being built on but can’t be because the cost of developing the land is now exorbitant and so sections rezoned red are undeveloped land.
No still don’t get why sections aren’t getting the full 100% of their premium pre-quake price.
ol’ Bob the Gilder
I don’t think you can insure a section, only when building has began and I think that rates still have to be paid.
Someone else may know the full answer.
Ah the ‘ownership’ model, bet they all wish now that they had of strong-armed the Governments of the past into supplying EVERYBODY with a home at 25% of household income as rent,
Wait till the next tranche of the Financial collapse of Capitalism kicks in, then you will really hear the middle classes going ouch…
Yes supposedly the ‘bond’ is lodged with Tenancy Services, it then becomes a question of does an insolvency allow the ‘liquidator’ access to this money,
My view is that it shouldn’t as the bond money is only the ‘landlords’ money after application is made to the Tenancy Tribunal by the ‘Landlord’,
i think you will find that as the story unfolds that it is likely that the ‘tenant’ paid 4 weeks rent in advance along with the bond when He rented the house,
This is another case where the ‘little people’ having little knowledge of the law are discriminated against by those who do have a full working knowledge of the laws provisions,
Unfortunately it would be the onus on the tenant who has to ‘prove’ that the 90 days notice is in fact retaliation, the Landlord in this case only need contend that because of the liquidation the bank is to sell the house and wants vacant possession of the property,
Here again we have the glaring evidence of the deregulated economy favoring the haves against the have not’s, tenants are left in all these disputes to fight their own battles with little or no knowledge of the law which is exacerbated when tenants have English only as a second language,
The Tenancy Tribunal should be given the powers and the personal to investigate and prosecute ALL alleged breaches of the law whether alleged to have been committed by the landlord or the tenant….
The legal problem the tenant has is that he paid the bond to the previous Landlord/owner who may not have lodged this bond with Tenancy Services as required by the law and has since become insolvent,
The liquidator has then presumably taken over ‘ownership’ of the property and thus cannot really be held responsible in law for the previous actions of the previous owner…
Yeah, so can a person check that their landlord has the bond. So that people will now go and do so say threes month in. And landlords start going to jail for fraud.
If your landlord posts your bond onwards to the Bond Centre as they should, you will in due course receive a letter and bond number if you don’t get either it’s time to start asking questions.
Landlords absolutely hate leaving money with the government. I had one who didn’t charge a bond, just so the government wouldn’t have his money. I suspect it also helps them claim that rents they receive are less than what they actually get. As far as I know, what this agency has done is totally illegal, but there are far more landlords sitting in courts and tribunals than there are tenants. Funnily enough, this is another activity undertaken by the moneyed class that is never seen as bludging.
small business syndrome.
Mary –
“However, just hours after the tribunal decision to say the family could stay, a 90 day notice to terminate the tenancy was put in their letterbox from First National. The family decided not to fight.”
How “bizarre” indeed.
Bonds are held by the Tenancy Office or whatever it is called. So when a landlord goes bust for whatever reason, that should not affect a bond paid in good faith by a tenancy agreement party, i.e. this family as tenants.
When the tenancy is taken over by a new landlord, the bond should still be held by the same office. If a bond should have been “claimed” by any landlord, the tenant would have to be notified of this.
That is unless there are peculiar reasons unknown to me, where bonds can be claimed by creditors of a broke landlord, but it does not make sense.
Yet a 90 day notice may of course be seen as “retaliatory”, but a landlord can always give a 90 day notice, without having to state any reasons. It is the standard notice period to terminante any residential tenancy.
I have had something like that happen to me, where a neighbour intentionally caused problems, provoked me, and when exposed to unreasonable noise for well over an hour in a totally uninsulated flat, my “problem” was starting to take issue and have a verbal exchange with said “neighbour” (from hell). The landlord, another typical “investor” one, did not want any issues and simply gave me notice, because the neighbour’s landlord was one my landlord did not dare to take on.
There is heaps of such shit going on, and NZ could learn from tenancy laws that are common in Central European countries, offering much better protection to tenants.
But then again, I dare not to dream here, as ignorance and mean-spiritness seem to rule so much of NZ affairs in many areas, including tenancies and housing.
What’s happened to maths ability in this country? This nonsense about Uni of Canty was in the ‘paper;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8361705/University-needs-certainty-Labour-says
It says a deficit of $67million is mostly attributed to an extra $60m of building repair costs and $20m of library depreciation. That adds up to $80million. Mostly?
Then it says this;
“However, ignoring earthquake recovery costs and the library adjustment, the deficit would have been $6.6m…..”
And here was me thinking 80 was more than 67, which would leave a surplus of $13million. This is from a University?
It’s also worth noting that depreciation is a non-cash book entry that doesn’t require any immediate funding.
A lot of the building repair costs would be recovered through insurance which would also be in the profit and loss (that is the only explanation I can come up with).
Saying that I did read that article earlier and thought it was terribly written – it was obviously someone who doesn’t understand accounts and was just throwing down every number they were told.
The impression I got was the deficit was due to the cost of strengthening buildings to new earthquake standards rather than repairing damage, as you say repairs are covered by insurance so there shouldn’t be any extra costs there.
It’s debatable whether you’d put that in the books as an expense or capital expenditure, I’d think it would be more improvements than repairs & maintenance but the beancounters could probably put it down as either. If Uni has the money, which they say they do, I don’t really see why the Govt should fund it when the equity will increase with the higher building valuations.. or lower future depreciation.
It certainly needs more information than what’s been given in that article.
“Yet a 90 day notice may of course be seen as “retaliatory”, but a landlord can always give a 90 day notice, without having to state any reasons. It is the standard notice period to terminante any residential tenancy.”
Yes, that’s right, the 90 day notice can be issued without any reason and basically reflects the fact that the landlord owns the property. I’ve got no problem with that. But even if it can be shown that the issuing of the 90 day notice was retaliatory then my guess is that the tenant still has an action against the landlord. The difference, though, would simply be in the remedy available. For example, if a 90 day was issued and it was found to be retaliatory and the landlord wasn’t prepared to relent and let the tenant stay then the Tribunal couldn’t order the tenancy to continue, but it could order some other remedy, most likely damages.
Hi 1prent, I don’t seem to be able to edit comments. The edit box appears and states Comment Loaded Successfully, however this is not the case and the edit box is blank. Also, The Jackal feed is not appearing while Auckland Transport Blog and Frankly Speaking are appearing twice… I would appreciate these glitches being fixed at your earliest convenience.
Edit box is a known problem that he hasn’t had time to fix yet.
I suggest emailing him about the feed issue if you want to guarantee he sees it.
I’ve already emailed 1prent and was informed that the problem would be resolved last weekend.
It hasn’t.
Yep, and no. What I said was that I would expend time then. Did, couldn’t find the problem, now allocated to either next weekend or holidays between then and now.
My guess as to what will happen with the shares is this. There will be incentives for kiwis to buy and hold for a period of time. This will mean quite a lot of kiwis will hold shares either directly or through their Kiwisaver accounts. If Labour then say they will Nationalise I suspect it will be as popular as raising the pension age was and CGT. You have be out maneuvered again.
People wanna take risks with their monies, they will have been told, so be it.
The Daily Blog. Tumeke and very, very welcome.
It’s probably been said but I’d like say I am very pleased that Tame Iti has been released from prison. I agree with Tame that he is a political prisoner and I hope his conviction and sentence are overturned by the Supreme Court. I agree with Hone that Tame has increased his mana and I think that mana shows through in his statements, such as
Also good news also that fellow political prisoner Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara has also been granted parole and will leave prison on Monday.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/129165/released-iti-says-he%27s-a-political-prisoner
http://www.mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/they-cant-break-us.html
Mandela, he aint….
At least Jane Clifton noticed the travesty of yesterday’s Question time as reported at Stuff:
He asked him once, he asked him twice, he asked him three times – but in a strange re- imagining of the biblical parable in Parliament yesterday, it was Speaker David Carter who cried uncle when Green Russel Norman could not get the cock to crow.
The rooster in question, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce, was happy to crow about how clever the Government was to have saved The Hobbit trilogy, but was cheerfully determined not to say whether Hollywood executives had pressured the Government to change labour laws for the films.
Mr Carter let Dr Norman ask the same question three times, and agreed Mr Joyce had not answered it, but argued there was no point spending further time on it. The public would note the refusal to answer, and judge accordingly.
But where are the other watchdogs? Political Journalists? Having cups of tea with the PM no doubt.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/8362005/Avoid-answering-three-times-and-you-are-home-free
I commented on this in yesterday’s open mike. I’m glad Jane Clifton noticed, but otherwise it’s proof positive that the mainstream political media is either asleep at the switch or isn’t interested in biting the hand that is scratching their backs. “The public will judge,” righto.
another “McNeill Survey” spelling trouble
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/spelling-trouble-in-our-classes/1772019/
in writing 32% performing below national standards
for excellent composition Marx there is clearly a Deb utante; Awarded ‘a’
V, for dry, ‘a’ M, for memery, and an H for hart: NO ExpectationS Brian,
read The Deposition of Father McGreevy (comparable to One Hundred Years of Solitude).
On the RMA reform proposals (when A meets A), wonder what Greg’s thoughts are; “sacrifice environment to development”? (duely relaced with couple of polished Gudgeon pins).
“heard the people who live on the ceiling scream and fight most scarily
hearing that noise the first ever feeling saving coupons from packets of tea”
In a “letter to the Dominion editor” a correspondent reminded that in contrast to NK, the US have carried out 1054 nuclear tests physically, official count, with a continuing program of sub-critical tests.
They signed themselves, Chairman, NZDPRK Society; wonders never cease. 😉
Re-engraving history leads into The Handmaids’ Tale. 🙂
Pretty good advice there about Spelling from Brigid:
University of Canterbury senior education lecturer Brigid McNeill said teachers typically used a memory-based strategy – spelling tests with pre-taught words – rather than concentrate on developing skills which would help children spell all words correctly.
Teachers feel pressed to use lists of words and testing that list because that’s what parents expect. But it has almost no effect on poor spellers except to put them off for life. They say a teacher that expects 25 words in a learning list must be better than one who expects 10. Go figure.
reading your reply leads to sadness concerning both Brothers, and brothers, and “brothers”; since Primary, been engaging with folk who had their reading, writing, spelling and general Comprehension neglected; (as a child, i patiently tutored my brothers from time to time after school, mandatory really; Interestingly, in context, a brother who really struggled became a Manager with an admirable ability to write presentations / power points, yet, then, he had a generous father, genetically Transference) on that subject, it is always helpful to bone up on Defense Mechanisms; healthy in moderation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_mechanisms
(Highway 61 Revisted, from Pole to Pole).
Get a fix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY9b6jgbNyc
Viva La Vida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE
Violet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakDItZ7f7Q
Charlie!
STP (memory Fades To Grey. Not!)
I was drawn to the following comment article in the Guardian on-line
“Italy’s left loses the popularity contest again
However grotesquely, Berlusconi and Grillo succeeded in this election where the left always fails – to mobilise the masses”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/27/italy-left-loses-popularity-contest
And struck by the following posted response:
“Neo-Liberalism has taken the place of left wing radicalism. Career politicians see the use of platitudes and spin as a means to disguise who they really represent. When all the politicians are singing from the same hymn sheet, it is not difficult to understand that the majority of people will repeat like parrots what they are told, only to be confused by the none reality of events which they then find themselves in, lower incomes, lower standard of living and yet rising cost of living.
This is the cost of losing the social wage (welfare state and public services) but people can’t evaluate the loss because there is no-one articulating what it all means to them.”
I recommend the article.
see Both Sides Now
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8361477/Low-income-people-have-nowhere-to-go
That comment thread…
T_T
Long term consequences of poverty on kids and the (now historical) use of social welfare to mitigate it seem to escape most of the commentators on there and none are even bothering to think about the basic fucking question should ask. Such as type of crime and the length of time since it occurred, same with the bad credit + the circumstances it occurred in. Instead, it’s “zomg! theyz gots bad credit!!11!” and plain old bs about “responsibility” without any the basic knowledge to understand the issues poverty creates, let alone any bloody empathy.
Nor is there any recognition that this is part of the problem the loss of state housing in New Zealand has created, where the vulnerable now end up sleeping in their cars, in campgrounds and at shelters provided by charities. If they’re lucky. Or worse yet, wanabe slumlords, though in CHCH’s case those arse hats are busy fleecing the middle class and rebuild workers high rents for what are often frankly crap heaps that pre-quake were cheap just to entice people into being foolish enough to rent.
as Pat Magill laid 😉 it out succinctly, “Land of The Long White Retribution” (yes, threaten a peoples’ illusory impression of themselves with a mirror and they’ll have ya’ sown up legally in no time, regardless of the eventual cost that reflects back.)
Kyle Bass hits another one out of the park
Financial and demographic strife will strain or tear Japan’s social fabric…nationalism on the increase…central banks are starting to distrust each other…hyperinflation will wipe out the middle class while the poor stay poor and the rich stay wealthy.
was reading that Abe may break their earlier “demilitarization treaty /s” and go Nuclear
(sadly a lotta tools do not read widely enough, not a Whole Lotta Love)
.
honour the treaty
then improve it
Sh*ttin’ where we eat
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10868363
in them Red Bands
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10868352
better than Horse meat
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-most-brutal-upsetting-thing-ive-ever-seen-18yearold-woman-obsessed-with-necrophilia-accused-of-having-threeway-sex-on-top-of-corpses-of-men-the-group-allegedly-murdered-8513472.html
and they’re off
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=569351
patriots
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2013/0226/Is-a-third-Palestinian-intifada-coming?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+feeds%2Fworld+%28Christian+Science+Monitor+|+World%29
in their millions
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/britain-based-charity-oxfam-says-syrias-humanitarian-crisis-spinning-out-of-control/2013/02/27/1053ba82-80f0-11e2-a671-0307392de8de_story.html.
Roundup
69 (whose on top and whose flaying)
I posted this on wrong Open Mike. I am so not good at blogging!
Awesome speech by Mr David Cunliffe about generations and fairness. I hope Trevor watches it. Real Labour.
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/17360
Heard on the news : Nathan Guy advises that the government is conscious…
“Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a surge in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National (47.5%, up 3.5%) now with its biggest lead over the main Opposition Labour Party (30.5%, down 4%) since July 2012. Support for third party the Greens has also dropped to 12.5% (down 1%).
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1302/S00311/roy-morgan-poll-national-with-huge-lead-over-labour.htm
cue more navel-gazing over a 2% swing
reinforces the true mean at ~31.5%
34.5 to 30.5 reinforces a 31.5 support level?
Well, your annual average is okay, but it wouldn’t be much different (i.e. decimal place variation in the average) if this poll result were 36 or 40%.
A) last six month average
(to mid-sept): Labour 32.1, National 44.8
B) previous six month average
midfeb2012-midsept2012 average: Labour 30.3, National 46.2
C) Election november 2011: Labour 27.5%, National 47.3%.
C[i])election to midfeb2012 average: Labour 29.1%, National 46.45%
Ok, C[i] is finicky because RM stopped polling until jan, but I figured it was more fair than going solely by the 2012 election, given we’re talking period trends.
at a couple of percent every six months, with 18 months to go til the election, that’s +6% change for labour on 38%.
Greens seem to be holding, so 12%: that’s 50% without mana or nz1.
National losing at 1% every six months, that’s -3% change, that’s National on 41%.
Does this mean labour can sleepwalk to victory? Nope.
Does it mean Shearer is perfect? Nope.
Does it mean a Left defeat is certain? Fuck no. Cautious optimism is on the table.
Seriously, if Labour want to make a contest of it, they would only need announce tomorrow an election policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year they are next in Government,
They, (Labour), have a Treasury report which directly states that raising the minimum wage will not lead to job losses so with such a policy they could not only beat Slippery’s Government every day of every week in the House, rubbing their face into a policy that the Tory’s just cannot compete on,
Hell with such a policy Labour might even attract quite enough of the ‘did not vote crowd’ to vote for them and save themselves the embarrassment of having to dream up even more election bribes to offer the middle classes in the game of ping pong being played at the moment where Labour try and wrestle a couple of % of the middle classes vote off of Slippery’s crew…
I don’t believe in magic bullets, either in the form of policies or people.
Hard work in the hope of gradual improvement, or even to merely tread water if the tide of society is agin you: that I believe in.
Forget the magic bullets, I’d settle for not turning up to a gunfight with a blunt butter knife.
Well, sometimes all you need is an empty cup and to hold your nerve.
Nice clip. And I have no problem with who’s holding the empty cup in this scenario.
Yeah go on Mac give us a ‘roll your sleeves up’ quote while your at it, lolz Labour can’t bribe the middle class with anything much because the shop is outta lollies now and will be for the next election as well,
What the f**k are Labour going to fight the 2014 election with ‘a larger amount of borrowing’ perhaps, Slippery will make a fool out of Shearer in the television debates if Labour try that,
It’s going to be one hell of a long wait for Shearer to put some meat on the bones of His ‘i’m all for the kiwi battler’ bullshit and if He don’t he can probably guaranty Labour another 3 on the wrong side of the House,
Lolz i like your theory of the trickle down election gains but i think Slippery’s idea of holding onto the middle classes with the spending splash off of the asset sales is going to trump anything that Labour can offer that cohort of voters…
Asset sales are barely going to dent the deficit. And spending splash would happen anyway. And asset sales will piss off voters, too.