Mr Harawira will launch his new Mana Party on Saturday and the Herald understands he and his strategists are considering forcing a byelection to seek a mandate for his new party from Te Tai Tokerau voters.
It would be a deliberate echo of Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia’s departure from the Labour Party over the Foreshore and Seabed Act in 2004.
And Goff fronts up in the South, carrying the NO ASSET SALES message:
However, Mr Goff said people should not be fooled by the Government’s claims that it would always maintain a controlling stake of any company formed through privatisation. He pointed to the Clyde dam, owned by Contact Energy, as an example of why assets such as dams needed to stay in public ownership.
“These things are a licence to print money. That’s why the big corporates want to buy into them. Because they are a natural monopoly, we need to keep them in the public sector.”
Mr Goff predicted asset sales would be a key election issue, along with the cost of living, employment and taxation.
he and his strategists are considering forcing a by-election
He won’t get one, not this close to the election. If he tried to force it I suspect it’d backfire on him illegitimating the party rather than giving a mandate as most voters would then see him as wasting taxpayer time and money.
I tend to think the accusations have a solid base. A number of Maori police officers have come out saying they were approached by senior police officials who asked whether they would take part in planned “Tuhoe style terror raids” against Te Whanau a Apanui.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see this occur under a National government. Using public power to protect private interests is so, so National. The integrity of NZ Inc comes before the democratic rights of citizens.
THE only royal wedding street party in Glasgow has been cancelled … due to lack of interest.
Shettleston Historical Society wanted to celebrate Prince William and Kate Middelton’s big day on April 29.
But chairman Tony Jaconelli, 77, said: “In this neck of the woods, a street party about celebrating anything to do with royalty is a bit of a no no
“The planned fuel tax increase of 1.5 cents per litre which was due to come into effect on 1 July has been deferred while economic conditions remain tight, says Transport Minister Steven Joyce.”
You forgot about the GST off F&V
The deck chairs are certainly being rearranged http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10721677
and then we get this from the biggests blanket and musket seller of all time
“His calls for taking GST off food and putting a ceiling on rent increases and petrol prices were supported by most New Zealanders, Mr Harawira said” – Pity realism plays no part !!
Interesting comment from the Police this morning that initial video scans of the Pike River mine appear to show the body of a fully clothed man laying face down. Fully clothed is interesting; perhaps conditions were not as fiery as we have been told.
And in breaking news: Police last night told families of the Pike River mine victims that there was a possibility rescuers had identified a body in the mine. There was also evidence that rescue boxes in the mine had been opened.
Wonder if this will be a comfort or more distressing? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10722020
Well something doesn’t add up. PM’s office had given a very different spin didn’t they? “They show Mr Key has used the Iroquois helicopters 10 times for a total of 29.9 flying hours over the period. That doesn’t include the trip he took two weeks ago from Auckland to Hamilton in order to attend the V8 Supercar races and be back in time for a golf club dinner.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721955
Just more proof that John Key, and National, are liars, that they think they’re entitled to waste our money however they wish and that they think that they need to keep the truth from us.
Ok, we now have conditional anti-spam. If the spam engine thinks that you might be spam then it will ask you to fill in a anti-spam recaptcha. Don’t be offended, it will give you an opportunity to correct your spam like behavior đ
We’ll try that for a while. In the meantime I’ll fix the old anti-spam in case I need to put it back in again.
Yep. Talk about a highly effective negative feedback loop (especially after I get around to getting it to give more feedback). It should massively reduce the amount of work the mods have to do ove rthe medium term.
On the 28 April 1995, 14 young people lost their lives and another four were injured, some very seriously. The disaster occurred at Cave Creek in Paparoa National Park and will forever mark the 28th April a sad day to remember. A party of students from the Outdoor Recreation course at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth and the Department of Conservation’s Punakaiki Field Centre Manager went onto what appeared to be a safe viewing platform high above Cave Creek.
I remember that day very clearly…. working on the Rununga Mine Rescue centre, first it was a police car, then two ambulances and finally the rescue helicopter screaming over us. Heading into Greymouth after work it was super quiet… a real tragedy. The polytech was the spark of the town and we knew a lot of people – artists, musicians – they made that shit-hole bearable for a while.
It’s bread and circuses time… eg. Frankly I don’t give a damn & Rodders
From ‘The Medieval Inquisition’: “A slow roasting was considered preferable to quick incineration… The events were closely linked to ROYAL SPECTACLES… Such burnings were even held to help celebrate ROYAL MARRIAGES.” (emphasis added)
Also, Radio NZ yesterday reported Key and Cameron “took their shirts and ties off” after meeting at No.10 Downing St. Ye gads, olde chaps, what do those frat boysss get up to behind closed doors?
And as for getting sssssso excccccited about a corgi licking his hand . . .
When can we have a Prime Minister that SOUNDS like a New Zealander?
Just came to say hi and tell you all about the awesome day I had
I recently challenged my employer on several issues of inefficiency and incorrect practice at the job at which I have been working for just five weeks now.
My big mistake… for my efforts, today I was awarded with two weeks notice of termination of employment.
Simply because the boss decided to take it personal when I (in the most appropriate manner possible) highlighted what wasn’t being done, what needed to be done and how best to do it.
Never in my life have I been fired from a job, nor did I think anyone could be fired just for doing their job properly.
Funnily enough I don’t blame the boss for being an asshole, instead I blame the dickheads in power who made it okay for him to treat my fellow (un)employees and I like some proletariat trash who can be discarded for whatever reason he sees fit.
When I think about going back to WINZ after they fucked me around for almost three months last time I feel a pain building in my chest.
I’m young enough that I shouldn’t have to worry about having a heart attack, besides I don’t have time to die, I have to find another job so that I can make rent first.
This may not be of any interest to anyone but I just needed to have a rant so that I don’t do anything impulsive like THROW JOHN KEY UNDER A BUS.
Lucky for him he’s probably still on world tour giving foreign leaders sloppy handjobs for trade deals or kudos or whatever we benefit from paying him to ride helicopters… I don’t know… Fuck it
I’m not a union member and untill today I wasn’t even aware there was a union for the hospitality industry, which has got to be one of the most overpopulated by bad managers.
I’m looking in tosigning up tomorrow for sure.
Had a good chat to someone at the community law centre though. Really helpful people gives me a renewed sense of faith that there are people willing to help out.
Sorry to hear that, Adonijah. When you feel able, put your energies into fighting to get our country to a place where everyone is valued. In the meantime, best wishes with Work and Income.
Don’t I know it. I’ve worked too hard for too many of these clowns.
I have learned enough about how not to run a business and treat your employees that I could run my own shop if it weren’t for the huge costs involved in setting up.
I agree with your second statement but TBH I don’t know enough about how co-ops work so I may have to make a trip to the library on my day off.
Don’t just get angry Adonijah, get involved. Whether Labour, Green or even Hone’s crew get active. This is the only way that ordinary people will change things for the better.
@Adonijah
To add to what ms has already said… it will feel like an act of revenge for what was done to you, and in the process you will meet some great people.
I’m in. I give my party vote to the good guys but it still feels like pissing in the wind sometimes. I don’t really care for this government thing we have, Democracy seems like a giant misnomer to me. Demos Kratos, For the people by the people, right? Heck. Really?
What you need to do first is to make sure that you vote left. Then persuade a mate to vote left. Then persuade 2 mates to vote left. Then persuade three mates …
Iâm so sorry to read of your plight – this kind of crap makes my blood boil.
I’ve been in my present job for some years and I’m always on guard for my fellow workers because I process the pays and know the law. I can tell you that if I wasn’t there there would be some abuses going on. As a result of this I’m not kindly regarded by management and constantly have to remind them that everything I do is completely correct and that I’ve checked with the Department of Labour.
Only today I had to say to one of them,â Well of course we have to pay for X as we can’t afford to have a whiff of scandal that we’re defrauding workers of their wages.” which I judged to be less direct than, “what, you’re going to rip this person off?” but it rankles that I have to remind people to act morally and within the law. If this person could immolate me on the spot there would be a pile of ash.
Fully agree with your sentiments on Key, he’s pure evil.
Please join a union when you can. If it’s any comfort to you, I went to some courses in the 80s run by the Employers’ Association and one guy taking a course said that middle management in NZ was some of the sorriest excuses for he’d ever seen where competence was concerned. I applaud you for pointing out what was wrong at work but unfortunately the arsehole who’s sacked you must have the most fragile ego going – heaven help us all.
I echo others’ good wishes in your having to deal with WINZ – the description in the above paragraph would seem to suit them to a T.
Aye and I wait for the MSM to say that Labour is at 32%. The way the Reid Research results were taken as valid and repeated and repeated and repeated makes you wonder about possible bias in the MSM.
Take it easy on Pete, he’s had a tough day over at the sewer. Funnily enough, some people over there think he’s a concern troll. A leftist concern troll, ho ho.
“Pete George@10:38am on the previous thread: âAh yes, and Banks. Brashâs new Exclusive Brother.â
You had quite a lot to say in 10 comments on the earlier Brash thread â much of it questioning Act / National in ever-so-reasonable tones calculated to conceal support for policies of the left.”
Ahhh MS, care to agree now that you weren’t a teensy weensy bit worried about 27%?
I’m sure you know one poll at odds with others shouldn’t be taken too seriously unless it repeats.
But of you look at the Roy Morgan poll graph you will no doubt be hoping that another sub 30 blip won’t coincide with the end of November. Look more closely – it has a record of diving in November, that’s what’s happened in 2009 and 2010.
Roy Morgan poll continuously and have a very good record.
BTW PeteG I know that you do not want to read “The Hollow Men” but I found an alternative for you. Have a look at http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-hollow-men-2008 released very fortuitously today. Watch it and be very afraid. This is about the people who could take over our country. Be very afraid …
BTW MS, I’ve never been a fan of Brash, I was pleased he failed in 2005, and I will be very wary of the Brash Act. His initial surprising success is tempered by that fact he wants Banks to try and keep Epsom in the Act camp.
BTW, I’ve never been a fan of Banks either. I rate Boscawen as a genuine guy and a hard worker. There’s nothing much else to speak of once they lose Hide’s experience – he made mistakes and wasn’t always aiming at the right targets but he had many successes too, and knew the system well.
People are getting a bad feeling about this Government, the issue is that they do not know what to do about it yet, and as a default until they do, they will keep picking National and Key.
And its going to keep declining.
I’m picking this winter to be one of the most unhappy since the mid-90s, which will ensure the GCR drops further. There must be a point on the GCR where it drags the government don with it.
After $10 Million has been spent by police, the family members of the Pike River miners and the mayor are demanding that more money be spent to remove their bodies.
Although they are grieving, it cannot be said that NZ has not gone to great efforts and money expended to retrieve the bodies. Plus open their own wallets for them.
It may be that some decisions made by the rescue team, in hindsight, were wrong but the very expensive royal commission will determine that.
Surely there is a limit to which the NZ taxpayer could be expected to go to retrieve the bodies of people who knowingly engaged in an activity that could have resulted in them being entombed in a mountain.
What really saddens me, is in holding this view, I find I am sounding like some RWNJ – but hey! It could be some recessive mutant gene coming to the fore.
Surely there is a limit to which the NZ taxpayer could be expected to go to retrieve the bodies of people who knowingly engaged in an activity that could have resulted in them being entombed in a mountain.
You would think so.
What really saddens me, is in holding this view, I find I am sounding like some RWNJ â but hey! It could be some recessive mutant gene coming to the fore.
It all depends upon why you hold the view that you do. To save limited resources or to give tax cuts to the rich. The RWNJs, of course, are all for the latter.
Bizarre item on Clive tonight – a woman whinging because Asians are buying baby “formula” to send to China, and a reporter trying to make a Chinese woman feel guilty because she’s buying it to send to her baby nephew who was caught in the Chinese earthquake last year…That’s a crime? A daddy does an email whine that he has to go to “two different ‘stores’ to get the ‘formula” for his family.
I brought up 3 kids and never used ‘formula’ ever.
(As a friend point out years ago, ‘store’ is one of the sillier americanisms. Stores are warehouses, they sell wholesale stuff, and the places that sell retail are *shops*!)
Anytime coalâs cost to America is discussed, the coal industry reflexively talks about what an economic lifeline it is for the states in which it operates. Headwaters Economics, a Bozeman-based think tank focusing on natural resource issues, has a solid new study thatâs getting national attention for undercutting those claims. For instance, the Headwaters study finds that â[f]ossil fuel production has not insulated energy-producing states from fiscal crisis,â that â[f]ossil fuel extraction has a limited influence at the state level on economic indicators such as GDP by state, personal income, and employment,â and that â[t]he volatility of fossil fuel markets poses obstacles to the stability and long-term security of economic growth in energy-producing regions.â
I think that should be enough to get everyone wondering just who benefits from coal mining in NZ as well.
Dan FalkBritons who switched on their TVs to âGood Morning Britainâ on the morning of Sept. 15, 2020, were greeted by news not from our own troubled world, but from neighboring Venus. Piers Morgan, one of the hosts, was talking about a major science story that had surfaced the ...
Sara LutermanGrowing up autistic in a non-autistic world can be very isolating. We are often strange and out of sync with peers, despite our best efforts. Autistic adults have, until very recently, been largely absent from media and the public sphere. Finding role models is difficult. Finding useful advice ...
Doug JohnsonThe alien-like blooms and putrid stench of Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower, draw big crowds and media coverage to botanical gardens each year. In 2015, for instance, around 75,000 people visited the Chicago Botanic Garden to see one of their corpse flowers bloom. More than ...
Getting to Browser Tab Zero so I can reboot the computer is awfully hard when the one open tab is a Table of Contents for the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and every issue has more stuff I want to read. A few highlights: Gugler et al demonstrating ...
Timothy Ford, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts AmherstTo mitigate health inequities and promote social justice, coronavirus vaccines need to get to underserved populations and hard-to-reach communities. There are few places in the U.S. that are unreachable by road, but other factors â many ...
Israel chose to pay a bit over the odds for the Pfizer vaccine to get earlier access. Here’s The Times of Israel from 16 November. American government will be charged $39 for each two-shot dose, and the European bloc even less, but Jerusalem said to agree to pay $56. Israel ...
Orla is a gender critical Marxist in Ireland. She gave a presentation on 15 January 2021 on the connection between postmodern/transgender identity politics and the current attacks on democratic and free speech rights. Orla has been active previously in the Irish Socialist Workers Party and the People Before Profit electoral ...
. . America: The Empire Strikes Back (at itself) Further to my comments in the first part of 2020: The History That Was, the following should be considered regarding the current state of the US. They most likely will be by future historians pondering the critical decades of ...
Nathaniel ScharpingIn March, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down major cities in the U.S., researchers were thinking about blood. In particular, they were worried about the U.S. blood supply â the millions of donations every year that help keep hospital patients alive when they need a transfusion. ...
Sarah L Caddy, University of CambridgeVaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you ...
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. ITâS SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that â…one of New Zealandâs COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the countryâ Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished âat least, we got rid of Muldoonâ, a response which tells us that then, and today, oneâs views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement:Â More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
âTheyâre here already! Youâre next! Youâre next! Youâre next!âWHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: âTheyâre here already! Youâre next! Youâre next! Youâre next!âOstensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dĂ»r. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhowerâs inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been âleaders of the free worldâ. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to âdrain the swampâ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the cityâs available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story â read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trumpâs behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. Itâs a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about todayâs global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind â the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
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This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
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When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. Thereâs a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, hereâs a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the areaâs unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien OâConnor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. âThese special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. âThe change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. âFollowing confirmation of the Cook Islandsâ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. âOur top priority continues ...
Todayâs deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. âThe deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. âABAC helps ensure that APECâs work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Governmentâs prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealandâs local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. âGiven the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, itâs clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. âThe Battle at Te Ruapekapeka PÄ, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. âThe new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase âalternative factsâ, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guineaâs mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? â Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children â Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 â were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka â Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the worldâs population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayersâ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is âbullshit.â Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. Itâs a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealandâs Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngÄ Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. âNew Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology âThe lie outlasts the liar,â writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the âpost-truthâ era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australiaâs export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 â when Scott Morrison was treasurer â to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses â in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they find out exactly what we’re voting on in the cannabis referendum, and discover how legalising weed is a women’s issue.First published August 4, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
New Zealand needs to be bold in making developers enhance the environment - not just limit its degradation, writes Stephen Knight-Lenihan All human activity should help restore the natural world. This is a concept that may resonate following the upheavals of 2020 and one which is beginning to appear in law. Imagine ...
Derek Challis, son of the legendary author Robin Hyde, died last Thursday. Michelle Leggott pays tribute He opens a suitcase and there they are, the precious manuscript notebooks written by his poet mother Iris Wilkinson aka Robin Hyde. We are in Dunedin for a Hyde conference. Yes, says Derek Arden ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
Concerts and some sports look likely to be on the move in Auckland after a big win for Eden Park â and politicians and officials may now want to win the public some control over the independent stadium. The advent of big concerts at Eden Park will, in all likelihood, mean ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. âOn behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,â district health board chair ...
The issues political editor Justin Giovannetti will be keeping an eye on in 2021 (that have nothing to do with Covid-19).New Zealand will be busy in 2021. The border will remain closed to nearly all travellers and Covid-19 will continue to lead the news, but the country has a packed ...
A former case manager says that his experience working with beneficiaries suggests claims of a ‘complete shift’ in the service’s approach are laughable.A former Work and Income case manager who now works with beneficiaries engaging with the service has spoken out on a “toxic” culture which he says denies beneficiaries ...
ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni must confirm whether the Government supports ACCâs apparent policy to make payouts for illegal overstayers , says the New Zealand Taxpayersâ Union . Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, âSince when was it ACC policy to ...
By RNZ News An independent panel says Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial covid-19 outbreak, and criticised the World Health Organisation (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until 30 January. The experts reviewing the global handling of the pandemic, ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Fijiâs NGO Coalition on Human Rights has called for stronger accountability and commitment to human rights at home in response to the country taking the world stage as the head of a UN body. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) elected Fijiâs ambassador Nazhat Shameem as ...
Danyl McLauchlan reviews Stuart Ritchie’s Science Fictions, which outlines the staggering systemic flaws in the funding and publication of scientific papers. Back in August of 2006 a number of New Zealand scientists were caught up in a media controversy about whether Māori had a genetic predisposition towards violent crime. It kicked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago America is currently experiencing its worst political and constitutional crisis since the civil war when the very survival of Abraham Lincolnâs government âof, by and for the peopleâ was at stake. On ...
Manaaki Rangatahi report that young people experiencing homelessness are being further traumatized within the emergency accommodation where they have sought safety. Often these environments are unsafe, and unsuitable for young people to live in, and rangatahi ...
Can you figure out which of the above is the real Jacinda Ardern? Probably! But one day, that might not be true.There are many reasons to believe the internet shouldn’t exist. Social media empires exerting, intentionally or not, their control over sovereign governments. Baby Shark. Your aunt on Facebook.It pains ...
The Point of Order Ministers on a Mission Monitor has flickered only fleetingly for much of the month. Â More than once, the minister to trigger it has been David Parker, who set it off again yesterday with an announcement that shows how he has been spending our money. He welcomed ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
Why are New Zealand’s 2 Minute Noodles called 3 Minute Noodles in the UK? It’s a puzzle that has taken hold of Dylan Reeve and refuses to let go.I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. I watched a lot of TV and was a big fan of aggressively marketed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonatan A Lassa, Senior Lecturer, Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management, College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University News of storms battering parts of Queensland and the threat posed by Cyclone Kimi reminded me of a recent experience Iâd had. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the use of force to effect the arrest of a wanted offender in Auckland was justified and proportionate to the risk he posed. A man, who was well known to Police, was wanted by Police for an aggravated ...
A distinctly colonial institution, banking has long ignored te ao Māori. Teaho Pihama believes investment in tikanga Māori at Kiwibank can have significant, positive outcomes for Māori.In early 90s Tāmaki Makaurau, when Teahooterangi (Teaho) Pihama was growing up riding his bike around the streets of Kingsland until the streetlights came ...
Donald Trumpâs awful presidency expires at midday on Wednesday [US time] when Air Force One will have deposited him in Florida. He retreats to his Mar-a-Lago resort and Joseph R Biden Junior takes command of the White House. Trump’s has been an unpleasant presidency, brought about largely by his own ...
The New Zealand Union of Studentsâ Associations (NZUSA) has elected its National President for 2021. The election took place last Friday at an NZUSA Special General Meeting (SGM) in Wellington. Andrew Lessells, 22, was elected to serve as the National ...
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz.It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my ...
Unlike the US, there is very little NZ precedent for politicians to issue discretionary pardons â creating a challenge for those like Prof Sean Davison who might have a humanitarian claim to mercy. ...
Schools have told the Education Review Office that some children lost 10 weeks of learning in last year's lockdowns, but the overall impact of the pandemic is still unclear. In a report based on surveys of thousand of students, teachers and principals during and after last year's national and Auckland ...
The government seems to still be in holiday mode when in the past two weeks alone we have had six homicides, countless firearms incidents, and police needing to arm themselves against gangs almost every second day," says Sensible Sentencing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Crawford, Associate Professor in Construction and Environmental Assessment, University of Melbourne Over the past few years, Australians have embraced online food delivery services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog. But home-delivered food comes with a climate cost, and single-use packaging is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland When the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia in March 2020, the Morrison government took bold and imaginative action. The most notable examples were its income support programs â JobKeeper, paying a A$750 weekly ...
Ocean Ute, which arrived at Port Taranaki yesterday, is the second live export ship to arrive in New Zealand this year. Taranaki Animal Rights Group has two demonstrations planned for today. A protest at midday and a vigil at 6.30pm tonight . The number ...
The Department of Corrections is well within its rights to refuse Jared Savageâs âGanglandâ book from being read by inmates and it is outrageous that resources and time are now potentially going to be wasted in court about it, says Sensible ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Cowling, Associate Professor – Information & Communication Technology (ICT), CQUniversity Australia Weâve probably all been there. We buy some new smart gadget and when we plug it in for the first time it requires an update to work. So we end ...
And some other stories of the day, tommorrow, the weekend & for the future:
Harawira contemplates a by-election
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721960
And Goff fronts up in the South, carrying the NO ASSET SALES message:
http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/otago/157987/goff-points-govt-sell-plan-fault
He won’t get one, not this close to the election. If he tried to force it I suspect it’d backfire on him illegitimating the party rather than giving a mandate as most voters would then see him as wasting taxpayer time and money.
Dayle Takitimu, spokeswoman for Te Whanau a Apanui, informs me that the Police are planning “raids” against protestors.
http://mauistreet.blogspot.com/2011/04/terror-raids-in-te-whanau-apanui.html
http://mauistreet.blogspot.com/2011/04/terror-raids-in-te-whanau-apanui-2.html
I tend to think the accusations have a solid base. A number of Maori police officers have come out saying they were approached by senior police officials who asked whether they would take part in planned “Tuhoe style terror raids” against Te Whanau a Apanui.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see this occur under a National government. Using public power to protect private interests is so, so National. The integrity of NZ Inc comes before the democratic rights of citizens.
this made me smile this morning
đ
Now if we could just get the same attitude here đ
“The planned fuel tax increase of 1.5 cents per litre which was due to come into effect on 1 July has been deferred while economic conditions remain tight, says Transport Minister Steven Joyce.”
The lolly scramble has started folks.
You forgot about the GST off F&V
The deck chairs are certainly being rearranged
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10721677
and then we get this from the biggests blanket and musket seller of all time
“His calls for taking GST off food and putting a ceiling on rent increases and petrol prices were supported by most New Zealanders, Mr Harawira said” – Pity realism plays no part !!
It would be nice to see realism form part of a politicians world view and the vision they had for our society.
Interesting comment from the Police this morning that initial video scans of the Pike River mine appear to show the body of a fully clothed man laying face down. Fully clothed is interesting; perhaps conditions were not as fiery as we have been told.
And in breaking news: Police last night told families of the Pike River mine victims that there was a possibility rescuers had identified a body in the mine. There was also evidence that rescue boxes in the mine had been opened.
Wonder if this will be a comfort or more distressing?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10722020
Well something doesn’t add up. PM’s office had given a very different spin didn’t they?
“They show Mr Key has used the Iroquois helicopters 10 times for a total of 29.9 flying hours over the period. That doesn’t include the trip he took two weeks ago from Auckland to Hamilton in order to attend the V8 Supercar races and be back in time for a golf club dinner.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721955
Just more proof that John Key, and National, are liars, that they think they’re entitled to waste our money however they wish and that they think that they need to keep the truth from us.
An interesting blog about taxation in the US in an analysis from the 60’s to 2011
‘Rather than equalizing society, governments have shifted the burden of taxes from the wealthy to those of lower and middle income .
http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2011/04/rich-get-richer-how-taxation-in-america.html
Via Anrewj at interest.co
Would it be possible for someone to do the same for NZ?
Ok, we now have conditional anti-spam. If the spam engine thinks that you might be spam then it will ask you to fill in a anti-spam recaptcha. Don’t be offended, it will give you an opportunity to correct your spam like behavior đ
We’ll try that for a while. In the meantime I’ll fix the old anti-spam in case I need to put it back in again.
Does that mean there’s no captcha unless some software thinks the comment looks like spam?
Yep. Talk about a highly effective negative feedback loop (especially after I get around to getting it to give more feedback). It should massively reduce the amount of work the mods have to do ove rthe medium term.
Write a spammer type comment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_Truth_movement
http://www.slate.com/id/2292081/
[lprent: Ok that did it – wound up in moderation after I did the correct words. ]
Asshole of the Week Award
http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/04/asshole-of-week-award_28.html
On the 28 April 1995, 14 young people lost their lives and another four were injured, some very seriously. The disaster occurred at Cave Creek in Paparoa National Park and will forever mark the 28th April a sad day to remember. A party of students from the Outdoor Recreation course at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth and the Department of Conservation’s Punakaiki Field Centre Manager went onto what appeared to be a safe viewing platform high above Cave Creek.
I remember that day very clearly…. working on the Rununga Mine Rescue centre, first it was a police car, then two ambulances and finally the rescue helicopter screaming over us. Heading into Greymouth after work it was super quiet… a real tragedy. The polytech was the spark of the town and we knew a lot of people – artists, musicians – they made that shit-hole bearable for a while.
It’s bread and circuses time… eg. Frankly I don’t give a damn & Rodders
From ‘The Medieval Inquisition’: “A slow roasting was considered preferable to quick incineration… The events were closely linked to ROYAL SPECTACLES… Such burnings were even held to help celebrate ROYAL MARRIAGES.” (emphasis added)
* 29 + 4 + 2011 = 19. 1 + 9 = 10. 1 + 0 = 1 World (dis)Order
Also, Radio NZ yesterday reported Key and Cameron “took their shirts and ties off” after meeting at No.10 Downing St. Ye gads, olde chaps, what do those frat boysss get up to behind closed doors?
And as for getting sssssso excccccited about a corgi licking his hand . . .
When can we have a Prime Minister that SOUNDS like a New Zealander?
So! J Key professes in France to be a great rugby supporter, yet he can’t recall his position re the 81 tour.
I can, it hurt, lots.
Just came to say hi and tell you all about the awesome day I had
I recently challenged my employer on several issues of inefficiency and incorrect practice at the job at which I have been working for just five weeks now.
My big mistake… for my efforts, today I was awarded with two weeks notice of termination of employment.
Simply because the boss decided to take it personal when I (in the most appropriate manner possible) highlighted what wasn’t being done, what needed to be done and how best to do it.
Never in my life have I been fired from a job, nor did I think anyone could be fired just for doing their job properly.
Funnily enough I don’t blame the boss for being an asshole, instead I blame the dickheads in power who made it okay for him to treat my fellow (un)employees and I like some proletariat trash who can be discarded for whatever reason he sees fit.
When I think about going back to WINZ after they fucked me around for almost three months last time I feel a pain building in my chest.
I’m young enough that I shouldn’t have to worry about having a heart attack, besides I don’t have time to die, I have to find another job so that I can make rent first.
This may not be of any interest to anyone but I just needed to have a rant so that I don’t do anything impulsive like THROW JOHN KEY UNDER A BUS.
Lucky for him he’s probably still on world tour giving foreign leaders sloppy handjobs for trade deals or kudos or whatever we benefit from paying him to ride helicopters… I don’t know… Fuck it
It’s of interest to most of is Adonijah, that’s why we’re here.
Is there a union at your workplace you can talk to?
Thanks r0b appreciate it
I’m not a union member and untill today I wasn’t even aware there was a union for the hospitality industry, which has got to be one of the most overpopulated by bad managers.
I’m looking in tosigning up tomorrow for sure.
Had a good chat to someone at the community law centre though. Really helpful people gives me a renewed sense of faith that there are people willing to help out.
Glad to hear it – and good luck.
Sorry to hear that, Adonijah. When you feel able, put your energies into fighting to get our country to a place where everyone is valued. In the meantime, best wishes with Work and Income.
Thanks JS.
I do believe in us fighting for a better country, however I know that it’s not a fair fight.
Cheers for the support much appreciated
New Zealand is full of really really shit managers holding our enterprises back.
Which is why I think we should move to worker owned co-ops, mutual organisations, and not for profit private sector operations.
Don’t I know it. I’ve worked too hard for too many of these clowns.
I have learned enough about how not to run a business and treat your employees that I could run my own shop if it weren’t for the huge costs involved in setting up.
I agree with your second statement but TBH I don’t know enough about how co-ops work so I may have to make a trip to the library on my day off.
Any recommended reading?
Don’t just get angry Adonijah, get involved. Whether Labour, Green or even Hone’s crew get active. This is the only way that ordinary people will change things for the better.
@Adonijah
To add to what ms has already said… it will feel like an act of revenge for what was done to you, and in the process you will meet some great people.
I’m in. I give my party vote to the good guys but it still feels like pissing in the wind sometimes. I don’t really care for this government thing we have, Democracy seems like a giant misnomer to me. Demos Kratos, For the people by the people, right? Heck. Really?
What you need to do first is to make sure that you vote left. Then persuade a mate to vote left. Then persuade 2 mates to vote left. Then persuade three mates …
Name and shame the place of business.
Adonijah
Iâm so sorry to read of your plight – this kind of crap makes my blood boil.
I’ve been in my present job for some years and I’m always on guard for my fellow workers because I process the pays and know the law. I can tell you that if I wasn’t there there would be some abuses going on. As a result of this I’m not kindly regarded by management and constantly have to remind them that everything I do is completely correct and that I’ve checked with the Department of Labour.
Only today I had to say to one of them,â Well of course we have to pay for X as we can’t afford to have a whiff of scandal that we’re defrauding workers of their wages.” which I judged to be less direct than, “what, you’re going to rip this person off?” but it rankles that I have to remind people to act morally and within the law. If this person could immolate me on the spot there would be a pile of ash.
Fully agree with your sentiments on Key, he’s pure evil.
Please join a union when you can. If it’s any comfort to you, I went to some courses in the 80s run by the Employers’ Association and one guy taking a course said that middle management in NZ was some of the sorriest excuses for he’d ever seen where competence was concerned. I applaud you for pointing out what was wrong at work but unfortunately the arsehole who’s sacked you must have the most fragile ego going – heaven help us all.
I echo others’ good wishes in your having to deal with WINZ – the description in the above paragraph would seem to suit them to a T.
Latest Roy Morgan, not much change, Nats and Labour up marginally. Next one should be interesting, ACT up, Nats down?
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2011/4661/
Aye and I wait for the MSM to say that Labour is at 32%. The way the Reid Research results were taken as valid and repeated and repeated and repeated makes you wonder about possible bias in the MSM.
The sort of bias multi million dollar loans at below market interest rates buys? Nah, couldn’t possibly happen here!
I was wrong above, by the way. The Nats haven’t improved, but the overall right lead went up by one due to a lift for the Maori party.
It suggests TV3/Reid was a blip and anyway it’s sort of moot since the polling was done before Brash got hyper on Easter eggs.
It may take two or three polls to get an idea of how things are likely to pan out.
Ahhh PeteG
Care to agree now that you may not have been right trumpeting that Labour was down to 27% and that the Reid Research poll may not have been accurate?
Take it easy on Pete, he’s had a tough day over at the sewer. Funnily enough, some people over there think he’s a concern troll. A leftist concern troll, ho ho.
“Pete George@10:38am on the previous thread: âAh yes, and Banks. Brashâs new Exclusive Brother.â
You had quite a lot to say in 10 comments on the earlier Brash thread â much of it questioning Act / National in ever-so-reasonable tones calculated to conceal support for policies of the left.”
Loved ‘exclusive brother’ though, Pete!
Ahhh MS, care to agree now that you weren’t a teensy weensy bit worried about 27%?
I’m sure you know one poll at odds with others shouldn’t be taken too seriously unless it repeats.
But of you look at the Roy Morgan poll graph you will no doubt be hoping that another sub 30 blip won’t coincide with the end of November. Look more closely – it has a record of diving in November, that’s what’s happened in 2009 and 2010.
Roy Morgan poll continuously and have a very good record.
BTW PeteG I know that you do not want to read “The Hollow Men” but I found an alternative for you. Have a look at http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-hollow-men-2008 released very fortuitously today. Watch it and be very afraid. This is about the people who could take over our country. Be very afraid …
BTW MS, I’ve never been a fan of Brash, I was pleased he failed in 2005, and I will be very wary of the Brash Act. His initial surprising success is tempered by that fact he wants Banks to try and keep Epsom in the Act camp.
BTW, I’ve never been a fan of Banks either. I rate Boscawen as a genuine guy and a hard worker. There’s nothing much else to speak of once they lose Hide’s experience – he made mistakes and wasn’t always aiming at the right targets but he had many successes too, and knew the system well.
Wow PeteG
I agree with almost everything you said except the suggestion that Hide achieved anything positive …
That trend on the GCR doesn’t look very good for the government.
And its going to keep declining.
People are getting a bad feeling about this Government, the issue is that they do not know what to do about it yet, and as a default until they do, they will keep picking National and Key.
And its going to keep declining.
I’m picking this winter to be one of the most unhappy since the mid-90s, which will ensure the GCR drops further. There must be a point on the GCR where it drags the government don with it.
The location of that point depends on a large extent on the guts of the opposition parties.
Key must fumble, but the Opposition must be in position to catch the ball when he does that, and must then run with it straight to the try line.
After $10 Million has been spent by police, the family members of the Pike River miners and the mayor are demanding that more money be spent to remove their bodies.
Although they are grieving, it cannot be said that NZ has not gone to great efforts and money expended to retrieve the bodies. Plus open their own wallets for them.
It may be that some decisions made by the rescue team, in hindsight, were wrong but the very expensive royal commission will determine that.
Surely there is a limit to which the NZ taxpayer could be expected to go to retrieve the bodies of people who knowingly engaged in an activity that could have resulted in them being entombed in a mountain.
What really saddens me, is in holding this view, I find I am sounding like some RWNJ – but hey! It could be some recessive mutant gene coming to the fore.
You would think so.
It all depends upon why you hold the view that you do. To save limited resources or to give tax cuts to the rich. The RWNJs, of course, are all for the latter.
Bizarre item on Clive tonight – a woman whinging because Asians are buying baby “formula” to send to China, and a reporter trying to make a Chinese woman feel guilty because she’s buying it to send to her baby nephew who was caught in the Chinese earthquake last year…That’s a crime? A daddy does an email whine that he has to go to “two different ‘stores’ to get the ‘formula” for his family.
I brought up 3 kids and never used ‘formula’ ever.
(As a friend point out years ago, ‘store’ is one of the sillier americanisms. Stores are warehouses, they sell wholesale stuff, and the places that sell retail are *shops*!)
Idiotic people thinking food out of a machine is better for baby than food from an in tune with her own baby mother’s body.
National Coal Expert: âMining is a Loserâ in Practically Every Way
I think that should be enough to get everyone wondering just who benefits from coal mining in NZ as well.