Speaking in Dubai, Key was unclear on New Zealand’s position on the bombing.
“I think the official position was we didn’t oppose the airstrikes so I’m not sure we went out and had a physical position…but by definition we didn’t oppose it.”
Asked to clarify if New Zealand supported the campaign he said: “I might have to go and check through the Foreign Affairs ministry.”
It’s tough being a casual PM when you need to know who you’re supporting in all this killing that is going on in the Middle East huh? Probably would have been wise to get a clear briefing before Vance asked the question. Probably didn’t expect a NZ journalist to casually ask it, I expect.
Now if we weren’t in Iraq (as the price of being in ‘The Club’) supporting troops supported by Iran, who are fighting Daesh, Key wouldn’t be in a pickle explaining why we may or may not support Saudi Arabia in Yemen (who also have Daesh ‘assisting’) blowing up rebels supported by Iran.
Lucky he can wing it with the Security Council thing *phew*.
I just long for a PM who knows what’s happening in NZ, in the world, and what NZ”s position is on all things, and can talk “off the cuff” about anything, and with authority. We had one of those PMs once – she was called Helen Clark. And I’m hoping we’ll have another one soon in Andrew Little. A PM who won’t make us cringe, and who won’t sound like a dork all the time !
A PM who recognises that the position is a professional one, not a celebrity one.
A PM who recognises a country is not a corporation
A PM who recognises Geopolitics is not about marketing
There is important thought provoking information in the following 25 minute video regarding education, schools, standards testing, charter schools,
different agendas, revolt etc.
Hope you will find time to view it as you may find the information very useful.
Thanks Clemgeopin.
Anyone with an interest in the way our education system is headed should view this but particularly:
Parents with young families.
Senior school students looking to make teaching a career.
Then the Joe Blo voters who have been coerced by the ministry/ministers/political parties into believing that the New Zealand education system is broken and needs to be fixed …
… and be aware of the real agenda behind the education reforms.
This link gives an inside view of how this is working out and how the Commissioners engineered an “award” .
Appointments on tertiary and teachers councils, legislation passed under urgency, short periods allowed for submissions, hiding the text of the TPPA….and on it goes.
No more!
Oh wow! Theres an image of twisted sisters “we’re not gonna take it” in Tautoko Mango Mata’s post.
Well over a thousand of us had a massive sing along to this at the anti TPPA rally in Wellington last month. It was AWESOME!!!
The jocks on radio sport were disagreeing about tailgate this morning. If those dorks are split on the issue, you know it’s hurt Key’s image right in his heartland.
Its a trial run for home.
Any female with a pony/pig tail will be required to remove them or cover up in this fashion to spare the great leader from temptation.
It doesn’t say how many women are on the mission, or who is placing the expectation on them.
The women travelling on John Key’s trade mission to the Gulf will be expected to cover up in the style of Islam when they visit Saudi Arabia later today.
So when you said “Why is John Key making NZ women behave as second-class citizens?” you actually meant “Is John Key making NZ women behave as second-class citizens?”
I presume it’s his call. If not him I think we should know who, don’t you?
It’s not a shopping trip after all. They’re representing the people of NZ on the world stage, so it’s supposedly our values on display.
Don’t you think we should know who is deciding to tell the world that the values of the people of NZ are compatible with wrapping women in sheets to appease murderous religious bigots?
Hopefully it’s someone accountable to the electorate.
So it looks like it’s Key’s call, although it isn’t very specific regarding who he had the discussion with, and we still don’t know how many women are expected to cover their filthy selves in our name.
In the United Arab Emirates, where the Prime Minster is currently visiting, the Abaya is common.
But in neighbouring Saudi Arabia it is compulsory and Mrs Key will comply.
“We had a discussion about that, in the end I think it’s a matter of accepting and appreciating their culture,” says Mr Key.
Mr Key is talking about a culture in which women aren’t even allowed to drive and will only get to vote in local elections for the first time this year.
what a tragedy Bronagh did not make the brave alternative decision not to attend in SA. I might have held some respect for her. Oh, and I wonder if she will take a lovely family album of their daughter’s art work to share in Saudi Arabia. No. I guess not. Likely said daughter would be beheaded in that country for such behaviour.
What bloody awful representatives we have. Shame on us,
My partner was required by her employer ( a public organisation) to cover up when a group of saudis were visiting her workplace in Auckland, New Zealand.
Not all Saudis are murderous religious bigots. And the women going might choose to dress in ways that facilitate their work there (the article you link has an interesting bit about women’s culture).
Still, I’d be interested to know who made the decision, why, and whether the women have a choice.
Sure, have a read of felix’s original link. The women delegate talks about how she gets to work with the women in Saudi in ways that the men can’t, and I’m guessing that respecting local customs is part of that.
I googled saudi +abaya and most of the photos looked like head and body coverings, not face coverings. I can’t really see the problem with that if that’s true. Not too different from expectations around what NZ business women have to wear. Note, I am talking about the delegates, not Saudi women who have no choice and who face severe cultural and legal penalties for not obeying.
In this situation you are probably right, and I have no reason to trust that the woman delegate being quoted is not part of Team Key. But in general if we are to send delegates there, I would rather that there were women as part of the team than just sending a bunch of men in suits who will almost certainly fail to graps the issues around women’s culture.
Headscarves are required for women under Saudi law, but exceptions are made for foreigners, with many seeing Mrs Obama’s decision as a protest against the treatment of females in the strictly Islamic nation.
[…]
The likes of Princes Diana and Condoleezza Rice also decided against covering their heads when visiting Saudi Arabia.
So not compulsory for foreigners, if that’s accurate.
Which still leaves us with the question of whether the (three?) women on the NZ trip were allowed to decide how to dress themselves or not.
I suspect that this time, the Saudis made it compulsory for ALL WOMEN to cover their heads for their own safety, knowing that a notorious hair puller was also part of this delegation.
would be interesting to see who else has refused to cover their head and body historically. Also, is Saudi one of the countries that introduced the abaya in more recent times?
@ felix
Radionz 7.30 ish, comment on human rights from about 1.40 mins and the woman spoke about 2 mins in.
There was a mention of human rights to some of the trade reps who said – one male Well, uh, no comment. A women from Maven said it’s very complex, and who are we to say what the Islamic position is and whether it’s right or wrong?
More on Maven. http://consultmaven.co.nz/nz/about-us#about-us
This perhaps reflects Maven’s approach as an independent business problem-solver with a strong connection to government. I have often wondered where our government dreams up the lacking policies that we get foisted on us. Perhaps these are the beavers chopping down our long term forests and turning them into leaky buildings!
Maven is an independent strategy and operations consultancy that was founded in 1998. Our head office is in Wellington, New Zealand….
Maven has a strong government focus. We have delivered major government reform projects across many sectors including Education, Health, Justice and Transport. Maven has led over 160 projects and assignments for more than 40 public sector clients in the past seven years alone. These range from small-scale one-off assignments, up to advising on projects over $200m in value….
We apply a sense of balance to the way we operate. We think rigorously, harness the right disciplines and provide insight – our intellectual side. This is balanced by our emotional side – our capacity to be passionate, empathetic and intuitive….
(Could be a selling spiel of high-class prostitutes catering for the corporate and civil servant trade. Sounds just what men would look for – passionate, empathetic and intuitive.)
@The Contrarian
But I thought I heard a couple of days ago that Michelle Obama didn’t cover up when she accompanied her hubby to the land of the beheaders (and I seem to remember 14 out of 17 9/11 attackers were Saudi).
‘Lesley Kennedy, chief executive of Maven International, one of just two women on the delegation, was asked about women’s rights concerns.
“I think it’s a very hard topic to actually get into, I don’t think that we can comment really too much because it’s very political, it’s very very complex.
“And you know, who are we to say from an Islamic perspective what’s right and what’s wrong – we’re New Zealanders – we have our own views on the world.
“We can’t go in somewhere else and say, ‘Well, you should do it this way’,” she said.
The other woman in the delegation, Michelle Boag from the New Zealand Middle East Business Council, declined to comment about the trip altogether.’
There are probably more than Bronagh, Kennedy and Boag.
Key’s press secretary (whose name I do not know – blonde, shorthair) is also on the trip, and Andrea Vance is also covering it for Fairfax. So that is at least two more.
You are welcome vv. I notice she keeps her hair short probably as a precaution against any ‘horsing around’ because she seems to be permanently at key’s side.
Perhaps women start morphing into men the more RW they are. I have read that male hormones intensify in men who are in positions of authority, power and decision making. Perhaps that happens in females also – the smaller percentage of male hormone expands. Think Matrons in hospitals, Prime Ministers – Jenny did not have much female empathy, Finance Minister Ruthless etc.
We (NZ) should not be doing any trade deals with these scumbag Arabs who have a shocking human rights record. Of course John Key is doing America’s bidding not ours, he is just roping us into it along the way.
Key’s excuse I presume is out of respect for the culture of a Country your visiting. Here in New Zealand we have a rather sexist cultural rule relating to women’s speaking rights, which should be thrown out the door.
I remember well Helen Clark refused to wear a dress/skirt and didn’t curtsey for the Queen, bloody good job too.
*Correction Scumbag United Arab Emirates, the ruling class oil barrons. There is a good reason other countries don’t have trade deals with the UEA, they are right up there in terms of breeching human rights.
Another point Skinny – we have a need to trade. We can’t be too picky. John will put kneeling pads on to help his busioness friends and he doesn’t care about anyone else, neither suffering humanity there or here.
Our economy has been shaped around exports and hollowed out in the middle. Easter was just few weeks ago – we are like a hollow easter egg, scrumptious for those who are fast eaters and bits of tinfoil on the floor after. Just enough for a play hat. So gladhand John, and go dry while you are there though they may loosen their strict rules for the sake of a slightly sozzled, well-oiled better deal.
I wasn’t around last week for the discussion of ponytailgate.
In the one thousand plus comments on the issue was there a discussion around the potential for Key to resign over his persistent abuse of Amanda Bailey?
Simply put, I believe he needs to go because a society should not tolerate or accept such abusive behaviour of their leader. If we do, then we have truly lost our morality and abandoned our belief in the standards expected of the PM. In fact standing down is the least he can do as his first step towards making amends to his victim.
Is there a danger that this abuse will become “last weeks news”? How do we keep up the pressure to hold the PM to account, and do this in a way that keeps respect for Amanda Bailey at the centre of any action?
I can’t see it happening at the moment Rosie. Smile and Wave will ride this out. And it’s not like he hasn’t done resignable offenses before.
Unless, the complaint to the HRC and the private prosecution go ahead. McCready is doing both, but Marilyn Waring said there were moves to approach the HRC too. I’m not sure if that’s a separate thing. You could email her and ask?
Why not? What is Key going to do? Continue standing in the middle of the field yelling “nyah nyah I’m not playing by the rules anymore nyah nyah ….. ya gonna have to throw me out” ?
Like the biggest bully in the playground always does?
tbh, I’m looking at his behaviour to Bailey in the context of the many other things he does. The man is a serial liar, why hasn’t he resigned over any number of instances? To be clear, his behaviour towards Bailey is very bad, and there is a scale here that is new (both in obvious illegality, and in how much international attention and ridicule he’s getting), but I still think he will survive this until there is a dip in the polls. That might still happen if there is legal action taken against him.
btw, I’m not saying he shouldn’t resign, I’m saying I don’t think he will at this stage. The good news is that there is no going back from this, and it will haunt him for the rest of his term. Hopefully that will impact on National too.
I also think there is a distinct probability that more of these kinds of things will happen and come to light. At some point a chunk of the MSM will need to call for his resignation, and then we might see something happen.
Yep sure I see all of that…. but it just reinforces his place as the biggest bully wanker on the schoolground giving the rules, the teachers, and all the pupils the middle finger….
such a fine example he presents week after week.
john key has become the country’s biggest loser – a complete loser
IMO what passes for comedy on telly is good indication of how things may pan out.
I thought it interesting that the generally JK cheerleading ‘7 Days’ show gently mocked the PM and then had Judith Collins on who was asked a series of patsy questions
(notable exception being the Irishman who asked Judith if honourable had a different meaning in NZ, which had the audience gasping at his impertinence!)
Ed Byrne was great when he said that, and gave her a hard stare as well. Paul Ego really had Judith Collins on her toes – loved the “whaleoil on your skin for your beauty routine” bit. I don’t think the questions were patsy at all – check out the body language and expression of Ego. Collins only laughed along because she was nervous and alone and knew she was outnumbered.
I don’t see much in the way of JK cheerleading either, they are more JK jeering these days. They’ve changed their tune.
Wilson Dixon ridiculed Key during his stand up on Comedy Gala on tv3 on Sunday, and did it really well.
However, we are largely bereft of political satire in this country and one weekend’s worth of lols isn’t going to influence much in the way pressuring Key to stand down.
Re your last sentence. The well-known, dismissive gesture (clenched fist jerked up and down) seems appropriate to hair-pulling. Perhaps it should be applied to Johnny Boy more frequently in future.
Why not? What is Key going to do? Continue standing in the middle of the field yelling “nyah nyah I’m not playing by the rules anymore nyah nyah ….. ya gonna have to throw me out” ?
Yeah, pretty much. It’s about all he can do and so legal means have to be used to remove him. Apparently there are actually legal means to do so in this case as many times there aren’t.
Thing is that if he resigns National have a high probability of no longer being in government. The Northland buy-election proves that another buy-election in Helensville could go the same way and for the same reasons. Sure, they won’t have Winston to stand against National’s sock puppet but I’m sure you’ll find that NZ1st do have some good people as candidates that could stand there.
Losing Helensville would drop the National led government down to the point where they couldn’t govern and so we’d either get a government switch or another general election which would also result in National losing the treasury benches.
He could do that but that would, IMO, make the present legal cases that appear to be forming up over his actions have even more standing in court. Essentially, he would have admitted to harassing the woman and that means that he would almost certainly be forced from the electorate seat.
Of course, if those court cases do make it to court he’s likely to be forced from the seat anyway but by not admitting anything he can make out as if nothings wrong for a little while longer. Same as Phillip Field did.
“And it’s not like he hasn’t done resignable offenses before.”
Thats part of the problem – each time he gets away with inappropriate behaviour for a PM he seems to strengthen his protection from public and media scrutiny. He has yet to be held to account or investigated for his role in Dirty Politics for instance. It’s like we have become immune to his unacceptable behaviour.
That’s why I worry, that like every other KeyFail before, ponytailgate will disappear, like “last weeks news” and just dissolve into the murky pool of KeyFails and we react with a collective shrug and sigh.
This week I’ll be able to catch up with the HRC complaint (thank for the Marilyn Waring link). The McCready private prosecution is another thing. I’m uncomfortable about that as I wonder about the motivation, as well as the victim being sidelined by some one elses agenda. I don’t think he sought Ms Bailey’s view, consent or blessing did he?
But, like you weka, I don’t see him resigning either. But in the meantime, theres nothing to stop anyone calling for it. I don’t think anyone has though have they? I don’t know, I could have missed it.
If there hasn’t then there’s something very wrong with us, that we would accept or tolerate persistent psychological and physical abuse by our leader, of a woman in an unequal power position.
If he is found guilty in a court of sexual harassment, he will be required to stand down. In fact Marilyn Waring suggested last week with Kim Hill on Morning Report that even while he is being investigated he should be stood down.,
Marilyn is white-hot angry and I think we can be sure she is working on this, albeit in the background. Maybe we just need a little patience for now ?
Oooh, she is angry. I agree with what she said. I also think that the sort of people who make up the NAct party no longer have any of the qualities of decent behaviour that some of them used to have, at least on the surface. It has turned into a party of outright bullies and would be thugs. They can’t even pretend to be civilised any more.
I have rarely, if ever, heard Marilyn Waring so angry … fuel to rocket for Key !! And hey, she brought down Muldoon and this little casual greedy nasty creepy fella is really nothing by comparison 🙂
Rosie, I think that there is probably a lot going on in the background that may not surface immediately.
Essentially there are three main strands to the whole situation as it currently stands:
– Key’s actual treatment of Amanda which may end up in charges of assault, or harassment
– Her employers’ lack of providing a safe workplace
– Rachel Glucina’s actions (and those of the Herald) in relation to journalists’code of conduct and the complaints to the Press Council.
There also a couple of side issues – eg. the role of Key’s police (DPS) minders, Key’s other recorded instances of Key fingering children’s hair, Key’s credibility on the international stage, etc.
There were hints late last week that Amanda Bailey was possibly taking advice etc from the Unite Union and lawyers*. Yesterday, certain lawyers were also offering help in respect of Press Council complaints – see my comment here http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27042015/#comment-1006278
While admiring his intentions, I personally have reservations about McCready trying to lead in this regard, as IMO any legal action must be Amanda’s decision and I am not sure this is the case – that is, that she has agreed to McCready’s actions. I have utter admiration for Amanda going public with this; but I also would fully understand if she decided not to pursue the matter through the courts.
* Unfortunately I cannot relocate where I read this to provide a link, but the same article said that she has also had offers of employment.
Thank you Veutoviper for that concise summary of the multiple problems with this situation.
re the employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace. I had been thinking about the Health and Safety Amendment Act 2002. There is a provision within this Act that covers minimising stressors in the workplace. It’s difficult in hospo and service industries when that stressor is a customer, as there is an immediate power imbalance but when it’s the PM that power imbalance is magnified, however, we all have a right to carry out our tasks in a physically and psychologically safe workplace. Key made Amanda Bailey’s workplace unsafe for her.
I haven’t got time to find the exact clause but the general functions of the Act are here
I did get a glance at your post yesterday about potential legal assistance with the press council complaint. I hope this goes ahead too.
Yourself and yeshe believe there is more going on in the background than we can see right now, and I trust the wisdom of the two of you. I think yeshe’s right, some patience might be needed. (on my behalf that is)
rosie … just to say I am running on pure gut instinct and women’s intuition on this … I don’t know anything ‘officially’ … but my intuition is basically official enough for me !!
Well, I always look at wisdom as a blend of knowledge gained over years of learning and astute observation combined with tested and true intuition, part of which is pure gut instinct.
You may well have good reason to feel this situation will have the light of justice shine on it, all in good time 🙂
“If there hasn’t then there’s something very wrong with us, that we would accept or tolerate persistent psychological and physical abuse by our leader, of a woman in an unequal power position.”
One of the things that Bailey may have gifted to the country is the baldfaced truth that we are letting NZ be led by people like this. I understand what you are saying about Key, and his resignation should happen and would also be a great boon for the country. I’m also mindful of it’s not just Key, there are many other people in the government like this, and not just the National Party, they’re in the civil service as well in positions of power.
I’m in two minds about McCready. I have an inherent mistrust of private prosecutions but suspect that’s a hangover from the days when the justice system at least attempted to do the right thing. In this case, Bailey did a powerful political act by telling her story in the way she did. Not political as in ‘ooh, left wing blog’, but political in that she stood up and spoke truth to power and she did it on her own terms, and she did this about gender in a soceity that routinely culturally sanctions abuse based on gender. That is quite a feat. However political acts like that that are well beyond the personal don’t get to stay within indiviudal control. I don’t know enough about McCready to have a sense of him, but I hope he is doing this for the right reasons.
Hi weka, those people you speak of who are in power and abusing power, I wonder, are they simply being empowered and somewhat encouraged by Key’s continual ability to get away with it?
He is a role model and sets the bar, as a leader. All the more reason for him to resign, to set an example and reset that bar.
I understand your point that Amanda Bailey’s telling of her story is a political act. I felt she was speaking for all women who have been abused when she told her story – it’s her story alone but there are so many abused women in NZ alongside her, invisibly, in her words. Hence I understand your view that her story is universal and beyond her own control now that it is public.
I just hope that her story gets treated with respect by those wanting Key held to account (whoever they may be) and that we remain mindful that Amanda Bailey is the reason we want to see justice done, and not just use her story to get rid of Key for the sake of getting rid of Key. That would be demeaning to the victim.
Thick, black oil washed up on properties as far as Mangatapu last night after a spill in the port yesterday – with fears for surrounding wildlife.
The oil was sighted from the cove between Turret Rd and Mangatapu to the Tauranga Marina and the Port of Tauranga.
Who is going to pay for the clean up? I’m pretty sure like with Sky Sore, any buddy buddy economic developments from the Nats to big Business, seem to somehow cost the tax payers, socially and economically for the ideology.
Thanks Nats in particular Simon Bridges for destroying our country!
So much looking forward to todays Question Time. I realize Donkey wont be there, but Upston should be, and she will get the first grilling I hope. Winnie and Andy will be in their element today. Give em heaps, the GNAT pricks.
“David Brooks is an award-winning Australian poet, novelist, essayist and short fiction writer. He’s also an animal activist, committed vegan and says his latest book of poetry is a way of exposing inherent cruelty and prejudice against animals. He’s the recipient of an Australian Council for the Arts fellowship for last year – given to one “outstanding, established” writer. He was Associate Professor of Australian Literature and Director of the graduate writing program at the University of Sydney until 2013 and is Co-editor of the literary journal Southerly. He talks to Kathryn from his farm in the Blue Mountains among rescued animals”.
There was an excellent item on racial harrassment in Toronto from a Canadian man of Sierra Leone background on Whoar (search for The Skin). He sounds a really good guy but as well as his story he has specific facts and figures and says that he has been interrogated by police, in the street, more than 50 times because he is black. Police in Toronto scrutinise blacks all the tine, stop them in the street and in their home neighbourhoods, question them and write down personal details. It is like South African surveillance in apartheid.
And so the crime statistics that put blacks and any particular non-white group high, does that happen because they are being surveilled so closely and everything they do is treated as evidence of a crime in planning or commission? He quotes how they were pulled over on a highway out of town because someone in the car threw a tissue out of the window. He said his father became very scared. I think because it is known that the enforcement officers will lie and get away with undue violent or unreasnable behaviour.
Bob Jones has re-affirmed his status as an entitled bigoted relic. I hope they aren’t paying that fossil for his latest piece, re-victimising the waitress and minimising Key’s behaviour
“re-victimising the waitress” and anyone who was forced to involuntarily revisit circumstances of their own painful histories that were likely reflected in the graphic misogyny of the opening paragraph.
That the Herald would allow such a paragraph to be published speaks volumes.
Saudi Arabia should be one great embarrassment for the NZ government – not just this one, but the Labour one before.
Our “Saudi friends” have already carried out 40 public beheadings this year – Key is appalled when IS do a couple of beheadings, the state does 40 and he’s not troubled at all (and certainly not trloubled enugh to go to war over it!).
Women are legally banned from driving, have to cover up in most public places – I think there’s one city where it’s a bit less repressive – don’t have the vote in national elections, have only just won the vote in local elections – and, of course, national elections don’t mean much because the whole place is run by the “royal” family and their hangers-on, and the Saudis persistently sponsor the most reactionary Islamic fundamentalist armed groups in the Middle East and Africa, and probably parts of Asia as well.
The Saudi state was, of course, one of the outcomes of the glorious Allied victory in World War 1. In fact, there were two main rival factions in the Arabian peninsula, the one T.E. Lawrence was involved with and the Sauds. The one Lawrence was involved with was less reactionary and less fundamentalist Wahhabi. But the Brits decided to back the Sauds and, with British help, they triumphed and established a Wahhabi state. The Saud family and their cohorts could do anything they liked because they were the Western powers’ chief allies in the region, along with Israel. And they became more important after the fall of another key American stooge, the shah of Iran.
“Our “Saudi friends” have already carried out 40 public beheadings this year – Key is appalled when IS do a couple of beheadings, the state does 40 and he’s not troubled at all (and certainly not trloubled enugh to go to war over it!).”
This is a poor argument. IS weren’t beheading their own citizens who had broken laws, they were beheading citizens of other countries, to make a political statement and as an attempt at blackmail.
The US also executes dozens of people each year, but NZ doesn’t seem to do a lot about that either.
Does anyone know why or how Deborah Cone Hill is being paid to disintergrate in a national (online) paper? Before anyone asks, I’m not actually all that concerned about her. Just thought I might be missing part of the back-story, like, is it just a parody, or does journalism school now teach this stuff?
I share your quizzicalnesslessness Charles. Have you noticed that all these folks paid to have an opinion, really just have variations of the same broad set of opinions?
And when some of them finally see a part of the world they have been denying even existed it is like they are Da Vinci discovering something amazing and everyone must marvel at their epiphany?
How the MSM and its establishmentarians define and limit the boundaries of acceptable political economic discourse. NZ gets a special mention.
1. Self-censorship. Those who have previously tried to get the truth out no matter out become more reticent and prone to equivocation when reporting on “hot” issues.
2. Topic-avoidance. They start avoiding certain “hot” issues that they feel are most likely to get them into trouble.
3. Response to harassment. A few incidents of mild official harassment cause certain blogs to start watering down their content, or pulling down content in response to harassment.
4. Blacklisting. The officials start censoring content on a case-by-case basis, blocking or shutting down certain internet sites that they consider seditious.
5. Blocking communications. The officials start dealing with the “hard cases” of uncooperative individuals who remain, shutting down their communications by disabling their cell phones, shutting down internet access, and by imposing travel restrictions so that the “hard cases” are forced to remain in places where they can be watched.
6. Detention. Those found to be truly uncooperative, who try to circumvent the restrictions, are rounded up and shipped off to the above-mentioned camps.
+100 …harassment of investigative journalist Nicky Hager is a case in point….and the attempt to shut down the John Campbell Live television programme by jonkey’s friends
And dissing Glenn Greenwald.
Also Bradley Ambrose of the Teapot Tapes kerfuffle.
And Whaleoil’s attacks on David Fisher after he turned against Slater’s slime.
And the demise of TVNZ7.
And the censoring of a Youtube parody video at election time.
And the arrest of Dotcom and censoring of Megaupload without due process.
And the elevation of dense egotists (Hosking, Henry) to popular media spots.
And the lack of interest in giving straight answers at Question Time.
And the glamour and media power of the MPAA & RIAA
And the lack of transparency around SkyCity, Crosby Textor, Donghua Liu
While I don’t want another trial over this (as its been shown that the Dot Cons were, surprise, surprise lying out of their teeth) because its a waste of money I would like it to be proven just how big a liars the Dot Cons really are and how innocent Banks is
Do you believe that Banks really didn’t know who the cheque was from? Leaving aside whether it meets a criminal standard, hand on heart, do you believe that Banks was not trying to avoid potential legal liability by not reading the form?
When he was being paid a huge fee to be an Executive Director of Hujlich, he also didn’t read stuff…
I will let the Courts decide, and will accept their final determination of the facts but morally do you really think Banks is squeaky in all this?
so he didn’t sign the electoral form without reading it first? he didn’t take fees for being an executive director but didn’t read anything? he wasn’t fined for having 3 children on the back of his jetski?
It’s not compared to other politicians PR, it’s compared to the law and the ethics we expect of each other.
Yep. My first thought was that it was diversion from the governments policies of ~6% unemployment that we’ve had since 1984. People unemployed under such policies aren’t unemployed by choice.
I think you’ll find it is winzspeak for turning down the minimum wage zero hour night shift ‘job’ they have found you at a kiwifruit packhouse 37km from your normal place of residence.
In choosing to turn down this suitable job offer, you won’ t have met your ‘jobseeker obligations’ and thus your jobseeker support payments will be reduced by 50% (if you have dependents) or stopped completely for 13 weeks.
Legally a trial period can only exist by mutual agreement and therefore if there’s no agreement to have one there’s no job offer.
From MBIE website.
“Trial periods
Employers can make an offer of employment that includes a trial period of up to 90 days.
Trial periods are voluntary, and must be agreed in writing and negotiated in good faith as part of the employment agreement.”
I would think if WINZ are saying that people must take a job that has a trial period then they would be in breach of the voluntary nature of it.
It might be worth an advocacy group who has some cases raising these issues.
I would also think that if you had no guarantee of hours eg zero hour contracts then you also would be in the right to say no. There own guidelines also make reference to transport as an issue.
It’s officialese in a particular sector, but may have wider meaning. The more contexts I hear of, the better I’ll be able to understand what they’re saying, or implying, or both.
Luddite Journo on consent culture beyond sexual consent, and how we can all look at our personal interactions and how they affect consent.
A consent culture, I believe, is only something we can work towards imagining at the moment. Because consent culture would make neo-liberal capitalism impossible – why would workers consent to the greedy CEOs having so much? Consent culture would dismantle colonisation and the ongoing harms to indigenous peoples and use negotiation, justice and equity as a basis for sharing space on the earth.
In addition to organising for consent structurally, in all the ways that happens, we can and should be interrogating the personal spaces where negotiation and power sharing live. We can and should be honest with ourselves about when we are over-riding someone else’s consent. We can and should ask for help from people to listen to us, even when we are having trouble saying what is ok.
I don’t think so, because “doesn’t want to work” is as ambiguous as “unemployed by choice” – a fixed perspective is required to interpret either phrase. These people may not use the same emphemisms as the group usually associated with the phrase you offer. In fact, it most likely isn’t a euphemism. Think HR speak, and how their words often translate to almost mathematical concepts. Could be like that.
Dear Team CLive, you are incredible!
THANK YOU!
1. Campbell Live 419,410
2. 3 News 348,430
3. The X Factor 283,890
4. The Blacklist 174,260— Campbell Live (@CampbellLiveNZ) April 27, 2015
Interesting stuff from Baltimore. These started as protest over a police killing. Friends are saying agent provocateurs turned it violent. As many of the protestors were organised by church groups.
It’s sad to say but New Zealand no longer has a public broadcaster.
The National government relieving TVNZ of any of those obligations when it came into power. But there was a time in the not too distant past that the government expected TVNZ to make more than dollars and cents.
National is not interested in NZ society or culture at all – just that the rich get richer.
Any Keynesian knows that cutting the deficit in a slump is bad policy. A slump, after all, is defined by a deficiency in total spending. To try to cure it by spending less is like trying to cure a sick person by bleeding.
So it was natural to ask economist/advocates of bleeding like Harvard’s Alberto Alesina and Kenneth Rogoff how they expected their cure to work. Their answer was that the belief that it would work – the confidence fairy – would ensure its success.
Didn’t John Key and Blinglish have something to say about fairies at the bottom of the garden?
@PR I was out the meeting it is an accurate reflection but very truncated reproduction of a few of the comments made.
If you are referring to the comments made by Kevin, I’m not sure what was wrong with him, he was my preferred candidate but was just very off the mark and most unlike his normal self.
More that there seems to be a general consensus that something needs to change, the status quo shouldn’t be maintained and the party needs to grow yet apart from cannibilising Labours vote the only real option is to look at National but thats off the table
Good, I can stop thinking about Tava now he’s making it clear he wants the GP to work with any National govt. Ain’t gin a happen and he’s blown the beyond left right thing.
Pretty hard to grow and change the status quo without considering National, all they’ve really done is stated they’re keeping the status quo and don’t want to grow and have all but guaranteed Winston to be the king-maker
No wait let me guess they’re going to appeal to the “missing million”
Do watch Campbell Live tonight if you can on TV3 at 7 pm.
Tonight, a special investigation into Gloriavale's finances. 91 full-time workers who don't get paid and assets of $36million.— Campbell Live (@CampbellLiveNZ) April 28, 2015
And this:
A reminder for everyone about to drop a tenner on lunch, you can still text NEPAL to 2923 for make an automatic $3 donation. Thank you!— Campbell Live (@CampbellLiveNZ) April 28, 2015
Good, I feel very strongly about this: the buggers turned a million and a half bucks in profit based it appears upon no wages…..then paid no tax because they are registered as a religious group.
Consequently you and I may have been ripped off for PAYE, and for company tax, who knows re GST.
On top of that they are run by a convicted time serving sexual offender. Time the IRD did its job.
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
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It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
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Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
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The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
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Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
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Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
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Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
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New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
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A question that needs asking of our government
Well done Andrea Vance
It’s tough being a casual PM when you need to know who you’re supporting in all this killing that is going on in the Middle East huh? Probably would have been wise to get a clear briefing before Vance asked the question. Probably didn’t expect a NZ journalist to casually ask it, I expect.
Now if we weren’t in Iraq (as the price of being in ‘The Club’) supporting troops supported by Iran, who are fighting Daesh, Key wouldn’t be in a pickle explaining why we may or may not support Saudi Arabia in Yemen (who also have Daesh ‘assisting’) blowing up rebels supported by Iran.
Lucky he can wing it with the Security Council thing *phew*.
It’s Key’s own “Hey Clint”, moment.
what?
how?
crazy
alarming
casual
loser
baby cheeses. what could possibly go wrong ?
I just long for a PM who knows what’s happening in NZ, in the world, and what NZ”s position is on all things, and can talk “off the cuff” about anything, and with authority. We had one of those PMs once – she was called Helen Clark. And I’m hoping we’ll have another one soon in Andrew Little. A PM who won’t make us cringe, and who won’t sound like a dork all the time !
Agree Jenny
A PM who recognises that the position is a professional one, not a celebrity one.
A PM who recognises a country is not a corporation
A PM who recognises Geopolitics is not about marketing
There is important thought provoking information in the following 25 minute video regarding education, schools, standards testing, charter schools,
different agendas, revolt etc.
Hope you will find time to view it as you may find the information very useful.
Yes Clem. Watched it yesterday. Very valuable and red flag for NZ.
Thanks Clemgeopin.
Anyone with an interest in the way our education system is headed should view this but particularly:
Parents with young families.
Senior school students looking to make teaching a career.
Then the Joe Blo voters who have been coerced by the ministry/ministers/political parties into believing that the New Zealand education system is broken and needs to be fixed …
… and be aware of the real agenda behind the education reforms.
This NAct government hate democracy!
Nick Smith is trying to push through his half appointed ECAN council scheme as mentioned in March. To refresh your memory
see ” Democratic ECan “carries too many risks” says Nick Smith”
http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/67438119/Democratic-ECan-carries-too-many-risks-says-Nick-Smith.
Meanwhile Kaipara carries on with its Commissioners who were reappointed until 2016
http://www.propbd.co.nz/kaipara-commissioners-reappointed-until-2016/
This link gives an inside view of how this is working out and how the Commissioners engineered an “award” .
Appointments on tertiary and teachers councils, legislation passed under urgency, short periods allowed for submissions, hiding the text of the TPPA….and on it goes.
No more!
Democratic ECan “carries too many risks” says Nick Smith
too many risks for the selfish farmers hell bent on grabbing as much of the environment as they can to stuff into their greedy gobs
Oh wow! Theres an image of twisted sisters “we’re not gonna take it” in Tautoko Mango Mata’s post.
Well over a thousand of us had a massive sing along to this at the anti TPPA rally in Wellington last month. It was AWESOME!!!
The jocks on radio sport were disagreeing about tailgate this morning. If those dorks are split on the issue, you know it’s hurt Key’s image right in his heartland.
It would be funny listening to them trying to discuss something in a mature and reasoned manner
What was the point of disagreement?
Darren Watson’s follow up to planet key:
I got your office right here.
https://youtu.be/GQrmbxtr09k
You can support his music at http://www.darrenwatson.bandcamp.com
Awww!!! Thank you grumpystilskin.
I love that man and I love his blues.
Is it true that all of the women travelling with Key to Saudi Arabia are required to cover up?
If so, why? Women on official visits from other countries don’t, so the directive can only have come from our end.
Why is John Key making NZ women behave as second-class citizens?
Its a trial run for home.
Any female with a pony/pig tail will be required to remove them or cover up in this fashion to spare the great leader from temptation.
@ Clashman
LOL
The only thing I can find is that his wife will cover up. Nothing about it being a requirement or anything about anybody else in his contingent.
Saw it here: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/bronagh-key-will-wear-headscarf-in-saudi/
It doesn’t say how many women are on the mission, or who is placing the expectation on them.
So when you said “Why is John Key making NZ women behave as second-class citizens?” you actually meant “Is John Key making NZ women behave as second-class citizens?”
I presume it’s his call. If not him I think we should know who, don’t you?
It’s not a shopping trip after all. They’re representing the people of NZ on the world stage, so it’s supposedly our values on display.
Don’t you think we should know who is deciding to tell the world that the values of the people of NZ are compatible with wrapping women in sheets to appease murderous religious bigots?
Hopefully it’s someone accountable to the electorate.
Pretty sure Helen Clark did the same in Iran so it’s not without precedent.
If so that’s appalling.
Also I found this: http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/bronagh-key-to-comply-with-saudi-arabia-dress-code-2015042717
So it looks like it’s Key’s call, although it isn’t very specific regarding who he had the discussion with, and we still don’t know how many women are expected to cover their filthy selves in our name.
I’m not sure if she did as PM but she has since in her role at the UN.
Ref: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/development-programme-administrator-helen-clark-speaks-to-news-photo/185550200
what a tragedy Bronagh did not make the brave alternative decision not to attend in SA. I might have held some respect for her. Oh, and I wonder if she will take a lovely family album of their daughter’s art work to share in Saudi Arabia. No. I guess not. Likely said daughter would be beheaded in that country for such behaviour.
What bloody awful representatives we have. Shame on us,
My partner was required by her employer ( a public organisation) to cover up when a group of saudis were visiting her workplace in Auckland, New Zealand.
So when John Key says “it’s a matter of accepting and appreciating their culture,” that applies to us as both guest and host?
I find that highly disturbing.
“Clark did it too”.
Well, no, I don’t care if Clark did it, Bronagh does it, or whatever.
Just pointing out there is precedent.
Not all Saudis are murderous religious bigots. And the women going might choose to dress in ways that facilitate their work there (the article you link has an interesting bit about women’s culture).
Still, I’d be interested to know who made the decision, why, and whether the women have a choice.
I didn’t say all Saudis are murderous religious bigots. I said we are appeasing murderous religious bigots.
Yes, I know that felix, but I was highlighting that there may be valid reasons for women to cover up that aren’t just about that appeasement.
love to know if you can find them weka !
Sure, have a read of felix’s original link. The women delegate talks about how she gets to work with the women in Saudi in ways that the men can’t, and I’m guessing that respecting local customs is part of that.
I googled saudi +abaya and most of the photos looked like head and body coverings, not face coverings. I can’t really see the problem with that if that’s true. Not too different from expectations around what NZ business women have to wear. Note, I am talking about the delegates, not Saudi women who have no choice and who face severe cultural and legal penalties for not obeying.
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=saudi+abaya&num=100&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=R9s-VYmkLYWxmAWC7YGQCw&ved=0CC0Q7Ak&biw=1639&bih=926
Have a read of what Muslim women say about head, face and body coverings within their own cultures, it’s enlightening.
weka .. still has the tone of appeasement, doesn’t it ? sure does for me. it’s really a ‘do this, or else’.
I’m not sure what you mean. Who is saying do this or else?
Have you read what Muslim women, esp feminists say about head and face coverings?
In the case of women executives, the valid reason is to make a quid at any cost.
In this situation you are probably right, and I have no reason to trust that the woman delegate being quoted is not part of Team Key. But in general if we are to send delegates there, I would rather that there were women as part of the team than just sending a bunch of men in suits who will almost certainly fail to graps the issues around women’s culture.
No choice.
The guardianship law strips individual women of their personal
autonomy by placing them under the custody of their closest male
relative
– Kelly Le Benger
felix’s original comment suggested that some visiting dignitaries don’t (eg Michelle Obama).
Perhaps Michelle Obama’s closest male relative didn’t think she should cover up.
Is there some reason you think Michelle Obama couldn’t make up her own mind on that?
sarc with a little/ directed at the closest male relative nonsense weka, nothing more/nothing less.
tags always help.
Based on this:
So not compulsory for foreigners, if that’s accurate.
Which still leaves us with the question of whether the (three?) women on the NZ trip were allowed to decide how to dress themselves or not.
Bronagh just ain’t in that league of awareness, more is the pity.
“Which still leaves us with the question of whether the (three?) women on the NZ trip were allowed to decide how to dress themselves or not.”
Yep, that’s the one.
I suspect that this time, the Saudis made it compulsory for ALL WOMEN to cover their heads for their own safety, knowing that a notorious hair puller was also part of this delegation.
That suggests you have to have VERY powerful backing to safely exercise free will, doesn’t it?
Well yeah, I guess you have to wonder why the only examples given happen to be three of the most powerful women of their time.
which comment are you replying to?
weka… the one that said michele obama wore what she wanted.
felix
yup. and a nz ceo basically says i will wear it cos otherwise i wont get the bidnis but doesnt have the courage to actually say it
would be interesting to see who else has refused to cover their head and body historically. Also, is Saudi one of the countries that introduced the abaya in more recent times?
” in ways that facilitate their work ” – so how does us trading with them, facilitate change if when we work with them we accede to their culture?
I disagree with our trade relations with them. I’m also not suggesting that we accede to the everything about their culture.
i know. was taking your comment further not attacking it.
@ felix
Radionz 7.30 ish, comment on human rights from about 1.40 mins and the woman spoke about 2 mins in.
There was a mention of human rights to some of the trade reps who said – one male Well, uh, no comment. A women from Maven said it’s very complex, and who are we to say what the Islamic position is and whether it’s right or wrong?
More on Maven.
http://consultmaven.co.nz/nz/about-us#about-us
This perhaps reflects Maven’s approach as an independent business problem-solver with a strong connection to government. I have often wondered where our government dreams up the lacking policies that we get foisted on us. Perhaps these are the beavers chopping down our long term forests and turning them into leaky buildings!
Maven is an independent strategy and operations consultancy that was founded in 1998. Our head office is in Wellington, New Zealand….
Maven has a strong government focus. We have delivered major government reform projects across many sectors including Education, Health, Justice and Transport. Maven has led over 160 projects and assignments for more than 40 public sector clients in the past seven years alone. These range from small-scale one-off assignments, up to advising on projects over $200m in value….
We apply a sense of balance to the way we operate. We think rigorously, harness the right disciplines and provide insight – our intellectual side. This is balanced by our emotional side – our capacity to be passionate, empathetic and intuitive….
(Could be a selling spiel of high-class prostitutes catering for the corporate and civil servant trade. Sounds just what men would look for – passionate, empathetic and intuitive.)
Filthy parasitic troughers using up public funding that could be spent on something useful. Consultants are an absolute curse.
@The Contrarian
But I thought I heard a couple of days ago that Michelle Obama didn’t cover up when she accompanied her hubby to the land of the beheaders (and I seem to remember 14 out of 17 9/11 attackers were Saudi).
She didn’t,no
From Radio NZ…..
‘Lesley Kennedy, chief executive of Maven International, one of just two women on the delegation, was asked about women’s rights concerns.
“I think it’s a very hard topic to actually get into, I don’t think that we can comment really too much because it’s very political, it’s very very complex.
“And you know, who are we to say from an Islamic perspective what’s right and what’s wrong – we’re New Zealanders – we have our own views on the world.
“We can’t go in somewhere else and say, ‘Well, you should do it this way’,” she said.
The other woman in the delegation, Michelle Boag from the New Zealand Middle East Business Council, declined to comment about the trip altogether.’
So 3 women…
Michelle Boag went? *shudder*…She’s an awful woman.
3 women but they only count 2.
See, it works. They’re becoming invisible already.
Wait, what? I think your math is off.
There are two woman on the delegation, Boag and Kennedy.
Ah I see. So how many women traveling in the whole party?
From what we know – 3.
Bronagh, Kennedy and Boag
There are probably more than Bronagh, Kennedy and Boag.
Key’s press secretary (whose name I do not know – blonde, shorthair) is also on the trip, and Andrea Vance is also covering it for Fairfax. So that is at least two more.
Andrea has some good photos on her Twitter account, https://twitter.com/avancenz
“Key’s press secretary……. blonde short hair”.
Her name is Sia Aston. She was a tv3 reporter until about 2009.
Thanks – I should have known that; had checked it out some months ago, so again thanks.
You are welcome vv. I notice she keeps her hair short probably as a precaution against any ‘horsing around’ because she seems to be permanently at key’s side.
Perhaps women start morphing into men the more RW they are. I have read that male hormones intensify in men who are in positions of authority, power and decision making. Perhaps that happens in females also – the smaller percentage of male hormone expands. Think Matrons in hospitals, Prime Ministers – Jenny did not have much female empathy, Finance Minister Ruthless etc.
We (NZ) should not be doing any trade deals with these scumbag Arabs who have a shocking human rights record. Of course John Key is doing America’s bidding not ours, he is just roping us into it along the way.
Key’s excuse I presume is out of respect for the culture of a Country your visiting. Here in New Zealand we have a rather sexist cultural rule relating to women’s speaking rights, which should be thrown out the door.
I remember well Helen Clark refused to wear a dress/skirt and didn’t curtsey for the Queen, bloody good job too.
” scumbag Arabs who have a shocking human rights record”
Is there any country which doesn’t have a shocking human rights record. Is it just that their record is more shocking?
Is our record really so pure and unshocking?
I don’t think calling people scumbag Arabs is very nice or accurate – seems like a bit of bigotry seeping out of the nappy there.
Point taken Marty.
*Correction Scumbag United Arab Emirates, the ruling class oil barrons. There is a good reason other countries don’t have trade deals with the UEA, they are right up there in terms of breeching human rights.
Another point Skinny – we have a need to trade. We can’t be too picky. John will put kneeling pads on to help his busioness friends and he doesn’t care about anyone else, neither suffering humanity there or here.
Our economy has been shaped around exports and hollowed out in the middle. Easter was just few weeks ago – we are like a hollow easter egg, scrumptious for those who are fast eaters and bits of tinfoil on the floor after. Just enough for a play hat. So gladhand John, and go dry while you are there though they may loosen their strict rules for the sake of a slightly sozzled, well-oiled better deal.
I wasn’t around last week for the discussion of ponytailgate.
In the one thousand plus comments on the issue was there a discussion around the potential for Key to resign over his persistent abuse of Amanda Bailey?
Simply put, I believe he needs to go because a society should not tolerate or accept such abusive behaviour of their leader. If we do, then we have truly lost our morality and abandoned our belief in the standards expected of the PM. In fact standing down is the least he can do as his first step towards making amends to his victim.
Is there a danger that this abuse will become “last weeks news”? How do we keep up the pressure to hold the PM to account, and do this in a way that keeps respect for Amanda Bailey at the centre of any action?
Aaron Gilmore stood down for abusing waiting staff
Roger Sutton stood down for abusing staff
John Key has no choice
Agreed vto. Saw your comment last night on Open Mike and responded. Stinky hypocrisy.
I can’t see it happening at the moment Rosie. Smile and Wave will ride this out. And it’s not like he hasn’t done resignable offenses before.
Unless, the complaint to the HRC and the private prosecution go ahead. McCready is doing both, but Marilyn Waring said there were moves to approach the HRC too. I’m not sure if that’s a separate thing. You could email her and ask?
https://www.aut.ac.nz/profiles/social-sciences/professor/marilyn-waring
“I can’t see it happening”
Why not? What is Key going to do? Continue standing in the middle of the field yelling “nyah nyah I’m not playing by the rules anymore nyah nyah ….. ya gonna have to throw me out” ?
Like the biggest bully in the playground always does?
It would be in keeping I guess.
The biggest wanker bully in the school
tbh, I’m looking at his behaviour to Bailey in the context of the many other things he does. The man is a serial liar, why hasn’t he resigned over any number of instances? To be clear, his behaviour towards Bailey is very bad, and there is a scale here that is new (both in obvious illegality, and in how much international attention and ridicule he’s getting), but I still think he will survive this until there is a dip in the polls. That might still happen if there is legal action taken against him.
btw, I’m not saying he shouldn’t resign, I’m saying I don’t think he will at this stage. The good news is that there is no going back from this, and it will haunt him for the rest of his term. Hopefully that will impact on National too.
I also think there is a distinct probability that more of these kinds of things will happen and come to light. At some point a chunk of the MSM will need to call for his resignation, and then we might see something happen.
Yep sure I see all of that…. but it just reinforces his place as the biggest bully wanker on the schoolground giving the rules, the teachers, and all the pupils the middle finger….
such a fine example he presents week after week.
john key has become the country’s biggest loser – a complete loser
IMO what passes for comedy on telly is good indication of how things may pan out.
I thought it interesting that the generally JK cheerleading ‘7 Days’ show gently mocked the PM and then had Judith Collins on who was asked a series of patsy questions
(notable exception being the Irishman who asked Judith if honourable had a different meaning in NZ, which had the audience gasping at his impertinence!)
Ed Byrne was great when he said that, and gave her a hard stare as well. Paul Ego really had Judith Collins on her toes – loved the “whaleoil on your skin for your beauty routine” bit. I don’t think the questions were patsy at all – check out the body language and expression of Ego. Collins only laughed along because she was nervous and alone and knew she was outnumbered.
I don’t see much in the way of JK cheerleading either, they are more JK jeering these days. They’ve changed their tune.
Wilson Dixon ridiculed Key during his stand up on Comedy Gala on tv3 on Sunday, and did it really well.
However, we are largely bereft of political satire in this country and one weekend’s worth of lols isn’t going to influence much in the way pressuring Key to stand down.
Her MO is fascinating to watch… Still not convinced she isn’t reframing herself for a tilt at the Auckland Mayoralty.
gulp !
Re your last sentence. The well-known, dismissive gesture (clenched fist jerked up and down) seems appropriate to hair-pulling. Perhaps it should be applied to Johnny Boy more frequently in future.
he has lowered the bar so low for standards (deliberately in my opinion) that just what would be behaviour deserving of resignation?
Yeah, pretty much. It’s about all he can do and so legal means have to be used to remove him. Apparently there are actually legal means to do so in this case as many times there aren’t.
Thing is that if he resigns National have a high probability of no longer being in government. The Northland buy-election proves that another buy-election in Helensville could go the same way and for the same reasons. Sure, they won’t have Winston to stand against National’s sock puppet but I’m sure you’ll find that NZ1st do have some good people as candidates that could stand there.
Losing Helensville would drop the National led government down to the point where they couldn’t govern and so we’d either get a government switch or another general election which would also result in National losing the treasury benches.
Drax, could he resign as PM but still stay on as MP for Helensville to retain National’s power?
He could do that but that would, IMO, make the present legal cases that appear to be forming up over his actions have even more standing in court. Essentially, he would have admitted to harassing the woman and that means that he would almost certainly be forced from the electorate seat.
Of course, if those court cases do make it to court he’s likely to be forced from the seat anyway but by not admitting anything he can make out as if nothings wrong for a little while longer. Same as Phillip Field did.
Thanks for your perspective Drax. Now we wait.
“And it’s not like he hasn’t done resignable offenses before.”
Thats part of the problem – each time he gets away with inappropriate behaviour for a PM he seems to strengthen his protection from public and media scrutiny. He has yet to be held to account or investigated for his role in Dirty Politics for instance. It’s like we have become immune to his unacceptable behaviour.
That’s why I worry, that like every other KeyFail before, ponytailgate will disappear, like “last weeks news” and just dissolve into the murky pool of KeyFails and we react with a collective shrug and sigh.
This week I’ll be able to catch up with the HRC complaint (thank for the Marilyn Waring link). The McCready private prosecution is another thing. I’m uncomfortable about that as I wonder about the motivation, as well as the victim being sidelined by some one elses agenda. I don’t think he sought Ms Bailey’s view, consent or blessing did he?
But, like you weka, I don’t see him resigning either. But in the meantime, theres nothing to stop anyone calling for it. I don’t think anyone has though have they? I don’t know, I could have missed it.
If there hasn’t then there’s something very wrong with us, that we would accept or tolerate persistent psychological and physical abuse by our leader, of a woman in an unequal power position.
“If there hasn’t then there’s something very wrong with us”
yep
If he is found guilty in a court of sexual harassment, he will be required to stand down. In fact Marilyn Waring suggested last week with Kim Hill on Morning Report that even while he is being investigated he should be stood down.,
Marilyn is white-hot angry and I think we can be sure she is working on this, albeit in the background. Maybe we just need a little patience for now ?
Link for you … well worth the listen:
Marilyn Waring on Morning Report http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201751578/political-scientist-and-former-mp-comment-on-ponytailgate
Oooh, she is angry. I agree with what she said. I also think that the sort of people who make up the NAct party no longer have any of the qualities of decent behaviour that some of them used to have, at least on the surface. It has turned into a party of outright bullies and would be thugs. They can’t even pretend to be civilised any more.
I think conservatives will look back on Key’s govt in the way that lefties look back on 1980s Labour. Hard to see how they will recover.
+1 Well observed.
Thanks very much for that link rawshark-yeshe. Marilyn Waring was scorchingly clear on her position, it was great to listen to.
So John Key’s actions are in breach of section 62 of the human rights act. He has broken the law.
This just can’t be allowed to go away. Hopefully you’re right yeshe, and at least Marilyn Waring will stay with it.
I have a deep faith that many things are going on in the background … we will all keep watching.
Your faith is reassuring yeshe 🙂
I have rarely, if ever, heard Marilyn Waring so angry … fuel to rocket for Key !! And hey, she brought down Muldoon and this little casual greedy nasty creepy fella is really nothing by comparison 🙂
Rosie, I think that there is probably a lot going on in the background that may not surface immediately.
Essentially there are three main strands to the whole situation as it currently stands:
– Key’s actual treatment of Amanda which may end up in charges of assault, or harassment
– Her employers’ lack of providing a safe workplace
– Rachel Glucina’s actions (and those of the Herald) in relation to journalists’code of conduct and the complaints to the Press Council.
There also a couple of side issues – eg. the role of Key’s police (DPS) minders, Key’s other recorded instances of Key fingering children’s hair, Key’s credibility on the international stage, etc.
There were hints late last week that Amanda Bailey was possibly taking advice etc from the Unite Union and lawyers*. Yesterday, certain lawyers were also offering help in respect of Press Council complaints – see my comment here http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27042015/#comment-1006278
McCready has rushed in and apparently was going to be filing papers in the Auckland District Court this morning for Key to be charged with assault: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11439237.
While admiring his intentions, I personally have reservations about McCready trying to lead in this regard, as IMO any legal action must be Amanda’s decision and I am not sure this is the case – that is, that she has agreed to McCready’s actions. I have utter admiration for Amanda going public with this; but I also would fully understand if she decided not to pursue the matter through the courts.
* Unfortunately I cannot relocate where I read this to provide a link, but the same article said that she has also had offers of employment.
Thank you Veutoviper for that concise summary of the multiple problems with this situation.
re the employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace. I had been thinking about the Health and Safety Amendment Act 2002. There is a provision within this Act that covers minimising stressors in the workplace. It’s difficult in hospo and service industries when that stressor is a customer, as there is an immediate power imbalance but when it’s the PM that power imbalance is magnified, however, we all have a right to carry out our tasks in a physically and psychologically safe workplace. Key made Amanda Bailey’s workplace unsafe for her.
I haven’t got time to find the exact clause but the general functions of the Act are here
http://www.dol.govt.nz/hs/law/quickguide/ammendment.shtml
I did get a glance at your post yesterday about potential legal assistance with the press council complaint. I hope this goes ahead too.
Yourself and yeshe believe there is more going on in the background than we can see right now, and I trust the wisdom of the two of you. I think yeshe’s right, some patience might be needed. (on my behalf that is)
rosie … just to say I am running on pure gut instinct and women’s intuition on this … I don’t know anything ‘officially’ … but my intuition is basically official enough for me !!
Well, I always look at wisdom as a blend of knowledge gained over years of learning and astute observation combined with tested and true intuition, part of which is pure gut instinct.
You may well have good reason to feel this situation will have the light of justice shine on it, all in good time 🙂
😀
supposed to be a friendly grin but these new emoticons seem to have other ideas !
“If there hasn’t then there’s something very wrong with us, that we would accept or tolerate persistent psychological and physical abuse by our leader, of a woman in an unequal power position.”
One of the things that Bailey may have gifted to the country is the baldfaced truth that we are letting NZ be led by people like this. I understand what you are saying about Key, and his resignation should happen and would also be a great boon for the country. I’m also mindful of it’s not just Key, there are many other people in the government like this, and not just the National Party, they’re in the civil service as well in positions of power.
I’m in two minds about McCready. I have an inherent mistrust of private prosecutions but suspect that’s a hangover from the days when the justice system at least attempted to do the right thing. In this case, Bailey did a powerful political act by telling her story in the way she did. Not political as in ‘ooh, left wing blog’, but political in that she stood up and spoke truth to power and she did it on her own terms, and she did this about gender in a soceity that routinely culturally sanctions abuse based on gender. That is quite a feat. However political acts like that that are well beyond the personal don’t get to stay within indiviudal control. I don’t know enough about McCready to have a sense of him, but I hope he is doing this for the right reasons.
Hi weka, those people you speak of who are in power and abusing power, I wonder, are they simply being empowered and somewhat encouraged by Key’s continual ability to get away with it?
He is a role model and sets the bar, as a leader. All the more reason for him to resign, to set an example and reset that bar.
I understand your point that Amanda Bailey’s telling of her story is a political act. I felt she was speaking for all women who have been abused when she told her story – it’s her story alone but there are so many abused women in NZ alongside her, invisibly, in her words. Hence I understand your view that her story is universal and beyond her own control now that it is public.
I just hope that her story gets treated with respect by those wanting Key held to account (whoever they may be) and that we remain mindful that Amanda Bailey is the reason we want to see justice done, and not just use her story to get rid of Key for the sake of getting rid of Key. That would be demeaning to the victim.
I think Key probably does lead the way for others in the party to be arseholes, but people like Bennett and Colins don’t need mentors 😉
I think between key and collins we’ve actually have the lesser of two weevils. It will be a dark day for nz if collins gets the top job one day.
nice turn of phrase !! lol
Thank Russell Crowd.
Bloody auto correct Crowe not crowd
Thick, black oil washed up on properties as far as Mangatapu last night after a spill in the port yesterday – with fears for surrounding wildlife.
The oil was sighted from the cove between Turret Rd and Mangatapu to the Tauranga Marina and the Port of Tauranga.
Who is going to pay for the clean up? I’m pretty sure like with Sky Sore, any buddy buddy economic developments from the Nats to big Business, seem to somehow cost the tax payers, socially and economically for the ideology.
Thanks Nats in particular Simon Bridges for destroying our country!
So much looking forward to todays Question Time. I realize Donkey wont be there, but Upston should be, and she will get the first grilling I hope. Winnie and Andy will be in their element today. Give em heaps, the GNAT pricks.
commentary on q-time – the scoop is the nose-picking/snot-rolling mp..
..and maclay got the ‘pants-on-fire-award’..
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/new-zealand-parliament-list-of-questions-for-oral-answer-tuesday-28-april-2015/
phillip ure will love this…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201752159/australian-poet-and-animal-activist-david-brooks
“David Brooks is an award-winning Australian poet, novelist, essayist and short fiction writer. He’s also an animal activist, committed vegan and says his latest book of poetry is a way of exposing inherent cruelty and prejudice against animals. He’s the recipient of an Australian Council for the Arts fellowship for last year – given to one “outstanding, established” writer. He was Associate Professor of Australian Literature and Director of the graduate writing program at the University of Sydney until 2013 and is Co-editor of the literary journal Southerly. He talks to Kathryn from his farm in the Blue Mountains among rescued animals”.
There was an excellent item on racial harrassment in Toronto from a Canadian man of Sierra Leone background on Whoar (search for The Skin). He sounds a really good guy but as well as his story he has specific facts and figures and says that he has been interrogated by police, in the street, more than 50 times because he is black. Police in Toronto scrutinise blacks all the tine, stop them in the street and in their home neighbourhoods, question them and write down personal details. It is like South African surveillance in apartheid.
And so the crime statistics that put blacks and any particular non-white group high, does that happen because they are being surveilled so closely and everything they do is treated as evidence of a crime in planning or commission? He quotes how they were pulled over on a highway out of town because someone in the car threw a tissue out of the window. He said his father became very scared. I think because it is known that the enforcement officers will lie and get away with undue violent or unreasnable behaviour.
Meanwhile, US cops murder yet another young black male, this time Freddie Gray in Baltimore:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/us-the-states-systematic-violence-kills-another-young-black-man/
Phil
Bob Jones has re-affirmed his status as an entitled bigoted relic. I hope they aren’t paying that fossil for his latest piece, re-victimising the waitress and minimising Key’s behaviour
The Herald is paying him to be clickbait. He generates page visits and comments. More agin him than for him but The Herald does not care.
Yeah, just read it, has always been a wanker, and his latest rant confirms it. What a tosser.
Bob Jones used to say that the Left had no sense of humour.
With Bob’s last effort, I’d have to say that the Right has no sense of honour.
“re-victimising the waitress” and anyone who was forced to involuntarily revisit circumstances of their own painful histories that were likely reflected in the graphic misogyny of the opening paragraph.
That the Herald would allow such a paragraph to be published speaks volumes.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/money/67973985/Young-New-Zealanders-get-a-voice-in-Ruth-Roger-and-Me
A young chap with a big future , young people might get of there Arse! and vote for one of there own telling it how it is. If I was running a political party I’d go have a coffee with him.
There was also a very good interview with him on the Sunday programme.
He came across as very thoughtful and articulate.
Saudi Arabia should be one great embarrassment for the NZ government – not just this one, but the Labour one before.
Our “Saudi friends” have already carried out 40 public beheadings this year – Key is appalled when IS do a couple of beheadings, the state does 40 and he’s not troubled at all (and certainly not trloubled enugh to go to war over it!).
Women are legally banned from driving, have to cover up in most public places – I think there’s one city where it’s a bit less repressive – don’t have the vote in national elections, have only just won the vote in local elections – and, of course, national elections don’t mean much because the whole place is run by the “royal” family and their hangers-on, and the Saudis persistently sponsor the most reactionary Islamic fundamentalist armed groups in the Middle East and Africa, and probably parts of Asia as well.
The Saudi state was, of course, one of the outcomes of the glorious Allied victory in World War 1. In fact, there were two main rival factions in the Arabian peninsula, the one T.E. Lawrence was involved with and the Sauds. The one Lawrence was involved with was less reactionary and less fundamentalist Wahhabi. But the Brits decided to back the Sauds and, with British help, they triumphed and established a Wahhabi state. The Saud family and their cohorts could do anything they liked because they were the Western powers’ chief allies in the region, along with Israel. And they became more important after the fall of another key American stooge, the shah of Iran.
There’s a good piece on Redline about the Arabian peninsula. It can be read here: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/arabian-peninsula-capitalisms-contradictions-in-a-nutshell/
Phil
+100
+100 thx Phil.
“Our “Saudi friends” have already carried out 40 public beheadings this year – Key is appalled when IS do a couple of beheadings, the state does 40 and he’s not troubled at all (and certainly not trloubled enugh to go to war over it!).”
This is a poor argument. IS weren’t beheading their own citizens who had broken laws, they were beheading citizens of other countries, to make a political statement and as an attempt at blackmail.
The US also executes dozens of people each year, but NZ doesn’t seem to do a lot about that either.
Does anyone know why or how Deborah Cone Hill is being paid to disintergrate in a national (online) paper? Before anyone asks, I’m not actually all that concerned about her. Just thought I might be missing part of the back-story, like, is it just a parody, or does journalism school now teach this stuff?
I share your quizzicalnesslessness Charles. Have you noticed that all these folks paid to have an opinion, really just have variations of the same broad set of opinions?
I have indeed.
And when some of them finally see a part of the world they have been denying even existed it is like they are Da Vinci discovering something amazing and everyone must marvel at their epiphany?
Absolutely. Although that bit is easily forgiveable.
Dmitry Orlov on the limits of western propaganda
How the MSM and its establishmentarians define and limit the boundaries of acceptable political economic discourse. NZ gets a special mention.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-27/limits-propaganda
+100 …harassment of investigative journalist Nicky Hager is a case in point….and the attempt to shut down the John Campbell Live television programme by jonkey’s friends
And dissing Glenn Greenwald.
Also Bradley Ambrose of the Teapot Tapes kerfuffle.
And Whaleoil’s attacks on David Fisher after he turned against Slater’s slime.
And the demise of TVNZ7.
And the censoring of a Youtube parody video at election time.
And the arrest of Dotcom and censoring of Megaupload without due process.
And the elevation of dense egotists (Hosking, Henry) to popular media spots.
And the lack of interest in giving straight answers at Question Time.
And the glamour and media power of the MPAA & RIAA
And the lack of transparency around SkyCity, Crosby Textor, Donghua Liu
That’s the Dirty Politics machine in action.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11439651
While I don’t want another trial over this (as its been shown that the Dot Cons were, surprise, surprise lying out of their teeth) because its a waste of money I would like it to be proven just how big a liars the Dot Cons really are and how innocent Banks is
Do you believe that Banks really didn’t know who the cheque was from? Leaving aside whether it meets a criminal standard, hand on heart, do you believe that Banks was not trying to avoid potential legal liability by not reading the form?
When he was being paid a huge fee to be an Executive Director of Hujlich, he also didn’t read stuff…
I will let the Courts decide, and will accept their final determination of the facts but morally do you really think Banks is squeaky in all this?
Squeaky clean no but in comparison to politicians in general then yes but really it shouldn’t have come to this in the first place
Why shouldn’t it?
If he’s dirty, and you admit that he is, then let’s clean him out.
But hes not dirty, Dot Con and his wife were caught lying
so he didn’t sign the electoral form without reading it first? he didn’t take fees for being an executive director but didn’t read anything? he wasn’t fined for having 3 children on the back of his jetski?
It’s not compared to other politicians PR, it’s compared to the law and the ethics we expect of each other.
Thats all well and good but its about this case not whatever else hes done
This case is about John Banks signing false declarations so he could pretend he didn’t know who was donating to his election campaign.
Do you even read the links you post?
“how innocent Banks is” ? i just fell off my chair with laughter.
Me too.
if you can accept that Banks cannot remember a helicopter ride to a mansion,you can accept anything he says.
Banks isn’t innocent. He really did sign a document as accurate when it wasn’t. In fact, he’s done it a number of times.
it is International Workers’ Memorial Day ,one party leader remembered.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1504/S00352/workers-safety-paramount.htm
Here’s a question for ten (points),
Q: What exactly does “unemployed by choice” mean in today’s language?
This is not a trick question. Some of you will likely know. It doesn’t mean retired. Please give context with your answer, thanks.
I can think of a number of things it could mean, depending on who used it. Why are you asking?
Yep. My first thought was that it was diversion from the governments policies of ~6% unemployment that we’ve had since 1984. People unemployed under such policies aren’t unemployed by choice.
Deciding to be unemployed despite having a job one could partake in if so desired?
I think you’ll find it is winzspeak for turning down the minimum wage zero hour night shift ‘job’ they have found you at a kiwifruit packhouse 37km from your normal place of residence.
In choosing to turn down this suitable job offer, you won’ t have met your ‘jobseeker obligations’ and thus your jobseeker support payments will be reduced by 50% (if you have dependents) or stopped completely for 13 weeks.
You will no longer be unemployed.
Choice eh.
You can turn down work if it’s not suitable.
Here’s the guidelines off the WINZ website.
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/main-benefits/jobseeker-support/suitable-employment-01.html
Trial periods are an interesting one.
Legally a trial period can only exist by mutual agreement and therefore if there’s no agreement to have one there’s no job offer.
From MBIE website.
“Trial periods
Employers can make an offer of employment that includes a trial period of up to 90 days.
Trial periods are voluntary, and must be agreed in writing and negotiated in good faith as part of the employment agreement.”
I would think if WINZ are saying that people must take a job that has a trial period then they would be in breach of the voluntary nature of it.
It might be worth an advocacy group who has some cases raising these issues.
I would also think that if you had no guarantee of hours eg zero hour contracts then you also would be in the right to say no. There own guidelines also make reference to transport as an issue.
It’s officialese in a particular sector, but may have wider meaning. The more contexts I hear of, the better I’ll be able to understand what they’re saying, or implying, or both.
Luddite Journo on consent culture beyond sexual consent, and how we can all look at our personal interactions and how they affect consent.
http://thehandmirror.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/michael-buble-teaches-consent.html
Never heard the term, but I assume it means “Doesnt want to work”. Others, I’m sure, may be able to conflate it to something it isnt.
I don’t think so, because “doesn’t want to work” is as ambiguous as “unemployed by choice” – a fixed perspective is required to interpret either phrase. These people may not use the same emphemisms as the group usually associated with the phrase you offer. In fact, it most likely isn’t a euphemism. Think HR speak, and how their words often translate to almost mathematical concepts. Could be like that.
John Campbell tweeted this:
Interesting stuff from Baltimore. These started as protest over a police killing. Friends are saying agent provocateurs turned it violent. As many of the protestors were organised by church groups.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-university-of-baltimore-closes-amid-high-school-purge-threat-20150427-story.html#page=1
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freddiegray?source=feed_text&story_id=829210653836349
Native Affairs – Future of Broadcasting – Part 2: Charter
National is not interested in NZ society or culture at all – just that the rich get richer.
Maori TV is the brightest beacon of decent journalism on the NZ media landscape IMHO.
The confidence fairy bleeding
Didn’t John Key and Blinglish have something to say about fairies at the bottom of the garden?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/68058200/green-mps-say-coalition-with-national-government-off-the-cards
I hope this was just the reporting because otherwise they sound like a bunch of numpties
You mean because the correct phrasing would be “off the table”?
Well i don’t know about you but my opinion of journalists is that used car salespeople are more trust-worthy
@PR I was out the meeting it is an accurate reflection but very truncated reproduction of a few of the comments made.
If you are referring to the comments made by Kevin, I’m not sure what was wrong with him, he was my preferred candidate but was just very off the mark and most unlike his normal self.
More that there seems to be a general consensus that something needs to change, the status quo shouldn’t be maintained and the party needs to grow yet apart from cannibilising Labours vote the only real option is to look at National but thats off the table
But yeah the space stuff didn’t sound too good
Good, I can stop thinking about Tava now he’s making it clear he wants the GP to work with any National govt. Ain’t gin a happen and he’s blown the beyond left right thing.
Pretty hard to grow and change the status quo without considering National, all they’ve really done is stated they’re keeping the status quo and don’t want to grow and have all but guaranteed Winston to be the king-maker
No wait let me guess they’re going to appeal to the “missing million”
If you weren’t so obviously concern-trolling I’d explain to you that the Green world-view and philosophy is entirely incompatible with National’s.
But you are, so there’s no point.
+1
Yeah. I’d hate to see him in any position of leadership. Wanting to be at the centre of any government? What the hell?
Do watch Campbell Live tonight if you can on TV3 at 7 pm.
And this:
Good, I feel very strongly about this: the buggers turned a million and a half bucks in profit based it appears upon no wages…..then paid no tax because they are registered as a religious group.
Consequently you and I may have been ripped off for PAYE, and for company tax, who knows re GST.
On top of that they are run by a convicted time serving sexual offender. Time the IRD did its job.