It is a bit rich for social democrats to criticise Internet Mana for consorting with neo liberals and emerge with credibility. Rog, Bassett, Mad Dog Prebble and Ruth got that ball rolling decades ago.
The NZ Labour Party struggles still with the vestiges of that takeover. And the whole country endures the Reserve Bank Act, SOEs and user pays.
Internet Mana is a party vote promotion deal. Neo liberals do not usually go gunning for the state security forces. Mana is the closest any NZ parliamentary party comes to being an anti capitalist party.
As for the various right critics of Internet Mana some of them have done projections and realise the potential effect of 2–5 extra MPs in the whole equation and do not like the prospect. Others are just being their usual bonehead tory selves and having a swipe at Hone and John Minto. Strangely enough some of these critics did not like the formation of Mana or the inclusion of marxist forces in it either.
Flavell (MP) and Davis (LP) have much to lose hence their self serving opportunist remarks this morning.
Makes for interesting times now mana has some backing, hone is a canny player and this keeps KDC in the frame during the campaign.
Methinks the nact wish they should have looked after that donor now rather than take his cash then throw him to their US backers as the pawn they were playing him for.
The voting out of the current government in the next election is absolutely vital for Aotearoa NZ society. Left wing parties are severely disadvantaged by their inability to raise anything like the amount of money that the right wing parties pull in from those who benefit from their policies. Mana have acted in the best interests of 99% of New Zealanders to fight the common enemy using the same weapon as the NActs – money. While I understand and respect Sue Bradford’s views, I applaud Mana for their considered decision.
Apparently (ref: Mr Ure yesterday on Open Mike and John Minto on RNZ news) the alliance was widely supported among the membership of Mana – they are Mana members for a reason and have a feel for what the right move is, critics should take note of that.
Left wing parties are severely disadvantaged by their inability to raise anything like the amount of money that the right wing parties pull in from those who benefit from their policies.
Can we stop spreading this BS?
Apparently Labour’s membership is the greatest it’s been in 30 years. Thirty years ago Labour had ~55,000 members. So, if we assume a conservative 30,000 members and we get each paying $5/week (affordable even on a benefit) that would give an income of $150,000 per week. And that’s just the Labour Party.
So don’t tell me that the left can’t raise money. Doing so is the purpose of having political parties. Membership in a political party has both its privileges and its sacrifices. People don’t seem willing to do the sacrifice part.
No I’m not – I’m complaining about left-wing parties failing to raise the money that they’re quite capable of raising because they’re too busy saying that people can join for only $5 per year.
Does membership tie to a weekly donation Drax? Serious question. I had assumed that there might a one off annual donation for membership and maybe an option to contribute weekly if you felt so compelled and were able.
I recall Trevor Mallard saying on Backbenches a few weeks ago he had members in Hutt South contributing $10 per week because they wanted to see a change in government. That led me to believe that a weekly contribution was optional, but clarification would be welcome.
No, and that’s the problem and it applies to all left wing parties. They all have ridiculously low membership fees. Mana is $5 per year, Alliance is $25 every three years.
Thing is, it’s these very low membership dues that allow big money to buy our MPs.
In Mana’s case they represent the poor and working poor so that membership fee is totally appropriate and considerate of their circumstances.
The Labour example above showed a tiered ‘suggested donation’ (with the minimum for waged workers being $20 per year) for different income brackets. As we know there are individuals that make chunky one off donations as well. But we on the left are different eh, we just can’t compete with cabinet club.
Better still, instead of the hollow campaign it would be great to see intelligent policy and strong leaders win out over the big mouthy money of the Natz club…….and we can…..
$20 per year raises $600k compared to the $7.8 millions that I suggested and meanwhile people will continue to complain that the left just can’t raise any funds.
Sure, have it so that beneficiaries only pay $1 per week but the party needs a reasonable income.
In Mana’s case they represent the poor and working poor so that membership fee is totally appropriate and considerate of their circumstances.
No it’s not as having it that low means that the party can’t do anything worthwhile and never will be able to. I’m sure that National and Act are quite happy with that state affairs though.
Sure, have it so that beneficiaries only pay $1 per week but the party needs a reasonable income.
The modern way of doing it is by owning solid yielding income generating assets. The old way of doing it is by tithing.
All in all however you’ve fallen into one of the usual traps you tend towards – thinking that something that appears quite possible in theory is even remotely possible in practice.
So, why can’t it possibly be done? Why is it that the left just go on whinging about not having enough money when they have the possibility of having so much?
You and others have mentioned before that we need a left leaning media with full time journalists but the only way we could get that is through my suggestion of funding. The big problem with the left is that so many of them seem unwilling to put their money where their mouth is.
Well I agree with you Draco that funding is a major problem, and I agree with you that the funds we need to raise are in the several-million dollar per year mark.
But Labour is not the Left, and, using the example of building an effective media/news channel, we would want a Left alternative media/news channel, not a distinctly Labour one.
But Labour is not the Left, and, using the example of building an effective media/news channel, we would want a Left alternative media/news channel, not a distinctly Labour one.
If each left party funded themselves the way I suggest then each party could put a small amount into Left Journalism. Or, each person on the left puts forward a dollar per week into it as a separate entity. Either way, it needs that security of of income to work.
Drax, folks would have to have a huge amount of faith based belief in a party to part with their cash on a weekly basis when their budget is is so tight, and that scenario wades into destiny church territory, tithing the poor.
Think about the large membership within the Labour party for example that translate to actual active activists compared to the number of Nat members who couldn’t be arsed doing anything apart from throwing cash at their party – the difference is in the functioning of the membership. One functions the lazy way and one functions in the determined proactive collaborative way.
How can we really expect a beneficiary to contribute in an ongoing financial way to a party? Is that even fair? Those who can and want to support parties such as Mana are always free to donate. Growing their membership with the incentive of a small fee is the right thing for such a party. Such a party can’t turn members away because they are expected to continually stump up. It may be OK for National and Act, not so much for the struggling.
Drax, folks would have to have a huge amount of faith based belief in a party to part with their cash on a weekly basis
Surly that would be why they joined the party in the first place? If they didn’t have the belief that the party could change things then they wouldn’t have joined.
One functions the lazy way and one functions in the determined proactive collaborative way.
There’s been a few times when I’ve been asked to do some volunteer work for parties and have had to turn them down because I couldn’t afford to get there. I could afford to donate a couple of dollars per week though.
How can we really expect a beneficiary to contribute in an ongoing financial way to a party?
Because it’s needed.
Is that even fair?
Yes.
Growing their membership with the incentive of a small fee is the right thing for such a party. Such a party can’t turn members away because they are expected to continually stump up.
Growing the numbers isn’t going to help much if the party is continually too short on cash to actually do anything. In fact, that will, eventually, result in those numbers going down, the party achieving and becoming little more than a foot note in history. This, IMO, is what has truly happened to the Alliance.
PLUS PLUS PLUS to all of the above. It’s fucking hilarious how pure can be the impure when it comes to Hone Harawira and Mana. But two examples – Kelvin Davis and Te Ururoa Flavell.
Davis and Flavell over a cuppa –
“Jeez he’s a hoha that Hone. Defiant, aggressive, profane, wild-card, dripping with mana, not beholden, fool of no one, cunning, charming, intelligent. And bro’…….we really like the bugger. Wish he’d respect the boundaries us fullas slapped on him !
The Right wing Nact reaction to this merger is entirely predictable….and racist . Maori are and have been very astute both in warfare and business….Hone is in this tradition.
( It is only colonial devastation of their culture and patronising and sometimes outright racism in New Zealand that has kept the Maori on the backfoot)
Yes Maori Party Flavell is self serving and so is Davis…as regards Davis ,the last thing the Left needs is a Labour MP criticising Mana/Dotcom, a winning combination for a Labour coalition win….and as for Flavell the hypocrisy of his criticisms is gob smacking…
Bomber Bradbury on the Maori Party criticising Mana/Dotcom
“A brief word on the Maori Party reaction to Internet MANA
The Maori Party have Stockholm syndrome when it comes to John Key, they have their own relationship issues to deal with, perhaps that’s where Flavell needs to turn his attention before he starts critiquing MANA?…..The despicable and disgusting manner Te Ururoa Flavell and the Maori Party went about expelling Hone and then sucking up to National for almost 6 years gives them no moral high ground to attack MANAs strategic decision to enter into an alliance with the Internet Party. ….
DC was playing down imigration on the news last night….i like DC but he,s sending such mixed signals you have to wonder whose showing him how to blow a whistle……I know i,m being blunt but I feel this is a sad road to go down……
[lprent: This commenter has been on my watchlist as a probable right astroturfer for some time. He parrots anti-cunliffe lines with no argument underlying them. You’d think that they could find someone with better tactics. ]
Cunliffe on Brekkie TV3 this morning finally got the message out that the immigration thing was a beat up. And all started because Blinglish lost the chapter on housing.
Thanks, yes. Just found and watched it. Good interview – though his focus was on everyone owning their own home – nothing on state housing and affordable private rentals.
Another hostile and prejudiced interview by Espiner this morning. This time an attempted hatchet job on Harawira.
Total disgrace to public broadcasting.
Morning Report now a travesty.
Followed by another interview with the Internet Party where he interrupted the interviewee several times.
Quite different to the cosy way he chats with his mate fellow wealthy mate John Key.
At one stage Espiner even said that Key’s views had some validity.
Why doesn’t he just Key to join him in the studio?
Absolute disgrace that our tax payer money is being used for this propaganda.
Do what I do when I hear this sort of Drivel from Espiner or anyone elses blatant bullshit lines I lay a FORMAL complaint so far the count is about 19 for Espiner and I have lost count on Gower. As for Garner he’s a nobody now. No wonder he’s bitter. So I will; have a listen and maybe yet another Formal for Espiner to collect sooner or later they have to listen, but other people doing the same would help.
Sorry, but to me it sounded like Espiner did not like what he was hearing, but when ever he tried to change the subject he got a no no and Hone just carried on with his message. Nope Espiner was not a happy camper at the end of that interview. And that make me happy. But yes Morning report is a shadow of it’s former self, and the hiring of Espiner was the Travesty.
I don’t know how you can put yourself through the Guyon Espiner spin Paul. The guy is nothing but a self important nat mouthpiece.
I used to read his columns yonks ago and thought as much then, but in all that time he hasn’t learnt anything. And lols, about eight years ago I was at a Buy NZ Made campaign launch that was hosted at a unionised factory, so of course there were several union organisers and leaders there as guests.
Espiner’s was there covering the launch for whatever TV station he was working for at the time. The look on his face was priceless, a mix of utter contempt and slight tension, as if he was the fox in the chicken coop, but he wasn’t sure if the chickens were going to round on him. Since then I’ve always viewed him as a joke.
The real answer seems that we need abandon National Radio. (aptly names ain’t it) But what to replace it with. I look at the success that Public Radio has had in USA where it is supported by its listeners, Wonder if something similar could be done here. Here is a piece from Wiki about NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States.
NPR produces and distributes news and cultural programming. Individual public radio stations are not required to broadcast all NPR programs that are produced. Most public radio stations broadcast a mixture of NPR programs, content from rival providers American Public Media, Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange, and locally produced programs. NPR’s flagships are two drive time news broadcasts, Morning Edition and the afternoon All Things Considered; both are carried by most NPR member stations, and are two of the most popular radio programs in the country
NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System, which distributes NPR programs and other programming.
Ron, all over the country is a network of community radio stations, mostly funded (badly) by NZ on Air, and partly by fundraising from local committees. They fill the role SBS does in Australia, as well as providing a voice for all sorts (and I do mean all sorts) of community groups.
There is no better or simpler way of easily creating a podcast than doing a live show on community radio (c.f. The Sustainable Lens on Radio, http://sustainablelens.org/ 1).
However, as much as I support Community Radio, an entirely state sponsored, ad free, independent media source is absolutely necessary. Radio is a cheap medium to produce, but we should also be looking at TV, and web resources. It shouldn’t be left to (as much as I love them) amateurs.
The kvetching about Espiner et al. on here will be seen as a vindication of his employment by management at RNZ (and their masters). At last, the lefty liberals on RNZ have been neutered, they will be thinking, and they are complaining about it as much as we used to. Schadenfreude.
1) After moving to Christchurch, I am no longer actively involved in this magnificent show, other than providing web hosting and a bit of tech support.
Excellent point about the community radio stations Wonderpup. There are alternatives that people might like to look for their listening pleasure.
Twice I have provided the frequency and website for on line listening for Radio Active’s Thursday morning 25 minute interview with Grant Robertson and Alistair Thompson from Scoop but only two people were interested. I especially encouraged people to listen last week to the analysis of the Campbell Live show about the string pulling at the GCSB – it was a good listen! The DJ’s themselves on the morning shows are Left and Proud!
There are other independent alternative stations around the country that folks can tune into. I’m not sure if BFM in Auckland still does a political show on a weekday morning but Aucklanders might want to look into that. And what about RDU in Dunedin?
One TS commenter even has their own slot on a station in Raglan!
I tend to listen to RNZ for the news first thing in the morning and then at 5pm but it’s not on at times in between.
It is good that people are complaining loudly about the content and bias on RNZ, however a search around the web for other political news and analysis might result in a healthy reduction in blood pressure.
Rosie…….had a similar experience re Potty Gower at the Mana launch in Pt Chevalier a few years ago. There he was with a look on his face suggestive that he was really pissed off even being in proximity to such nothing rabble. In his cheap, crumpled, no-whiff-of-wool, too tight suit.
You paint the snotty little lispy lipped Guyon Espiner so well. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts he went to Scots College where he was the little narky boy who regularly took the secret back door corridor to Headmaster’s Study.
@ North – a bit over the top to many folk, but no truer word spoken in jest. One doesn’t expect those in the public eye should have to make public their private lives, but there is a very real and fundamental dishonesty going on there.
I’ve never gone along with all that ‘what plays in Vegas stays in Vegas’ crap but IF they expect that to play out – and most jonolists and pollies seem to these days, then those living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones (if ya get what I mean because if you don’t, then an explanation would have to be borderline Whalescum).
Let’s NOT buy into it.
Turn the cnut off. In fact turn off Natrad 0600-1900 weekdays – there are better options
“Another hostile and prejudiced interview by Espiner this morning. This time an attempted hatchet job on Harawira”
Do you mean the interview with Harawira? I just listened and I can’t see what’s wrong with it. I haven’t listened to Espiner on RNZ before, so am not putting this interview in any kind of context. He asked pertinent questions (eg about when the agreement ends), he wasn’t aggressive or hostile. He did interrupt a bit, but I don’t think it was out of the ordinary for RNZ interviewers. I wouldn’t say it was a great interview, but I can’t see how it can be classified as hostile and prejudiced either.
Harawira was very good and I came away from the interview understanding more about what is going on.
I think the point is that Espiner’s impatient, rude, even ill-tempered interruptions betray a readiness to shut-down with hectoring, selected targets. And lo, whom does he always seem NOT to interrupt or hector ? Well, ShonKey Python and most of his ministers of course.
Relative carte blanche for them. “You’ve got 90 seconds. Go for it.” – overstating just a little to illustrate a seeming taste for National Party political broadcasts.
At best it’s status quo bias in the unartful. At a worse level it’s licking Tory arse.
The hoot is that wee Guyon knows (as do they all) that Hone’s a bit of a wild card and might just slap him down embarrassingly if he goes too “yelly private school boy” on him. Bit of fear there. Winston but more measured.
Laughable aint they Phillip, i didn’t catch the name of the ivory tower expert Professor,(dipshit will suffice until memory returns), i heard this morning on the radio pontificating various scenrio of doom and gloom as a result of the InternetMana alliance,
(i should imagine they will never mention the doom and gloom they most fear, such an alliance providing the numbers to oust Slippery the PM and this used car salesman Government),
Contrast that with the words of someone from up in the Rohe saying the confirmation of this alliance has got a definite ‘Buzz’ going,
And,
Annette Sykes Facebook page is said to have ‘lit up’ with 99% positive comments from those who logged on to comment,
Shock horror, 3 Mana Party members are said to have quit the Party in protest at the alliance and with such news i can well imagine Hone having to be put on some powerful anti-depressants, sarc/
The membership of Mana DOUBLED under the weight of mainstream media scrutiny of the proposed InternetMana alliance, it just doubled again with the confirmation,
3–4% of the Party vote in September and i can see Hone Harawira, Annette Sykes, and John Minto as MP’s, my vote will be saying a big YES to that…
The attack, by Stephen Joyce, on Student Representation on University Councils is an great opportunity for Labour to engage with the student population. Labour needs to have lively branches in each 3rd level institutions.
University of Auckland is nearly as big as Dunedin. It should have a branch in each School. Branches in each campus of UIT, AUT etc are a pre-requisite to Labour engaging effectively with the student population and getting the youth vote out.
The NZ Council should take a lead role in expanding the Labour presence in 3rd level education.
Yup. Labour and the wider progressive left parties should make full use of the opportunities! Also, not just students but also staff and potentially reaching out to families of both.
Unfortunately Labour has abdicated its responsibilty to the useless Princes Street branch.
Only when the Gen Sec and the Council take back its responsibility will Labour get proper traction with this critical population.
The last thing Labour needs are people who decide to be political careerists and hangers-on at 19 years of age, and then decide that Labour is the convenient vehicle that they want to do that through.
They aren’t. And National wouldn’t be welcome by anyone apart from non-aucklander like you because they’d tax everyone else in the city to pay for their land developer mates housing projects.
The council are the body who tax me to pay for such basic things as the services that make those types of out of the urban area developments habitable. They are extraordinarily expensive compared to brownfield sites closer to the city. That is why the council is trying to intensify existing brownfields rather than building new subdivisions 20+ kilometres from the city.
FFS The proposed Kumeu development is 25 km from the city and currently has limited water feed, sewerage feeds, and indeed any public services from the council or council owned entities.
For instance running a electrifying that rail line out to the Kumeu development. This is something that the central government is extraordinarily reluctant to pay for. And no wonder, the commuter train out there had to be shut down due to its excessive costs to ratepayers.
I tell you what. Perhaps you should lobby the central government to allow the council to force the developers to pay for the electrification or the commuter trains – gte that and other costs built directly and upfront into the housing prices. Then lets see how economic that development (and others like it are).
This is just one amongst many of the services that the fuckwits like Brownlees and Key are expecting me to pay for to make for a “cheap” greenfield housing development on the outskirts of the city.
I say that if you want developments out there, then you should pay for it through general taxes. In the meantime keep that other Christchurch git Brownlee out of Auckland and down there with you. He already seems to be having fun bankrupting that city.
I know National would never step in, that would be suicidal.
According to google maps it would take around 24 minutes in traffic to drive from Kumeu to Queens st.
I would have though that wasn’t too bad for Auckland.
According to google maps it would take around 24 minutes in traffic to drive from Kumeu to Queens st.
This might be true under very good traffic conditions, but not once traffic starts to build up. It could easily be 3 or 4 times that amount of time during rush hour.
Having lived in Waimauku previously for 2 and a half years (the motorway extension and interchange was finished about halfway through my stay) I can assure you that between the hours of 7am and 9am (and 2 or 3 times a week you can extend that window by an extra half hour before and after) you want to budget at least 60 to 90 minutes travelling into the city from kumeu (more if you were exceptionally unlucky).
Thankfully, due to the nature of my work, I wasn’t compelled to be in the city at a specific time, or required to work in the office everyday so the traffic only affected me when I either forgot about the traffic (I’m not a morning person), or had morning meetings.
The North Western motorway actually runs pretty freely most of the peak period.
At morning peak time, it takes me from 30-45 min to get from Kelston to the North Western motorway via the Waterview connection. This is partly because the ramp lights only let a certain number of vehicles onto the motorway at a time.
Coming back in aftrnoon peak time, from about 4-4.30pm, there’s a big queue (and growing) to get off the motorway at the same interchange.
first you wrote they would have massive support, then later that it would be suicide. The problem with just being a parrot for the right is that you reveal their contradictions.
I can get from st lukes to henderson, via the motorway, outside peak times between ten and fifteen minutes.
Auckland central is now as busy off peak as it was during peak 15 years ago.
National DID step in. They refused to ratify the Unitary Plan unless the development of SHA’s were implemented. In many cases these SHA’s are a continuation of sprawl, and an ultra-fast and inexpensive way for landbankers to put forward for a change of landuse.
National want more houses but not more affordable houses and not too many. Joyce never reveals the value of the consents it trumpets or the areas they have been granted.
For a govt that believed in keeping out of local govt it has taken it over bigtime.
Yeah, it’s the usual accounting bullshit. Watercare claimed $184,980,000 in depreciation which is classified as an expense for tax purposes but it’s not an actual expense. That reduced operating profit by $184 million. They then revalued assets upwards by $264 millon & claim a higher cost of capital as justification for increasing prices.
The depreciation/revaluation scam is primarily why prices keep going up for the likes of power, water etc. It’s self perpetuating inflation.
Their actual operating snapshot is;
Operating revenue ;
Water $134,978,000
Waste water $272,818,000
Trade waste $ 13,161,000
Other $ 61,663,000
Total revenue $482,620,000
Operating expenses ;
Water $ 69,675,000
Wastewater $122,232,000
Interest $ 71,632,000
Total expenses $263,539,000
Operating profit before depreciation $219,089,000
This is interesting too….
“During the year, tax losses of $27.8 million were sold to Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL), a related party. Based on an agreement between the parties, Watercare received a subvention payment of $3.5 million from POAL which equates to 45 cents per dollar of the tax impact of the losses sold. The balance of $24.3 million was recorded by Watercare as a loss offset with POAL.”
The first was how baked you must be to agree, through publishing, with the notion the English weren’t spiritual, bypassing 3000+ years of recorded spirituality.
And then linking it to the birth of cricket, which has been around since the sixteenth century, also by chance, around the time of the reformation and the birth of the church of England.
The second was the same gag, but a bit different.
The third was a tongue in cheek response to the drift off topic, in keeping with the theme of the first two.
The fourth, making it almost as clear as can be without calling you a raving mental.
The fifth, just to be sure we’re on the same page.
Here we are philip ure the “hen fellow”( omnivore) is being nice to you …and passing on to you something sent to her by a vegetarian. In this utube thingie about ‘The Truth About Cancer'( Episode One)…there is a lovely Vegan lady at the end of it saying how a vegan diet helped her defeat cancer…of course the conventionally minded in the medical profession who can brook no criticism wont be pleased about what they hear/see in this utube thingie because it is very critical of them in the nicest possible way….( but we wont worry about that)
I am wondering if I can pick people’s brains/memories. I put into two complaints to the Press Council around the time David Cunliffe’s trust was in the news. There have been many delays getting my complaints heard.
The Herald have responding saying that the “secret” trust by passed some of the requirements of electoral law. My memory is is that is BS. Can anyone reference anything for me on this?
i have the sneaking feeling that the Herald might be close to right as you have outlined it, the Trust to collect donations was apparently within the Labour Party rules but such donations had to be revealed in (i think) the MP’s register of gifts received…
Anker, again from memory, i think He did so after the initial explosion of bile from the media, giving back i think one donation as the donor didn’t want to be publicly known…
Kirk: The thing that we learned that was, I think, most astonishing to many of the people I talked to was that the regulation, the agreement, the authorization that was written for Hayden to keep in his safe — the authorization that allowed many things that have been revealed by the Snowden revelations — was written by the vice president’s attorney; not Alberto Gonzales, the president’s attorney, not over at the Justice Department, but by the attorney for the vice president. … Not an elected official — David Addington is the lawyer’s name — not an appointed official in the sense that the Senate has confirmed him.
He just went to an office and wrote something that is still a secret and kept it in his safe and once in a while would reveal it to some people to read. But an amazing number of people in even the Bush White House, certainly at the Justice Department and out at the National Security Agency, never read the document.
All they knew was that something had been signed by the president and the attorney general that authorized them to walk across the bright white lines that had been established by Congress in the 1970s. … It was and is, I think, the darkest-kept secret that the government has had in recent times.
ha ha, wtf is that thing? probably referencing my quite tangential comment to your post I imagine …. I just followed your link to a related place and got all lost in the pentagon explosion and lack of a plane, and footage, and more. JFK was shot by a lone gunman …
“Pretty soon someone will claim humans don’t conspire”
Who said it wasn’t a conspiracy? It was a conspiracy. 19 hijackers and the loose organisation they belonged to conspired to use aeroplanes to attack the USA.
Pretty soon Ugly Truth will come around to tell us the WTC was brought down by mini-nukes in the basement
Unconventional materials were definitely involved – its the only way that rivers of molten structural steel >1300 deg C could have formed from the buildings.
Never heard what happens when you heat aluminium and steel together, CV?
Hint. They used to use it to weld large steel objects together.
I would accept that it may have been a false flag operation, though that is unlikely due to the inability of a large group to keep anything secret for long, but denying that the world trade centre was bought down by the plane, when thousands of people saw it happen, is fantasy territory.
Almost five hours of facts, many of which are not public knowledge and many have not been seen outside of lecture halls and books. Facts that evicerate the Official Story, chapter and verse.
No politics, no grand accusations, no whodunnit bullshit!
Just the Official Story, taken apart, lie by lie.
It is the best argument to date for a full and independent investigation of 9/11 to be undertaken.
Re: “All they knew was that something had been signed by the president and the attorney general that authorized them to walk across the bright white lines that had been established by Congress in the 1970s. … It was and is, I think, the darkest-kept secret that the government has had in recent times.”
‘The Curious Case of Philip Marshall’
black ops, privatization of intelligence, privatization of ‘national security’, authoritarianism, fascism, death of democracy and freedom of information and public inquiry ?
Bastards!!! This is housing the poor from un-Housing Minister Nick Smith and National,
HousingNZ issued 476 90 day notices to evict tenants in 2013, 80 of these notices were issued in the first four months of this year,
In the 4 years leading up to 2007 just 1 eviction notice was issued,
State tenants from across Auckland are holding a meeting at the Grey Lynn Community Center at 7pm tonight,
You don’t have to be a State tenant to support State Housing, if you have the time and means to, get there and give all political parties the message….
Wow, that is possibly the most ignorant statement you have ever written on these boards BM, and that is quite an achievement.
Maybe you completely missed the widespread ongoing sales of State Housing the Minister is actively engaged in? I find it odd to ask that, because I am pretty sure you have commented on quite a few threads that discussed that very topic.
The numerous protests, the police, the politicians, the newspaper articles, the tv news? Did none of this factor into your thinking before you slapped your hate on the table for public viewing.
One thing I don’t understand is, if you are so concerned about NZ property that is owned by the people, why are you such an active supporter of the Government selling off any thing they can?
I’m a big fan of the government selling off the housing stock that is no longer suitable, old and run down or that now finds itself in very desirable expensive areas of town.
The money raised can then be used to upgrade and add to the housing stock as it what is happening.
I have actually written before that I have no problem with state housing, I don’t want to see people out living on the streets but I do expect people to respect and appreciate the house that they’re given to live in.
So you admit knowing the Government selling off the housing stock is the likely cause for hundreds and hundreds of evictions, yet chose to write your original comment without including any reference to this leading fact and instead insinuated vandalism and a lack of respect for others as the probable cause.
Destroying the houses BM is the sole province of un-Housing Minister Nick Smith, they are being kicked out of their State Houses so that Smith can send a bulldozer through them and sell the land to His developer buddies,
Here’s how it works, source: Herald online today,
A tract of the HousingNZ estate 155 homes will be emptied the houses destroyed and the land sold to ”a private developer”,
The Private developer will then be free to build and sell whatever He/she decides to upon the land, Smith has guaranteed to buy back from the developer 75 houses to be used in the States housing estate for the price the developer dictates,
Kaching kaching, the private developer gets to clip the ticket every which way courtesy of Smith’s use of the taxpayers monies and those most in need get half the houses to live in that they had befor…
interesting item on nat radio this morning about impact of transience on children and learning. Schools reporting kids moving several times a year as their parents move to go picking. Others moving to try and find cheaper accomodation and others showing whole families living in a single room in boarding houses.
The children and their education and other development suffers.
Makes a mockery of slylands et al claiming people should move and dont.
They do and its harming their children.
Includes work from the sallies so key must be due to claim the sallies need to get out more as he did last time they revealled facts like these.
I’ve just finished looking at the brief outage this morning. Was caused by a sudden spike in traffic escalating up from just after 0830 on top of a overseas seachbot running a scan. I need to fine turn the auto-scaler a bit more for kickstart sensitivity.
On the upside, the routine to shutdown and restart the database when it has too many open connections worked in the real world. I watched it happen.
Nope, but i was watching Mai Chen interviewed on Maori Television last night and wouldn’t mind at all if she were to be No1 on the Internet Party list, hence No2 on the InternetMana list…
+1 bad12 for Mai Chen and her inerview last night. Now I see NBR suggesting Seeby Woodhouse could be leader of IP ? That would be grand — such a smart and elegant Kiwi innovator !!!
Last I heard, Laila had opened a restaurant in Mt Eden, and that would be full on work and she ‘s a very hands on woman so juggling political leadership and a high energy business? Interesting thought though.
Verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting. I’ll with hold any speculation until its announced. I also thought from the days when I used to read TDB that Laila said she had joined the Greens…………..but things change don’t they and it would be F’n awesome to see Laila back in the house. I have a lot of respect for her and she is a very hard worker.
Picture this: Annette Sykes takes Waiariki from Te Uroroa Flavell, Hone Harawira retains Te Tai Tokorau, National takes Epsom (long shot I know but we can fantasise) Laila picks up a seat via Mana’s success, we somehow manage to dispose of Dunne we would have a shiny new Government and the Blues would be banished!!!!
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said Harre resigned from the Greens last December.
“She decided that she wanted to move on to other things and do other work,” she said.
She was not concerned that Harre had taken trade secrets with her, saying Harre was “a trustworthy person” who had “every democratic right to be part of another party and to lead it if she wants to”.
Harre was not being lined up as a Green party candidate and had not spoken with Turei about the Internet Party.
“I’ve only heard what you’ve heard, which is on the Twitter,” Turei said.
She was not concerned that Harre’s defection would take votes from the Greens.
Run out of reply buttons so I hope this comes out beneath yeshe’s reply.
Thanks for that and the stuff article. I had also heard on rnz news at 5 that Laila had indeed resigned from the Greens’ last December.
And CV, it be would a fabulous boost to Labour’s chances should this happen but I think bad12 mentioned that David Cunliffe stated on the radio yesterday that Labour had the goal to win back the Maori seats?
Whats with not being up with the modern MMP way of strategic voting promotion? As I mentioned yesterday, Brett Hudson for National has made no bones about not pursuing the electorate vote in Ohariu, just the party vote, as a way of trying to retain Dunne so why the reluctance from Labour?
I thought it was telling when Kumar referred to “the person” who would be leader … but thought it was my own wishful thinking … how superb if it is Leila Harre … exciting times ! See you shonkey — bye !!
ahaha. And true to form there’s Plunket putting the shit into Islam with a 5 minute rant about stonings and killings. I bet Sean won’t be doing the same one sided crap about israel running over Rachel Corrie with a bulldozer or the fact they are committing war crimes/crimes against humanity in Palestine any time soon. As for Sean’s disgust at John Minto protesting outside Key’s house – tough luck. Minto should have gone in and jumped up and down on the sofa while ‘bronnie’ (Key likes to call her that in his interviews with Marcus so we all feel like part of the family) remained calm and thumbed through the 2014 Ballantynes Christmas catalogue. Sorry Sean, if a prime minister insists on getting around with his boots hanging out of obama’s asshole his family deserves to be told a few things they don’t know about themselves.
I am compelled to enquire, what nasty reaction do you have in mind Gosman?
What is the considered repsonse to the abject horror and terror of a vigil of peace.
What return fire do you deploy to balance the bodycount created during the chilling emotional attack that was unleashed upon the lives of the Prime Minister’s family as a group of citizens, lit by candle light, stood on a public street asking for the lives of innocents to be respected?
In China it would attract the death penalty. I am not sure how far collins has got getting this measure past cabinet. Gosman will fight until he might have to actually do something for her right to do that.
That wouldn’t happen for just a peaceful sign waving protest, even if involved Communist Party leadership.
Getting dragged to the local police station, held without charge and having the shit beaten of you over 48 hours for “resisting arrest”…well, I supose that may be a distinct possibility.
“Do you think it is acceptable to target Politician’s family then?”
I wouldn’t have thought so. Then again, I wouldn’t have thought so last month, either, when the Tories had a go at Cunliffe’s grandfather’s war service. It seems that an unfortunate precedent has been set.
John Minto offered no violence to anybody and i doubt he ever has. The man has a decency about him regarding human rights and apartheids. I admire him a real whole bunch. And that is from someone who threw lots of things at him in 1981.
the thing is fatface herself is on the tv right now insulting the the whole country with her bombastic bullshit. one day she will go pop. I hope its on tv.
A discussion on what the NACTs are doing to our justice system and taking an arrogant line with lawyers using the on-line system as an excuse. They are being treated with the contempt that is adopted to teachers by gummint. And there are a lot of lawyers in parliament – seemingly they don’t respect the law and all who sails in her, and think that everyone else is a pirate.
Lawyers can be fined for slackness, for not filing their papers in time, and if late they will not be paid. Then the demands of the procedures required mean that it is time consuming business to prepare the papers to meet requirements.
The justice system is bug…ed (my thought) – $millions spent on a paperless system, which is a failure because it can’t be finished. The law has been passed to run the on line system which now is not complete, but the lawyers have to comply with the law provided for that system. And it is stupid. Paperless systems are hidden systems, virtually encrypted from the point of the view of the ordinary person – you can’t read a CD without a machine.
It sounds like a system thought up by Dame Margaret Bazley – somebody has been speaking to the police who say this and that – yet the preliminary information has not been discussed with the lawyers.
Lovely, Peter Thiel US investment magnate, who has made regular trips here to NZ talking business and foreign investment, is part of the Bilderberg Group.
Befor i forget in all the sugar rush surrounding the Internet Party leader i just have to say Go Brendon Who you good thing,
Brendon Who, soon to make His seat in the Parliament as vacant as the look on His face yesterday launched another attack on Winston and NZFirst claiming, shock horror, that NZFirst had used a Parliamentary staffer to do Party work,
Who would dare suggest that Brendon Who’s two week largely toothless attack on Winston Peters is motivated wholly by revenge,
In the vein of every little bit helps, Go you good thing Brendon Who..
Disclaimer: we endeavour to list all contracts awarded above the value of $50,000.00 in the previous six months. Whilst all possible care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy in this list, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Accordingly, this list should be used for reference only.”
Now check for links between ‘contracts issued’ by Auckland Transport, and member companies for the Committee for Auckland:
(You may note that in a truly ‘transparent’ way – the Committee for Auckland membership list now no longer gives the NAMES of those who represent their companies?
Gosh – I wonder why that is???
Now look for that ‘devilish detail’ on the Auckland Council website regarding ‘contracts issued’?
Hell State of Origin is on free to air so late tonight that the fast fading grey matter inside my cranial cavity is going to need so much coffee that i am going to start behaving like i’ve been on a ‘fries’ bender for a month,
Thank various deity, real or imagined that Backbencher’s is on at 10.30 or i would have to subject myself to that insane little obscenity that TV3 choose to inflict on us all, probably a fate far more damaging than that month long ‘fries’ bender…
Something very odd just occurred in Parliament in the vote of Sue Moroney’s paid parental leave bill. Sue explained that Flavell is away because the birth of his first grandchild is occurring and National didn’t allow him to vote for this bill in absence on compassionate grounds. This was dubious enough of National, however….
Straight after Moroney had relayed this it was time to vote and when it came to the Maori party vote a National member got up and voted the Maori Party as 3 votes against. In response, Moroney got up and tried to table an email saying that the Maori party was voting for the bill, this process, however, was delayed by the Speaker who got up and said he had to accepted the ‘3 against’ vote, and relayed that they had to take the word of whoever said it, because the person must realise it is extremely serious to meddle with another party’s vote.
I am unable to check the draft transcripts because it only just happened. Can’t quite believe what I just heard – something isn’t right at all. Moroney reckoned they had a majority if it weren’t for National not allowing Flavell to vote in absence.
That is interesting and I hope the MSM will make this an issue.
However, I am not sure how, even if you include the 3 Maori votes to Moroney’s bill, she would have have had the majority. (I am of course assuming that Banks and Dunne would have voted with the nasty Nats here which gives Nats 1 vote majority.)
I think United Future voted for the bill, Mana, Labour, Greens, NZ First, and Brendan Horan (have I spelt that correct – the weatherman) voted for it. Maori were supposed to – according to Moroney. The vote as counted tonight was 63 to 58 or 9 – with the Maori Party that would have been a majority for the bill…..
Yes, kind of good – Gower won’t have to make anything up tomorrow night (perhaps?!)
Who voted for the Maori party on their behalf? Normally, the speaker corrects errors if any. Wonder why he didn’t? In any case, may be hopefully, they will correct it tomorrow!
Labourr (and Maori party?!) should make a BIG noise about this.
There are conversations going on on Twitter, one person said that the other two were voting against, that National gave compassionate leave at the last minute, and that is why the votes ended being cast – but they definitely cast 3 against the bill… others saying the Maori Party were all for the bill…clearly some confusion going on….
If the Maori Party MPs were really “FOR” the bill, they could let the country know easily and quickly.
I hope that the Maori Party MPs were closely monitored by Labour leading up to today ensure that they were not somehow persuaded to change their votes to “AGAINST”. Being absent and letting someone else cast your backstabbing vote is a time honoured way of becoming a turncoat.
Ah! That one says the Maori Party have half an hour to correct their vote…hope they do!
The twitter link I linked to was from Katie Bradford, she is the TV One reporter isn’t she? I guess that means they are onto the story.
Nope, you have to get permission from the Speaker to be away before the day arrives.
Straight after Moroney had relayed this it was time to vote and when it came to the Maori party vote a National member got up and voted the Maori Party as 3 votes against.
Was there not an mP member there?
In response, Moroney got up and tried to table an email saying that the Maori party was voting for the bill,
That also requires proper process and it sounds like Moroney didn’t follow it.
How would he know his daughter was going to be in labour? It may have been last minute stuff. I am repeating what I heard Moroney say on parliament channel and suggested read the draft transcript when it appears.
[check out such gus’s comments and katie bradford’s on twitter]
How would he know his daughter was going to be in labour?
Basic communication? Doctors can predict, fairly accurately, when a baby is due and so he could have arranged time out before hand.
I’m more concerned with National apparently taking the mP’s votes against their will. There is a process there as well and it’s possible that both sides have it wrong.
Most people I know were born ‘two weeks late’, it seems so consistent I would think that the formulae they use is wrong, however others are on time and others are early, so perhaps it pans out.
Yes it is rather odd what occurred and Moroney’s final speech will be well worth the read once it comes out because it appears National played some very underhand tactics to stop the bill going through despite knowing there was a majority
Draco, there is a significant difference between when a baby’s due date is, and when it actually arrives. Could Flavell have gotten permission to be absent any time over a month?
Most of my nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces have been born within a couple of days of the due date.
As for what he could have done, well, that comes down to speaking to the Speaker about his need to be away but that the day would be undetermined. Then it comes down to the Speaker having any humanity.
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Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...
Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the report of the Small Business Council will help maintain the momentum for innovation and improvements in the sector. Mr Nash has thanked the members of the Small Business Council (SBC) who this week handed over their report, Empowering small businesses to aspire, succeed ...
Extra Police officers are being deployed from Northland to Southland with the graduation of a new wing of recruits from the Royal New Zealand Police College. “The graduation of 78 constables today means that 1524 new constables have been deployed since the government took office,” says Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Almost $600 million has been paid into taxpayers’ bank accounts in the past two months, after the first season of automatic tax assessments. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says the completion of this year’s tax refund season is a significant milestone. “The ability of Inland Revenue to run auto calculations for ...
The Government’s proposed rescue plan must be strengthened because it is the last chance to save Māui dolphins from extinction and secure the future for Hector’s dolphins, Forest & Bird says. ...
Simon Shepherd: Roads, schools, hospitals, prisons, the building blocks that keep society functioning. And we don't have enough. It's called the infrastructure deficit and will be the focus of a major conference this coming week. The man charged with ...
New Zealand has been issued a stark challenge from Pacific leaders to dramatically upscale its action to address climate breakdown, Oxfam says, after a clear rallying cry from nations at this week’s Pacific Islands Forum. ...
Support for Recreational Dope Going ‘Up in Smoke’ Family First NZ is welcoming yet another poll showing plummeting support for legalising cannabis in New Zealand. The Horizon Research poll shows support for legalising has plummeted from 60% last ...
The prospect of ending wider cannabis prohibition looks increasingly unlikely. Over the last nine months, the percentage of New Zealanders who would vote for legalising the personal use of cannabis has declined at a near linear rate of around 10% per ...
“It’s disappointing that news out of the United States of hospitalisations linked to illegal street drugs is somehow seen as relevant to the New Zealand vaping scene,” says Ben Pryor, Director of Alt New Zealand – the largest Kiwi-owned vaping company. ...
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) welcomes the successful passing of Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill through parliament, by the New Zealand Government. ...
Today’s news from the Electoral Commission has provided the party with the clarity it was seeking around use of the word “Coalition” being used as the brand name of the party. ...
A recently released Otago University study has provided further evidence that low-quality housing is a significant problem in Aotearoa. This has prompted the Chief Executive of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACENZ) Paul Evans to question “why ...
With the BNZ-Business NZ PMI signaling manufacturing is contracting , the Government needs to seriously consider tax relief, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has called for an overhaul of the Public Services executive ranks as the Corrections debacle shows mis-management and incompetence at the highest level. Matthew Tukaki, Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council has said ...
Findings from the 2018 New Zealand Consumer Survey have been released and the results are in; 48 per cent of respondents consider their purchases based on how ethically employees are treated. ...
The responsibility for the fact that Westland Milk Products is now in the hands of an overseas conglomerate 25% owned by the Chinese government can be laid fair and square at our government's doorstep. ...
As Fonterra is projecting multi million dollar losses for the second year in a row, it is clear the writing is on the wall for dairy as more and more Kiwis turn to plant milks. 22nd August is International Plant Milk Day and there is now a different plant ...
The $65,000 granted to Interislander so it can install electric vehicle chargers on its ferries is the most absurd waste of money yet to be delivered by the “Low Emissions” vehicle fund, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. ...
Wellingtonians will have the chance to hear international child rights experts from Ireland, Scotland and Samoa speak at the Making Child Rights Real in Aotearoa New Zealand seminar to be held in the city on Wednesday 21 August. ...
Paul Evans, Chief Executive of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACENZ), is advocating a balanced approach to the development of productive land. ...
CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) says that new research from the University of Otago provides a solid foundation for why the Government must not delay instating a comprehensive Warrant of Fitness for tenanted homes in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an officer drove carelessly during a pursuit and that this was the primary cause of a collision with a motorcycle that injured the rider. ...
Responding to the Prime Minister’s commitment of $150 million in funding for climate change response in the Pacific, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “It is no secret that many Pacific nations lack serious oversight when it ...
AUT research not only shows an increase in political affiliation, but that candidates affiliated to a central political party are more likely to win seats in Auckland local government. ...
On the 23rd of August School Strike NZ will join Ollie Langridge in his 100th day of sitting outside of New Zealand Parliament calling for the government to declare a climate emergency. School Strike 4 Climate NZ also demand that Parliament acknowledge ...
You have stood up for what is fair, and I am sure you will speak for over 7 million people who have been muted and rendered voiceless in Indian occupied Kashmir for more than a 10 days now. I am writing to bring to your notice the plight of Kashmiri ...
In the last 10 months alone, 11 petitions have been delivered to Parliament calling for medicines to be funded by Pharmac. Today, another nine petitions have been launched by Patient Voice Aotearoa (PVA) members asking that life changing, saving and extending ...
When we were first working to get Miscanthus approved for import into New Zealand, the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) waived the fee for their work because they thought that having Miscanthus in New Zealand was so very much in the ...
PHARMAC’s recent decision to fund two additional drugs from December this year has been widely welcomed by patients and the general public alike. The drugs, Kadcyla and Ibrance, are used in the treatment of advanced lung and breast cancers and will ...
Animal rights organisation SAFE is urging the Government to include experts and advocates from outside the agriculture industry on its newly announced winter crop grazing taskforce. ...
The Government’s plans to prohibit housing on ‘productive’ farmland will serve as yet another regulatory tax on housing, and is a shameful breach of Jacinda Ardern’s promise to fix housing supply, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...
The latest round of the Ethnic Communities Development Fund opens today, supporting projects that grow the leadership and capability of ethnic groups, improve cultural understanding, and ensure our ethnic communities are a vibrant and celebrated part ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is warning of the dangers of hiking excise tax, in response to calls from a former Prime Minister for stronger action on alcohol harm. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “It seems inevitable ...
LGNZ will be cautiously assessing the wider implications of the newly proposed National Position Statement on Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL), noting that that it traverses a number of highly complex policy areas including housing affordability and property ...
Horticulture New Zealand has welcomed the Government’s draft National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land, saying it will help ensure that New Zealand can grow its own vegetables and fruit. ...
Background documents for Budget 2019 are now available from on the Treasury website: https://treasury.govt.nz/publications/information-release/budget-2019-information-release ...
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry has welcomed a move by Crown agencies to lift confidentiality obligations on survivors of abuse in State care arising from settlement agreements with the Crown. ...
An evaluation of New Zealand’s first sexual violence court has confirmed that the approach taken in the judge-led pilot considerably reduces the time that cases take to reach trial. ...
The National Party is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Bennett as our Campaign Chair for the 2020 General Election, President Peter Goodfellow says. ...
14 August 2019 – 18 senior business leaders and employment experts have been appointed as judges for New Zealand’s sixth annual Equal Pay Awards reflecting the breadth of companies who have entered. The Awards added three new categories in 2018: Innovation, ...
Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “This is more proof that bureaucrats do not make good tech tycoons, no matter how much taxpayer money they throw at geeks in Silicon Valley.” ...
August marks five years of the Community Finance initiative. In addition to its well established Financial Mentoring service, The Salvation Army has held more than 5800 financial conversations with Community Finance clients. The loan program helps ...
Today 14/8/19 on news hub AM show Duncan Garner asked National Party leader Simon Bridges ‘what would he do to combat climate change and improve the economy again if he is the next PM”. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/08/simon-bridges-says-most-kiwis-believe-system-gamed-at-last-election.html ...
DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle is urging the Government to work with agricultural groups to drive real behaviour change on farm, instead of imposing a broad-based tax. Sector organisations have put forward an alternative Primary Sector Climate ...
Iwi forging closer relationship with Stats NZ over Māori data solutions The Data Iwi Leaders Group supports the findings of an independent review into the 2018 New Zealand Census – but says its failings provide a unique opportunity to co-design ...
“Any justification for paying exorbitant salaries to senior managers in business has just been buried in the Fonterra debacle” said Peter Malcolm spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa New Zealand Inc---“Closing the Gap” ...
Good on their own, even better with cheese – these crisp, moreish crackers are destined to become your new go-to savoury snack.These crackers have been on high rotation in our household – they’ve filled lunchboxes, accompanied fine cheeses on evening platters and been eaten by the fistful straight from the jar. ...
Lists are good and so are Sundays. We combine both those things in a new Spinoff feature. This week: Headlines from the past six months about the the Reserve Bank governor, Adrian OrrRBNZ prepares to stick its Orr inASB, March 29Banks Orr-struck yet againThe Australian, April 10Big banks brace for ...
Over 300 hours of interviews condensed into five episodes that cover the entirety of New Zealand’s comedy history – how do you even start to approach that? Sam Brooks interviews Paul Horan, the documentarian behind the show.It’s one of those projects that sounds utterly futile – how does one cover ...
Judgement prevents understanding, which in itself is a barrier to preventing unsafe behaviour. Are different approaches to harm reduction in the Rainbow community needed? Sex. Drugs. Carly Rae Jepsen. This is the iconography that tends to be massaged into mainstream conceptions of gay culture. Depictions in TV/film see us railing lines ...
The Spinoff is covering local elections across the country with a new pop-up section. To kick things off, Hayden Donnell went to a mayoral debate at Grey Power on the North Shore of Auckland.John Tamihere walked into the mayoral debate at North Shore Grey Power on Friday just minutes after ...
The Spinoff is covering local elections across the country with a new pop-up section. To kick things off, Hayden Donnell went to a mayoral debate at Grey Power on the North Shore of Auckland.John Tamihere walked into the mayoral debate at North Shore Grey Power on Friday just minutes after ...
Things I Learned at Art School is a new series featuring artists discussing how they do what they do and know what they know. In the second instalment, Megan Dunn talks to Berlin-based New Zealander Simon Denny about Michael Parekowhai, teaching and technology, and an idea involving the online shoe ...
With the acquisition of global rugby streaming leader RugbyPass, Sky might have just secured its future, writes Trevor McKewen.For several months now, the war between Sky and Spark Sport for the peerless prize of All Blacks and New Zealand rugby rights from 2021 onwards has been escalating. Every week, one ...
The Lightbulb asks innovators and entrepreneurs how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Jamie Cashmore, co-founder of Auckland-based edible packaging company Twiice. First of all, give us your elevator pitch for Twiice.Twiice is a company making edible coffee cups with plans to progress into other areas ...
The recent discovery of a fossil parrot the size of a human toddler is even more reason for Foulden Maar to be protected, writes the chairperson of Save Foulden Maar, Kimberley Collins.Last week, scientists discovered a new species of extinct parrot in the St Bathans Fauna. Weighing in at seven ...
Could a new hybrid of all the government’s major media holdings solve multiple media and government problems? Duncan Greive assesses the case.The media industry, despite what some of us might like to believe, really doesn’t matter all that much economically. Doesn’t employ all that many people. Relatively low wage. ...
The three governing parties are turning their attention to next year’s general election. RNZ‘s Jo Moir surveys the field.The night New Zealand First formed a government with Labour and the Greens, its leader Winston Peters quoted the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.Almost two years later all three ...
Analysis: The botched census brings down a chief executive, there's another wave of speculation about Christopher Luxon standing for National and NZ First could sink an attempt to reverse the ban on prisoner voting. ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Wording has played a crucial role in a reportedly “fierce” Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu with Australia allegedly managing to alter documental terms to downplay its commitment to climate change mitigation. According to RNZ Pacific, a communiqué and separate statement on climate change was released ...
Australia’s coal policy and its use of carry over credits to fulfill its obligations under the Paris Agreement have come under fire and been major points of contention at this year’s 50th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Meeting in Funafuti, Tuvalu. READ MORE: ‘We should have done more for our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael O’Keefe, Head of Department, Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University The Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tuvalu this week has ended in open division over climate change. Australia ensured its official communique watered down commitments to respond to climate change, gaining ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Forensic Criminologist, University of Newcastle Even in death, the voice of Carl Williams is louder than that of his victims. Intimate prison letters written by the convicted murderer and drug trafficker to his ex-wife, Roberta – herself arrested this month ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Chesser, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Justice, RMIT University In September 2018, a prominent Melbourne surgeon and academic was charged with rape and sexual assault for alleged offences committed a year earlier against a male doctor. The surgeon and doctor had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Dearnaley, Associate Professor, University of Southern Queensland The blotched butterfly orchid (Sarcochilus weinthalii) looks fairly unremarkable when it’s not flowering, generally resembling the far more common orange blossom orchid. But when it flowers, it is exquisite. Dark purple blotches stand out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Cropper, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne Almost every person throughout the existence of humankind has looked up at the night sky and seen more than just a random scattering of light. Constellations of stars have helped ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Desbrow, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics, Griffith University A recent study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety has attracted widespread media attention. Media reports said eating chocolate, in particular, dark chocolate, was linked to reduced symptoms of depression. Unfortunately, we ...
He’s the artist who launched a million memes and over a billion streams. Sam Brooks picks out Bazzi’s best moments so far, from his career-making breakthrough to his mature new mixtape Soulsearching.1. ‘Mine’“You’re so fuckin’ precious when you smile.”It’s the line that didn’t just launch a million memes, it’s the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Crosby, Professor, Monash University Since President Trump tweeted about imposing new tariffs on China, global equity markets have gone into a tailspin. Trump’s more recent announcement that the new tariffs would be delayed has not calmed the markets, with recent days ...
A new poem by Waikato poet Loren Thomas.to convince myself we’re dreamingwe were walking through suburbia houses kissing front lawns copied one after anotheryou tasted like mint leaves and chlorophyll that’s been pissed on by catsI held your hand and we walked towards the ocean dodging planks from dead train ...
The ancient Australian shock-jock yesterday targeted Jacinda Ardern, urging Australia’s PM to ‘shove a sock down her throat’. It’s all in keeping with a substantial history of being an arse.The plucky nation of Australia excels in a range of endeavours, but nowhere more than the angry, anguished howls of bloated, ...
Today, TVNZ released its latest findings on who is watching what on TVNZ OnDemand. Sam Brooks analyses the results.Today, TVNZ released the 2019 figures for who is watching TVNZ OnDemand, what they’re watching and in what kind of numbers. The big numbers are hopeful – over 1.4 million people reached ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney The federal government wants to boost the number of migrants moving to regional areas in Australia to fill job vacancies and reduce the pressure on our cities. That’s why ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Associate Professor, Criminology and Justice Studies, RMIT University There can be no doubt violence against women is a national crisis. On average in Australia, one woman every week is killed. A 2016 survey found one in four women experienced violence ...
One dignified resignation was a bouquet in a sea of brickbats this week as low levels of accountability had eyes rolling. James Elliott has the news of the week. ...
Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein on the band’s ninth studio album, working with St Vincent, and the departure of bandmate and drummer, Janet Weiss.It’s been almost five years since Sleater-Kinney broke their decade-long hiatus with an album that received almost near-universal praise. It was “raw”, “bristling”, “emotive”, “taut” – all adjectives you’d ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colleen Murrell, Associate Professor, Journalism, Swinburne University of Technology When news of the stabbings in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon came through, one of the first tweets about the incident came from Sky News reporter Laura Jayes. Immediately it got retweeted and sent ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $23)Sally Rooney Sally Rooney Sally Rooney Sally Rooney2 An ...
When Emily Writes reviewed a life-changing sex toy, the response from orgasm-starved women was huge. So why are so many having so few orgasms, and what can be done?For the last two years I’ve been running a pretty small – about 600-odd member – group for mostly New Zealand women ...
When Josie Adams broke her laptop last week, she knew she’d never find love like that again. Can the Asus Chromebook Flip C213SA offer a new kind of technological relationship? She reviews how it stands up to everyday use and the cosmic forces that seek to destroy her.Last Thursday I ...
Wine should be fun, not intimidating, all you need is a little knowledge. Yvonne Lorkin co-founder and chief tasting officer of WineFriend provides some simple tips to help you empower your palate. Even I can get scared by wine. I’m usually super-meek and a tad feeble at high-brow, ‘industry’ wine tastings. ...
Pacific Media Watch NewsdeskBy Makereta Komai in Funafuti, Tuvalu Tonga’s Prime Minister, ‘Akilisi Pohiva, has delivered a stinging attack against regionalism and the Pacific Islands Forum’s stance of leaving no one behind, for failing to amicably resolve the issue of West Papua. Pohiva admitted the issue has divided ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Corrections, Christchurch mosque shootings Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Upholding The Accused’s Right To Write Mark Daalder ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amber Marshall, Research fellow, Queensland University of Technology Farming families and communities in Queensland’s remote north are being left behind by the digital economy, putting them at significant social and economic disadvantage. Our report, launched in Cairns today, details the impacts of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Cameron, Associate professor, and Associate Director of the Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University Half-price chips, “two for one” chocolates, “buy one get one free” soft drinks: Australian supermarkets make it very easy for us to fill our trolleys with junk food. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Trethowan, Director, IA Watson Research Centre, Narrabri Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney A UN report released last week found a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions come from the food chain, particularly meat farming. This has prompted calls to sharply ...
Open mike 28/05/2014 
Open mike is your post.
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...31 mins ago
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...2 days ago
Back in May, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki launched another political party. Despite consisting entirely of followers of their religion, they grandly called it "Coalition New Zealand", in a vain effort to suggest it was something broader. But when they applied for registration, submitters opposed the name, as ...2 days ago
The following article is excerpted and translated from two articles in recent issues of Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the revolutionary workers group active in France. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in it – for instance, the 1956-62 war for independence involved rather more revolutionary forces than ...2 days ago
2 days ago
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...2 days ago
This section builds on Part 1 of this series to provide a theoretical basis for the final instalment (part 3 – to come). Self-determination: law or resurgence — or both? International law promotes the principal of equal treatment and self-determination, which includes peoples’ rights to freely pursue their social, cultural and ...3 days ago
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...4 days ago
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...4 days ago
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...4 days ago
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...4 days ago
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...4 days ago
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...4 days ago
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ... 4 days ago
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...5 days ago
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...6 days ago
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...7 days ago
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...1 week ago
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...2 weeks ago
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...2 weeks ago
A Cult, that many actors, politicians, and those with a low IQ are joining is sweeping across civilisation, with one main intention – ending humans reign on Earth. Starting as a well meaning though deeply flawed theory, that the Earth was warming due to mankind emitting greenhouse gasses, it was ...2 weeks ago
There is a military phrase: “Full spectrum dominance”. It refers to the all-encompassing policy to dominate across all spheres of war. Lately, that has come to include the internet – in other words, cyberwarfare initiatives. That is in addition to land, sea, air and the like. Now, if ...2 weeks ago
The IMF issued a Report on the state of the Economy as it is at present. Some of it points out significant issues that certainly warrant attention, but that we know already exist. Some of it is very much tied to the very obvious context of global concerns, that everyone ...2 weeks ago
I'm glad to see the Lib Dems won.I had a moment of terror yesterday thinking that the Conservatives might cling on, due to a combination of Johnson's elevation to the premiership, the apparent uselessness of the Lib Dem candidate (who had failed to be elected in other constituencies) and the ...2 weeks ago
. . Current Leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges gave the usual rah-rah speech to the Loyal & Faithful in Christchurch today (27 July). With National’s party polling and his own personal popularity sliding steadily in the polls, Mr Bridges has not much left to reverse his fortunes. ...2 weeks ago
Those concerned for Langridge’s wellbeing say they hope he’ll change his mind when he sees the ocean coming. The protester who has vowed to stand outside Parliament every day until the Government announces a climate emergency says he accepts that his quest will most likely end in drowning. Ollie Langridge, ...2 weeks ago
Image Credit: How To Start a Blog – Beginner’s Guide for 2019 I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. ... 2 weeks ago
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...1 week ago
The Government’s proposed rescue plan must be strengthened because it is the last chance to save Māui dolphins from extinction and secure the future for Hector’s dolphins, Forest & Bird says. ...38 mins ago
Good on their own, even better with cheese – these crisp, moreish crackers are destined to become your new go-to savoury snack.These crackers have been on high rotation in our household – they’ve filled lunchboxes, accompanied fine cheeses on evening platters and been eaten by the fistful straight from the jar. ...2 hours ago
Over 300 hours of interviews condensed into five episodes that cover the entirety of New Zealand’s comedy history – how do you even start to approach that? Sam Brooks interviews Paul Horan, the documentarian behind the show.It’s one of those projects that sounds utterly futile – how does one cover ...6 hours ago
Judgement prevents understanding, which in itself is a barrier to preventing unsafe behaviour. Are different approaches to harm reduction in the Rainbow community needed? Sex. Drugs. Carly Rae Jepsen. This is the iconography that tends to be massaged into mainstream conceptions of gay culture. Depictions in TV/film see us railing lines ...6 hours ago
The Spinoff is covering local elections across the country with a new pop-up section. To kick things off, Hayden Donnell went to a mayoral debate at Grey Power on the North Shore of Auckland.John Tamihere walked into the mayoral debate at North Shore Grey Power on Friday just minutes after ...19 hours ago
The Spinoff is covering local elections across the country with a new pop-up section. To kick things off, Hayden Donnell went to a mayoral debate at Grey Power on the North Shore of Auckland.John Tamihere walked into the mayoral debate at North Shore Grey Power on Friday just minutes after ...19 hours ago
The three parties in the coalition have to negotiate compromises, concessions and conquests week after week. ...1 day ago
Things I Learned at Art School is a new series featuring artists discussing how they do what they do and know what they know. In the second instalment, Megan Dunn talks to Berlin-based New Zealander Simon Denny about Michael Parekowhai, teaching and technology, and an idea involving the online shoe ...1 day ago
With the acquisition of global rugby streaming leader RugbyPass, Sky might have just secured its future, writes Trevor McKewen.For several months now, the war between Sky and Spark Sport for the peerless prize of All Blacks and New Zealand rugby rights from 2021 onwards has been escalating. Every week, one ...1 day ago
Today, a short story from the late 1920s, published in a posthumous new collection by Marlborough writer Eileen Duggan. Photo by Peter Black. ...1 day ago
The Lightbulb asks innovators and entrepreneurs how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Jamie Cashmore, co-founder of Auckland-based edible packaging company Twiice. First of all, give us your elevator pitch for Twiice.Twiice is a company making edible coffee cups with plans to progress into other areas ...1 day ago
Black Fern Aleisha-Pearl Nelson was told by doctors, twice, that her rugby days were over - after serious horse-riding accidents. ...1 day ago
The recent discovery of a fossil parrot the size of a human toddler is even more reason for Foulden Maar to be protected, writes the chairperson of Save Foulden Maar, Kimberley Collins.Last week, scientists discovered a new species of extinct parrot in the St Bathans Fauna. Weighing in at seven ...1 day ago
The three governing parties are turning their attention to next year’s general election. RNZ‘s Jo Moir surveys the field.The night New Zealand First formed a government with Labour and the Greens, its leader Winston Peters quoted the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.Almost two years later all three ...1 day ago
Protests in Hong Kong have attracted worldwide attention - but are we ignoring a more serious situation across the sea? ...2 days ago
Analysis: The botched census brings down a chief executive, there's another wave of speculation about Christopher Luxon standing for National and NZ First could sink an attempt to reverse the ban on prisoner voting. ...2 days ago
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Wording has played a crucial role in a reportedly “fierce” Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu with Australia allegedly managing to alter documental terms to downplay its commitment to climate change mitigation. According to RNZ Pacific, a communiqué and separate statement on climate change was released ...2 days ago
Australia’s coal policy and its use of carry over credits to fulfill its obligations under the Paris Agreement have come under fire and been major points of contention at this year’s 50th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Meeting in Funafuti, Tuvalu. READ MORE: ‘We should have done more for our ...2 days ago
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It is a bit rich for social democrats to criticise Internet Mana for consorting with neo liberals and emerge with credibility. Rog, Bassett, Mad Dog Prebble and Ruth got that ball rolling decades ago.
The NZ Labour Party struggles still with the vestiges of that takeover. And the whole country endures the Reserve Bank Act, SOEs and user pays.
Internet Mana is a party vote promotion deal. Neo liberals do not usually go gunning for the state security forces. Mana is the closest any NZ parliamentary party comes to being an anti capitalist party.
As for the various right critics of Internet Mana some of them have done projections and realise the potential effect of 2–5 extra MPs in the whole equation and do not like the prospect. Others are just being their usual bonehead tory selves and having a swipe at Hone and John Minto. Strangely enough some of these critics did not like the formation of Mana or the inclusion of marxist forces in it either.
Flavell (MP) and Davis (LP) have much to lose hence their self serving opportunist remarks this morning.
Makes for interesting times now mana has some backing, hone is a canny player and this keeps KDC in the frame during the campaign.
Methinks the nact wish they should have looked after that donor now rather than take his cash then throw him to their US backers as the pawn they were playing him for.
The voting out of the current government in the next election is absolutely vital for Aotearoa NZ society. Left wing parties are severely disadvantaged by their inability to raise anything like the amount of money that the right wing parties pull in from those who benefit from their policies. Mana have acted in the best interests of 99% of New Zealanders to fight the common enemy using the same weapon as the NActs – money. While I understand and respect Sue Bradford’s views, I applaud Mana for their considered decision.
+1 Tautoko Viper.
Apparently (ref: Mr Ure yesterday on Open Mike and John Minto on RNZ news) the alliance was widely supported among the membership of Mana – they are Mana members for a reason and have a feel for what the right move is, critics should take note of that.
Can we stop spreading this BS?
Apparently Labour’s membership is the greatest it’s been in 30 years. Thirty years ago Labour had ~55,000 members. So, if we assume a conservative 30,000 members and we get each paying $5/week (affordable even on a benefit) that would give an income of $150,000 per week. And that’s just the Labour Party.
So don’t tell me that the left can’t raise money. Doing so is the purpose of having political parties. Membership in a political party has both its privileges and its sacrifices. People don’t seem willing to do the sacrifice part.
You are mistaking or misrepresenting the actual annual fee amount with the suggested amount depending on one’s income. Take another look here to understand the difference:
https://www.labourparty.org.nz/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2
No I’m not – I’m complaining about left-wing parties failing to raise the money that they’re quite capable of raising because they’re too busy saying that people can join for only $5 per year.
The benefit isn’t enough to live on, so how can even $5/w be affordable? That $260 would be quite useful for someone on sweet fuck all.
With difficulty.
Thanks for the info Clemogeopin. That’s a good arrangement that suits all budgets.
Does membership tie to a weekly donation Drax? Serious question. I had assumed that there might a one off annual donation for membership and maybe an option to contribute weekly if you felt so compelled and were able.
I recall Trevor Mallard saying on Backbenches a few weeks ago he had members in Hutt South contributing $10 per week because they wanted to see a change in government. That led me to believe that a weekly contribution was optional, but clarification would be welcome.
No, and that’s the problem and it applies to all left wing parties. They all have ridiculously low membership fees. Mana is $5 per year, Alliance is $25 every three years.
Thing is, it’s these very low membership dues that allow big money to buy our MPs.
In Mana’s case they represent the poor and working poor so that membership fee is totally appropriate and considerate of their circumstances.
The Labour example above showed a tiered ‘suggested donation’ (with the minimum for waged workers being $20 per year) for different income brackets. As we know there are individuals that make chunky one off donations as well. But we on the left are different eh, we just can’t compete with cabinet club.
Better still, instead of the hollow campaign it would be great to see intelligent policy and strong leaders win out over the big mouthy money of the Natz club…….and we can…..
Labour used to own a stack of houses and commercial buildings. Almost all gone now.
$20 per year raises $600k compared to the $7.8 millions that I suggested and meanwhile people will continue to complain that the left just can’t raise any funds.
Sure, have it so that beneficiaries only pay $1 per week but the party needs a reasonable income.
No it’s not as having it that low means that the party can’t do anything worthwhile and never will be able to. I’m sure that National and Act are quite happy with that state affairs though.
The modern way of doing it is by owning solid yielding income generating assets. The old way of doing it is by tithing.
All in all however you’ve fallen into one of the usual traps you tend towards – thinking that something that appears quite possible in theory is even remotely possible in practice.
So, why can’t it possibly be done? Why is it that the left just go on whinging about not having enough money when they have the possibility of having so much?
You and others have mentioned before that we need a left leaning media with full time journalists but the only way we could get that is through my suggestion of funding. The big problem with the left is that so many of them seem unwilling to put their money where their mouth is.
Well I agree with you Draco that funding is a major problem, and I agree with you that the funds we need to raise are in the several-million dollar per year mark.
But Labour is not the Left, and, using the example of building an effective media/news channel, we would want a Left alternative media/news channel, not a distinctly Labour one.
If each left party funded themselves the way I suggest then each party could put a small amount into Left Journalism. Or, each person on the left puts forward a dollar per week into it as a separate entity. Either way, it needs that security of of income to work.
Drax, folks would have to have a huge amount of faith based belief in a party to part with their cash on a weekly basis when their budget is is so tight, and that scenario wades into destiny church territory, tithing the poor.
Think about the large membership within the Labour party for example that translate to actual active activists compared to the number of Nat members who couldn’t be arsed doing anything apart from throwing cash at their party – the difference is in the functioning of the membership. One functions the lazy way and one functions in the determined proactive collaborative way.
How can we really expect a beneficiary to contribute in an ongoing financial way to a party? Is that even fair? Those who can and want to support parties such as Mana are always free to donate. Growing their membership with the incentive of a small fee is the right thing for such a party. Such a party can’t turn members away because they are expected to continually stump up. It may be OK for National and Act, not so much for the struggling.
Surly that would be why they joined the party in the first place? If they didn’t have the belief that the party could change things then they wouldn’t have joined.
There’s been a few times when I’ve been asked to do some volunteer work for parties and have had to turn them down because I couldn’t afford to get there. I could afford to donate a couple of dollars per week though.
Because it’s needed.
Yes.
Growing the numbers isn’t going to help much if the party is continually too short on cash to actually do anything. In fact, that will, eventually, result in those numbers going down, the party achieving and becoming little more than a foot note in history. This, IMO, is what has truly happened to the Alliance.
Nice analysis.
Well said, Tiger Mountain and Toutoko Viper!
PLUS PLUS PLUS to all of the above. It’s fucking hilarious how pure can be the impure when it comes to Hone Harawira and Mana. But two examples – Kelvin Davis and Te Ururoa Flavell.
Davis and Flavell over a cuppa –
“Jeez he’s a hoha that Hone. Defiant, aggressive, profane, wild-card, dripping with mana, not beholden, fool of no one, cunning, charming, intelligent. And bro’…….we really like the bugger. Wish he’d respect the boundaries us fullas slapped on him !
Oh well……on with the dance.
We doin’ OK Sirs……Dave……John ?”
The Right wing Nact reaction to this merger is entirely predictable….and racist . Maori are and have been very astute both in warfare and business….Hone is in this tradition.
( It is only colonial devastation of their culture and patronising and sometimes outright racism in New Zealand that has kept the Maori on the backfoot)
Yes Maori Party Flavell is self serving and so is Davis…as regards Davis ,the last thing the Left needs is a Labour MP criticising Mana/Dotcom, a winning combination for a Labour coalition win….and as for Flavell the hypocrisy of his criticisms is gob smacking…
Bomber Bradbury on the Maori Party criticising Mana/Dotcom
“A brief word on the Maori Party reaction to Internet MANA
The Maori Party have Stockholm syndrome when it comes to John Key, they have their own relationship issues to deal with, perhaps that’s where Flavell needs to turn his attention before he starts critiquing MANA?…..The despicable and disgusting manner Te Ururoa Flavell and the Maori Party went about expelling Hone and then sucking up to National for almost 6 years gives them no moral high ground to attack MANAs strategic decision to enter into an alliance with the Internet Party. ….
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/05/28/a-brief-word-on-the-maori-party-reaction-to-internet-mana/
+100 TM
DC was playing down imigration on the news last night….i like DC but he,s sending such mixed signals you have to wonder whose showing him how to blow a whistle……I know i,m being blunt but I feel this is a sad road to go down……
[lprent: This commenter has been on my watchlist as a probable right astroturfer for some time. He parrots anti-cunliffe lines with no argument underlying them. You’d think that they could find someone with better tactics. ]
I know I’m being blunt but your concern sounds false and insincere, and not only that, you seem to be parroting right wing lies.
Polly wanna cracker?
Cunliffe on Brekkie TV3 this morning finally got the message out that the immigration thing was a beat up. And all started because Blinglish lost the chapter on housing.
Glad to hear it. Can’t find the video of it online.
Here you go Karol.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Labour-not-anti-immigration—Cunliffe/tabid/370/articleID/346076/Default.aspx
Thanks, yes. Just found and watched it. Good interview – though his focus was on everyone owning their own home – nothing on state housing and affordable private rentals.
It is up now. Here it is.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Labour-not-anti-immigration—Cunliffe/tabid/1607/articleID/346076/Default.aspx
Troll road is a busy place isnt it
What is with the RWNJ’s we get on here? They have NO imagination on the user name. And they Have even less imagination in the drivel they spout.
Low intellect combined with over-exposure to talking points.
Or too much whaleslime in their morning coffee.
Another hostile and prejudiced interview by Espiner this morning. This time an attempted hatchet job on Harawira.
Total disgrace to public broadcasting.
Morning Report now a travesty.
Followed by another interview with the Internet Party where he interrupted the interviewee several times.
Quite different to the cosy way he chats with his mate fellow wealthy mate John Key.
At one stage Espiner even said that Key’s views had some validity.
Why doesn’t he just Key to join him in the studio?
Absolute disgrace that our tax payer money is being used for this propaganda.
Do what I do when I hear this sort of Drivel from Espiner or anyone elses blatant bullshit lines I lay a FORMAL complaint so far the count is about 19 for Espiner and I have lost count on Gower. As for Garner he’s a nobody now. No wonder he’s bitter. So I will; have a listen and maybe yet another Formal for Espiner to collect sooner or later they have to listen, but other people doing the same would help.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/about/formalcomplaints
Onya David
Thanks David H @ 3.1
I emailed Radio NZ last night about Espiner, but will do a formal complaint today.
Sorry, but to me it sounded like Espiner did not like what he was hearing, but when ever he tried to change the subject he got a no no and Hone just carried on with his message. Nope Espiner was not a happy camper at the end of that interview. And that make me happy. But yes Morning report is a shadow of it’s former self, and the hiring of Espiner was the Travesty.
Yep Gavid I thought Hone was superb-Cunliffe/Turei/Norman should take note
I don’t know how you can put yourself through the Guyon Espiner spin Paul. The guy is nothing but a self important nat mouthpiece.
I used to read his columns yonks ago and thought as much then, but in all that time he hasn’t learnt anything. And lols, about eight years ago I was at a Buy NZ Made campaign launch that was hosted at a unionised factory, so of course there were several union organisers and leaders there as guests.
Espiner’s was there covering the launch for whatever TV station he was working for at the time. The look on his face was priceless, a mix of utter contempt and slight tension, as if he was the fox in the chicken coop, but he wasn’t sure if the chickens were going to round on him. Since then I’ve always viewed him as a joke.
The real answer seems that we need abandon National Radio. (aptly names ain’t it) But what to replace it with. I look at the success that Public Radio has had in USA where it is supported by its listeners, Wonder if something similar could be done here. Here is a piece from Wiki about NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States.
NPR produces and distributes news and cultural programming. Individual public radio stations are not required to broadcast all NPR programs that are produced. Most public radio stations broadcast a mixture of NPR programs, content from rival providers American Public Media, Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange, and locally produced programs. NPR’s flagships are two drive time news broadcasts, Morning Edition and the afternoon All Things Considered; both are carried by most NPR member stations, and are two of the most popular radio programs in the country
NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System, which distributes NPR programs and other programming.
Ron, all over the country is a network of community radio stations, mostly funded (badly) by NZ on Air, and partly by fundraising from local committees. They fill the role SBS does in Australia, as well as providing a voice for all sorts (and I do mean all sorts) of community groups.
There is no better or simpler way of easily creating a podcast than doing a live show on community radio (c.f. The Sustainable Lens on Radio, http://sustainablelens.org/ 1).
However, as much as I support Community Radio, an entirely state sponsored, ad free, independent media source is absolutely necessary. Radio is a cheap medium to produce, but we should also be looking at TV, and web resources. It shouldn’t be left to (as much as I love them) amateurs.
The kvetching about Espiner et al. on here will be seen as a vindication of his employment by management at RNZ (and their masters). At last, the lefty liberals on RNZ have been neutered, they will be thinking, and they are complaining about it as much as we used to. Schadenfreude.
1) After moving to Christchurch, I am no longer actively involved in this magnificent show, other than providing web hosting and a bit of tech support.
Excellent point about the community radio stations Wonderpup. There are alternatives that people might like to look for their listening pleasure.
Twice I have provided the frequency and website for on line listening for Radio Active’s Thursday morning 25 minute interview with Grant Robertson and Alistair Thompson from Scoop but only two people were interested. I especially encouraged people to listen last week to the analysis of the Campbell Live show about the string pulling at the GCSB – it was a good listen! The DJ’s themselves on the morning shows are Left and Proud!
There are other independent alternative stations around the country that folks can tune into. I’m not sure if BFM in Auckland still does a political show on a weekday morning but Aucklanders might want to look into that. And what about RDU in Dunedin?
One TS commenter even has their own slot on a station in Raglan!
I tend to listen to RNZ for the news first thing in the morning and then at 5pm but it’s not on at times in between.
It is good that people are complaining loudly about the content and bias on RNZ, however a search around the web for other political news and analysis might result in a healthy reduction in blood pressure.
..@ rosie..
..plus one..
..i haven’t even bothered listening to him..
..for all the reasons you list..
..he is a rightwing trout…
..and that joke of a dancing-current-affairs show (360-something?)..he did with garner was a bit of a final straw for me..
Rosie…….had a similar experience re Potty Gower at the Mana launch in Pt Chevalier a few years ago. There he was with a look on his face suggestive that he was really pissed off even being in proximity to such nothing rabble. In his cheap, crumpled, no-whiff-of-wool, too tight suit.
You paint the snotty little lispy lipped Guyon Espiner so well. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts he went to Scots College where he was the little narky boy who regularly took the secret back door corridor to Headmaster’s Study.
Thats very funny about Gower, North, and quite telling as well.
Oh, and that shiny tight polyester suit. Ugh. Certainly not a supporter of NZ Wool Week – (on now!)
http://www.campaignforwool.co.nz/whats-happening/wool-week-2014/
@ North – a bit over the top to many folk, but no truer word spoken in jest. One doesn’t expect those in the public eye should have to make public their private lives, but there is a very real and fundamental dishonesty going on there.
I’ve never gone along with all that ‘what plays in Vegas stays in Vegas’ crap but IF they expect that to play out – and most jonolists and pollies seem to these days, then those living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones (if ya get what I mean because if you don’t, then an explanation would have to be borderline Whalescum).
Let’s NOT buy into it.
Turn the cnut off. In fact turn off Natrad 0600-1900 weekdays – there are better options
“Another hostile and prejudiced interview by Espiner this morning. This time an attempted hatchet job on Harawira”
Do you mean the interview with Harawira? I just listened and I can’t see what’s wrong with it. I haven’t listened to Espiner on RNZ before, so am not putting this interview in any kind of context. He asked pertinent questions (eg about when the agreement ends), he wasn’t aggressive or hostile. He did interrupt a bit, but I don’t think it was out of the ordinary for RNZ interviewers. I wouldn’t say it was a great interview, but I can’t see how it can be classified as hostile and prejudiced either.
Harawira was very good and I came away from the interview understanding more about what is going on.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2597550/harawira-defends-mana-internet-party-deal
I think the point is that Espiner’s impatient, rude, even ill-tempered interruptions betray a readiness to shut-down with hectoring, selected targets. And lo, whom does he always seem NOT to interrupt or hector ? Well, ShonKey Python and most of his ministers of course.
Relative carte blanche for them. “You’ve got 90 seconds. Go for it.” – overstating just a little to illustrate a seeming taste for National Party political broadcasts.
At best it’s status quo bias in the unartful. At a worse level it’s licking Tory arse.
The hoot is that wee Guyon knows (as do they all) that Hone’s a bit of a wild card and might just slap him down embarrassingly if he goes too “yelly private school boy” on him. Bit of fear there. Winston but more measured.
Thanks, that makes sense. So Espiner’s rudeness is obviously partisan, whereas someone like Kim Hill is rude across the board?
I do think that we need to be careful about not damning everything with the same critique.
new top-ranker in the political-commentators-talking-utter-shite-awards..
..that michael parkyn on tv one..
..after a period of watching his work..
..i have come to the conclusion…
..that he hasn’t really got a fucken clue..
..and just stumbles along in the wake of whatever happens…
..gaping like a guppy…
latest example:..his claims the internet party have done a real number on mana/harawira..(!)..
and he outright calls harawira a liar..
..for his claiming there has been no discussion with dotcom re his immigration/deportation-woes..
Laughable aint they Phillip, i didn’t catch the name of the ivory tower expert Professor,(dipshit will suffice until memory returns), i heard this morning on the radio pontificating various scenrio of doom and gloom as a result of the InternetMana alliance,
(i should imagine they will never mention the doom and gloom they most fear, such an alliance providing the numbers to oust Slippery the PM and this used car salesman Government),
Contrast that with the words of someone from up in the Rohe saying the confirmation of this alliance has got a definite ‘Buzz’ going,
And,
Annette Sykes Facebook page is said to have ‘lit up’ with 99% positive comments from those who logged on to comment,
Shock horror, 3 Mana Party members are said to have quit the Party in protest at the alliance and with such news i can well imagine Hone having to be put on some powerful anti-depressants, sarc/
The membership of Mana DOUBLED under the weight of mainstream media scrutiny of the proposed InternetMana alliance, it just doubled again with the confirmation,
3–4% of the Party vote in September and i can see Hone Harawira, Annette Sykes, and John Minto as MP’s, my vote will be saying a big YES to that…
Hey Bad……is this your Professor Dipshit or are you talking a different set of heaving tits ? /internet-mana-the-sell-out-and-the-reaction/#comment-820626
The attack, by Stephen Joyce, on Student Representation on University Councils is an great opportunity for Labour to engage with the student population. Labour needs to have lively branches in each 3rd level institutions.
University of Auckland is nearly as big as Dunedin. It should have a branch in each School. Branches in each campus of UIT, AUT etc are a pre-requisite to Labour engaging effectively with the student population and getting the youth vote out.
The NZ Council should take a lead role in expanding the Labour presence in 3rd level education.
+1
Yup. Labour and the wider progressive left parties should make full use of the opportunities! Also, not just students but also staff and potentially reaching out to families of both.
Unfortunately Labour has abdicated its responsibilty to the useless Princes Street branch.
Only when the Gen Sec and the Council take back its responsibility will Labour get proper traction with this critical population.
The last thing Labour needs are people who decide to be political careerists and hangers-on at 19 years of age, and then decide that Labour is the convenient vehicle that they want to do that through.
labour wont go near anything that looks like a union in case middle nz doesnt like it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11262808
Auckland will increase by 23.5 per cent from $9775 to $12,075 . And as a result affordable housing has just increase by $2,300.so those houses that are to be built under the Kiwibuild are becoming less affirdable for the middle class !!
In one quick action nationals savings to build a house has been wiped out negating this, now a wated effort to those looking for help to build a home.
https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-releases/detail/2014/05/15/duties-and-tariffs-on-building-products-removed
It’s almost as if Auckland council is purposely trying to halt housing development.
Maybe it’s time National stepped in and took over, they’d have massive support if they did.
They aren’t. And National wouldn’t be welcome by anyone apart from non-aucklander like you because they’d tax everyone else in the city to pay for their land developer mates housing projects.
The council are the body who tax me to pay for such basic things as the services that make those types of out of the urban area developments habitable. They are extraordinarily expensive compared to brownfield sites closer to the city. That is why the council is trying to intensify existing brownfields rather than building new subdivisions 20+ kilometres from the city.
FFS The proposed Kumeu development is 25 km from the city and currently has limited water feed, sewerage feeds, and indeed any public services from the council or council owned entities.
For instance running a electrifying that rail line out to the Kumeu development. This is something that the central government is extraordinarily reluctant to pay for. And no wonder, the commuter train out there had to be shut down due to its excessive costs to ratepayers.
I tell you what. Perhaps you should lobby the central government to allow the council to force the developers to pay for the electrification or the commuter trains – gte that and other costs built directly and upfront into the housing prices. Then lets see how economic that development (and others like it are).
This is just one amongst many of the services that the fuckwits like Brownlees and Key are expecting me to pay for to make for a “cheap” greenfield housing development on the outskirts of the city.
I say that if you want developments out there, then you should pay for it through general taxes. In the meantime keep that other Christchurch git Brownlee out of Auckland and down there with you. He already seems to be having fun bankrupting that city.
I know National would never step in, that would be suicidal.
According to google maps it would take around 24 minutes in traffic to drive from Kumeu to Queens st.
I would have though that wasn’t too bad for Auckland.
This might be true under very good traffic conditions, but not once traffic starts to build up. It could easily be 3 or 4 times that amount of time during rush hour.
It used to take my wife over an hour to drive from The city to Te Atatu! in the rush hour, Dimwit.
Having lived in Waimauku previously for 2 and a half years (the motorway extension and interchange was finished about halfway through my stay) I can assure you that between the hours of 7am and 9am (and 2 or 3 times a week you can extend that window by an extra half hour before and after) you want to budget at least 60 to 90 minutes travelling into the city from kumeu (more if you were exceptionally unlucky).
Thankfully, due to the nature of my work, I wasn’t compelled to be in the city at a specific time, or required to work in the office everyday so the traffic only affected me when I either forgot about the traffic (I’m not a morning person), or had morning meetings.
The North Western motorway actually runs pretty freely most of the peak period.
At morning peak time, it takes me from 30-45 min to get from Kelston to the North Western motorway via the Waterview connection. This is partly because the ramp lights only let a certain number of vehicles onto the motorway at a time.
Coming back in aftrnoon peak time, from about 4-4.30pm, there’s a big queue (and growing) to get off the motorway at the same interchange.
first you wrote they would have massive support, then later that it would be suicide. The problem with just being a parrot for the right is that you reveal their contradictions.
I can get from st lukes to henderson, via the motorway, outside peak times between ten and fifteen minutes.
Auckland central is now as busy off peak as it was during peak 15 years ago.
National DID step in. They refused to ratify the Unitary Plan unless the development of SHA’s were implemented. In many cases these SHA’s are a continuation of sprawl, and an ultra-fast and inexpensive way for landbankers to put forward for a change of landuse.
National want more houses but not more affordable houses and not too many. Joyce never reveals the value of the consents it trumpets or the areas they have been granted.
For a govt that believed in keeping out of local govt it has taken it over bigtime.
Yeah, it’s the usual accounting bullshit. Watercare claimed $184,980,000 in depreciation which is classified as an expense for tax purposes but it’s not an actual expense. That reduced operating profit by $184 million. They then revalued assets upwards by $264 millon & claim a higher cost of capital as justification for increasing prices.
The depreciation/revaluation scam is primarily why prices keep going up for the likes of power, water etc. It’s self perpetuating inflation.
Their actual operating snapshot is;
Operating revenue ;
Water $134,978,000
Waste water $272,818,000
Trade waste $ 13,161,000
Other $ 61,663,000
Total revenue $482,620,000
Operating expenses ;
Water $ 69,675,000
Wastewater $122,232,000
Interest $ 71,632,000
Total expenses $263,539,000
Operating profit before depreciation $219,089,000
This is interesting too….
“During the year, tax losses of $27.8 million were sold to Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL), a related party. Based on an agreement between the parties, Watercare received a subvention payment of $3.5 million from POAL which equates to 45 cents per dollar of the tax impact of the losses sold. The balance of $24.3 million was recorded by Watercare as a loss offset with POAL.”
You’re onto it DH, that is exactly what goes on. Airports do it too. It is simply a deceit and rort on a grand scale.
That’s been the primary source of rising power prices since the Bradford reforms.
cricket..for why?..explained..
“..The English are not very spiritual people” goes the quote – often attributed to George Bernard Shaw-
-“so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity.”
I do love the smell of neurons toasted on frosty mornings.
do you clean bars..?
Throw another synapse on the griddle and cook ’til golden brown
you peddle cancer-causing/unhealthy food..?
..help me here..!
and of course..as a vegan/plant-based-diet person….
..i am growing my telomeres..
..and that makes my synapses happy little synapses..
..whereas you..as a carnivore/dairy-addict..(‘i couldn’t live without cheese..!’)..
..you are fraying/shredding/shortening yr telomeres..eh..?
..and that makes for sad synapses…eh..?
Nut cutlet
yes please..i’ll have one of those..
Cannibal
no..whereas you..?
..eating yr own telomeres..as you do..
You do get that I’m not commenting on your diet, don’t you? 😆
But for the record, I’m a content omnivore, just like I was unintelligently designed to be.
gee..!..allen..
..you got me there..eh..?..
..what actually were you saying..?
..you loon..you…eh..?
“what actually were you saying..?”
The first was how baked you must be to agree, through publishing, with the notion the English weren’t spiritual, bypassing 3000+ years of recorded spirituality.
And then linking it to the birth of cricket, which has been around since the sixteenth century, also by chance, around the time of the reformation and the birth of the church of England.
The second was the same gag, but a bit different.
The third was a tongue in cheek response to the drift off topic, in keeping with the theme of the first two.
The fourth, making it almost as clear as can be without calling you a raving mental.
The fifth, just to be sure we’re on the same page.
Here we are philip ure the “hen fellow”( omnivore) is being nice to you …and passing on to you something sent to her by a vegetarian. In this utube thingie about ‘The Truth About Cancer'( Episode One)…there is a lovely Vegan lady at the end of it saying how a vegan diet helped her defeat cancer…of course the conventionally minded in the medical profession who can brook no criticism wont be pleased about what they hear/see in this utube thingie because it is very critical of them in the nicest possible way….( but we wont worry about that)
HI everyone,
I am wondering if I can pick people’s brains/memories. I put into two complaints to the Press Council around the time David Cunliffe’s trust was in the news. There have been many delays getting my complaints heard.
The Herald have responding saying that the “secret” trust by passed some of the requirements of electoral law. My memory is is that is BS. Can anyone reference anything for me on this?
Thanks
i have the sneaking feeling that the Herald might be close to right as you have outlined it, the Trust to collect donations was apparently within the Labour Party rules but such donations had to be revealed in (i think) the MP’s register of gifts received…
BAd 12 @ 8.1
Thanks for your reply.
Did Cunliffe not do that? I think it was revealed in pecuniary interests.
It doesn’t matter if the Herald are correct, cause that wasn’t the point of my complaint. They have said that in their defence.
Anker, again from memory, i think He did so after the initial explosion of bile from the media, giving back i think one donation as the donor didn’t want to be publicly known…
Michael Kirk, director of two part PBS documentary United States of Secrets, interviewed.
.
Kirk: The thing that we learned that was, I think, most astonishing to many of the people I talked to was that the regulation, the agreement, the authorization that was written for Hayden to keep in his safe — the authorization that allowed many things that have been revealed by the Snowden revelations — was written by the vice president’s attorney; not Alberto Gonzales, the president’s attorney, not over at the Justice Department, but by the attorney for the vice president. … Not an elected official — David Addington is the lawyer’s name — not an appointed official in the sense that the Senate has confirmed him.
He just went to an office and wrote something that is still a secret and kept it in his safe and once in a while would reveal it to some people to read. But an amazing number of people in even the Bush White House, certainly at the Justice Department and out at the National Security Agency, never read the document.
All they knew was that something had been signed by the president and the attorney general that authorized them to walk across the bright white lines that had been established by Congress in the 1970s. … It was and is, I think, the darkest-kept secret that the government has had in recent times.
http://www.npr.org/2014/05/12/311853206/frontline-doc-explores-how-sept-11-created-todays-nsa
Yes, it is truly bizarre how people believe the US government when it says a plane hit the pentagon
﴾͡๏̯͡๏﴿
ha ha, wtf is that thing? probably referencing my quite tangential comment to your post I imagine …. I just followed your link to a related place and got all lost in the pentagon explosion and lack of a plane, and footage, and more. JFK was shot by a lone gunman …
Pretty soon Ugly Truth will come around to tell us the WTC was brought down by mini-nukes in the basement
Pretty soon someone will claim humans don’t conspire
Pretty soon someone will claim that this is the crash site of a Boeing 757
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=pentagon+plane+crash&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=uB6FU6jzAYfakAWm84D4BA&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1438&bih=631&dpr=0.95#imgdii=_
“Pretty soon someone will claim humans don’t conspire”
Who said it wasn’t a conspiracy? It was a conspiracy. 19 hijackers and the loose organisation they belonged to conspired to use aeroplanes to attack the USA.
lol
best debunking of the nutbars I’ve seen
Let the truth be told!
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=af07
“lol
best debunking of the nutbars I’ve seen”
Agreed
Unconventional materials were definitely involved – its the only way that rivers of molten structural steel >1300 deg C could have formed from the buildings.
Never heard what happens when you heat aluminium and steel together, CV?
Hint. They used to use it to weld large steel objects together.
I would accept that it may have been a false flag operation, though that is unlikely due to the inability of a large group to keep anything secret for long, but denying that the world trade centre was bought down by the plane, when thousands of people saw it happen, is fantasy territory.
“Unconventional materials were definitely involved”
No they weren’t
“its the only way that rivers of molten structural steel >1300 deg C could have formed from the buildings.”
No it isn’t and they weren’t ” rivers of molten structural steel “
Look at Building 7 before you ridicule people who question the official story.
Looked at it. Still ridiculing them.
Looked at the official story. Completely ridiculous.
you work in the land of the official story dontcha
Don’t challenge the narrative of the power elite…as long as it happens to be “our” power elite.
Damn, I’m sorry I missed this.
‘Truther’ arguments are so easily debunked it is almost a sport. Ahh well, next time.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/september-11-new-pearl-harbor/
Almost five hours of facts, many of which are not public knowledge and many have not been seen outside of lecture halls and books. Facts that evicerate the Official Story, chapter and verse.
No politics, no grand accusations, no whodunnit bullshit!
Just the Official Story, taken apart, lie by lie.
It is the best argument to date for a full and independent investigation of 9/11 to be undertaken.
🙄
Clever and devastating counter-argument there, OAB
lol
Re: “All they knew was that something had been signed by the president and the attorney general that authorized them to walk across the bright white lines that had been established by Congress in the 1970s. … It was and is, I think, the darkest-kept secret that the government has had in recent times.”
‘The Curious Case of Philip Marshall’
black ops, privatization of intelligence, privatization of ‘national security’, authoritarianism, fascism, death of democracy and freedom of information and public inquiry ?
Bastards!!! This is housing the poor from un-Housing Minister Nick Smith and National,
HousingNZ issued 476 90 day notices to evict tenants in 2013, 80 of these notices were issued in the first four months of this year,
In the 4 years leading up to 2007 just 1 eviction notice was issued,
State tenants from across Auckland are holding a meeting at the Grey Lynn Community Center at 7pm tonight,
You don’t have to be a State tenant to support State Housing, if you have the time and means to, get there and give all political parties the message….
Why were they evicted?, if they were destroying the houses or not following the rules, I say good.
People have to realize these properties belong to New Zealand, they don’t belong to the tenant to do what they please.
Obey the rules, look after the house otherwise go live under a bridge.
That’s the options.
Wow, that is possibly the most ignorant statement you have ever written on these boards BM, and that is quite an achievement.
Maybe you completely missed the widespread ongoing sales of State Housing the Minister is actively engaged in? I find it odd to ask that, because I am pretty sure you have commented on quite a few threads that discussed that very topic.
The numerous protests, the police, the politicians, the newspaper articles, the tv news? Did none of this factor into your thinking before you slapped your hate on the table for public viewing.
One thing I don’t understand is, if you are so concerned about NZ property that is owned by the people, why are you such an active supporter of the Government selling off any thing they can?
I’m a big fan of the government selling off the housing stock that is no longer suitable, old and run down or that now finds itself in very desirable expensive areas of town.
The money raised can then be used to upgrade and add to the housing stock as it what is happening.
I have actually written before that I have no problem with state housing, I don’t want to see people out living on the streets but I do expect people to respect and appreciate the house that they’re given to live in.
So you admit knowing the Government selling off the housing stock is the likely cause for hundreds and hundreds of evictions, yet chose to write your original comment without including any reference to this leading fact and instead insinuated vandalism and a lack of respect for others as the probable cause.
🙄
Where are these people going are they just being turfed out onto the street?
If they’re been shifted into another address they haven’t really been evicted.
🙄 🙄 🙄
“If they’re been [sic] shifted into another address they haven’t really been evicted.”
hahaha BM
Next time you get banned from here just tell yourself you weren’t banned, you just shifted into whale slops haunted house….
Do you have any actual evidence that the total amount of housing stock that the State looks after is falling?
I’ll start looking when you provide evidence that you actually give a shit, you trool
Why don’t you do some research Gos?
You might be surprised by what you find.
Might change your mind before making such idiotic comments..
Destroying the houses BM is the sole province of un-Housing Minister Nick Smith, they are being kicked out of their State Houses so that Smith can send a bulldozer through them and sell the land to His developer buddies,
Here’s how it works, source: Herald online today,
A tract of the HousingNZ estate 155 homes will be emptied the houses destroyed and the land sold to ”a private developer”,
The Private developer will then be free to build and sell whatever He/she decides to upon the land, Smith has guaranteed to buy back from the developer 75 houses to be used in the States housing estate for the price the developer dictates,
Kaching kaching, the private developer gets to clip the ticket every which way courtesy of Smith’s use of the taxpayers monies and those most in need get half the houses to live in that they had befor…
interesting item on nat radio this morning about impact of transience on children and learning. Schools reporting kids moving several times a year as their parents move to go picking. Others moving to try and find cheaper accomodation and others showing whole families living in a single room in boarding houses.
The children and their education and other development suffers.
Makes a mockery of slylands et al claiming people should move and dont.
They do and its harming their children.
Includes work from the sallies so key must be due to claim the sallies need to get out more as he did last time they revealled facts like these.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11262891
I’ve just finished looking at the brief outage this morning. Was caused by a sudden spike in traffic escalating up from just after 0830 on top of a overseas seachbot running a scan. I need to fine turn the auto-scaler a bit more for kickstart sensitivity.
On the upside, the routine to shutdown and restart the database when it has too many open connections worked in the real world. I watched it happen.
WHO is the well known, well respected surprise leader of the Internet party?
In the following interview Mr Vikram Kumaar says, both the party heirarchy are pleased with the selection.
I am trying to imagine who that might be. These are some of the names that came to me quickly. Of course, I could be far out!
Shane Jones, David Shearer, Garrett Morgan, Sam Morgan, Dame Anne Salmond, Mai Chen……
Do you have any guesses?
Pete George !!! 😎
Nope, but i was watching Mai Chen interviewed on Maori Television last night and wouldn’t mind at all if she were to be No1 on the Internet Party list, hence No2 on the InternetMana list…
+1 bad12 for Mai Chen and her inerview last night. Now I see NBR suggesting Seeby Woodhouse could be leader of IP ? That would be grand — such a smart and elegant Kiwi innovator !!!
NBR asked Seeby, who said “No”.
They suggest other possibilities.
My memory is Seeby still remains pretty much centre right.
well, we will know tomorrow ! very interesting …
Regan at Throng reckons it’s John Campbell.
That is interesting because his name did cross my mind when I was thinking about it earlier this morning!
And now apparently NBR is tipping Laila Harre to lead the Internet Party. Wow! That’d be something!
Last I heard, Laila had opened a restaurant in Mt Eden, and that would be full on work and she ‘s a very hands on woman so juggling political leadership and a high energy business? Interesting thought though.
Well, now the whole of Twitter is tweeting like Harre is the confirmed leader. Bomber are Bryce Edwards are going with that, too!
Pretty impressive leader to have attracted!
Verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting. I’ll with hold any speculation until its announced. I also thought from the days when I used to read TDB that Laila said she had joined the Greens…………..but things change don’t they and it would be F’n awesome to see Laila back in the house. I have a lot of respect for her and she is a very hard worker.
Picture this: Annette Sykes takes Waiariki from Te Uroroa Flavell, Hone Harawira retains Te Tai Tokorau, National takes Epsom (long shot I know but we can fantasise) Laila picks up a seat via Mana’s success, we somehow manage to dispose of Dunne we would have a shiny new Government and the Blues would be banished!!!!
Rosie .. I just read Laila resigned from Greens last December … yes, yes, time to dream isn’t it !!!
Labour needs to facilitate this. Finishing off the Maori Party as the Tory pet party needs to be a strategic priority.
on Stuff now …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10094154/Laila-Harre-to-lead-Internet-Party
HARRE HAS GREEN PARTY’S BLESSING
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said Harre resigned from the Greens last December.
“She decided that she wanted to move on to other things and do other work,” she said.
She was not concerned that Harre had taken trade secrets with her, saying Harre was “a trustworthy person” who had “every democratic right to be part of another party and to lead it if she wants to”.
Harre was not being lined up as a Green party candidate and had not spoken with Turei about the Internet Party.
“I’ve only heard what you’ve heard, which is on the Twitter,” Turei said.
She was not concerned that Harre’s defection would take votes from the Greens.
Run out of reply buttons so I hope this comes out beneath yeshe’s reply.
Thanks for that and the stuff article. I had also heard on rnz news at 5 that Laila had indeed resigned from the Greens’ last December.
And CV, it be would a fabulous boost to Labour’s chances should this happen but I think bad12 mentioned that David Cunliffe stated on the radio yesterday that Labour had the goal to win back the Maori seats?
Whats with not being up with the modern MMP way of strategic voting promotion? As I mentioned yesterday, Brett Hudson for National has made no bones about not pursuing the electorate vote in Ohariu, just the party vote, as a way of trying to retain Dunne so why the reluctance from Labour?
We all want a Labour Green Government!
NBR are pretty confident about the Harre call. Doubt they would be this bold if they weren’t certain.
I thought it was telling when Kumar referred to “the person” who would be leader … but thought it was my own wishful thinking … how superb if it is Leila Harre … exciting times ! See you shonkey — bye !!
Oops! Here is the interview I referred to in my post:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Mana-extremely-happy-with-Internet-Partys-chosen-leader/tabid/1607/articleID/346078/Default.aspx
Oh, it couldn’t be Tau Henare could it ?
ahaha. And true to form there’s Plunket putting the shit into Islam with a 5 minute rant about stonings and killings. I bet Sean won’t be doing the same one sided crap about israel running over Rachel Corrie with a bulldozer or the fact they are committing war crimes/crimes against humanity in Palestine any time soon. As for Sean’s disgust at John Minto protesting outside Key’s house – tough luck. Minto should have gone in and jumped up and down on the sofa while ‘bronnie’ (Key likes to call her that in his interviews with Marcus so we all feel like part of the family) remained calm and thumbed through the 2014 Ballantynes Christmas catalogue. Sorry Sean, if a prime minister insists on getting around with his boots hanging out of obama’s asshole his family deserves to be told a few things they don’t know about themselves.
Do you think it is acceptable to target Politician’s family then? If so it there could be a rather nasty blowback the other way.
Which part of this was targetting a politicians family with harm or threats?
You have an over-active imagination.
I am compelled to enquire, what nasty reaction do you have in mind Gosman?
What is the considered repsonse to the abject horror and terror of a vigil of peace.
What return fire do you deploy to balance the bodycount created during the chilling emotional attack that was unleashed upon the lives of the Prime Minister’s family as a group of citizens, lit by candle light, stood on a public street asking for the lives of innocents to be respected?
In China it would attract the death penalty. I am not sure how far collins has got getting this measure past cabinet. Gosman will fight until he might have to actually do something for her right to do that.
That wouldn’t happen for just a peaceful sign waving protest, even if involved Communist Party leadership.
Getting dragged to the local police station, held without charge and having the shit beaten of you over 48 hours for “resisting arrest”…well, I supose that may be a distinct possibility.
“Do you think it is acceptable to target Politician’s family then?”
I wouldn’t have thought so. Then again, I wouldn’t have thought so last month, either, when the Tories had a go at Cunliffe’s grandfather’s war service. It seems that an unfortunate precedent has been set.
Key obviously has no qualms about targeting and killing other families.
But his was not targeted – it was just him.
John Minto offered no violence to anybody and i doubt he ever has. The man has a decency about him regarding human rights and apartheids. I admire him a real whole bunch. And that is from someone who threw lots of things at him in 1981.
the thing is fatface herself is on the tv right now insulting the the whole country with her bombastic bullshit. one day she will go pop. I hope its on tv.
A discussion on what the NACTs are doing to our justice system and taking an arrogant line with lawyers using the on-line system as an excuse. They are being treated with the contempt that is adopted to teachers by gummint. And there are a lot of lawyers in parliament – seemingly they don’t respect the law and all who sails in her, and think that everyone else is a pirate.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Law with Robert Lithgow ( 19′ 17″ )
11:28 Robert Lithgow, the new Criminal Procedure Act.
Lawyers can be fined for slackness, for not filing their papers in time, and if late they will not be paid. Then the demands of the procedures required mean that it is time consuming business to prepare the papers to meet requirements.
The justice system is bug…ed (my thought) – $millions spent on a paperless system, which is a failure because it can’t be finished. The law has been passed to run the on line system which now is not complete, but the lawyers have to comply with the law provided for that system. And it is stupid. Paperless systems are hidden systems, virtually encrypted from the point of the view of the ordinary person – you can’t read a CD without a machine.
It sounds like a system thought up by Dame Margaret Bazley – somebody has been speaking to the police who say this and that – yet the preliminary information has not been discussed with the lawyers.
Banana republic no. We haven’t got any bananas.
This is so, so sad; the worst ‘canary in the coal-mine’ signal for us all …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/10093611/Malnutrition-behind-whale-strandings
Kueenstown Kop up on racial abuse charges. cant wait for greg o connor to come out and defend this one.
Simple. If she’d had a gun she wouldn’t have been forced to abuse him. He should be thankful that Newzild has the best police force in the world.
Lovely, Peter Thiel US investment magnate, who has made regular trips here to NZ talking business and foreign investment, is part of the Bilderberg Group.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-27/here-come-bilderbergs-complete-2014-list
Befor i forget in all the sugar rush surrounding the Internet Party leader i just have to say Go Brendon Who you good thing,
Brendon Who, soon to make His seat in the Parliament as vacant as the look on His face yesterday launched another attack on Winston and NZFirst claiming, shock horror, that NZFirst had used a Parliamentary staffer to do Party work,
Who would dare suggest that Brendon Who’s two week largely toothless attack on Winston Peters is motivated wholly by revenge,
In the vein of every little bit helps, Go you good thing Brendon Who..
Seen this?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10092943/White-collar-criminals-hiding-in-cracks
High time for NZ to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and establish a genuinely Independent Commission Against Corruption.
While we’re at it – where’s National’s review of ‘corporate welfare’?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1111/S00095/wheres-nationals-corporate-welfare-reform.htm
(Seems there is a link between corporate welfare and corruption?
What are the connections between those awarding the contracts and those to whom the contracts are awarded?
Seen this?
https://at.govt.nz/about-us/procurement/awarded-contracts/
Awarded contracts
Auckland Transport is committed to ensuring its procurement activities are undertaken in an ethical and transparent manner.
The attached lists detail all of the contracts awarded in the previous six months that are valued over $50,000.00. Details include:
the contract number,
the contract name,
the supplier, and the
award value.
View the latest awarded contracts list (PDF 52KB)
(https://at.govt.nz/media/353833/AwardedContracts.pdf )
Disclaimer: we endeavour to list all contracts awarded above the value of $50,000.00 in the previous six months. Whilst all possible care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy in this list, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Accordingly, this list should be used for reference only.”
Now check for links between ‘contracts issued’ by Auckland Transport, and member companies for the Committee for Auckland:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
(You may note that in a truly ‘transparent’ way – the Committee for Auckland membership list now no longer gives the NAMES of those who represent their companies?
Gosh – I wonder why that is???
Now look for that ‘devilish detail’ on the Auckland Council website regarding ‘contracts issued’?
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/Pages/default.aspx
Looking forward to the considered opinion of the ‘Taxpayers Union’ on these matters …..
Penny Bright
Hell State of Origin is on free to air so late tonight that the fast fading grey matter inside my cranial cavity is going to need so much coffee that i am going to start behaving like i’ve been on a ‘fries’ bender for a month,
Thank various deity, real or imagined that Backbencher’s is on at 10.30 or i would have to subject myself to that insane little obscenity that TV3 choose to inflict on us all, probably a fate far more damaging than that month long ‘fries’ bender…
Something very odd just occurred in Parliament in the vote of Sue Moroney’s paid parental leave bill. Sue explained that Flavell is away because the birth of his first grandchild is occurring and National didn’t allow him to vote for this bill in absence on compassionate grounds. This was dubious enough of National, however….
Straight after Moroney had relayed this it was time to vote and when it came to the Maori party vote a National member got up and voted the Maori Party as 3 votes against. In response, Moroney got up and tried to table an email saying that the Maori party was voting for the bill, this process, however, was delayed by the Speaker who got up and said he had to accepted the ‘3 against’ vote, and relayed that they had to take the word of whoever said it, because the person must realise it is extremely serious to meddle with another party’s vote.
I am unable to check the draft transcripts because it only just happened. Can’t quite believe what I just heard – something isn’t right at all. Moroney reckoned they had a majority if it weren’t for National not allowing Flavell to vote in absence.
That is interesting and I hope the MSM will make this an issue.
However, I am not sure how, even if you include the 3 Maori votes to Moroney’s bill, she would have have had the majority. (I am of course assuming that Banks and Dunne would have voted with the nasty Nats here which gives Nats 1 vote majority.)
I think United Future voted for the bill, Mana, Labour, Greens, NZ First, and Brendan Horan (have I spelt that correct – the weatherman) voted for it. Maori were supposed to – according to Moroney. The vote as counted tonight was 63 to 58 or 9 – with the Maori Party that would have been a majority for the bill…..
Yes, kind of good – Gower won’t have to make anything up tomorrow night (perhaps?!)
Bets on whether it is reported at all…..
Kind of strange!
Who voted for the Maori party on their behalf? Normally, the speaker corrects errors if any. Wonder why he didn’t? In any case, may be hopefully, they will correct it tomorrow!
Labourr (and Maori party?!) should make a BIG noise about this.
Ah! some confirmation, despite seeing it with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it
Hope this twitter link works:
Tweets by suemoroney
(I didn’t see who voted for the Maori Party, but believe it was a National member)
Where were the other Māori party MPs?
Good question!
There are conversations going on on Twitter, one person said that the other two were voting against, that National gave compassionate leave at the last minute, and that is why the votes ended being cast – but they definitely cast 3 against the bill… others saying the Maori Party were all for the bill…clearly some confusion going on….
If the Maori Party MPs were really “FOR” the bill, they could let the country know easily and quickly.
I hope that the Maori Party MPs were closely monitored by Labour leading up to today ensure that they were not somehow persuaded to change their votes to “AGAINST”. Being absent and letting someone else cast your backstabbing vote is a time honoured way of becoming a turncoat.
…yes the thought had crossed my mind too…..
Word on twitter is that the Nats cast the MP votes against their wishes.
Turei has tweeted there’s “curious little huddle of Nat ministers just outside the chamber.”
Ah! That one says the Maori Party have half an hour to correct their vote…hope they do!
The twitter link I linked to was from Katie Bradford, she is the TV One reporter isn’t she? I guess that means they are onto the story.
The half hour’s gone. Turei is hoping the MP will correct their vote tomorrow.
The count and points of order at the end of this video.
Nope, you have to get permission from the Speaker to be away before the day arrives.
Was there not an mP member there?
That also requires proper process and it sounds like Moroney didn’t follow it.
How would he know his daughter was going to be in labour? It may have been last minute stuff. I am repeating what I heard Moroney say on parliament channel and suggested read the draft transcript when it appears.
[check out such gus’s comments and katie bradford’s on twitter]
Basic communication? Doctors can predict, fairly accurately, when a baby is due and so he could have arranged time out before hand.
I’m more concerned with National apparently taking the mP’s votes against their will. There is a process there as well and it’s possible that both sides have it wrong.
Most people I know were born ‘two weeks late’, it seems so consistent I would think that the formulae they use is wrong, however others are on time and others are early, so perhaps it pans out.
Yes it is rather odd what occurred and Moroney’s final speech will be well worth the read once it comes out because it appears National played some very underhand tactics to stop the bill going through despite knowing there was a majority
Draco, there is a significant difference between when a baby’s due date is, and when it actually arrives. Could Flavell have gotten permission to be absent any time over a month?
Most of my nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces have been born within a couple of days of the due date.
As for what he could have done, well, that comes down to speaking to the Speaker about his need to be away but that the day would be undetermined. Then it comes down to the Speaker having any humanity.
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How much money did you make or lose on ipredict when the parental leave bill failed?
lol, National have potentially cast an incorrect vote for another party and you are wondering how much money has been lost speculating?
Of more interest is how much money are you going to lose when National lose? Or have you got a bob each way?
i suspect that fisiani has as much money as ‘it’ has brains, zero seems to be the consensus as far as the question of brains goes…