Labour leader Phil Goff told Native Affairs last night he cannot work with Hone, or anybody else Mana might get elected into Parliament, because they are too extreme.
Surely this cannot be the the same Phil Goff who sat on a far right cabinet that sold off significant state assets in a fire sale to the rich. The same cabinet threw thousands of people onto the dole and completely destroyed some communities. Many of the original victims of these extreme policies never worked again, and their children have grown surronded by a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.
The Clark government continued to ignore these people, although economic boom times, based on the great private borrowing binge, meant some of them got precarious minimum wage jobs subsidised by Working For Families for a while. Now they are back on the scrap heap.
The people who voted for Mana were discarded by Labour a long time ago and it is an insult to their intelligence and life experience to expect them to believe Labour gives a stuff about them.
Labour is going to have to come to terms with the incompatibility of its neoliberal economic beliefs with the interests of working class New Zealanders, and its serial failure to defend the interests of those it pretends to represent, if it is survive in the long term.
Most importantly of all, it must shed itself of the idea that it possible to keep chasing the ‘centre’ indefinitely. Each time they do this they create a new ‘centre ‘ which is even further to the right.
Actually anyone who votes for Mana will demonstrate that their intelligence is worthy of insulting if the believe that Hone gives a crap about any more than their vote.
Goff is doing the right thing, the best way to scare off the centre would be to cuddle up to Hone prior to the election.
What we have is radical. What we have is ‘afford it or buy it’ or suffer.
And who defends this state of affairs? All our msm and the main parliamentary parties. Just because the idea that the market should dictate our social interactions and our access to basic needs is ‘orthodox’ doesn’t mean that it’s right or desirable or intelligent.
So, I get kind of sick of hearing that the people who offer a challenge to the status quo are radical. They aren’t. They are challenging current radicalism.
So, I get kind of sick of hearing that the people who offer a challenge to the status quo are radical. They aren’t. They are challenging current radicalism.
Goff has to talk tough so as not to scare off middle NZ from voting Labour, and indeed to try and grab some of those trending leftwards for either voting Labour or Greens instead of Mana. Like the Maori Party, the left-wing of the house would be best served if Mana got a large overhang, so them getting multiple electorate seats and a low list vote is the best outcome for Labour, whether they end up in a formal or informal coalition or not.
Ultimately if the numbers present it as a credible way to form a government, Labour will do it.
You don’t talk tough by saying we won’t work with Mana. You might get away with that if Labour was consistently polling above 33% and they and the Greens were clearly in a position on all polls to govern. Then you would talk tough. But when you’re not polling consistently above 33% and the Greens whose polling has never been reliable and where your in a position that right now you can’t form a government.
You don’t go talking about who you won’t work with. Goff can still appear tough without scaring centrist voters. You just say what policy you’ll implement in government and what you won’t. If you ignore The Foreshore and seabed issue. Mana and labour would quite happily be able to commit to a $15 minimum wage, no tax on the first $5000, GST off fruit and vegetables. I can see agreement with changing the Reserve bank act and agreement to change employment law.
Labour, Goff and Mallard in particular along with Shane Jones are just fucking stupid. To think two of those politicians have been in parliament since 1984 outside three years and still acting fucking stupid is beyond me.
Even if gc’s comments are true and to the point, the Crosby Textor PR machine would make it impossible for LAB to explain its position.
It would be 5 continuous months of “Goff still refuses to rule out that extremist, racist, Maori separatist Harawira, you can’t trust Harawira and so you can’t trust Goff” and variations thereof.
A case of once bitten, twice shy, I think. Labour have realised now that they can’t have complex reasons for doing anything, it has to be simple and straight forward or it’ll just be lost.
The Hollow Men’s anti MMP campaign has now been launched and amongst supporters is westie Bob Harvey.
What was he thinking? It just goes to show that age does not necessarily improve people.
The campaign is already borrowing ideas that were used in the recent UK referendum of their representation system. Denigrate politicians, make people despise them and try and steer them into supporting the least representative system.
Bob Harvey has chosen to add his public personality to an anti MMP campaign and has invited questions on his reasons for doing so. Questioning his ability to think clearly is appropriate. I am suggesting that he could think more clearly in his younger more democratic days.
Very happy to argue the merits. But the spin that VFC will run will be along the lines of “politician bad, must hurt them”. I do not expect them to engage in a reasoned debate.
Questioning his ability to think clearly is appropriate. I am suggesting that he could think more clearly in his younger more democratic days.
Harvey has never been a penetrating or serious thinker. He was an advertising man, which is always a troubling indicator. He’s written a few books and articles, and can write well, but nothing I’ve seen by him shows that he is either profound or thoughtful.
Rob Salmond has an article over at Pundit analysing the rules of Vote for Change.
Well, Vote for Change has a Committee that is in charge of absolutely everything between Annual Meetings (more on those shortly). The people on the committee are: (1) Peter Shirtcliffe; (2) Jordan Williams; and (3) nobody else.
The next Annual Meeting will be held in… wait for it… May 2012. Which is maybe just a little late for any meaningful discussion about the upcoming 2011 referendum.
In the mean time, Shirtcliffe’s two-person committee can boot out as many members as it does not like, without giving any reason.
Yeah, about what you’d expect from a couple of dictator wannabes.
Interesting M/S /I have noticed that Bob Harvey has been acting a bit strange lately .Some of the public statements he has made recently leave me wondering if he is having “old age “trouble .I hope Im wrong because Bob has been an interesting man for a long while . He was a very good friend of Norman Kirk . Perhaps he needs some friendly advice from a close friend.
There are no votes for Labour here, unless they are prepared to pander to them in terms of policy. They do not trust Labour, and Labour should welcome their hatred.
I’m not going to claim that I was ever likely to be voting for Labour in this election, but if Phill doesn’t use his time on this stage to fight against what these pricks stand for, then could someone tell me why any progressive should consider voting for them?
I’ll gladly take my hat off to him if he’s going there to confront them and fight the progressive corner Tigger. Seen any evidence of that from Goff lately?
He runs an organisation which delivers programmes that are ineefective and unsustainable, using a range of methods which have been proven, by thorough research, to be flawed.
In doing so he targets some of the most vulnerable groups in society and dips into their already near empty pockets to charge for the priviledge.
They are pricks because they preach a model of ‘family’ which is based in the Victorian era; once upon a time families could be relied upon to support one another, but in the global society you cannot rely on this; I have a mother in Spain, a brother in Belgium, a Sister in the UK, my only uncle is in Scotland – many other families are equally split up.
Yes kids need role modeling good behaviour, but they also need food, a quality early childhood education sector and good public health.
Unimpressive beginning by anti-MMP group Vote For Change
8.10 a.m. National Radio, Tuesday 28 June, 2011
Unimpressive performance on National Radio this morning by Vote For Change spokesman Jordan Williams. After spending most of his talk on a wandery rant against coalition government, his opponent, a pro-MMP woman, pointed out that there is a coalition in power in Great Britain right now—under a first-past-the-post system.
This was the first opportunity for Mr Williams to engage in debate. Listen to how he responded: “Awww, I don’t want to talk about politics. This is not about politics.”
That was a golden opportunity to argue his case. Instead, he chose to cut and run. I don’t think it’s because he is stupid; I’ll bet this refusal to engage in meaningful and detailed debate will be a strategy these people will use throughout their no doubt highly funded campaign.
Could there be any clearer illustration of this group’s contempt for democracy?
A comment emailed into National Radio re anti-MMP was very telling.
“When considering the issue just look at the people who are anti-MMP.” (paraphrased.)
Yes, I almost stole that line for my post! Just look who they are—Michael Bassett, who has regularly broadcast his hatred for democracy, Peter Shirtcliffe, and perhaps most contemptible of all of them, that vacuous surfer/machine politician Bob Harvey.
Prince William and his wife Catherine Middleton will definitely not be in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, a spokeswoman for the prince has confirmed.
P’raps William is astute enough to realise that celebrity Key would be using the royal couple for political gain, again.
Still using our Beamers he can use a variety of dignitaries coming for the RWC for his photo ops.
“He could have come in a private capacity, that was the advice I had. I personally invited him so I don’t think that would have been a major issue,” he said.
Ok, we know that EMA does not stand for Endometriosis and Menses Association but the boys on the board are still very slow off the block to dump Al Tampon.
Israel drops warning to foreign journalists on Gaza flotilla
By JOEL GREENBERG, Tuesday, June 28, 6:36 AM
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday rescinded a warning by the Israeli Government Press Office that foreign journalists who board a flotilla challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza could be barred from the country for a decade.
The threat, in a letter sent Sunday to accredited foreign correspondents in Israel from Oren Helman, the director of the press office, strained relations with international media and drew criticism in Israel, including from one of Netanyahu’s deputies.
Helman wrote that participation in the flotilla, even by journalists, violated Israeli law and was “liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for ten years, to the impoundment of their equipment and to additional sanctions.”
The Foreign Press Association in Israel said the letter sent a “chilling message” to international media and raised “serious questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press.”
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said that after the matter had been brought to his attention, he had directed that “the regular policy against infiltrators and those who enter Israel illegally not be implemented,” and that “a special procedure” be drawn up for journalists covering the flotilla who might arrive in Israel in violation of its entry laws.
The Israeli military has warned that it will stop the flotilla, expected to consist of about 10 ships carrying activists from several countries, and if necessary seize and divert the vessels to Israel’s port of Ashdod. The ships are expected to converge at sea later this week and attempt to sail to Gaza.
Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon told Israel Radio that both he and Netanyahu had been “surprised” by Helman’s move, which he called “problematic.”
The statement from Netanyahu’s office said it had been agreed that Israeli and foreign reporters would be embedded with Israeli naval vessels “to create transparency and credible coverage of the events.”
An Israeli naval commando raid on a Turkish ship in a similar flotilla 13 months ago met resistance from activists on board, and nine were killed. The incident drew international condemnation and led Israel to ease its land blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Actually, knowing the way Mossad works, foreign journalists on the flotilla will be lucky not to be lured into a honey-trap, kidnapped, blindfolded and illegally transported back to Israel, before being sentenced to 20 years hard labour and solitary confinement by a secretly-convened Israeli Military Court.
…foreign journalists on the flotilla will be lucky not to be lured into a honey-trap
There’s a degree of rabid rabbinical support for honeytraps. As in Soviet Russia, any action, no matter how depraved, is acceptable if it’s committed in the service of the Holy State.
As you read this article and watch the accompanying video, you need to bear in mind that “terrorist” is a technical term for anybody that dares to criticise or even report on Israel…
will be lucky not to be lured into a honey-trap, kidnapped, blindfolded and illegally transported back to Israel, before being sentenced to 20 years hard labour and solitary confinement by a secretly-convened Israeli Military Court
And now NO Wils and Kate to enhance his re election chances either, he must be crying that no one is taken in by his vacuous presence. All smile n wave, No substance.
On the 26th June, yet another incident happened at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power plant. It appears from the video below that Unit 3 and 4 released a large amount of smoke or steam into the atmosphere.
I was meaning to put this on an asset sales post but there haven’t been any for awhile, so here goes…
So far I haven’t seen much comment on the obviously (to me) detrimental effects that selling $5bn worth of assets will have on NZ capital markets. Surely this is going to suck up a huge amount of capital that will no longer be available to other businesses? How is any business going to attract investors when there is are nice juicy and safe SOEs out there for people to sink their cash into?
How is any business going to attract investors when there is are nice juicy and safe SOEs out there for people to sink their cash into?
They won’t but the whole point of putting such essential services onto the “market” is so that the “investors” have a nice safe place to put their money and get a high return on it without actually doing anything.
Then there’s the transfers of foreign currency and forex hedges for such large transactions. Where is John Key when you need him to explain this stuff.
The reality is that there always has been a lack of equity capital available to SMEs. Most investment is located in the property market. A capital gains tax would have addressed this imbalance – levelling the playing field between investment in business or investment in property.
But definitely SOEs coming onto the NZ market will be attractive to ‘mum and dad’ investors now highly risk adverse because of recent business failures. Within a capitalist system you have to compete by offering a better investment opportunity – while wearing something tight and slinky.
It’s a Wishart book. Unless he’s got some rock solid shit he’s now gonna be “that guy who wrote that book defending the Kahui mother” to 90% of kiwis.
From what I have heard,he believes he has. Time will tell. However I am “Disgusted of Pt Chev” that some idiot has already set up a Facebook group to campaign against the book, simply because they hate her.
IAN STEWARD AND JONATHAN MARSHALL
Last updated 12:50 28/06/2011
The Kahui twins.
A Facebook group has been set up urging people not to buy a book written in collaboration with the mother of the Kahui twins.
As the inquest into the deaths of three-month-olds Chris and Cru Kahui inches forward at the Auckland District Court, a Facebook site called “Boycott the Macsyna King Book” has been set up in response to the news that the twins’ mother, Macsyna King, is about to release a “tell-all book”, written by journalist Ian Wishart.
Chris Kahui Snr was charged and later acquitted of the boys’ murder in 2008 and King’s involvement has been questioned, including by Kahui’s defence team at the trial.
“Somebody like this should not be allowed to profit from preaching her perverted view of the horrific events which led to the deaths of the only two children who hadn’t already been taken from her by CYF’s,” the Facebook site says.
It is not known who set up the site.
Author and publisher Ian Wishart this afternoon compared the book, due to hit bookshelves at the end of July, to the 1994 Once Were Warriors movie.
Wishart said King will not receive any money for the book, which he expects will sell in the thousands.
Wishart said the book, being published by his Howling at the Moon company, will contain new leads.
“There will be new revelations, it is a powerful book. Everybody who has read it has wept virtually on every page. It puts the whole life and death of the twins in the context,” Wishart said.
The book was raw, he said. “Once Were Warriors was a great book, but this is Once Were Warriors real.”
Wishart said he did not believe King was responsible for the death of her sons.
“I went into this with an open mind… I’ve come away feeling Macsyna has had a hard run, through a lot of fault of her own.
“Certainly she was not the killer of the twins.”
Wishart said it was “hard to say” whether the book would cause police to re-open their case.
“I’ve asked questions that nobody thought to ask Macsyna before so there are new answers.”
He expected some booksellers would refuse to stock the title.
_________________________________________________________________________
If you don’t want to read, and/or boycott Ian Wishart’s book – that’s YOUR choice.
However – please do NOT attempt to interfere with others LAWFUL right to ‘freedom of expression’ – to read and think about this matter for ourselves, and form our own opinions.
Surely – if Ian Wishart’s book results in the Police reopening the case and getting a conviction – that would be a GREAT outcome?
Where are all the ACT and Liberterian supporters on this issue?
Time to ‘walk the talk’ in support of ‘freedom of expression’?
Come on!
WHERE ARE YOU?
(Or are you going to just leave this to the ‘Public Watchdogs’?)
Personally I think that whole boycott thing is an excuse by people who see themselves is ‘decent middle New Zealanders” to beat up on a brown single mother on welfare.
Which is what I belive the whole Kahui saga has become. Just another lynch mob whipped up against uemployed brown people. Which could be why the jury was so quick to acquit the father.
No it’s more like a conspiricy of silence by the whole extended Kahui family. And when the cops murder charge against the father fell over, they were I am sorry to say, their usual clueless selves ( No cars involved). Now if they arrested and charged every one in the silence conspiracy and charged them as accomplices to the murder, then I bet you would have had someone break the silence. But as usual the police are bloody useless as well, too wrapped up in traffic revenue gathering to go and catch real criminals.
Who is trying to interfere with his freedom of speech? IW runs a magazine and a website. he can publish whatever he wants. If he has information, he can also hand it over to the police.
If Ian Wishart’s book helps the police to reopen the Kahui case and results in a conviction for the deaths of the Kahui baby boys – how would this not be a positive outcome?
I am REALLY keen to read what Ian Wishart has to say, and take the strongest exception to any attempt to deny me my lawful right to ‘freedom of expression’, by preventing the distribution of this book.
For those who support ‘freedom of expression’ – here is your opportunity to step up to the plate, and make a stand on principle:
I’m afraid that any research ability from Wishart appears to have completely dissipated over recent decades. Based on his recent books, he has dropped the practice as getting in the way of a good (ie saleable) story.
If Ian Wishart’s book helps the police to reopen the Kahui case and results in a conviction for the deaths of the Kahui baby boys – how would this not be a positive outcome?
It’d be grand. But did you read my comment?
I’ll gladly apologise if anything good comes out of this. But I’m pretty bloody confident I won’t be needing to.
And no one is stepping on your freedom of expression, or his. He is free to sell his book from his website, just like any other crank.
What is disgusting is the lazy journalism. The two shops haven’t banned the books. They can’t, because the aren’t the censor’s office. They are declining to stock this travesty of an apologia and good on them for having the courage to take a moral stance.
I just wish BP or TEPCO put the public good first in their business decisions, too.
Wishart is a two faced religious nut. Everything he does and says is what God has told him,thats according to him. He’s also a Right-Wing fanatic who seems to hate anyone Left of Franco. The guy gives me the creeps .As for this book he has written ,just who would want to read anything by him let alone a horrific essay about one of the most disgracefull black sad incidents in recent NZ. Personally I think everyone who is involved in that horror story should ((?) be incarcerated until somebody speaks out.As for Wishart he’s like Sensible Sentencing boss McCorsky (?) .They choose who to defend and who to attack and who not too. .
Im sorry Penny I realise you are a good democratic person and I usually agree mostly with what you say but im afraid this dreadfull murder leaves me cold and angry.
BIG (bullying) TOBACCO are desperately fighting to help stop the NZ Government from looking after the health of NZ citizens whose health is affected by their product…………….
“NZPA | Tuesday June 28, 2011
Tobacco giant suing Australian govt ‘a warning’ for NZ
Tobacco giant Philip Morris suing the Australian government for introducing plain packaging laws for tobacco should send shockwaves through this country as it seeks a free trade deal involving the US, says an academic critic of the deal.”
________________________________________________________________________________
WHY?
Because of the recommendations arising from the Final Government Response’ to the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry Report:
That the tobacco industry be required to provide tobacco products exclusively in plain packaging, harmonising with the proposed requirement in Australia from 2012.
Response
The Government is monitoring Australia’s progress on its proposal to legislate for plain packaging of tobacco products in 2012, and will consider the possibility on NZ aligning with Australia. ”
________________________________________________________________________________
Whatever you think about Hone Harawira – he deserves full credit for the leading role he has played in helping to achieve significant movement in this fight against ‘BIG TOBACCO’.
He has proven to have been extremely effective on this issue, which has such significant health impacts on Maori, through helping to achieve the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into the Tobacco Industry.
“Our very own Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira also stepped up the campaign by initiating a inquiry into Māori related tobacco death by Parliament’s Māori Affairs Select Committee.
We are making significant progress and the momentum must be continued.
The past 12 months have been the most rapid in the history of making policy around tobacco control.
Just over a year ago, the select committee announced it would carry out an inquiry into the tobacco industry and in particular the consequences of tobacco use for Māori.
In March, our co-leader, and Associate Minister of Health, Tariana Turia initiated a public consultation on a proposal to ban tobacco displays in retail outlets. In April results from the 2009 tobacco use survey showed that the current smoking rates for 15-64 year olds had dropped to 21.8%.
In real numbers that’s about 60,000 fewer smokers, in real numbers that is estimated to be more than 10,000 Māori. These are fantastic results which demonstrate that people are starting to recognise the serious harms that come from smoking and saying that it’s just not worth it.
Of course the most critical fact that motivates all of us to be here today is that 45% of Māori aged 15 to 64 years are smokers.
One in two long term smokers will die of smoking related diseases. Those, about 5000 every year, who die lose on average 15 years of life.
None of these statements are new but we offer no apologies in repeating them.
We are still losing generations of our people, dying in middle age.
Even more tragic is the fact that almost half the sudden unexplained deaths of Māori infants are attributed to smoking.
The biggest issue of all, bigger even than the fact that people are smoking, is the root causes for why people smoke.”
Given John Key’s track record of negotiating with the overseas powerful white boys, things may look good for his cronies and himself, but not for New Zealand.
Perhaps John Key can roll out the red carpet for Philip Morris to visit, providing about $6000 of VIP limousine transport, including the short ride between the Auckland international/domestic terminals?
I have just read this story on Stuff http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5202195/Mother-accused-of-50-000-DPB-fraud
about a woman accused of fraud because she was ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’ whilst receiving the DPB’. When I worked for Social Welfare in the 80s, we had a questionnaire designed to ascertain whether or not a couple was ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’ and we laughed ourselves sick when we saw it. One question that sticks in my mind was “Does she wash his socks and underwear?”
This line seriously freaks me out: “The jury should also put their personal views on beneficiaries to one side for the duration of the trial, he said.”
What views are the jury expected to have? If a lawyer substituted any other word, “Maori, women, Muslims, Christians, atheists, homeopaths, or fishermen” for instance, what would that say about our system? This was said by the defence lawyer, and shows that he expects to come up against a mountain of prejudice.
Gaza activists say ship sabotaged in Greece
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:18:00 AM CEST
STOCKHOLM (AP) — One of the 10 ships in the Gaza-bound flotilla has been sabotaged but will be repaired in time for the planned voyage to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, activists said Tuesday.
The propeller shaft of the Juliano, a ship shared by Swedish, Norwegian and Greek activists, was cut off while the vessel was docked in the Greek port of Piraeus, according to the Scandinavian organizers.
“Based on a first on-site inspection the damage can be repaired before the planned departure toward the end of this week,” said a statement by the Swedish activists, who blamed “hostile divers” for the damage.
In a separate statement, Norwegian delegation leader Torstein Dahle said the incident shows “someone is willing to go to great lengths to stop the flotilla from sailing.”
The ship is part of a ten-ship flotilla due to set sail shortly in a bid to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Israel has warned it will thwart any attempt to breach the sea blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich told reporters Monday that, according to intelligence reports, extremists in the flotilla have supplies of what she called “dangerous incendiary chemicals” to use against Israeli forces.
Dror Feiler, one of the organizers, dismissed those claims, saying the hundreds of people who plan to join the flotilla have signed a declaration of nonviolence.
Feiler told Army Radio on Tuesday that if Israel has information about specific suspects, it should pass it along to flotilla’s organizers.
I never quite get or understand the need someone has earning $650,000 (or even the smaller amount of $300,000) to manipulate things to pay less tax – particularly when much of their income is likely to have come from the taxpayer anyway whether through working in public hospitals, or via subsidised operations in the private system.
I mean they are earning more than 10 other people for goodness sake.
I know I’m not driven by money and that’s partly why I don’t get it but if these people just paid their friggin’ tax we wouldn’t be in half the shit we are in.
It becomes a game and they show off at dinner parties and over cocktails how daring and brave their personal tax accountants are.
In fact it becomes quite a conversation piece, and instead of all these smart people and their accountants using their time and highly trained effort to do other good things in life, they spend more and more of it on dreaming up clever schemes to avoid more and more tax.
In fact it becomes quite a conversation piece, and instead of all these smart people and their accountants using their time and highly trained effort to do other good things in life, they spend more and more of it on dreaming up clever schemes to avoid more and more tax.
And that is why however low the tax rates go they’ll still manage their affairs to not pay. It’s not the tax – it’s the game. (And yeah, I’ve heard them at dinner parties)
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Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
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Labour leader Phil Goff told Native Affairs last night he cannot work with Hone, or anybody else Mana might get elected into Parliament, because they are too extreme.
Surely this cannot be the the same Phil Goff who sat on a far right cabinet that sold off significant state assets in a fire sale to the rich. The same cabinet threw thousands of people onto the dole and completely destroyed some communities. Many of the original victims of these extreme policies never worked again, and their children have grown surronded by a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.
The Clark government continued to ignore these people, although economic boom times, based on the great private borrowing binge, meant some of them got precarious minimum wage jobs subsidised by Working For Families for a while. Now they are back on the scrap heap.
The people who voted for Mana were discarded by Labour a long time ago and it is an insult to their intelligence and life experience to expect them to believe Labour gives a stuff about them.
Labour is going to have to come to terms with the incompatibility of its neoliberal economic beliefs with the interests of working class New Zealanders, and its serial failure to defend the interests of those it pretends to represent, if it is survive in the long term.
Most importantly of all, it must shed itself of the idea that it possible to keep chasing the ‘centre’ indefinitely. Each time they do this they create a new ‘centre ‘ which is even further to the right.
Actually anyone who votes for Mana will demonstrate that their intelligence is worthy of insulting if the believe that Hone gives a crap about any more than their vote.
Goff is doing the right thing, the best way to scare off the centre would be to cuddle up to Hone prior to the election.
What we have is radical. What we have is ‘afford it or buy it’ or suffer.
And who defends this state of affairs? All our msm and the main parliamentary parties. Just because the idea that the market should dictate our social interactions and our access to basic needs is ‘orthodox’ doesn’t mean that it’s right or desirable or intelligent.
So, I get kind of sick of hearing that the people who offer a challenge to the status quo are radical. They aren’t. They are challenging current radicalism.
+1
Reality has a “radical” left bias, ergo, the “centre” is too far to the right for building a strong and healthy society.
Goff has to talk tough so as not to scare off middle NZ from voting Labour, and indeed to try and grab some of those trending leftwards for either voting Labour or Greens instead of Mana. Like the Maori Party, the left-wing of the house would be best served if Mana got a large overhang, so them getting multiple electorate seats and a low list vote is the best outcome for Labour, whether they end up in a formal or informal coalition or not.
Ultimately if the numbers present it as a credible way to form a government, Labour will do it.
You don’t talk tough by saying we won’t work with Mana. You might get away with that if Labour was consistently polling above 33% and they and the Greens were clearly in a position on all polls to govern. Then you would talk tough. But when you’re not polling consistently above 33% and the Greens whose polling has never been reliable and where your in a position that right now you can’t form a government.
You don’t go talking about who you won’t work with. Goff can still appear tough without scaring centrist voters. You just say what policy you’ll implement in government and what you won’t. If you ignore The Foreshore and seabed issue. Mana and labour would quite happily be able to commit to a $15 minimum wage, no tax on the first $5000, GST off fruit and vegetables. I can see agreement with changing the Reserve bank act and agreement to change employment law.
Labour, Goff and Mallard in particular along with Shane Jones are just fucking stupid. To think two of those politicians have been in parliament since 1984 outside three years and still acting fucking stupid is beyond me.
+1
There’s no doubt about it really. To form a government Labour will be working with Mana and so it’s both stupid and childish to be ruling them out.
Even if gc’s comments are true and to the point, the Crosby Textor PR machine would make it impossible for LAB to explain its position.
It would be 5 continuous months of “Goff still refuses to rule out that extremist, racist, Maori separatist Harawira, you can’t trust Harawira and so you can’t trust Goff” and variations thereof.
A case of once bitten, twice shy, I think. Labour have realised now that they can’t have complex reasons for doing anything, it has to be simple and straight forward or it’ll just be lost.
The Hollow Men’s anti MMP campaign has now been launched and amongst supporters is westie Bob Harvey.
What was he thinking? It just goes to show that age does not necessarily improve people.
The campaign is already borrowing ideas that were used in the recent UK referendum of their representation system. Denigrate politicians, make people despise them and try and steer them into supporting the least representative system.
The forthcoming referendum will be interesting.
Micky yesterday
“TB
You are boring. You always seem to argue matters by attacking the person. No wonder why so many people use anonymous handles.
Care to argue the merits some time?”
Mickey today
“What was he thinking? It just goes to show that age does not necessarily improve people.”
No contradiction HS.
Bob Harvey has chosen to add his public personality to an anti MMP campaign and has invited questions on his reasons for doing so. Questioning his ability to think clearly is appropriate. I am suggesting that he could think more clearly in his younger more democratic days.
Very happy to argue the merits. But the spin that VFC will run will be along the lines of “politician bad, must hurt them”. I do not expect them to engage in a reasoned debate.
Questioning his ability to think clearly is appropriate. I am suggesting that he could think more clearly in his younger more democratic days.
Harvey has never been a penetrating or serious thinker. He was an advertising man, which is always a troubling indicator. He’s written a few books and articles, and can write well, but nothing I’ve seen by him shows that he is either profound or thoughtful.
Rob Salmond has an article over at Pundit analysing the rules of Vote for Change.
Yeah, about what you’d expect from a couple of dictator wannabes.
Interesting M/S /I have noticed that Bob Harvey has been acting a bit strange lately .Some of the public statements he has made recently leave me wondering if he is having “old age “trouble .I hope Im wrong because Bob has been an interesting man for a long while . He was a very good friend of Norman Kirk . Perhaps he needs some friendly advice from a close friend.
Lovely people Phill Goff is happy to stand on a stage with.
http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/forum
There are no votes for Labour here, unless they are prepared to pander to them in terms of policy. They do not trust Labour, and Labour should welcome their hatred.
I’m not going to claim that I was ever likely to be voting for Labour in this election, but if Phill doesn’t use his time on this stage to fight against what these pricks stand for, then could someone tell me why any progressive should consider voting for them?
Please explain how Ian grant is “a prick “
Why should Goff not attend? I’m gay and I’d go speak here.
I’ll gladly take my hat off to him if he’s going there to confront them and fight the progressive corner Tigger. Seen any evidence of that from Goff lately?
He runs an organisation which delivers programmes that are ineefective and unsustainable, using a range of methods which have been proven, by thorough research, to be flawed.
In doing so he targets some of the most vulnerable groups in society and dips into their already near empty pockets to charge for the priviledge.
They are pricks because they preach a model of ‘family’ which is based in the Victorian era; once upon a time families could be relied upon to support one another, but in the global society you cannot rely on this; I have a mother in Spain, a brother in Belgium, a Sister in the UK, my only uncle is in Scotland – many other families are equally split up.
Yes kids need role modeling good behaviour, but they also need food, a quality early childhood education sector and good public health.
And that role modelling doesn’t have to come from the parents. Maybe it’d be better if it did but it certainly doesn’t have to.
Unimpressive beginning by anti-MMP group Vote For Change
8.10 a.m. National Radio, Tuesday 28 June, 2011
Unimpressive performance on National Radio this morning by Vote For Change spokesman Jordan Williams. After spending most of his talk on a wandery rant against coalition government, his opponent, a pro-MMP woman, pointed out that there is a coalition in power in Great Britain right now—under a first-past-the-post system.
This was the first opportunity for Mr Williams to engage in debate. Listen to how he responded: “Awww, I don’t want to talk about politics. This is not about politics.”
That was a golden opportunity to argue his case. Instead, he chose to cut and run. I don’t think it’s because he is stupid; I’ll bet this refusal to engage in meaningful and detailed debate will be a strategy these people will use throughout their no doubt highly funded campaign.
Could there be any clearer illustration of this group’s contempt for democracy?
A comment emailed into National Radio re anti-MMP was very telling.
“When considering the issue just look at the people who are anti-MMP.” (paraphrased.)
Yes, I almost stole that line for my post! Just look who they are—Michael Bassett, who has regularly broadcast his hatred for democracy, Peter Shirtcliffe, and perhaps most contemptible of all of them, that vacuous surfer/machine politician Bob Harvey.
The outcome I think everyone was expecting:
Prince William and his wife Catherine Middleton will definitely not be in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, a spokeswoman for the prince has confirmed.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/5200003/Wills-Kate-won-t-visit-NZ-spokeswoman
Why the hell did Key persist in saying they would come? Now he looks out of touch and desperate. Actually, I think that is the answer.
Ah, you got there first. Cheers.
P’raps William is astute enough to realise that celebrity Key would be using the royal couple for political gain, again.
Still using our Beamers he can use a variety of dignitaries coming for the RWC for his photo ops.
John Key’s an idiot!
Is he an idiot or does he think we are idiots?
“He could have come in a private capacity, that was the advice I had. I personally invited him so I don’t think that would have been a major issue,” he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10735042
What “private capacity” can a future sovereign have? Huh? Maybe he thinks he can privatise The Windsors and sell them?
Who provided “advice”?
And what is this about a personal invitation? How can any invitation in the context be a personal invitation??
“And what is this about a personal invitation? How can any invitation in the context be a personal invitation??”
Pfft, John’s just a good bloke what met Wills down the pub on Friday arvo, obviously.
Wills & Kate not visiting on this side of the elections – this is official.
I feel this should be noted as I have gone on record about the young Royals and respect for protocol.
Regardless of their reason for not visiting before 26 Nov, they are doing the right thing even when our PM wasn’t intending to.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge deserve to be commended.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/5200003/Wills-Kate-won-t-visit-NZ-spokeswoman
Can’t use Royal touch for own election chances …
but piggybacked on Fleming’s magic in India:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5199988/Indians-flock-to-Fleming-during-Key-visit
Must remember to bring along Tamponson, newly crowned mascot for gender pay equity, when negotiating free trade with Turkey, Slovenia and Romania:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10734918
Menses Crisis:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10734983
Ok, we know that EMA does not stand for Endometriosis and Menses Association but the boys on the board are still very slow off the block to dump Al Tampon.
Hope the wait won’t take another month.
Alisdire Thompson and the EMA have now hit the global news services. Great for a country which led the world with Womens Suffrage eh.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10734918
Very disappointing so far. Al Tampon in good company with what is looking like a board of dithering dinosaurs agonising over what to do??
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5199265/No-decision-made-over-EMAs-Thompson
Do you notice that the speech patterns and kind of responses are very like Gerry’s “I don’t know” type ?
Israel drops warning to foreign journalists on Gaza flotilla
By JOEL GREENBERG, Tuesday, June 28, 6:36 AM
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday rescinded a warning by the Israeli Government Press Office that foreign journalists who board a flotilla challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza could be barred from the country for a decade.
The threat, in a letter sent Sunday to accredited foreign correspondents in Israel from Oren Helman, the director of the press office, strained relations with international media and drew criticism in Israel, including from one of Netanyahu’s deputies.
Helman wrote that participation in the flotilla, even by journalists, violated Israeli law and was “liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for ten years, to the impoundment of their equipment and to additional sanctions.”
The Foreign Press Association in Israel said the letter sent a “chilling message” to international media and raised “serious questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press.”
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said that after the matter had been brought to his attention, he had directed that “the regular policy against infiltrators and those who enter Israel illegally not be implemented,” and that “a special procedure” be drawn up for journalists covering the flotilla who might arrive in Israel in violation of its entry laws.
The Israeli military has warned that it will stop the flotilla, expected to consist of about 10 ships carrying activists from several countries, and if necessary seize and divert the vessels to Israel’s port of Ashdod. The ships are expected to converge at sea later this week and attempt to sail to Gaza.
Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon told Israel Radio that both he and Netanyahu had been “surprised” by Helman’s move, which he called “problematic.”
The statement from Netanyahu’s office said it had been agreed that Israeli and foreign reporters would be embedded with Israeli naval vessels “to create transparency and credible coverage of the events.”
An Israeli naval commando raid on a Turkish ship in a similar flotilla 13 months ago met resistance from activists on board, and nine were killed. The incident drew international condemnation and led Israel to ease its land blockade of the Gaza Strip.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-drops-warning-to-foreign-journalists-on-gaza-flotilla/2011/06/27/AGGp2mnH_story.html
Actually, knowing the way Mossad works, foreign journalists on the flotilla will be lucky not to be lured into a honey-trap, kidnapped, blindfolded and illegally transported back to Israel, before being sentenced to 20 years hard labour and solitary confinement by a secretly-convened Israeli Military Court.
Nothin’ if not efficient those guys 🙂
Do you reckon it’s worth the honey trap? 🙂
…foreign journalists on the flotilla will be lucky not to be lured into a honey-trap
There’s a degree of rabid rabbinical support for honeytraps. As in Soviet Russia, any action, no matter how depraved, is acceptable if it’s committed in the service of the Holy State.
As you read this article and watch the accompanying video, you need to bear in mind that “terrorist” is a technical term for anybody that dares to criticise or even report on Israel…
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/israeli-rabbi-blesses-honeytrap-sex-female-spies/story?id=11834845
As happened to Mordechai Vanunu in the 1980s… 🙁
What a hoot! How Key the Celebrity must be fuming. From Stuff:
“What was billed as a state visit to India by Prime Minister John Key is fast becoming the Stephen Fleming show.
The former Black Caps captain nigh-on over-shadowed Key in New Delhi yesterday. ”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5199988/Indians-flock-to-Fleming-during-Key-visit
You know times have changed when eloquent diplomacy degrades into visual entertainment with John Key reducing the statesman to showman.
His political handlers, knowing the man can neither speak clearly nor intelligently, has designed events to suit eyes, and not ears or minds.
And now NO Wils and Kate to enhance his re election chances either, he must be crying that no one is taken in by his vacuous presence. All smile n wave, No substance.
Three things
1) We need this level of civil unrest to change this country http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/27/public-sector-strikes-pensions-teachers-thursday
2) We could all be dead on Tuesday morning next week! http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jun/27/asteroid-poses-no-threat-earth
3) And if you want a smile….http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jun/27/pass-notes-wimbledogs
More Bad News From Fukushima
On the 26th June, yet another incident happened at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power plant. It appears from the video below that Unit 3 and 4 released a large amount of smoke or steam into the atmosphere.
I was meaning to put this on an asset sales post but there haven’t been any for awhile, so here goes…
So far I haven’t seen much comment on the obviously (to me) detrimental effects that selling $5bn worth of assets will have on NZ capital markets. Surely this is going to suck up a huge amount of capital that will no longer be available to other businesses? How is any business going to attract investors when there is are nice juicy and safe SOEs out there for people to sink their cash into?
They won’t but the whole point of putting such essential services onto the “market” is so that the “investors” have a nice safe place to put their money and get a high return on it without actually doing anything.
Yeah, but the middlemen are going to make a lot of money selling them back and forth.
Then there’s the transfers of foreign currency and forex hedges for such large transactions. Where is John Key when you need him to explain this stuff.
In India being made to look like a clueless dick by Stephen Fleming.
The reality is that there always has been a lack of equity capital available to SMEs. Most investment is located in the property market. A capital gains tax would have addressed this imbalance – levelling the playing field between investment in business or investment in property.
But definitely SOEs coming onto the NZ market will be attractive to ‘mum and dad’ investors now highly risk adverse because of recent business failures. Within a capitalist system you have to compete by offering a better investment opportunity – while wearing something tight and slinky.
Another Kiwi upsetting certain people
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/80908,people,news,twitter-blasts-zane-lowe-for-not-praising-beyonce
Here’s a farcebook page that’s racking up the comments:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-the-Macsyna-King-Book/140832719326817
Is that the Kahui mother? She can write let alone read?
It’s a Wishart book. Unless he’s got some rock solid shit he’s now gonna be “that guy who wrote that book defending the Kahui mother” to 90% of kiwis.
From what I have heard,he believes he has. Time will tell. However I am “Disgusted of Pt Chev” that some idiot has already set up a Facebook group to campaign against the book, simply because they hate her.
I would have thought that Wishart would be one of the ones up there calling for Ms King to be strung up.
Ian Wishart is the one some of them want to ‘string up’.
It’s a bloody disgrace this ‘witch hunt / book burning’ bullshit.
How do the ‘book boycotters’ even know what has been said in the book if they haven’t read it????
Duh?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-the-Macsyna-King-Book/140832719326817
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/5202308/Group-opposes-book-by-Kahui-twins-mother
Group opposes book by Kahui twins’ mother
IAN STEWARD AND JONATHAN MARSHALL
Last updated 12:50 28/06/2011
The Kahui twins.
A Facebook group has been set up urging people not to buy a book written in collaboration with the mother of the Kahui twins.
As the inquest into the deaths of three-month-olds Chris and Cru Kahui inches forward at the Auckland District Court, a Facebook site called “Boycott the Macsyna King Book” has been set up in response to the news that the twins’ mother, Macsyna King, is about to release a “tell-all book”, written by journalist Ian Wishart.
Chris Kahui Snr was charged and later acquitted of the boys’ murder in 2008 and King’s involvement has been questioned, including by Kahui’s defence team at the trial.
“Somebody like this should not be allowed to profit from preaching her perverted view of the horrific events which led to the deaths of the only two children who hadn’t already been taken from her by CYF’s,” the Facebook site says.
It is not known who set up the site.
Author and publisher Ian Wishart this afternoon compared the book, due to hit bookshelves at the end of July, to the 1994 Once Were Warriors movie.
Wishart said King will not receive any money for the book, which he expects will sell in the thousands.
Wishart said the book, being published by his Howling at the Moon company, will contain new leads.
“There will be new revelations, it is a powerful book. Everybody who has read it has wept virtually on every page. It puts the whole life and death of the twins in the context,” Wishart said.
The book was raw, he said. “Once Were Warriors was a great book, but this is Once Were Warriors real.”
Wishart said he did not believe King was responsible for the death of her sons.
“I went into this with an open mind… I’ve come away feeling Macsyna has had a hard run, through a lot of fault of her own.
“Certainly she was not the killer of the twins.”
Wishart said it was “hard to say” whether the book would cause police to re-open their case.
“I’ve asked questions that nobody thought to ask Macsyna before so there are new answers.”
He expected some booksellers would refuse to stock the title.
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If you don’t want to read, and/or boycott Ian Wishart’s book – that’s YOUR choice.
However – please do NOT attempt to interfere with others LAWFUL right to ‘freedom of expression’ – to read and think about this matter for ourselves, and form our own opinions.
Surely – if Ian Wishart’s book results in the Police reopening the case and getting a conviction – that would be a GREAT outcome?
Where are all the ACT and Liberterian supporters on this issue?
Time to ‘walk the talk’ in support of ‘freedom of expression’?
Come on!
WHERE ARE YOU?
(Or are you going to just leave this to the ‘Public Watchdogs’?)
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
Personally I think that whole boycott thing is an excuse by people who see themselves is ‘decent middle New Zealanders” to beat up on a brown single mother on welfare.
Which is what I belive the whole Kahui saga has become. Just another lynch mob whipped up against uemployed brown people. Which could be why the jury was so quick to acquit the father.
No it’s more like a conspiricy of silence by the whole extended Kahui family. And when the cops murder charge against the father fell over, they were I am sorry to say, their usual clueless selves ( No cars involved). Now if they arrested and charged every one in the silence conspiracy and charged them as accomplices to the murder, then I bet you would have had someone break the silence. But as usual the police are bloody useless as well, too wrapped up in traffic revenue gathering to go and catch real criminals.
Absolutely Deadly – they should have all faced a murder charge until one of them fessed up.
Who is trying to interfere with his freedom of speech? IW runs a magazine and a website. he can publish whatever he wants. If he has information, he can also hand it over to the police.
Profiteering from a tragedy like this is immoral; the family do not deserve any publicity whatsoever – they appall me.
If Ian Wishart’s book helps the police to reopen the Kahui case and results in a conviction for the deaths of the Kahui baby boys – how would this not be a positive outcome?
I am REALLY keen to read what Ian Wishart has to say, and take the strongest exception to any attempt to deny me my lawful right to ‘freedom of expression’, by preventing the distribution of this book.
For those who support ‘freedom of expression’ – here is your opportunity to step up to the plate, and make a stand on principle:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Break-the-Kahui-code-of-silence-support-the-new-book/184638478257810
Break the Kahui code of silence: support the new book – Breaking Silence by Ian Wishart is based on research and the first extensive interviews.
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
I’m afraid that any research ability from Wishart appears to have completely dissipated over recent decades. Based on his recent books, he has dropped the practice as getting in the way of a good (ie saleable) story.
I’m all for “freedom of expression” as long as it’s based in fact. Ian Wishart’s books tend not to be.
If Ian Wishart’s book helps the police to reopen the Kahui case and results in a conviction for the deaths of the Kahui baby boys – how would this not be a positive outcome?
It’d be grand. But did you read my comment?
I’ll gladly apologise if anything good comes out of this. But I’m pretty bloody confident I won’t be needing to.
And no one is stepping on your freedom of expression, or his. He is free to sell his book from his website, just like any other crank.
Agreed Penny. I just heard on 3News that Paper Plus and the Warehouse are “banning” the book. That’s disgusting.
There are whole sections of books in Unity bookshop that paper plus and the warehouse also refuse to stock. Disgusting.
Also, I just ‘liked’ the page so I could comment, and copped a shedload of abuse from these oh-so-nice people… 🙁
What is disgusting is the lazy journalism. The two shops haven’t banned the books. They can’t, because the aren’t the censor’s office. They are declining to stock this travesty of an apologia and good on them for having the courage to take a moral stance.
I just wish BP or TEPCO put the public good first in their business decisions, too.
Wishart is a two faced religious nut. Everything he does and says is what God has told him,thats according to him. He’s also a Right-Wing fanatic who seems to hate anyone Left of Franco. The guy gives me the creeps .As for this book he has written ,just who would want to read anything by him let alone a horrific essay about one of the most disgracefull black sad incidents in recent NZ. Personally I think everyone who is involved in that horror story should ((?) be incarcerated until somebody speaks out.As for Wishart he’s like Sensible Sentencing boss McCorsky (?) .They choose who to defend and who to attack and who not too. .
Im sorry Penny I realise you are a good democratic person and I usually agree mostly with what you say but im afraid this dreadfull murder leaves me cold and angry.
28 June 2011
BIG (bullying) TOBACCO are desperately fighting to help stop the NZ Government from looking after the health of NZ citizens whose health is affected by their product…………….
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/tobacco-giant-suing-australian-govt-warning-nz-ck-96034
“NZPA | Tuesday June 28, 2011
Tobacco giant suing Australian govt ‘a warning’ for NZ
Tobacco giant Philip Morris suing the Australian government for introducing plain packaging laws for tobacco should send shockwaves through this country as it seeks a free trade deal involving the US, says an academic critic of the deal.”
________________________________________________________________________________
WHY?
Because of the recommendations arising from the Final Government Response’ to the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry Report:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Presented/Papers/8/6/0/49DBHOH_PAP21175_1-Government-Final-Response-to-Report-of-the-M-ori.htm
(See pg 7
“Plain packaging
Recommendation 7
That the tobacco industry be required to provide tobacco products exclusively in plain packaging, harmonising with the proposed requirement in Australia from 2012.
Response
The Government is monitoring Australia’s progress on its proposal to legislate for plain packaging of tobacco products in 2012, and will consider the possibility on NZ aligning with Australia. ”
________________________________________________________________________________
Whatever you think about Hone Harawira – he deserves full credit for the leading role he has played in helping to achieve significant movement in this fight against ‘BIG TOBACCO’.
He has proven to have been extremely effective on this issue, which has such significant health impacts on Maori, through helping to achieve the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into the Tobacco Industry.
http://www.maoriparty.org/index.php?pag=cms&id=173&p=toa—january-2011.html
“Our very own Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira also stepped up the campaign by initiating a inquiry into Māori related tobacco death by Parliament’s Māori Affairs Select Committee.
We are making significant progress and the momentum must be continued.
The past 12 months have been the most rapid in the history of making policy around tobacco control.
Just over a year ago, the select committee announced it would carry out an inquiry into the tobacco industry and in particular the consequences of tobacco use for Māori.
In March, our co-leader, and Associate Minister of Health, Tariana Turia initiated a public consultation on a proposal to ban tobacco displays in retail outlets. In April results from the 2009 tobacco use survey showed that the current smoking rates for 15-64 year olds had dropped to 21.8%.
In real numbers that’s about 60,000 fewer smokers, in real numbers that is estimated to be more than 10,000 Māori. These are fantastic results which demonstrate that people are starting to recognise the serious harms that come from smoking and saying that it’s just not worth it.
Of course the most critical fact that motivates all of us to be here today is that 45% of Māori aged 15 to 64 years are smokers.
One in two long term smokers will die of smoking related diseases. Those, about 5000 every year, who die lose on average 15 years of life.
None of these statements are new but we offer no apologies in repeating them.
We are still losing generations of our people, dying in middle age.
Even more tragic is the fact that almost half the sudden unexplained deaths of Māori infants are attributed to smoking.
The biggest issue of all, bigger even than the fact that people are smoking, is the root causes for why people smoke.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Shouldn’t the New Zealand Government – not tobacco multinational companies decide what’s best for the health of New Zealanders?
If ‘Free Trade’ agreements mean the loss of NZ Government sovereignty to decide such issues – why on earth would we want a bar of them?
Just WHO is benefiting?
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
Given John Key’s track record of negotiating with the overseas powerful white boys, things may look good for his cronies and himself, but not for New Zealand.
Perhaps John Key can roll out the red carpet for Philip Morris to visit, providing about $6000 of VIP limousine transport, including the short ride between the Auckland international/domestic terminals?
Hope that has not been done before.
And he will kiss arse and change laws so as not to annoy them.
Actually thats not a public scene, so all you will see is JohnKY licking his lips at the press conference.
I dont think it is right that corporations can have effective veto power over governments.
The interesting questions are
1) How did corporations achieve that level of power.
and
2) Who inside governments helped them in that process.
I have just read this story on Stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5202195/Mother-accused-of-50-000-DPB-fraud
about a woman accused of fraud because she was ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’ whilst receiving the DPB’. When I worked for Social Welfare in the 80s, we had a questionnaire designed to ascertain whether or not a couple was ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’ and we laughed ourselves sick when we saw it. One question that sticks in my mind was “Does she wash his socks and underwear?”
This line seriously freaks me out: “The jury should also put their personal views on beneficiaries to one side for the duration of the trial, he said.”
What views are the jury expected to have? If a lawyer substituted any other word, “Maori, women, Muslims, Christians, atheists, homeopaths, or fishermen” for instance, what would that say about our system? This was said by the defence lawyer, and shows that he expects to come up against a mountain of prejudice.
http://www.mail.com/int/news/europe/522726-gaza-activists-ship-sabotaged-greece.html#.1272-stage-teaser1-2
Gaza activists say ship sabotaged in Greece
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:18:00 AM CEST
STOCKHOLM (AP) — One of the 10 ships in the Gaza-bound flotilla has been sabotaged but will be repaired in time for the planned voyage to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, activists said Tuesday.
The propeller shaft of the Juliano, a ship shared by Swedish, Norwegian and Greek activists, was cut off while the vessel was docked in the Greek port of Piraeus, according to the Scandinavian organizers.
“Based on a first on-site inspection the damage can be repaired before the planned departure toward the end of this week,” said a statement by the Swedish activists, who blamed “hostile divers” for the damage.
In a separate statement, Norwegian delegation leader Torstein Dahle said the incident shows “someone is willing to go to great lengths to stop the flotilla from sailing.”
The ship is part of a ten-ship flotilla due to set sail shortly in a bid to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Israel has warned it will thwart any attempt to breach the sea blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich told reporters Monday that, according to intelligence reports, extremists in the flotilla have supplies of what she called “dangerous incendiary chemicals” to use against Israeli forces.
Dror Feiler, one of the organizers, dismissed those claims, saying the hundreds of people who plan to join the flotilla have signed a declaration of nonviolence.
Feiler told Army Radio on Tuesday that if Israel has information about specific suspects, it should pass it along to flotilla’s organizers.
http://www.mail.com/int/news/europe/522726-gaza-activists-ship-sabotaged-greece.html#.1272-stage-teaser1-2
I know this is oldish news but see it has popped up again.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/5203397/Surgeons-tax-case-in-Supreme-Court
I never quite get or understand the need someone has earning $650,000 (or even the smaller amount of $300,000) to manipulate things to pay less tax – particularly when much of their income is likely to have come from the taxpayer anyway whether through working in public hospitals, or via subsidised operations in the private system.
I mean they are earning more than 10 other people for goodness sake.
I know I’m not driven by money and that’s partly why I don’t get it but if these people just paid their friggin’ tax we wouldn’t be in half the shit we are in.
It becomes a game and they show off at dinner parties and over cocktails how daring and brave their personal tax accountants are.
In fact it becomes quite a conversation piece, and instead of all these smart people and their accountants using their time and highly trained effort to do other good things in life, they spend more and more of it on dreaming up clever schemes to avoid more and more tax.
Speaking from personal experience?
And that is why however low the tax rates go they’ll still manage their affairs to not pay. It’s not the tax – it’s the game. (And yeah, I’ve heard them at dinner parties)