Let us hope to see much more of this from all the opposition MPs.
If the mass public campaign being waged by the opposition parties creates enough pressure it will squeeze that political pimple Dunne, and remove Key’s razor thin majority in favor of asset sales.
Congratulations to all those involved in this campaign.
I’d love to believe that Dunne can see sense and modify his stance but let’s face it he sold out to whoever would give him some power and isn’t coming back.
Weasels like Petey G put the position out there for all to see, morality and equity sold to the highest bidder which in this case was shonkey offering the revenue minister position from which Dunne has presided over tax cuts, abolishing duty etc…..see where this is going.
Dunne was student Pres when I started Uni. He was well known to bribe the clubs with funding from the Studass fee, bit here bit there in return for votes. When he eventually lost it was off to a ALAC as CEO, another political sinecure where his well known wowserism fit only too well. Then to Labour as an MP. The rest is history, we have all been well and truly hoodwinked by this ratbag. It has only ever been about Peter, attending events around Karori has only ever been about Peter and votes. The guy is the ultimate chameleon, but under it all he is merely Peter, a charlatan, for sale to the highest bidder, scumbag.
It has sickened me to watch him turn up at every bloody event in the electorate just long enough to be seen. He even tagged on to the kids kapa haka group in the Tawa Christmas parade one year and walked down the main street with them.
Mere petty cash compared to the larcenous Jamie Dimond and the big boy banksters on Wall St. Trust? They get lauded as they thumb their noses at deposit holders, the whole facade of trust upheld because the big deposit holders are also busy ripping off you and me.
This comes as no surprise to me, and makes a lie of the government’s mantra about wanting to make every potential worker, including the sick and disabled, apply for, and take up (primarily shit work for shit pay) as part of a reserve army of casual employees on call for potential employers for their own wellbing. The mantra goes that any paid employment is always better for all individuals in all circumstances, than not undertaking paid work, even where the person is recuperating from illness or injury.
Unemployed Kiwis have a better overall level of wellbeing than “disengaged” employees, according to consulting company Gallup’s global wellbeing finder.
Some 72 per cent of New Zealanders are actively disengaged in the workforce, with 59 per cent of disengaged employees behaving poorly with family and friends after a stressful day’s work, the survey found. That compared with 34 per cent of engaged employees who behaved badly…
Sea Shepherd, Sea Shepherd U.K. and Captain Paul Watson have won the lawsuit filed by Maltese fish brokerage firm, Fish & Fish, that was filed in response to the release of 800 illegally caught Bluefin tuna in June 2010 off the coast of Libya . . .
“ACC Minister Judith Collins will set out tough new expectations in a new contract with the troubled corporation â to be tabled in Parliament today.
The document is a rolling three-year service and purchase agreement between the Government and the state insurer. ”
ACC is of course not an “insurer” in the normally used meaning of the term – it is an arm of government charged with administering aspects of an Act of Parliament. If they need instruction, surely the place to start is with the legislation. Will we see a “rolling three year service and purchase agreement” with Inland Revenue? Will they be tasked with bring in more taxation revenue than can be derived from the basis set out in relevant legislation? Are there plans to contract tax collection to Ernst and Young if IRD don’t provide “value for money”? What about Ministerial services and other government bodies? Does any other part of government have a service and purchase agreement? This appears to be the privatisation agenda being pushed again!
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACC’s books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services. That is a high proportion of disputed claims being determined against ACC – reinforced by the Prime Minister’s statement that over the past six years the average percentage of disputed decisions found in the corporation’s favour is 71.8 per cent”. Surely the extreme turnaround in results of disputed decisions should have been questioned by the reporter – getting the equivalent figures for the other 5 of those six years would be a suitable information request.
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACCâs books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services. That is a high proportion of disputed claims being determined against ACC â reinforced by the Prime Ministerâs statement that over the past six years the average percentage of disputed decisions found in the corporationâs favour is 71.8 per centâ.
I wonder how many deals were negotiated to avoid going to the Dispute Resolution Service, as with me over physio? I had some physio, but then was rejected for further physio treatment. I launched a formal process to dispute. 1st stage is it goes to some ACC managers. I then got a phone call to say the managers had upheld the rejection decision.
However, the person on the phone expressed a willingness to negotiate with me and the physio, some way of getting me some more physio. The main reason for this seemed to be to avoid me taking it to the next stage, which would be going to the Dispute Resolution Service. The person on the phone mentioned how expensive it would be for ACC to go to the resolution service. Result, some more physio, but to be used sparingly over a reasonably long period.
i.e. if you’re articulate, persistent, and clearly show ACC people you know your rights, they are more likely to bend a little.
And I was puzzled by the reference to ACC as an insurer, also. Also, Collins willingness to renegotiate with ACC according to this rolling agreement, implies that the last agreement with government was too nasty to claimants – i.e. it ultimately puts the blame onto the government for the policy of dis-entitlement, by assuming claimants are fraudsters.
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACCâs books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services…
So ACC’s own dispute service has found that half of the long-term claimants who appealed being dumped from weekly compensation in the lastest government-directed cull, were unlwafully disentitled. A few wrong decisions are, I suppose, to be expected. But if this were a private company they would be investigated for systematic fraud.
The Dispute Resolution Service has become a battle ground between claimants and ACC. I would like to know what the issues are which claimants are taking to the Dispute Resolution Service.
Yesterday I heard on RNZ that a woman has been trying to get five counselling sessions from ACC and that she will have to pay a $50 surcharge per session. This woman is a sensitive claimant and her privacy was breached, she has told ACC to shove the pathetic $250 offer for having her privacy breached.
When it comes to Bennett settling claims for children who were harmed while in Social Welfare care, she is actually being constructive, I note that she is not revictimising claimants, this cannot be said for Collins and the way that she is handling sensitive claimants at ACC.
What Collins needs to get into her brain is that when a person has PTSD there are three essential stages for recovery:
1. Establishing safety
2. Reconstructing the traumatic story
3. Restoring the connection between the survivor and the community.
There is no room for error when it comes to ACC processing sensitive claimants because, no one would wish it apon themself to contact ACC with a sensitive claim and not be able to get the help that they are entitled to from ACC.
This news about Kiwirail went public yesterday afternoon. I’ve just been re-visiting it, as I didn’t understand what “write down” meant. But it seems now the opposition parties are claiming it means the government is setting up Kiwirail for privatisation…. again!
KiwiRail’s assets have been written down by more than $6 billion as part of a major restructure, but the Prime Minister insists the move isn’t being done with a view to selling the rail company.
[…]
KiwiRail’s assets have been written down by more than $6 billion as part of a major restructure, but the Prime Minister insists the move isn’t being done with a view to selling the rail company.
Labour says the Government is setting it up to fail.
“KiwiRail is being lined up as the next asset to go on the auction block, just 24 hours after a law was passed allowing it to sell off our power companies,” state-owned enterprises spokesman Clayton Cosgrove said.
“It has no intention of turning the company around, it is simply softening up New Zealand for the news that KiwiRail is part of the asset sales agenda.”
NZ First leader Winston Peters says KiwiRail is being deliberately devalued so it can be “flicked off cheap” to a private investor.
“Given our disastrous history of rail infrastructure when it was sold to private owners by National in the 1990s, this latest threat needs to be taken seriously,” he said.
“The rail network is a critical part of our transport infrastructure, not a financial bauble to be parcelled around to National’s financial friends.”
Kiwirail are to shed 300 jobs. What a pity the workers are bearing the burden of recent poor spending decisions. One may have thought that Management would have mopped up the over paid contractors and consultants before the cuts. How can one justify General Managers on 40k/month (evidence available) especially when they are in these positions for years at a time.
Coming up on Question time today, Clayton Cosgrove on KiwiRail, Cunliffe on NZ’s clean green image, Clare Curran on public broadcasting, Gareth Hughes on conservation and oil exploration n marine areas.
How about this one?
MAGGIE BARRY to the Minister of Finance: How will the Better Public Services results targets announced this week contribute to a stronger economy?
Joyce just danced around trying not to directly answer the question asking for an assurance that the government wouldn’t try to sell KiwiRail. He said he wanted to give context first, showing why it wouldn’t be possible to sell KiwiRail.
When well paid (Brit) bank functionaries manipulated a system meant to give clear and transparent signals guiding interest rates (and were found out) they lost their bonuses. Oh dear, a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket. While not well-paid people hardly able to function at all – their misdemeanours involve court cases and confinement and obloquy (a word that emerged from the recesses of my mind – I wonder what else is lurking down there?)
Also on banks – see Red Logix at No.2 today. Wow cybercrime.
Brownlee and Heatley coldly put the dampers on Dr Pita Sharples pragmatic suggestion of using houses in the red zones for shelter by people sleeping in cars and less sheltered places in Christchurch during snow, sleet, hail, and bloody cold times.
Brownlee is disgusting, uncommitted to working for all Christchurch’s wellbeing. He is horribly filling my low expectations of his work level and concern for Christchurch people. Heatley, and all Housing Ministers that don’t try to cope fairly and make concrete efforts to meet the needs of the low income housing sector are just t..ds that should be properly swept away so a smart and humane politician can get in and tackle the job.
CIV 2011 004 2497, Auckland Council v The occupiers of Aotea Square
‘Contempt’ proceedings against Occupy Auckland by Auckland Council have been discontinued.
Email received from Auckland District Registry Officer 26/6/2012
“Dear All,
Please note that the counsel for the plaintiff has filed a Notice of Discontinuance, hence fixture scheduled for 29th June 2012 is vacated.
Regards
……………….
Court Registry Officer
Civil and Family Services – Case Management Team
Auckland District Court
Ministry of Justice | Tahu o te Ture ”
____________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Named Party in the above-mentioned (now discontinued) proceedings.
Mr.com may walk free from court, and good on the courts for refusing to countenance the craven poodle-hood of the crown, but he will forever be tainted by the stink of John Banks.
The guy hadn’t been here long, and I really doubt with all the exciting stuff he has going on that he would care much about NZ politics. You can’t expect him to understand the politics and history of the likes of Banks on the level a local would. I recon it was far more likely Banks was chasing after the likes of Dotcom anyway. The German guy probably thought ok a former local mayor want’s to hang with me, cool, why not have an ally like this on my side. And then Banks turned out to be a rather fair weather friend, and the rest is history. If anything the whole charade gives quite a good illustration of Banks character, and I thank Mr Dotcom for his contributions on that subject for us all the share.
In a case like this the police must have been more careful than usual. It makes me wonder how many illegal warrants are served on ordinary shmucks who don’t have unlimited resources to pay for top legal teams.
What’s almost of more concern is the NZ Police going after a very high profile, highly resourced target with guns drawn…not having dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.
Appalling judgement and preparation, costing the NZ tax payer hugely.
slapped over Crafar I
slapped over Akaroa Marine Reserve
Slapped over dotcom.
Soon to be slapped over Casino.
Soon to be slapped over Crafar II
.
.
.
I guess that’s what you get when you’re simple and slap happy.
Good news true. Lucky away back then, Mr John Key knew absolutely nothing about Dotcom before the raid. The PM wisely kept right out of the months of events leading up to the arrest. Or so says Mr Key?????
Suppose his minders might have told Key to keep right away because he had nothing to gain. But really! The PM of NZ knew nothing of a mega millionaire who lived in his Electorate? Yeah right!
…particularly when an organisation like the FBI were seeking extradition.
Time for a Tui add.
Key and his mates must have been kept very well informed of all stages of this one.
It’s time for another one of those Fran Mold interviews like the one over the Tranzrail shares. John Campbell was getting there but let the “snake” go.
Pinnochio’s nose keeps getting longer.
Yeah and a team of FBI arriving, and one of the biggest militarised raids by the police in many a year. And this guy is supposed to be absolute head of internal security or something. So whoever the 2nd in chain of command is, seems to think it’s a brilliant idea to only inform Mr key about such a major raid 24hrs before hand.
This just in (3News)..
Bull English lets go his latest brainfart… mandatory drug testing for all beneficiaries!
The Americans have already suggested that, so we know where his idea comes from…
(Interesting. The line about Ewen McDonald’s ‘intense personal hatred’ that Stuff has had up all day, comes from the Prosecution it seems.)
Intense personal hatred seems a good description given the things McDonald has admitted already. Y’know, the poison pen letters, the graffiti. The burning down the house.
Â
I think the big interest comes from the nature of the crime and the relationships of the people involved. Plus the long time before the arrest which led to tons of idle gossip. There’s a Shakespearean element to it, I guess. Or maybe it’s more Kane and Abel?
While I don’t support mandatory drug testing (for anyone) I don’t want tax dollars meant for life’s necessities being spent on drugs. Though on how to stop it I’d offer few solutions.
And then of course we could go outside the WINZ office and check their cars for warrants and regos. Not up to scratch…….fuck this underclass ! They’re not getting |”our” money.
Ridiculous……..of course. Equally ridiculous to suggest denying the benefit for a positive drugs test. At the very worst, the very worst ……..if a former beneficiary comes along to WINZ asking for reinstatement because he lost his job on failing a drug test……..say no. Until you turn up with a negative test.
You’re discriminating otherwise and you’re a mongrel. Especially when that particular lark, that fomenting of hatred against beneficiaries, is not because you really hate them. It’s simply, in the case of Blinglish et al, to keep their fat undeserving arses in parliamentary seats with ready access to all the baubles that come with that.
In the case of the non-parliametarians it reflects the pathological need to have someone “below” to kick. And those with that need are weak people who hide from their own secret sense of inadequacy.
I repeat my advice…….everybody who’s seen a National Party MP sucking on a joint, whenever it happened, come right out and say it. Make these hypoctrites live with the shit they’re so happy to heap on the “despicable poor” they’re so happy to identify and demonise. There’d be quite a few Tory aresholes sweating just a bit I reckon. Do it. Fuck their hypocrisy !
I see on 3 news that the Royal NZ Navy is turning into ghost ships. May be instead of Aussie mining recruitment going to the Devon Port Base, the NZ Navy should just sail over to Aussie and unload.
Blinglish on TV One News tonight musing about denying the benefit to those who don’t pass drug tests. Loud cheering from his Federated Farmers audience.
How I would love to know the name of everyone of those cheering aresholes……and have the capacity to go through the backgrounds of every single one of them, and their kids.
We edge inexorably towards a nation utterly without morals while these bastards use any vile tactic to keep their fat arses in parliamentary seats.
How about every member of their caucus sit down and tell me the truth about what they’ve done in their lives ? I wanna hear Blinglish truthfully tell me about his university days. Also Paula When I Was On The Bennie……..everything about herself.
Or maybe people who’ve known any number of them in the course of their lives should just make a call to the old talkback tonight. Make no accusations…….just mention a name.
The FBI were under pressure from the powerful movie and music industry to send a chilling effect through the world of cyber lockers/file hosts.
Â
So who do they go after?
– The hosts housed in the US? – no.
– The hosts in Switzerland? – no.
– The hosts in Russia? – no.
– The hosts in Germany? – no.
Panama, Hong Kong, Canada, Ukraine, China, Italy, Spain?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Â
The went after someone in NZ. – Why? Because they could.
What an ideal situation for them.
A German guy. A fat guy. A larger than life character who could be portrayed as an ostentatious rich guy who is fleecing people of their money and rights. Living in a country do far away that US journalist would not travel to.
And best of all – a compliant NZ Police ready and waiting with barrels of K.J. – who are far too “aroused” at the thought of partying with the Americans.
Â
The only thing that would have made it a perfect story for the American media would be if the guy was a funder of terrorism, a terrorist himself and he was in fact French!
Â
The raids in the Urewera and Wellington.
The raid on Kim Dotcom.
The speeding ticket I got the other day.
There’s something rotten in the state police.
Ain’t it sad for NZ that the only guy who could fuck Botox Banks was the fellow you call the “fat German” ?
It’s beautiful in the consummation though so Rah Rah Rah Sir Kiwi Dotcom. Even if you were a Tory arse-lick. I’m not even gonna complain about the no-balls of the media or the aspirational wannabe wankers who voted for Smile and Wave…….currently looking like an impatient little bully who reallly can’t be fucked with it all.
Happy birthday Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A lot to argue with (which apparently is why he’s encrypted facing Voltaire in the Pantheon in Paris – so they can argue through eternity) but he did theorise the idea of egalitarianism. Something to be remembered for. Also:
His greatest work, The Social Contract, speaks up for the rights of the citizenry in the teeth of private interests. He would also be struck by the way the democracy he cherished so dearly is under siege from corporate power and a manipulative media. Society, he taught, was a matter of common bonds, not just a commercial transaction. In true republican fashion, it was a place where men and women could flourish as ends in themselves, not as a set of devices for promoting their selfish interests.
The same, he thought, should be true of education. Rousseau ranks among the great educational theorists of the modern era, even if he was the last man to put in charge of a classroom. Young adults, he thought, should be allowed to develop their capabilities in their distinctive way. They should also delight in doing so as an end in itself.
“Young adults, he thought, should be allowed to develop their capabilities in their distinctive way. They should also delight in doing so as an end in itself.”
Sounds like Neill’s type of education practice.
Anyway the civil society is very civil these days. No one at Barclays bank is going to lose their jobs after they were found to have manipulated the Libor rate.
fined 290 millions pounds but the boss only lost his 1.7 million pound bonus.
nice work if you can get it in the FREE market.
I think people are gradually understanding this government’s agenda. Over 100 000 people have signed the petition for a referendum on assets sales.
How can we further increase the ripple effect to ensure ‘Mum and Dad investors’ wake up and realise that John Key and his government does not care about them – they are only interested in the 1% investors?
Ideas please
So who owns the river bed and does the Supreme Court have the power to make case law.
These are vital questions especially after the Supreme Court decided it could do away with the supervision of the Privy Council.
Now they too are just doing what they like.
I guess Kweewee just gave them a mandate out of his mandate bag?
Bill English has privately stated, apparently, that he doesn’t think the projects will get final approval and Eric Roy has been heard saying that he doesn’t personally agree with them. Why doesn’t the Government come out and stop this waste of time and energy from both sides and declare the projects incompatible with the values of conservation environments. We could then concentrate on initiatives that bring real value to our country. Turning Fiordland into some sort of theme park is one big “fail”.
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
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I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
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Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. âOur fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction â with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that donât see workers fall further behind, in response to todayâs announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. âWith inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Governmentâs achievements. âIt certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition governmentâs approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after youâve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Governmentâs planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulationâs report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whÄnau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under Nationalâs Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Governmentâs latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te PÄti MÄori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te PÄti MÄori government. This warning comes ahead of todayâs third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Governmentâs announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning itâs a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing.   ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to âsuper chargeâ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the countryâs gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-nationalâs disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Governmentâs new child poverty targets that are based on a new âpersistent povertyâ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Governmentâs Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets.  ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata MÄori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for MÄori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Billâwhich allows landlords to end tenancies with no reasonâignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing âlossmaking paper productionâ. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatreâs restoration. ...
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction PlanâHe Ara Anamataâa blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. âNew Zealandâs beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThis time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. âThe Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). âAt my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,â Mr Luxon says. âNew Zealandâs ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealandâs intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. âThe government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,â Mr Penk says. âApplications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Governmentâs measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âImproving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. âOur focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. âThe redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. âRegulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. âSynthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the NgÄruawÄhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âI would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. âI would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. âIt has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whataâs appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayersâ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. âTreasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. âFreedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last yearâs Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Networkâs new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThe Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âDelivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. âCabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âAs a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âMr Horsleyâs experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. âHe is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. âEarlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. âThe Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill â the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawkeâs Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.âThe Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âPlanting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. âThese trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). âThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. âThis Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
âAccelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,â says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mĆ te tangata, mahia â if itâs good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sectorâs delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for MÄori and all New Zealanders, MÄori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. âI would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. âThe appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Boardâs capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âIn the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Governmentâs $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. âThis fund is part of the Governmentâs commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commissionâs plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.âThe Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best â providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Governmentâs Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.âNew Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua MÄori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for âcorrectâ kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapĆ«. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wescheâs final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. Iâve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesnât everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock Itâs never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when weâre on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled âMade in Palestine.â The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian menâs cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earthâs history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te PÄti MÄori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao MÄori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didnât get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking.  The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoffâs attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Hereâs exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders âWhy canât I pick up my own phone?â The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
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The Governmentâs social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland â less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
An unrelenting faith in âswift transitionâ has driven Tauranga Whai to their first Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship. At a boisterous Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, the visiting Tokomanawa Queens were blown away 90-71 in the final.Whai led by 20 points at halftime as their urgent movement and unflinching faith in three-point shooting from anywhere ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealandâs Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shukerâs new novel about⊠an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free â overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Hereâs how to make it to Jesusâs birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update âfucked up your lifeâ? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries â and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
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The Greens led campaign really seems to have spooked the government and Key in particular.
Leading from a back foot position, it is heartening to see what an parliamentary opposition party can do, when they get stuck in.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=24458
Let us hope to see much more of this from all the opposition MPs.
If the mass public campaign being waged by the opposition parties creates enough pressure it will squeeze that political pimple Dunne, and remove Key’s razor thin majority in favor of asset sales.
Congratulations to all those involved in this campaign.
Kia kaha keep up the good work.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7175222/Asset-sales-fight-not-over-vows-Opposition
I’d love to believe that Dunne can see sense and modify his stance but let’s face it he sold out to whoever would give him some power and isn’t coming back.
Weasels like Petey G put the position out there for all to see, morality and equity sold to the highest bidder which in this case was shonkey offering the revenue minister position from which Dunne has presided over tax cuts, abolishing duty etc…..see where this is going.
Dunne was student Pres when I started Uni. He was well known to bribe the clubs with funding from the Studass fee, bit here bit there in return for votes. When he eventually lost it was off to a ALAC as CEO, another political sinecure where his well known wowserism fit only too well. Then to Labour as an MP. The rest is history, we have all been well and truly hoodwinked by this ratbag. It has only ever been about Peter, attending events around Karori has only ever been about Peter and votes. The guy is the ultimate chameleon, but under it all he is merely Peter, a charlatan, for sale to the highest bidder, scumbag.
It has sickened me to watch him turn up at every bloody event in the electorate just long enough to be seen. He even tagged on to the kids kapa haka group in the Tawa Christmas parade one year and walked down the main street with them.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10815884
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201226/SCCZEN_270612SPLDUNN1_460x230.jpg
My hair may look funny, but it makes me the money! He looked pretty sheepish on back benchers last night. Jacinda challenged him to save backbenchers.
I didn’t see the episode. Did Jacinda promise to restablish Backbenchers in 2014? If not, why not?
Can’t answer as I haven’t yet watched it and am about to do so, but here is a link to it on TVNZ On Demand.
http://tvnz.co.nz/back-benches/s8-ep20-video-4948969
Jacinda said, if Backbenches wasn’t re-instated before Labour got into power in 2014, then Labour would re-instate.
And Dunne accused Turei of being ideologically biased/blinded on asset sales, which he said make perfect economic sense.
đ đ đ
Oh Jenny, ‘squeeze that political pimple Dunne’ – what a funny analogy.
Given that the entire banking system is based on trust… is this the end of trust?
Mere petty cash compared to the larcenous Jamie Dimond and the big boy banksters on Wall St. Trust? They get lauded as they thumb their noses at deposit holders, the whole facade of trust upheld because the big deposit holders are also busy ripping off you and me.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10815932
This comes as no surprise to me, and makes a lie of the government’s mantra about wanting to make every potential worker, including the sick and disabled, apply for, and take up (primarily shit work for shit pay) as part of a reserve army of casual employees on call for potential employers for their own wellbing. The mantra goes that any paid employment is always better for all individuals in all circumstances, than not undertaking paid work, even where the person is recuperating from illness or injury.
Unemployed Kiwis have a better overall level of wellbeing than “disengaged” employees, according to consulting company Gallup’s global wellbeing finder.
Some 72 per cent of New Zealanders are actively disengaged in the workforce, with 59 per cent of disengaged employees behaving poorly with family and friends after a stressful day’s work, the survey found. That compared with 34 per cent of engaged employees who behaved badly…
.
Some good news . . .
Very good news, Watson may have faults – arguable, but he gets the job done. An activist you can respect.
Does anyone else find this article a little bizarre?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7182650/New-contract-to-rebalance-ACC-targets
“ACC Minister Judith Collins will set out tough new expectations in a new contract with the troubled corporation â to be tabled in Parliament today.
The document is a rolling three-year service and purchase agreement between the Government and the state insurer. ”
ACC is of course not an “insurer” in the normally used meaning of the term – it is an arm of government charged with administering aspects of an Act of Parliament. If they need instruction, surely the place to start is with the legislation. Will we see a “rolling three year service and purchase agreement” with Inland Revenue? Will they be tasked with bring in more taxation revenue than can be derived from the basis set out in relevant legislation? Are there plans to contract tax collection to Ernst and Young if IRD don’t provide “value for money”? What about Ministerial services and other government bodies? Does any other part of government have a service and purchase agreement? This appears to be the privatisation agenda being pushed again!
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACC’s books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services. That is a high proportion of disputed claims being determined against ACC – reinforced by the Prime Minister’s statement that over the past six years the average percentage of disputed decisions found in the corporation’s favour is 71.8 per cent”. Surely the extreme turnaround in results of disputed decisions should have been questioned by the reporter – getting the equivalent figures for the other 5 of those six years would be a suitable information request.
Hmm… but this:
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACCâs books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services. That is a high proportion of disputed claims being determined against ACC â reinforced by the Prime Ministerâs statement that over the past six years the average percentage of disputed decisions found in the corporationâs favour is 71.8 per centâ.
I wonder how many deals were negotiated to avoid going to the Dispute Resolution Service, as with me over physio? I had some physio, but then was rejected for further physio treatment. I launched a formal process to dispute. 1st stage is it goes to some ACC managers. I then got a phone call to say the managers had upheld the rejection decision.
However, the person on the phone expressed a willingness to negotiate with me and the physio, some way of getting me some more physio. The main reason for this seemed to be to avoid me taking it to the next stage, which would be going to the Dispute Resolution Service. The person on the phone mentioned how expensive it would be for ACC to go to the resolution service. Result, some more physio, but to be used sparingly over a reasonably long period.
i.e. if you’re articulate, persistent, and clearly show ACC people you know your rights, they are more likely to bend a little.
And I was puzzled by the reference to ACC as an insurer, also. Also, Collins willingness to renegotiate with ACC according to this rolling agreement, implies that the last agreement with government was too nasty to claimants – i.e. it ultimately puts the blame onto the government for the policy of dis-entitlement, by assuming claimants are fraudsters.
Parliament has been told that Dispute Resolution Services upheld almost half of the appeals lodged by long-term claimants kicked off ACCâs books in 2012, and that the district court had also overturned half of ACC decisions upheld by Dispute Resolution Services…
So ACC’s own dispute service has found that half of the long-term claimants who appealed being dumped from weekly compensation in the lastest government-directed cull, were unlwafully disentitled. A few wrong decisions are, I suppose, to be expected. But if this were a private company they would be investigated for systematic fraud.
The Dispute Resolution Service has become a battle ground between claimants and ACC. I would like to know what the issues are which claimants are taking to the Dispute Resolution Service.
Yesterday I heard on RNZ that a woman has been trying to get five counselling sessions from ACC and that she will have to pay a $50 surcharge per session. This woman is a sensitive claimant and her privacy was breached, she has told ACC to shove the pathetic $250 offer for having her privacy breached.
When it comes to Bennett settling claims for children who were harmed while in Social Welfare care, she is actually being constructive, I note that she is not revictimising claimants, this cannot be said for Collins and the way that she is handling sensitive claimants at ACC.
What Collins needs to get into her brain is that when a person has PTSD there are three essential stages for recovery:
1. Establishing safety
2. Reconstructing the traumatic story
3. Restoring the connection between the survivor and the community.
http://anjperez.hubpages.com/hub/Stages-of-Recovery-in-PTSD
There is no room for error when it comes to ACC processing sensitive claimants because, no one would wish it apon themself to contact ACC with a sensitive claim and not be able to get the help that they are entitled to from ACC.
Got to love those Greens. Eat it and smile.
Shonkey caught being Shonkey. Again. Another set of dismal figures from ACC provide evidence of right wing incompetence. Again.
I’m being charitable by describing it as incompetence, because if it’s deliberate it’s despicable.
Choosing a time period like that aint incompetence, it is pants on fire nose growing dishonesty.
This news about Kiwirail went public yesterday afternoon. I’ve just been re-visiting it, as I didn’t understand what “write down” meant. But it seems now the opposition parties are claiming it means the government is setting up Kiwirail for privatisation…. again!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/109320/kiwirail%27s-balance-sheet-restructured
http://www.3news.co.nz/KiwiRail-will-be-sold-opposition-says/tabid/423/articleID/259356/Default.aspx
And in 2 years NACTs will be able to crow that they have doubled the return on assets base.
Ha
Kiwirail are to shed 300 jobs. What a pity the workers are bearing the burden of recent poor spending decisions. One may have thought that Management would have mopped up the over paid contractors and consultants before the cuts. How can one justify General Managers on 40k/month (evidence available) especially when they are in these positions for years at a time.
Coming up on Question time today, Clayton Cosgrove on KiwiRail, Cunliffe on NZ’s clean green image, Clare Curran on public broadcasting, Gareth Hughes on conservation and oil exploration n marine areas.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/2/f/3/00HOH_OralQuestions-List-of-questions-for-oral-answer.htm
How about this one?
MAGGIE BARRY to the Minister of Finance: How will the Better Public Services results targets announced this week contribute to a stronger economy?
Joyce just danced around trying not to directly answer the question asking for an assurance that the government wouldn’t try to sell KiwiRail. He said he wanted to give context first, showing why it wouldn’t be possible to sell KiwiRail.
When well paid (Brit) bank functionaries manipulated a system meant to give clear and transparent signals guiding interest rates (and were found out) they lost their bonuses. Oh dear, a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket. While not well-paid people hardly able to function at all – their misdemeanours involve court cases and confinement and obloquy (a word that emerged from the recesses of my mind – I wonder what else is lurking down there?)
Also on banks – see Red Logix at No.2 today. Wow cybercrime.
Brownlee and Heatley coldly put the dampers on Dr Pita Sharples pragmatic suggestion of using houses in the red zones for shelter by people sleeping in cars and less sheltered places in Christchurch during snow, sleet, hail, and bloody cold times.
Brownlee is disgusting, uncommitted to working for all Christchurch’s wellbeing. He is horribly filling my low expectations of his work level and concern for Christchurch people. Heatley, and all Housing Ministers that don’t try to cope fairly and make concrete efforts to meet the needs of the low income housing sector are just t..ds that should be properly swept away so a smart and humane politician can get in and tackle the job.
a little something to cheer up the teachers out there
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/18/957925/-What-do-I-MAKE-I-m-a-teacher-and-I-make-a-goddamn-difference-Now-what-about-you
freedom don,t get carried away Michelle Ghee is on her way a right wing con artist who has found away of making lots of money denigrating teachers.
VICTORY FOR OCCUPY AUCKLAND!
CIV 2011 004 2497, Auckland Council v The occupiers of Aotea Square
‘Contempt’ proceedings against Occupy Auckland by Auckland Council have been discontinued.
Email received from Auckland District Registry Officer 26/6/2012
“Dear All,
Please note that the counsel for the plaintiff has filed a Notice of Discontinuance, hence fixture scheduled for 29th June 2012 is vacated.
Regards
……………….
Court Registry Officer
Civil and Family Services – Case Management Team
Auckland District Court
Ministry of Justice | Tahu o te Ture ”
____________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Named Party in the above-mentioned (now discontinued) proceedings.
Good news.
I see the DOTCOM search warrants were illegal to. Interesting times.
Indeed!
Mr.com may walk free from court, and good on the courts for refusing to countenance the craven poodle-hood of the crown, but he will forever be tainted by the stink of John Banks.
The guy hadn’t been here long, and I really doubt with all the exciting stuff he has going on that he would care much about NZ politics. You can’t expect him to understand the politics and history of the likes of Banks on the level a local would. I recon it was far more likely Banks was chasing after the likes of Dotcom anyway. The German guy probably thought ok a former local mayor want’s to hang with me, cool, why not have an ally like this on my side. And then Banks turned out to be a rather fair weather friend, and the rest is history. If anything the whole charade gives quite a good illustration of Banks character, and I thank Mr Dotcom for his contributions on that subject for us all the share.
In a case like this the police must have been more careful than usual. It makes me wonder how many illegal warrants are served on ordinary shmucks who don’t have unlimited resources to pay for top legal teams.
What’s almost of more concern is the NZ Police going after a very high profile, highly resourced target with guns drawn…not having dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.
Appalling judgement and preparation, costing the NZ tax payer hugely.
What happens when the case totally falls over and Mr Dotcom sues the NZ govt for the billions of dollars of damage to his business?
This National government …
slapped over Crafar I
slapped over Akaroa Marine Reserve
Slapped over dotcom.
Soon to be slapped over Casino.
Soon to be slapped over Crafar II
.
.
.
I guess that’s what you get when you’re simple and slap happy.
feel free to add more
soon to be slapped for infringing on the rights of tobacco companies.
Tobacco corporations are people too…(well according to the US Supreme Court)
Good news true. Lucky away back then, Mr John Key knew absolutely nothing about Dotcom before the raid. The PM wisely kept right out of the months of events leading up to the arrest. Or so says Mr Key?????
Suppose his minders might have told Key to keep right away because he had nothing to gain. But really! The PM of NZ knew nothing of a mega millionaire who lived in his Electorate? Yeah right!
…particularly when an organisation like the FBI were seeking extradition.
Time for a Tui add.
Key and his mates must have been kept very well informed of all stages of this one.
It’s time for another one of those Fran Mold interviews like the one over the Tranzrail shares. John Campbell was getting there but let the “snake” go.
Pinnochio’s nose keeps getting longer.
Yeah and a team of FBI arriving, and one of the biggest militarised raids by the police in many a year. And this guy is supposed to be absolute head of internal security or something. So whoever the 2nd in chain of command is, seems to think it’s a brilliant idea to only inform Mr key about such a major raid 24hrs before hand.
Tui ad right there.
The police involved should be charged with home invasion.
This just in (3News)..
Bull English lets go his latest brainfart… mandatory drug testing for all beneficiaries!
The Americans have already suggested that, so we know where his idea comes from…
(Interesting. The line about Ewen McDonald’s ‘intense personal hatred’ that Stuff has had up all day, comes from the Prosecution it seems.)
Unbiased media? Probably not…
They do keep banging on about the public obsession about the case! (I suppose it justifies their 24/7 coverage.)
Intense personal hatred seems a good description given the things McDonald has admitted already. Y’know, the poison pen letters, the graffiti. The burning down the house.
Â
I think the big interest comes from the nature of the crime and the relationships of the people involved. Plus the long time before the arrest which led to tons of idle gossip. There’s a Shakespearean element to it, I guess. Or maybe it’s more Kane and Abel?
While I don’t support mandatory drug testing (for anyone) I don’t want tax dollars meant for life’s necessities being spent on drugs. Though on how to stop it I’d offer few solutions.
And then of course we could go outside the WINZ office and check their cars for warrants and regos. Not up to scratch…….fuck this underclass ! They’re not getting |”our” money.
Ridiculous……..of course. Equally ridiculous to suggest denying the benefit for a positive drugs test. At the very worst, the very worst ……..if a former beneficiary comes along to WINZ asking for reinstatement because he lost his job on failing a drug test……..say no. Until you turn up with a negative test.
You’re discriminating otherwise and you’re a mongrel. Especially when that particular lark, that fomenting of hatred against beneficiaries, is not because you really hate them. It’s simply, in the case of Blinglish et al, to keep their fat undeserving arses in parliamentary seats with ready access to all the baubles that come with that.
In the case of the non-parliametarians it reflects the pathological need to have someone “below” to kick. And those with that need are weak people who hide from their own secret sense of inadequacy.
I repeat my advice…….everybody who’s seen a National Party MP sucking on a joint, whenever it happened, come right out and say it. Make these hypoctrites live with the shit they’re so happy to heap on the “despicable poor” they’re so happy to identify and demonise. There’d be quite a few Tory aresholes sweating just a bit I reckon. Do it. Fuck their hypocrisy !
I agree. Â Politicians should be randomly drug tested to make sure that they are not spending public money on drugs. Â No exceptions. Â All of them.
I think we can all relate….
We have probably all been there…
(Edit: Fixed broken link)
Haha nice. Clever.
I see on 3 news that the Royal NZ Navy is turning into ghost ships. May be instead of Aussie mining recruitment going to the Devon Port Base, the NZ Navy should just sail over to Aussie and unload.
Was that where I thought I saw some comment about the Government having more value in Ministerial cars than in the Airforce – or something like that.
Blinglish on TV One News tonight musing about denying the benefit to those who don’t pass drug tests. Loud cheering from his Federated Farmers audience.
How I would love to know the name of everyone of those cheering aresholes……and have the capacity to go through the backgrounds of every single one of them, and their kids.
We edge inexorably towards a nation utterly without morals while these bastards use any vile tactic to keep their fat arses in parliamentary seats.
How about every member of their caucus sit down and tell me the truth about what they’ve done in their lives ? I wanna hear Blinglish truthfully tell me about his university days. Also Paula When I Was On The Bennie……..everything about herself.
Or maybe people who’ve known any number of them in the course of their lives should just make a call to the old talkback tonight. Make no accusations…….just mention a name.
Hone called it: test MPs for alcohol when going into the House.
The FBI were under pressure from the powerful movie and music industry to send a chilling effect through the world of cyber lockers/file hosts.
Â
So who do they go after?
– The hosts housed in the US? – no.
– The hosts in Switzerland? – no.
– The hosts in Russia? – no.
– The hosts in Germany? – no.
Panama, Hong Kong, Canada, Ukraine, China, Italy, Spain?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Â
The went after someone in NZ. – Why? Because they could.
What an ideal situation for them.
A German guy. A fat guy. A larger than life character who could be portrayed as an ostentatious rich guy who is fleecing people of their money and rights. Living in a country do far away that US journalist would not travel to.
And best of all – a compliant NZ Police ready and waiting with barrels of K.J. – who are far too “aroused” at the thought of partying with the Americans.
Â
The only thing that would have made it a perfect story for the American media would be if the guy was a funder of terrorism, a terrorist himself and he was in fact French!
Â
The raids in the Urewera and Wellington.
The raid on Kim Dotcom.
The speeding ticket I got the other day.
There’s something rotten in the state police.
Ain’t it sad for NZ that the only guy who could fuck Botox Banks was the fellow you call the “fat German” ?
It’s beautiful in the consummation though so Rah Rah Rah Sir Kiwi Dotcom. Even if you were a Tory arse-lick. I’m not even gonna complain about the no-balls of the media or the aspirational wannabe wankers who voted for Smile and Wave…….currently looking like an impatient little bully who reallly can’t be fucked with it all.
Choice !!!
As Winston says. “Mr Spray and Walk Away!”
Happy birthday Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A lot to argue with (which apparently is why he’s encrypted facing Voltaire in the Pantheon in Paris – so they can argue through eternity) but he did theorise the idea of egalitarianism. Something to be remembered for. Also:
Indeed, I did enjoy the works of Rousseau as I did other enlightenment figures. Hume was also particularly interesting
“Young adults, he thought, should be allowed to develop their capabilities in their distinctive way. They should also delight in doing so as an end in itself.”
Sounds like Neill’s type of education practice.
Anyway the civil society is very civil these days. No one at Barclays bank is going to lose their jobs after they were found to have manipulated the Libor rate.
fined 290 millions pounds but the boss only lost his 1.7 million pound bonus.
nice work if you can get it in the FREE market.
I think people are gradually understanding this government’s agenda. Over 100 000 people have signed the petition for a referendum on assets sales.
How can we further increase the ripple effect to ensure ‘Mum and Dad investors’ wake up and realise that John Key and his government does not care about them – they are only interested in the 1% investors?
Ideas please
So who owns the river bed and does the Supreme Court have the power to make case law.
These are vital questions especially after the Supreme Court decided it could do away with the supervision of the Privy Council.
Now they too are just doing what they like.
I guess Kweewee just gave them a mandate out of his mandate bag?
Judging by the numbers in the room, the passion and the quality of those leading the protest…the government should be worried. This could be the “Save Manapouri” for this generation:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/te-anau-turmoil-and-tunnel.html
That s very well written, well expressed, knowledgeable and accurate.
I recommend everyone reads this and takes note.
Mate of mine was there. There was talk from farmers about protesting the proposed construction of the tunnel using tractors to block progress.
And where was English?
Bill English has privately stated, apparently, that he doesn’t think the projects will get final approval and Eric Roy has been heard saying that he doesn’t personally agree with them. Why doesn’t the Government come out and stop this waste of time and energy from both sides and declare the projects incompatible with the values of conservation environments. We could then concentrate on initiatives that bring real value to our country. Turning Fiordland into some sort of theme park is one big “fail”.