FIRE stands for Finance, Insurance and Real Estate… It’s an economic model that is obsolete, outmoded, staggering towards its next and quite possibly fatal crisis.
Then, tucked away at the bottom and to the far right, is old New Zealand: a country wallowing in the myth of its rock economy status whilst blissfully playing down the many indicators – beginning with runaway real estate prices and one of the highest levels of household debt in the OECD – that put it at risk of an acute crisis. On top of which, we stubbornly refuse to adopt any of the prudential measures that even the most radical champions of deregulation consider necessary: we remain, Kelsey tells us, the only developed country with no permanent deposit guarantee scheme to protect depositors, and our oversight of investment practices is considered woeful by international standards.
Those who demand that critics come up with an alternative could answer this at least: what is it that compels us to sit at the far extreme of free-market orthodoxy? And what has this orthodoxy ever done for us? Since adopting neoliberalism, New Zealand has become vastly more unequal, lost the majority of its industries, and opened itself to capital flows that were supposed to help create competitive businesses and new jobs, but never did: as it turns out, foreigners with money to spend will rather speculate on our non-productive assets or push up the dollar to take advantage of high-interest term deposits than put themselves at the mercy of our poorly regulated capital markets. Result: thirty years on from the beginning of the New Zealand experiment, the country remains a primary producer with a real estate fixation and rather pathetic delusions of high-flying entrepreneurial grandeur.
Stop asking such difficult questions – sheesh, can’t you see those questions will require neoliberalism’s most ardent supporters to actually consider evidence and place that evidence into a structured and reasoned argument? Have you ever seen them do that? Can you imagine John Key ever giving an in-depth answer to those questions? I don’t think so – John Key, the neolibs dear leader, has never answered anything like that, ever.
They will have to get smacked over the head with their own neoliberalism for the realisation to dawn…… which, as you point out at the start, is nigh…….
These, the most apparently dry and technical pages of the book, are also the most illuminating and useful: by exposing the workings of the state and of its public and private agents, they define a field of political action that is utterly alien to the rhetoric of our elected representatives. But that is where change must be directed, and where politics must return.
Great sum up and it would be nice to know that there was a political party out there with the will and the spine to do it.
Just wait, under the ‘relaxing’ of rules that the councils, lobby groups and well paid barristers are seeking do with resource consents – ratepayers can look forward to waking up and seeing a giant McMansion pop up next door, or perhaps a block of flats right to the boundary edge, – goodbye sun and privacy.
Funny, all the ‘relaxing’ including the 99% granting of resource consents, doesn’t seem to be producing any affordable homes – more like larger houses which cost more and are less affordable, and also smaller crap box apartments which the rate payers can look forward to paying to reclad in 5 years time.
The resource consents and RMA process is the Cosby Textor of councils. Under the discourse of affordable housing, they are busy enriching cronies, destroying our city and creating future liability with their poor decisions for decades to come.
There are many ways to create affordable houses, but the councils are allowing their resources consent officer and lobbyists, free reign to do the opposite.
How about the extra immigration 10 points is only allocated to regions where
-local unemployment is low
-there are sufficent part time jobs etc for those who need to combine work woth child rearing
– the local teenagers are all employed
-anybody else who wants a job can get one even if they don’t show up in the figures
-there is training taking place for any skill shortages
– x% of the waged jobs are 20% above the minimum hourly rate
Why dump extra people into communities that are not providing for those already there
Trade Minister Tim Groser – where’s your URGENT OIA reply regarding BIG banks and the TPPA?
Dear Minister,
On a letter dated 6 July 2015, Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson, from the Office of the Prime Minister, referred my following OIA request to your Office:
“The information you have requested appears to be more closely connected to the functions and responsibilities of the Minister of Trade.
Accordingly, I am transferring your request to the Minister under section 14 of the Official Information Act.”
MY OIA REQUEST TO PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY:
______________________________________________________________________________________
23 June 2015
Dear Prime Minister,
Please be reminded of your extensive employment background in the investment banking industry, including your significant role in the ‘derivatives trading market’:
“Mr Key launched his investment banking career in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.
After 10 years in the New Zealand market he headed offshore, working in Singapore, London, and Sydney for US investment banking firm Merrill Lynch.
During that time he was in charge of a number of business units, including global foreign exchange and European bond and derivative trading.
In 1999, he was invited to join the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and on two occasions undertook management studies at Harvard University in Boston. ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please be reminded (again), that according to the 2015 NZ Register of Pecuniary Interests, you are (still) a shareholder in the Bank of America:
Little Nell – property investment (Aspen, Colorado)
Bank of America – banking ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
(Please be reminded, that I have previously asked you about your personal shareholding in the Bank of America, back in February 2011, at the following Grey Power Public Meeting:
Please provide the information which confirms that:
1) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT provide big banks with a backdoor means of rolling back efforts to re-regulate Wall Street in the wake of the global economic crisis.
2) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT require domestic law to conform to the now-rejected model of extreme deregulation that caused the crisis – such as forbidding countries from banning particularly risky financial products, such as the toxic derivatives that led to the $183 billion government bailout of AIG.
3) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT threaten the use of “firewalls” – policies that are employed to stop the spread of risk between different types of financial institutions and products.
4) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT bar the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, that helped eliminate banking crises for four decades by prohibiting deposit-holding commercial banks from dealing in risky investments.
5) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT ban capital controls, an essential policy tool to counter destabilizing flows of speculative money.
6)The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT prohibit taxes on Wall Street speculation, that means that there would be no hope of passing proposals like the Robin Hood Tax, which would impose a tiny tax on Wall Street transactions to tamp down speculation-fueled volatility while generating hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue for social, health, or environmental causes.
7) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT empower financial firms to directly attack these government policies in foreign tribunals, and demand taxpayer compensation for policies they claim undermine their expected future profits.
(Please be advised that I have based these questions upon information from the following: http://www.exposethetpp.org/TPPImpacts_FinRegulation.html )
______________________________________________________________________________________
If you cannot provide ALL of this above-requested information, please confirm that you, as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, will no longer continue to advocate for, or in any way support this TPPA, from which you may personally profit, given your shareholding in the Bank of America, which, in my considered opinion as an ‘anti-corruption Public Watchdog’, is potentially a significant corrupt ‘conflict of interest’.
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
…………………….
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2009 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2014 Attendee G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate (polled 4th with 11,723 votes)
Thats good you do plenty Sacha. That’s good to hear. It’s important that if we feel strongly about certain social and political issues that we contribute to the attempts to correct the injustices we witness.
Thats why I respect the work Penny Bright does. And if she does her work in a different manner to me, well, hey that’s fine. I don’t judge.
Again, if it is the same wording as every day recently then it adds nothing. Yelling through a megaphone without adjusting your message does not achieve change.
Yes YES Sacha! It does achieve change. See Frank Luntz-Spin PR 101- simple.
Some don’t hear anything until the twentieth repetition. Go Penny! Go Penny! Go Penny! (X 20)
Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika.
I see on the news JK is admitting that TPP may, just may, result in higher charges for NZ medication with the time before they can be produced generically at lower cost being extended by the pharmo companies,, and we can’t do anything about it.
But he assures us that it won’t cost we the consumers any more.
Yeah Right! Until in a few years when he’s no longer in politics and relaxing in his home in Hawaii when it’ll all be history and he’ll be forgotten. Just like Max Bradford’s ( who?) electricity reforms and Bill Birch’s (who?) think big stupid schemes.
I do hope NZ retains some degree of parliamentary sovereignty.
Sacha, If you mean Penny Brights’ missive above, Penny has been asked to keep them reasonably short and to use links. As far as I can see, she has mostly done so in recent times, though today’s efforts could and should have been edited further. Mod’s have previously edited out some of the longer or repetitive ones.
Penny’s an activist and she uses both digital and real life means to further her various causes. Nothing wrong with that and nobody has to read her comments. However, it does bother me that no attempt is made to personalise the comments for the Standard. I suspect the same comment gets posted at every site she has access to, but I don’t know for sure.
So, Penny, if you’re reading this, a short intro as to why the posted information is of benefit to TS readers would be better and please don’t just cut and paste stuff you’re posting elsewhere. Just link to it, please, and just give us a précis of your points.
For example you could have just said “I’ve written to Tim Groser/ the PM/ whoever asking for info on how we are protected under the TPPA” rather than duplicate the letters in full.
Ok, I’ll keep an eye out for future cut and pastes. Again, Penny, if you’re reading please personalise your stuff for use here, keep it brief and use links.
For example you could have just said “I’ve written to Tim Groser/ the PM/ whoever asking for info on how we are protected under the TPPA” rather than duplicate the letters in full.
And if she’d use FYI she could have linked to that to show the OIA request and the results all in one nice, easy to read and public place.
@Sacha
I point out that we do face the same flannel every day – from politicians deeds, misdeeds, notdone deeds, and done and undone deals. Boring it is, frightening in its continuity, desperation-making in the realisation, and for some the avoidance of chronic depression is chronic action.
Others just don 3D glasses which they wear all the time, so distorting the reality they see around them. Don’t knock the rocks, the people who keep thinking and acting.
I appreciate their staunchness, and while doing my little bit, honour their big bite – more than I can chew.
Has anyone, anywhere, anyhow, heard any clarification on Andrew Little’s statement on Friday 17th that a Labour Government would retain the 90 day employment law with a bit of tweaking to make it fairer?
I’m not on facebook or twitter and maybe information has got out in this way and I’ve missed it. I did send an email request for DJ Redbird to discuss this with Grant Robertson on their Thursday morning Scoop report show but it was never raised, despite the DJ inviting people to send questions in for Grant Robertson.
I have also sent two emails in two weeks to Grant Robertson himself (seeing as I cc’d him on then original request) and not heard back.
There was nothing in the Labour Voices newsletter.
I know there are several very important issues going on right at the moment, (eg, Serco, falling dairy prices etc) that have easily overshadowed a one off, under the radar kind of statement from mid July but this is an incredibly important issue for workers and those looking for work and it’s one of principle too.
Andrew Little, as the former national secretary for the EPMU said this in 2006:
Mr Little told the rally that stripping away the workplace protections of new workers was outrageous.
“What sort of country is it that has an employment law that attacks people at their most vulnerable time, when they’ve just started a new job,” he said.
“What sort of employer is it who is unable to manage workers in a dignified and respectful way?
“And what sort of politician is it who promotes a law that attacks the rights of working people?”
Repealing the 90 day law was an election promise last year. So what has changed in Labour’s view that they would now consider retaining this law and what has changed in Andrew Littles mind that he would now consider it too?
where do you get your information? Clark’s government was VERY business friendly. NZ constantly rates amongst the easiest places to set up and run businesses. You are just repeating tired memes you hear with no analysis.
Indeed. I’ve helped setup businesses in a couple of US states and in aussie. Both were and still are massively harder than here. To set up a business here and run it day by day is trivial by comparison.
actually cunners spent alot of time with businesses. He couldn’t be criticised by Nats for so long cos they admired him and he was doing what they would do. SO it wasn’t LP not giving impression it was good for business, but something/someone else… what/who could that have been BM?
I wonder if the biggest con over the last 40 years has been the steady moving of the centre to the right, with the aquiescence of Labour Parties all over the world.
What Little was referring to was the proposal to re-write both the 90 day and the related (and more reasonable) trial periods provisions in the Act. I understand the matter of what both are replaced with is not settled, but subject to discussion. The conference in Palmy later this year might be a good place to look at it.
Nothing has been decided, so it’s not a u-turn, though the right were quick to claim that it was.
Why Palmerston North for conference? Not exactly the cheapest place to fly to, I guess it imust be because it is one of the few Labour strongholds. But still a terrible venue for a gathering, how off putting.
No Grey Whangarei would be worst. Auckland is the best place with cheaper flights from major centers, and ample reasonable costing accommodation. Labour are more interested in a full turnout of the right-wing babyboomers.
Election year conferences are generally held in one of the larger cities, the ones between in the provinces. Palmy is actually reasonably central to NZ’s population (I think Taupo is the actual balance point, half the countries population south, half north). Plenty of flights from Chch and Ak to Palmy. And there’s still a rail link to Welly, thanks to the tireless efforts of the local MP, Iain Lees Galloway.
I’m quite looking forward to a weekend in the Manawatu, it’s a lovely region.
Palmerston North Convention Centre (just off the square). 6th, 7th & 8th of November.
There will also be workshops held prior to the conference proper on Friday the 6th of November and, Skinny, as an affiliate member, I imagine you’ll want be there on Friday night for the affiliates meeting.
Yes Lee-Galloway the greenhorn and his idiotic drinking policy that angered many a blue collar worker so much so they shunned voting Labour. I still get grief about that one, as I’m sure he does. Apart from that a good MP.
Yeah it is sickening they don’t, looking back Norman Kirk was a locomotive engineer (commonly called a train driver). Most of their MP’s cannot hold an audiences attention because they don’t know the meaning of speaking from the heart, and the public see this for the falseness it is.
@Skinny
Yes have to cut your cloth to fit your customer. It would be good though if there were regular get-togethers around the regions for those interested in NZ’s left and what we stand for!
The retired ladies from Nelson go on bus trips around the SI for 2-3 days, an example of many small sightseeing trips now taken. It would be good to have more ambitious short trips around the country. Regular organised visits North and South – get down to Invercargill and see Tim, over to the West Coast to Okarito and the Blackball formerly known as Hilton Hotel, Christchurch view the magnificent Colosseum, they have their own stately ruin (arrange for an audience with Brownlee and perhaps the Wizard) etc. Whangarei view the plans help the fundraising for the Hundertwasser, (indeed you can buy things now to assist on-line), go to Kawakawa for a pee-p if there is time.
Etc etc. meet with Labour Green Mana people, talk to the newspapers, have your photo taken for the local rag. Raise the profile of the regions, have some fun and camaraderie, and drop some money into their coffers on the way. Those who can afford it. Probably be specially suitable for retired pensioners
(superannuitants).
most regular conferences (not just political parties) wander around the country. Unless there’s a particularly strong catchment area (like if they want lots of folk from a particular ministry, so Wellington is the obvious choice) people get a bit pissy if they always end up having to travel the length of the country just because it’s convenient for the organisers.
So one year it’ll be palmy, the next chch, auckland or tauranga after that…
Otherwise it just becomes a regional conference that dictates nation-wide policy, rather than a true general meeting.
Thanks for your comment te reo putake, I appreciate that.
I still don’t feel reassured however. The previous provisions in the Act prior to the introduction of the 90 day trial law were adequate and fair to both parties.
To me, the promotion of work rights are a core Labour Party principle and the issue around this law is black and white. Repeal it and return to the previous law. It really worries me that there appears to be some softening around such a grossly unfair law that puts workers at a disadvantage and creates immense anxiety.
I won’t be able to attend the conference in Palmy but I do hope this issue gets a good airing and that a clear decision can be made.
btw, I wasn’t aware of how the right framed this statement, I wasn’t paying attention to them, so haven’t borrowed their u turn phrase. I was around for the protests against Wayne Mapp’s original bill in 2006 and knew Andrew Little was very vocal on the issue back then. He really had some fire in his belly.
Thats why it was so confusing and alarming to read about his new view on the 90 day law. It certainly felt like a u turn to me.
Whether it will be or not is something we will have to wait for.
Karen, was it you that said you are a business owner? If it was you that said that during a discussion here on TS at the time Little made that statement then good on you.
It demonstrates that intelligent, competent, responsible employers are fully capable of managing their staff without the need for draconian anti worker laws.
Maybe Mr Little could come and have a chat with you so he can learn how business owners can run their business successfully without being oppressive bullies.
I have a very small business, and the nature of the industry I am in means when I employ people it is for fixed contracts, so I don’t think my experience is useful.
However, I have also done my share of crap jobs for bad employers, and in my experience treating employees well makes economic as well as moral sense. I also work as a contractor for other businesses sometimes, so I know what it is like from both sides.
I still see myself as working class, even though I do employ people sometimes. A question of culture, I think.
Working class needs to be redefined…if you simply decided to randomly not turn up at work for a month, would your income stop rolling in? For 90% of small business owners the answer is yep – their businesses would likely fall over. So its work, work, work every day.
For plenty of major landlords or larger business owners, things would keep ticking on fine…
“Nothing has been decided, so it’s not a u-turn, though the right were quick to claim that it was”
Which seems to be a perennial problem that Labour and also the Greens to a lesser extent have with the media.
They take any word spoken by a senior MP / leader as being gospel and “new policy”, despite Labour (and also the Greens) having a very formal policy adoption process. Similarly the media will take any proposed policy from their conference as a done-and-dusted decision, eg the “man-ban” and recently Young Labour’s suggestions around sex reassignment surgery.
Not sure what Labour should do about it, but they must acknowledge the problem and come up with a response or change their behaviour.
For me, that’s an inbetween flag, keeping half of the existing flag and replacing the union jack with another symbol. If that is the most popular choice at the moment I think it shows that we’re not ready for a flag change at all.
….and in these uncertain times when New Zealand youth and the RSA adamantly oppose flag change …. and the rest of New Zealand doesnt want a flag change either
…why change the flag?
(jonkey’s costly vanity corporate rebranding of NZ project)
To date I haven’t heard of any kiwi children going hungry due to the flag, or of people dying in damp HNZ houses because of the flag, or of dairy export prices plummeting because of the flag, or even of the All Blacks losing because of the flag…. so the flag is not what NZ should be focusing on. As ever, this is just a Key diversionary tactic all about Key’s own ego, nothing else. And it stinks.
I also think that National are hoping that, if they get the Union Jack off of the flag, people will forget that we’re actually subservient to the monarchy. National prefer dictatorships especially when they’re hidden but retain power.
Some questions for the merchandising/marketing peeps and associated legal beagles out there
Re the commercial aspects of the manufacture and retailing of official flags.
1: Is there a fee to manufacture and or sell a country’s official flag?
2: Can anyone manufacture and sell our official flags?
Unlike a regularly commissioned design, or the large number of designs presented from members of the public, the Silver Fern Flag designs are long standing commercial products with an existing copyright. -The company has been selling their copyrighted design and variants thereof for over a decade now. The Silver Fern Flag designs currently sell for $64.95 a flag, plus there is all the income from badges pins and smaller versions of the flag itself, etc. Official flags available at various sites currently retail in the $100-$150 range for a full size flag.
3: If successful, does Silver Fern Flag have to gift the design to the country or will manufacturers and retailers have to buy a license to use the copyrighted design?
“Nearly 44 percent of full time students say they don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs. Nine to Noon speaks to a financial advisor, student avocate and a GP about the growing pressure being put on students who are often working long hours on top of full time study. Maria Goncalves-Rorke, a student financial services advisor; Sarah Miller, a student advocate at Massey University; and Dr Cathy Stephenson, GP at VUW student health services discuss student hardship….
I’ve just been looking at a 2008 Listener under Pamela Stirling’s editorship.
The editorial is a doozy – first the drama of oil price hikes to $143, a doubling of the price from 12 months previous, and a note that that 10 years further back, Brent crude was $11.36 a barrel. (I suppose their figures are correct.)
Then the ed. points out that this cost will reduce travel and that USA predictions are for outlying suburbs in big cities to become the new slums. In NZ, lifestyle block owners who can’t afford to get to the supermarkets will be able to grow their own vegies.
After this cursory look at likely future woes the ed gets stuck into Labour for putting money into rail as a waste of taxpayers money. The Government’s determination to own the rail system at a huge and likely never-ending cost to taxpayers appears motivated by ideology rather than financial prudence or environmental concerns.
The Listener’s editorial is rather different in being motivated by ideology connected to financial prudence. This sort of weathercock assertion, blowing in the wind, pointing in any favourable direction is an example of the majority of today’s journalism which can be loosely described as a giant cock-up.
Espiner does tend to talk like that to the Opposition but not to Key. He tends to start a monologue about the whole things been overblown, rise in voice Labour did it during the 9 years, or didn’t and …continues.. and it’s an example of desperation etc….
But Espiner closely questioned, was a bit mocking, but not OTT. Andrew stuck to his point but he could have said wearily that he would love to give a more detailed answer but how can the Opposition do its job of scrutinising government actions when the details are held secret by the government.
And also that all this wonderful access Espiner was referring to, is at present unknown, unproved, and he could mention Australia which I think missed out on sugar access, or one of their important exports. And that it could be that the only time when Labour and the people get to see the TPPA details is when they are to be ratified and then they can only be rejected or accepted, (as I understand it.) And rejection will have diplomatic and trading consequences far bigger than at present.
I thought it was hilarious it gave me a huge laugh. It showed a sense of humour ‘even though Little was most likely set up by one of Hosking’s flunkies’. Fully expect Gower to add to a montage of Little blooper clips that he will mash together during the 2017 election campaign.
I heard about this from a friend earlier, so was dreading seeing it (such is the shallowness of our politics), but that was fine, he smiled, seemed to think it was funny, all class & cool under pressure.
No trouble, he took it in his stride and could see the funny side of the situation. Mostly what he is interviewed on does not warrant a grin, but it was nice to see his sense of humour showing.
I’m trying to help STOP New Zealand signing the TPPA.
The above-mentioned OIA, in my view, could be significant in helping that happen, because it exposes how PM John Key could potentially profit from NZ signing the TPPA, as a shareholder in the Bank of America.
If enough FUSS was made about it?
When I sent out that ‘Media Alert’ this morning, I included the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Huffington Post.
Also the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.
Hopefully, that may encourage NZ media to give this story the prominence it deserves?
Protest today in the wilds of Parnell – applying the political pressure in the Prime Minister’s ‘hood’, letting our placards / banners ‘do the talking’.
WHEN: Today, Tuesday 28 July 2015
TIME: 3.30pm – 5.30pm
WHERE: Corner St Stephens Ave / Parnell Rd
If YOU are opposed to NZ signing the TPPA, and YOU want to help expose PM John Key’s shareholding in the Bank of America – come along!
Time is short – the TPPA ‘Ministerial’ has started today and continues until 31 July.
New Zealand enjoyed a substantial reduction in inequality between 2000 and 2009, but experienced a very slight rise following the global financial crisis.
Hmmm…
Yeah, don’t think so. What we really saw is a massive rise in inequality from the 1980s, a slight dip in the early to mid 2000s and then another steep rise after the GFC with the end result being that inequality has remained the same across the 2000s.
“For various technical reasons, our measure is likely to understate the material wellbeing of particularly wealthy households. However, most public policy concern is with the living standards of ordinary people, especially those closer to the bottom of the wealth distribution curve, whose living standards are well captured in our data,” said Dr Grimes.
And overstate those at the bottom which is the general problem of averages.
New Zealand’s high level of average material wellbeing – which was observed also in 2000 and 2009 – in part reflects our higher level of cars and bathrooms per household. The results do, however, show a lower level of bedrooms and study places per household in New Zealand.
So, that would be a high number of cars and a low number of bedrooms. May explain why we have people living in cars.
I get the distinct impression that that ‘non-partisan’ research centre is trying to put the best spin on their research that they can because if they didn’t then it would clearly show that we have a declining living standard.
How many people do we have living in cars Draco?
This data is not suggesting we don’t…it’s just indicating that we very probably have far less living in car’s than most other countries.
Can you provide data that contradicts that?
Really? You concentrating on people living in cars? And not as a measure of how bad things are.
Personally, I would question the idea of using cars as a measure of wealth in the first place. As the saying goes: A wealthy nation is where the rich use public transport.
Just remembered our last little dialogue about your acceptance of the Chinagate ‘data’ as “reasonably solid methodology, with some reasonable assumptions” Mcflock, and my prediction that in future you would dismiss evidence of a similar standard if it didn’t suit your narrative…
So here we have a meticulously researched and referenced report, using a highly sophisticated methodology, written by world class academics?
Almost ‘totally irrelevant’ eh?
What an outstanding example of blatant hypocrisy!
Your “little contribution” was irrelevant to the issue of inequality in Aotearoa, and we already have much better qualitative and quantitative long term research available than crude population averages.
But then you already know the significant difference between the two cases, because if my position were actually an example of hypocrisy you’d have linked directly to it so people could see and judge for themselves.
So take your allegation of hypocrisy and stick it firmly up your arse.
You know It won’t hurt you at all to admit that by comparison with the rest of the World, things aren’t actually too bad here in Aotearoa.
Not perfect, and plenty to work on, but all in all, no matter what your sociology-economic position, you’d be in a worse position almost anywhere else.
No, that’s what you’d read if you were a complete imbecile.
Let me put it this way: even if “no matter what your sociology-economic position, you’d be in a worse position almost anywhere else” (which is just fucking bullshit because comparative averages don’t mean that the top 1% in X are better off than the top 1% in Y even if X averages more than Y, and that’s if you ignored the possibility that a declining economy might boost its consumption by transitioning to debt-based consumption rather than wealth-based consumption on the way to lower consumption overall), even if that, then it doesn’t mean that, given ALL NZ’s advantages, we should put up with the problems here.
You’re at a restaurant. You tell the waiter there is dirt on your fork. The waiter responds that, all in all, you’d be in a worse position if you’d been the customer who got half a mouse in the salad. Would you A) thank your lucky stars and be grateful for the fork; or B) tell the dickhead to go fuck himself?
Given our comparative richness of natural resources, and fairly good cushion against the GFC shouldn’t we being doing better than – ‘not as badly as others?’
The data also feeds into how indebted we are as a nation. We buy stuff on credit. Material wealth is a poor measure of well-being but a good indicator of other things – wastefulness, resource depletion, and toxic waste.
However, I do agree with you, our nation is an awesome place to be and we are all privileged to be living here.
Key has just been reported on RNZ as saying that people in NZ will have to pay more for medicines under TPPA. Labour should climb all over this. Got to be worth a couple more per cent.
And have to wear an ostrich head to perps who commit crimes against the good and honest administration of the state whenever out in public till the next election – punishment for keeping head in sand when bad things were happening.
Horn was a leading figure at Treasury during the 1980s and was Treasury Secretary during the National government’s health, welfare and labour reforms of the 1990s. Some of the worst aspects of those early 1990s health reforms look set to be re-introduced:
The review reveals the Ministry of Health would hand out funds to DHBs on achievement of planned milestones. If those targets were missed the money would be withheld, and would then go to other providers. Four pools of funding would also be created under the plan….
Those four pools of funding would be dispensed by central government according to its “milestone” priorities – which, as mentioned, will have been rendered immune to alteration by the communities affected, thanks to the proposed changes to DHB board representation revealed yesterday.
These extreme measures might be justified if health funding was running out of control. Certainly, the government spin machine works overtime to create the illusion of a rapacious health system gobbling up more and more funds. In fact, the health system has been systematically underfunded for the past five years, and the difficulty that some DHBs are having in meeting their budgets is a direct reflection of that reality.
$85m is going on a few hundred feet of motorway lane here in Wellington – the local DHB could do with that. How about a region’s citizens get do do some ranking of variuos central govt plans .
There would have to be some form of testing and control especially on the amphetamine side of things. But it would need to be available enough to cut the crooks out of the game.
Cabinet meetings must be bloody chronic these days. Every minister is “disappointed” about something, while dunnukeyo dreams of tugging ponytails on a tropical beach.
Maybe if they didn’t keep fucking up, they wouldn’t be so disappointed.
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President respectively for the US 2020 Election, may have dispensed with the erstwhile nemesis, Trump the candidate – but there are numerous critical openings through which much, much worse many out there may yet see fit to ...
I don’t know Taupō well. Even though I stop off there from time to time, I’m always on the way to somewhere else. Usually Taupō means making a hot water puddle in the gritty sand followed by a swim in the lake, noticing with bemusement and resignation the traffic, the ...
Frances Williams, King’s College LondonFor most people, infection with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – leads to mild, short-term symptoms, acute respiratory illness, or possibly no symptoms at all. But some people have long-lasting symptoms after their infection – this has been dubbed “long COVID”. Scientists are ...
Last night, a British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US. Unfortunately, its not because all he is "guilty" of is journalism, or because the offence the US wants to charge him with - espionage - is of an inherently political nature; instead the judge accepted ...
Is the Gender Identity Movement a movement for human liberation, or is it a regressive movement which undermines women’s liberation and promotes sexist stereotypes? Should biological males be allowed to play in women’s sport, use women-only spaces (public toilets, changing rooms, other facilities), be able to have access to everything ...
Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University and Gareth Dorrian, University of BirminghamSpace exploration achieved several notable firsts in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, including commercial human spaceflight and returning samples of an asteroid to Earth. The coming year is shaping up to be just as interesting. Here are some of ...
Michael Head, University of SouthamptonThe UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK – following the Pfizer vaccine. The British government ...
So, Boris Johnson has been footering about in hospitals again. We should be grateful, perhaps, that on this occasion the Clown-in-Chief is only (probably) getting in the way and causing distractions, rather than taking up a bed, vital equipment and resources and adding more strain and danger to exhausted staff.Look at ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to ZeroThat’s one of several recent ...
The situation in the UK is looking catastrophic.Cases: over *70,000* people who were tested in England on 29th December tested positive. This is *not* because there were more tests on that day. It *is* 4 days after Christmas though, around when people who caught Covid on Christmas Day might start ...
by Don Franks For five days over New Year weekend, sixteen prisoners in the archaic pre WW1 block of Waikeria Prison defied authorities by setting fires and occupying the building’s roof. They eventually agreed to surrender after intervention from Maori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi. A message from the protesting men had stated: ...
Lost Opportunity: The powerful political metaphor of the Maori Party leading the despised and marginalised from danger to safety, is one Labour could have pre-empted by taking the uprising at Waikeria Prison much more seriously. AS WORD OF Rawiri Waititi’s successful intervention in the Waikeria Prison stand-off spreads, the Maori ...
Dear friends, it’s been a covidious year,A testing time for all of us here—Citizens of an island nationIn a state of managed isolation,A team (someone said) five million strong,Making it up as we went along:Somehow in typical Kiwi fashion,Without any wild excess ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Dec 27, 2020 through Sat, Jan 2, 2021Editor's Choice7 Graphics That Show Why the Arctic Is in Trouble Arctic Sea Ice: NSIDC It’s no secret that the Arctic is ...
One of the books I read in 2020 was She, by H. Rider Haggard (1887). I thoroughly enjoyed it, as being an exemplar of a good old-fashioned adventure story. I also noted with amusement ...
Scottish doctor Malcolm Kendrick looks at the pandemic and the responses to it 30th December 2020 I have not written much about COVID19 recently. What can be said? In my opinion the world has simply gone bonkers. The best description can be found in Dante’s Inferno, written many hundreds of ...
I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check this out. After correcting send me the URL for your ...
The deed is done, the doers undoneHad I been a Brit, I would have voted ‘Remain’ rather than Brexit (or ‘Leave’). Instead, I have been bemused by the comic theatre of British politics, fascinated by what the Brits actual think and professionally interested by the revelations of the complexity of ...
But Will She Keep Smiling? Kindness is as kindness does. And the one thing kindness cannot do is force people to be kind. Understanding that was the single most important factor in the Prime Minister’s success at stamping out the Coronavirus. She took New Zealanders with her; she encouraged them ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her warm congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the New Year 2021 Honours List. “The past year has been one that few of us could have imagined. In spite of all the things that ...
Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment David Parker has congratulated two retired judges who have had their contributions to the country and their communities recognised in the New Year 2021 Honours list. The Hon Tony Randerson QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the New Year’s Honours List 2021 highlights again the outstanding contribution made by Pacific people across Aotearoa. “We are acknowledging the work of 13 Pacific leaders in the New Year’s Honours, representing a number of sectors including health, education, community, sports, the ...
The Government’s investment in digital literacy training for seniors has led to more than 250 people participating so far, helping them stay connected. “COVID-19 has meant older New Zealanders are showing more interest in learning how to use technology like Zoom and Skype so they can to keep in touch ...
New virus variants and ongoing high rates of diseases in some countries prompt additional border protections Extra (day zero or day one) test to be in place this week New ways of reducing risk before people embark on travel being investigated, including pre-departure testing for people leaving the United Kingdom ...
Our kindly PM registered her return to work as leader of the nation with yet another statement on the Beehive website, the second in two days (following her appointment of Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council on Wednesday). It’s great to know we don’t have to check with ...
A Pūhoi pub is refusing to remove a piece of memorabilia bearing the n-word from its walls. Dr Lachy Paterson looks at the history of the word here, and New Zealand’s complicity in Britain’s shameful slave trading past.Content warning: This article contains racist language and images.On a pub wall in ...
Supermarket shoppers looking for citrus are seeing a sour trend at the moment – some stores are entirely tapped out of lemons. But why? Batches of homemade lemonade will be taking a hit this summer, with life not giving New Zealand shoppers lemons. Prices are high at supermarkets and grocers that ...
You’re born either a cheery soul or a gloomy one, reckons Linda Burgess – but what happens when gene pools from opposite ends of the spectrum collide?In our shoeboxes of photos that we have to sort out before we die or get demented – because who IS that kid on ...
Summer reissue: Prisoner voting rights are something that few in government seem particularly motivated to do anything about. Could a catchy charity single help draw attention to the issue?First published September 1, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its ...
Hundreds more Cook Islanders are expected to begin criss-crossing the Pacific, Air NZ will triple the number of flights to Rarotonga next week, and about 300 managed isolation places will be freed up for Kiwis returning from other parts of the world. When Thomas Tarurongo Wynne took a job in Wellington at ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Ena Manuireva in Auckland It seems a long time ago – some 124 days – since Mā’ohi Nui deplored its first covid-19 related deaths of an elderly woman on 11 September 2020 followed by her husband just hours later, both over the age of 80. The local ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Turnbull, Postdoctoral research associate, UNSW A global coalition of more than 50 countries have this week pledged to protect over 30% of the planet’s lands and seas by the end of this decade. Their reasoning is clear: we need greater protection ...
The Reserve Bank Governor’s apology and claim he will ‘own the issue’ is laughable given the lack of answers and timing of its release. Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Union said: “It’s been five days since they came clean, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Kokshagina, Researcher – Innovation & Entrepreneurship, RMIT University Are too many online meetings and notifications getting you down? Online communication tools – from email to virtual chat and video-conferencing – have transformed the way we work. In many respects they’ve made ...
The Reserve Bank acknowledges information about some of its stakeholders may have been breached in a malicious data hack. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has commissioned an independent inquiry into how stakeholders' information was compromised when hackers breached a file sharing service used by the bank. “We ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Syme, PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology, The University of Queensland This story contains spoilers for Ammonite Palaeontologist Mary Anning is known for discovering a multitude of Jurassic fossils from Lyme Regis on England’s Dorset Coast from the age of ten in 1809. ...
A tribute to the sitcoms of old? In the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Yup. Sam Brooks reviews the audacious WandaVision.Nothing sends a chill up my spine like the phrase “Marvel Cinematic Universe”. Since launching in 2008 with Iron Man, the MCU has become a shambling behemoth, with over 23 films (not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University The alt-right, QAnon, paramilitary and Donald Trump-supporting mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 claimed they were only doing what the so-called “founding fathers” of the US had done in ...
The Point of Order Ministerial Workload Watchdog and our ever-vigilant Trough Monitor were both triggered yesterday by an item of news from the office of Conservation Minister Kititapu Allan. The minister was drawing attention to new opportunities to dip into the Jobs for Nature programme (and her statement was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Kupz, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University In July 1921, a French infant became the first person to receive an experimental vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), after the mother had died from the disease. The vaccine, known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is ...
The first Friday Poem for 2021 is by Wellington poet Rebecca Hawkes.While you were partying I studied the bladeI your ever-loving edgelord God-emperorof the bot army & bitcoin mine subsistingon an IV drip of gamer girl bathwaterfinally my lonelinessis your responsibility………. you seeI need a girlfriend assigned to me by the ...
The arming of police officers in Canterbury was inevitable with the growing numbers and brazenness of the gangs across the country – this should be a permanent step, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. “It is unfortunate that we have come to the point ...
Celebrations in Aotearoa New Zealand to mark the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will begin on Thursday 21 January with ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand’s Wellington and online event, and continue on Friday ...
Hardly anyone is using their Covid Tracer app. Something needs to change.As the mercury approaches 30°C in Aotearoa, there is a good deal of slipping and slopping, but, let’s face it, piss-all scanning. As few as around 500,000 QR codes are being scanned by users of the NZ Covid Tracer ...
On the East Coast, a group of Māori-owned enterprises is innovating to create new revenue streams while doing what they love.New Zealand’s remote and sparsely populated regions are typically not the best places to create thriving brick-and-mortar businesses. In small communities miles away from any major centres, there are so ...
As we reach the height of summer, it’s not too late to do a safety check on your gas bottle. The Environmental Protection Authority’s Safer Homes programme has some tips and tricks to keep in mind before you fire up the grill. "If you’ve ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1Troy: The Siege of Troy Retold by Stephen Fry (Michael Joseph, $37)If you’re in any way unsure about ...
“We may as well knock on the gang headquarters around this country and tell them we all give up," says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust. “It is simply outrageous that violent offender, James Tuwhangai, has been released from ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Ireland, Israel, and Lebanon. Chart by Keith Rankin. The countries with the most recent large outbreaks of Covid19 are those with large numbers of recent recorded cases, but yet to record the deaths that most likely will result. In this camp, this time, are Ireland, Israel ...
RuPaul is in Aotearoa, kicking back in managed isolation to await the filming of an Australasian version of her hugely popular reality show Drag Race. But not everyone is happy about, explains Eli Matthewson. The world’s most famous drag queen, RuPaul, is in New Zealand, the government confirmed earlier this week ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Melleuish, Professor, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong What can we make of Clive Palmer? This week, he announced his United Australia Party (UAP) would not contest the upcoming West Australian state election on March 13. After a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gisela Kaplan, Emeritus Professor in Animal Behaviour, University of New England Have you ever seenmagpies play-fighting with one another, or rolling around in high spirits? Or an apostlebird running at full speed with a stick in its beak, chased by a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Jackson, Program Director, Centre for Policy Development, and Associate Professor of Education, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Childcare centres across Australia are suffering staff shortages, which have been exacerbated by the COVID crisis. Many childcare workers across Australia left when parents started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Barrett, Senior Lecturer in Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Rhetoric plays an important role in tax debate and therefore tax policy. If your side manages to gain traction in the public imagination with labels such as “death ...
*This article was first published on The Conversation and is republished with permission* Whoever leads the Republican Party post-Trump will need to consider how they will maintain the rabid support of his “base”, while working to regain more moderate voters who defected from the party in the 2020 election. In a historic ...
Covid-19 fears accelerated banks’ moves towards cashless transactions. But the Reserve Bank is fighting to protect cash, and those who still use it. ...
Good morning and welcome to this one-off edition of The Bulletin, covering major stories from the last few weeks.A quick preamble to this: Today’s special edition of The Bulletin is all about filling you in on some of the stories you might have missed over the summer period. Perhaps you had ...
Summer reissue: In this episode of Bad News, Alice Snedden is forced to confront her own mortality before hosting a very special dinner party to get to grips with the euthanasia debate.First published August 27, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
The contrast between the words of John F Kennedy and today’s anti-democratic demagogue is inescapable, writes Dolores Janiewski I still remember three eloquent speeches by an American president. One happened in January 1961 and spoke about a “torch being passed to a new generation”. Two years later and one day apart, ...
The debate over cutting down a large macrocarpa to make way for a new residential development has highlighted a wider agreement between developers and protesters: that we also need to be planting far more trees. At the corner of Great North Road and Ash Street in Avondale, a 150-year-old macrocarpa stands its ground ...
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Extracts from Giovanni Tiso’s review of The FIRE economy, Jane Kelsey, 2015
http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/how-new-zealand-works.html
FIRE stands for Finance, Insurance and Real Estate… It’s an economic model that is obsolete, outmoded, staggering towards its next and quite possibly fatal crisis.
Then, tucked away at the bottom and to the far right, is old New Zealand: a country wallowing in the myth of its rock economy status whilst blissfully playing down the many indicators – beginning with runaway real estate prices and one of the highest levels of household debt in the OECD – that put it at risk of an acute crisis. On top of which, we stubbornly refuse to adopt any of the prudential measures that even the most radical champions of deregulation consider necessary: we remain, Kelsey tells us, the only developed country with no permanent deposit guarantee scheme to protect depositors, and our oversight of investment practices is considered woeful by international standards.
Those who demand that critics come up with an alternative could answer this at least: what is it that compels us to sit at the far extreme of free-market orthodoxy? And what has this orthodoxy ever done for us? Since adopting neoliberalism, New Zealand has become vastly more unequal, lost the majority of its industries, and opened itself to capital flows that were supposed to help create competitive businesses and new jobs, but never did: as it turns out, foreigners with money to spend will rather speculate on our non-productive assets or push up the dollar to take advantage of high-interest term deposits than put themselves at the mercy of our poorly regulated capital markets. Result: thirty years on from the beginning of the New Zealand experiment, the country remains a primary producer with a real estate fixation and rather pathetic delusions of high-flying entrepreneurial grandeur.
Read more here: http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/how-new-zealand-works.html
Stop asking such difficult questions – sheesh, can’t you see those questions will require neoliberalism’s most ardent supporters to actually consider evidence and place that evidence into a structured and reasoned argument? Have you ever seen them do that? Can you imagine John Key ever giving an in-depth answer to those questions? I don’t think so – John Key, the neolibs dear leader, has never answered anything like that, ever.
They will have to get smacked over the head with their own neoliberalism for the realisation to dawn…… which, as you point out at the start, is nigh…….
Thanks for this ropata. If nothing else it would have made Mr Mapp gag on his porridge this morning.
+1 haha step 1 of the nefarious plan has succeeded!
Great sum up and it would be nice to know that there was a political party out there with the will and the spine to do it.
Exactly. But perhaps the party approach to politics isn’t suited for this mission.
politics as usual hasn’t really worked for 50% of kiwis for at least 30 years
we now have housing apartheid in new zealand.
(the foregoing continues a theme, see also this comment on the late Garth George and these comments on the fourth labour government and rogernomics )
A little reminder of what useless governments National make. The leaky building nightmare rolls on for these Auckland apartment owners (plus ratepayers and taxpayers) courtesy of the last lot of tories.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11487766
Its called sticking ones head in the sand….
In spite of all evidence proving the failure of neoliberalism (pike river, leaky homes) this government simply refuses, like a child, to recognise that evidence. Also see comment http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28072015/#comment-1050858
Just wait, under the ‘relaxing’ of rules that the councils, lobby groups and well paid barristers are seeking do with resource consents – ratepayers can look forward to waking up and seeing a giant McMansion pop up next door, or perhaps a block of flats right to the boundary edge, – goodbye sun and privacy.
Funny, all the ‘relaxing’ including the 99% granting of resource consents, doesn’t seem to be producing any affordable homes – more like larger houses which cost more and are less affordable, and also smaller crap box apartments which the rate payers can look forward to paying to reclad in 5 years time.
The resource consents and RMA process is the Cosby Textor of councils. Under the discourse of affordable housing, they are busy enriching cronies, destroying our city and creating future liability with their poor decisions for decades to come.
There are many ways to create affordable houses, but the councils are allowing their resources consent officer and lobbyists, free reign to do the opposite.
How about the extra immigration 10 points is only allocated to regions where
-local unemployment is low
-there are sufficent part time jobs etc for those who need to combine work woth child rearing
– the local teenagers are all employed
-anybody else who wants a job can get one even if they don’t show up in the figures
-there is training taking place for any skill shortages
– x% of the waged jobs are 20% above the minimum hourly rate
Why dump extra people into communities that are not providing for those already there
this should apply to all of NZ, don’t you think 🙂
one problem is that to get the highest points you need to be young too (under 30), those folks move to cities for a reason… fun, nightlife, etc etc
FYI
28 July 2015
Media Alert! Urgent message to Maui!
Trade Minister Tim Groser – where’s your URGENT OIA reply regarding BIG banks and the TPPA?
Dear Minister,
On a letter dated 6 July 2015, Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson, from the Office of the Prime Minister, referred my following OIA request to your Office:
“The information you have requested appears to be more closely connected to the functions and responsibilities of the Minister of Trade.
Accordingly, I am transferring your request to the Minister under section 14 of the Official Information Act.”
______________________________________________________________________________________
MY OIA REQUEST TO PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY:
______________________________________________________________________________________
23 June 2015
Dear Prime Minister,
Please be reminded of your extensive employment background in the investment banking industry, including your significant role in the ‘derivatives trading market’:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/john-key
“Mr Key launched his investment banking career in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.
After 10 years in the New Zealand market he headed offshore, working in Singapore, London, and Sydney for US investment banking firm Merrill Lynch.
During that time he was in charge of a number of business units, including global foreign exchange and European bond and derivative trading.
In 1999, he was invited to join the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and on two occasions undertook management studies at Harvard University in Boston. ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please be reminded (again), that according to the 2015 NZ Register of Pecuniary Interests, you are (still) a shareholder in the Bank of America:
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20151/8bb43d9064b110c19c88349a36301a9580cfb3ed
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment (Aspen, Colorado)
Bank of America – banking ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
(Please be reminded, that I have previously asked you about your personal shareholding in the Bank of America, back in February 2011, at the following Grey Power Public Meeting:
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide the information which confirms that:
1) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT provide big banks with a backdoor means of rolling back efforts to re-regulate Wall Street in the wake of the global economic crisis.
2) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT require domestic law to conform to the now-rejected model of extreme deregulation that caused the crisis – such as forbidding countries from banning particularly risky financial products, such as the toxic derivatives that led to the $183 billion government bailout of AIG.
3) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT threaten the use of “firewalls” – policies that are employed to stop the spread of risk between different types of financial institutions and products.
4) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT bar the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, that helped eliminate banking crises for four decades by prohibiting deposit-holding commercial banks from dealing in risky investments.
5) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT ban capital controls, an essential policy tool to counter destabilizing flows of speculative money.
6)The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT prohibit taxes on Wall Street speculation, that means that there would be no hope of passing proposals like the Robin Hood Tax, which would impose a tiny tax on Wall Street transactions to tamp down speculation-fueled volatility while generating hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue for social, health, or environmental causes.
7) The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), will NOT empower financial firms to directly attack these government policies in foreign tribunals, and demand taxpayer compensation for policies they claim undermine their expected future profits.
(Please be advised that I have based these questions upon information from the following:
http://www.exposethetpp.org/TPPImpacts_FinRegulation.html )
______________________________________________________________________________________
If you cannot provide ALL of this above-requested information, please confirm that you, as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, will no longer continue to advocate for, or in any way support this TPPA, from which you may personally profit, given your shareholding in the Bank of America, which, in my considered opinion as an ‘anti-corruption Public Watchdog’, is potentially a significant corrupt ‘conflict of interest’.
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
…………………….
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2009 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2014 Attendee G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate (polled 4th with 11,723 votes)
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
FFS, can we please not have to read the same flannel every day. If I pasted the same crap repeatedly I would expect it to be deleted by a moderator.
At least Penny is “doing something”. What do you Sacha to try and hold our leaders to account?
You can always scroll past if you’re not interested. No one is forcing you to read Penny’s post.
Oh I do plenty.
“You can always scroll past if you’re not interested. No one is forcing you to read Penny’s post.” – Aspergers is a cruel thing sometimes.
Thats good you do plenty Sacha. That’s good to hear. It’s important that if we feel strongly about certain social and political issues that we contribute to the attempts to correct the injustices we witness.
Thats why I respect the work Penny Bright does. And if she does her work in a different manner to me, well, hey that’s fine. I don’t judge.
I don’t know what you mean about Aspergers.
Hear Hear Rosie. Penny is an active woman and good on her.
“flannel” “crap” ????
Sacha…are you saying that PB is lying, distorting the facts, completely barking up the wrong tree…what?
Penny Bright is making an effort. She gets out there and stands up for what she believes in.
She confronts…face to face…those she believes are fucking us all over.
She will actually go out and make a stand.
IMHO…that is worth a thousand million tweets, comments etc.
I may not always agree with Penny Bright…but I do admire her tenacity and commitment.
Respect, Penny.
Again, if it is the same wording as every day recently then it adds nothing. Yelling through a megaphone without adjusting your message does not achieve change.
“Yelling through a megaphone without adjusting your message does not achieve change.”
Perhaps its time for a real discussion on exactly how change is achieved.
Seems to me, that constantly “adjusting your message” has got us nowhere.
And by “us”, I mean those who agree ( if only about this) that the current administration in the House has to go.
Both the Greens and especially Labour seem to constantly change their message, their tone, their volume.
So much so that those of us who are getting a little desperate for a party we can vote for… to effect change… are in despair.
Voters are looking for clear and unequivocal policy.
Not just…”we will do this”, but …”we believe this is the right thing to do for New Zealanders and this is how we will do it.”
And stick to their guns.
Maybe PB could help them with that.
+1 Rosemary
Yes YES Sacha! It does achieve change. See Frank Luntz-Spin PR 101- simple.
Some don’t hear anything until the twentieth repetition. Go Penny! Go Penny! Go Penny! (X 20)
Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika. Bank of Amerika.
did that persuade you?
ignore
I see on the news JK is admitting that TPP may, just may, result in higher charges for NZ medication with the time before they can be produced generically at lower cost being extended by the pharmo companies,, and we can’t do anything about it.
But he assures us that it won’t cost we the consumers any more.
Yeah Right! Until in a few years when he’s no longer in politics and relaxing in his home in Hawaii when it’ll all be history and he’ll be forgotten. Just like Max Bradford’s ( who?) electricity reforms and Bill Birch’s (who?) think big stupid schemes.
I do hope NZ retains some degree of parliamentary sovereignty.
Sacha, If you mean Penny Brights’ missive above, Penny has been asked to keep them reasonably short and to use links. As far as I can see, she has mostly done so in recent times, though today’s efforts could and should have been edited further. Mod’s have previously edited out some of the longer or repetitive ones.
Penny’s an activist and she uses both digital and real life means to further her various causes. Nothing wrong with that and nobody has to read her comments. However, it does bother me that no attempt is made to personalise the comments for the Standard. I suspect the same comment gets posted at every site she has access to, but I don’t know for sure.
So, Penny, if you’re reading this, a short intro as to why the posted information is of benefit to TS readers would be better and please don’t just cut and paste stuff you’re posting elsewhere. Just link to it, please, and just give us a précis of your points.
For example you could have just said “I’ve written to Tim Groser/ the PM/ whoever asking for info on how we are protected under the TPPA” rather than duplicate the letters in full.
Hope this clarifies things a little.
Kiwiblog cops it as well.
Yes, there it is, word for word.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/07/general_debate_28_july_2015.html#comment-1558768
Cheers, BM.
Ok, I’ll keep an eye out for future cut and pastes. Again, Penny, if you’re reading please personalise your stuff for use here, keep it brief and use links.
And if she’d use FYI she could have linked to that to show the OIA request and the results all in one nice, easy to read and public place.
@Sacha
I point out that we do face the same flannel every day – from politicians deeds, misdeeds, notdone deeds, and done and undone deals. Boring it is, frightening in its continuity, desperation-making in the realisation, and for some the avoidance of chronic depression is chronic action.
Others just don 3D glasses which they wear all the time, so distorting the reality they see around them. Don’t knock the rocks, the people who keep thinking and acting.
I appreciate their staunchness, and while doing my little bit, honour their big bite – more than I can chew.
Leave it out Sacha
Has anyone, anywhere, anyhow, heard any clarification on Andrew Little’s statement on Friday 17th that a Labour Government would retain the 90 day employment law with a bit of tweaking to make it fairer?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70319219/labour-would-retain-90day-trial-periods-but-make-them-fairer–little
I’m not on facebook or twitter and maybe information has got out in this way and I’ve missed it. I did send an email request for DJ Redbird to discuss this with Grant Robertson on their Thursday morning Scoop report show but it was never raised, despite the DJ inviting people to send questions in for Grant Robertson.
I have also sent two emails in two weeks to Grant Robertson himself (seeing as I cc’d him on then original request) and not heard back.
There was nothing in the Labour Voices newsletter.
I know there are several very important issues going on right at the moment, (eg, Serco, falling dairy prices etc) that have easily overshadowed a one off, under the radar kind of statement from mid July but this is an incredibly important issue for workers and those looking for work and it’s one of principle too.
Andrew Little, as the former national secretary for the EPMU said this in 2006:
Mr Little told the rally that stripping away the workplace protections of new workers was outrageous.
“What sort of country is it that has an employment law that attacks people at their most vulnerable time, when they’ve just started a new job,” he said.
“What sort of employer is it who is unable to manage workers in a dignified and respectful way?
“And what sort of politician is it who promotes a law that attacks the rights of working people?”
http://www.epmu.org.nz/news/show/110702
Repealing the 90 day law was an election promise last year. So what has changed in Labour’s view that they would now consider retaining this law and what has changed in Andrew Littles mind that he would now consider it too?
Why the U turn?
$$$$ for labour.
Lack of donations have knee capped Labour, being a bit more business friendly would help with the lack of funds.
where do you get your information? Clark’s government was VERY business friendly. NZ constantly rates amongst the easiest places to set up and run businesses. You are just repeating tired memes you hear with no analysis.
Indeed. I’ve helped setup businesses in a couple of US states and in aussie. Both were and still are massively harder than here. To set up a business here and run it day by day is trivial by comparison.
Yes it was,but it certainly wasn’t the perception that labour gave out when Cunners was running the show, though.
actually cunners spent alot of time with businesses. He couldn’t be criticised by Nats for so long cos they admired him and he was doing what they would do. SO it wasn’t LP not giving impression it was good for business, but something/someone else… what/who could that have been BM?
You’re both correct, Clarks government was business friendly (especially according to Bob Jones) but that was 7 years ago and counting
Hows the donating been going since shes been gone?
Policy for sale, BM?
I think he’s talked to a few business owners and can now see the merits of the 90 day trial period.
One wonders how much did filling the party coffers influence the change in position?
the sad thing is that LP will change to make business happy without the need to fill the coffers….
That largely points towards the ideology of the decision makers within, Tracey.
As has been stated on here before, it might brass off some Labour supporters – but what are they going to do, vote National?
I wonder if the biggest con over the last 40 years has been the steady moving of the centre to the right, with the aquiescence of Labour Parties all over the world.
What Little was referring to was the proposal to re-write both the 90 day and the related (and more reasonable) trial periods provisions in the Act. I understand the matter of what both are replaced with is not settled, but subject to discussion. The conference in Palmy later this year might be a good place to look at it.
Nothing has been decided, so it’s not a u-turn, though the right were quick to claim that it was.
Why Palmerston North for conference? Not exactly the cheapest place to fly to, I guess it imust be because it is one of the few Labour strongholds. But still a terrible venue for a gathering, how off putting.
They should have gone to Whangarei eh!
No Grey Whangarei would be worst. Auckland is the best place with cheaper flights from major centers, and ample reasonable costing accommodation. Labour are more interested in a full turnout of the right-wing babyboomers.
Election year conferences are generally held in one of the larger cities, the ones between in the provinces. Palmy is actually reasonably central to NZ’s population (I think Taupo is the actual balance point, half the countries population south, half north). Plenty of flights from Chch and Ak to Palmy. And there’s still a rail link to Welly, thanks to the tireless efforts of the local MP, Iain Lees Galloway.
I’m quite looking forward to a weekend in the Manawatu, it’s a lovely region.
Yeah I guess that makes sense, when is it? Buying a campervan soon as may blood it on a road trip.
Palmerston North Convention Centre (just off the square). 6th, 7th & 8th of November.
There will also be workshops held prior to the conference proper on Friday the 6th of November and, Skinny, as an affiliate member, I imagine you’ll want be there on Friday night for the affiliates meeting.
Sounds good, I hope Galloway hasn’t gone silly about alcohol and banned drinking at conference lol.
No chance! It’s still a good drinking town, despite the closure of the Fitz. Or so I’m told 😉
Lees-Galloway
Losing the Fat Ladies was a true blow lol
Yes Lee-Galloway the greenhorn and his idiotic drinking policy that angered many a blue collar worker so much so they shunned voting Labour. I still get grief about that one, as I’m sure he does. Apart from that a good MP.
The Labour caucus doesn’t have a single “blue collar worker” or tradesperson amongst them
Yeah it is sickening they don’t, looking back Norman Kirk was a locomotive engineer (commonly called a train driver). Most of their MP’s cannot hold an audiences attention because they don’t know the meaning of speaking from the heart, and the public see this for the falseness it is.
I was more of a Highflyers type myself, doubt its still there though
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/small-business/67430558/Developer-in-liquidation-as-plans-for-Palmerston-North-Highflyers-pub-fail
The ‘Daily’ is still going, I think.
When is the Labour conference this year?
6th, 7th & 8th of November, Lp. You want a media pass? 😉
Yep. But I will do that closer to the event (with work, who knows where I will be then).
Just been emailing for a media pass for the NZF conference this weekend. I wasn’t sure until yesterday that I’d be able to get there.
@Skinny
Yes have to cut your cloth to fit your customer. It would be good though if there were regular get-togethers around the regions for those interested in NZ’s left and what we stand for!
The retired ladies from Nelson go on bus trips around the SI for 2-3 days, an example of many small sightseeing trips now taken. It would be good to have more ambitious short trips around the country. Regular organised visits North and South – get down to Invercargill and see Tim, over to the West Coast to Okarito and the Blackball formerly known as Hilton Hotel, Christchurch view the magnificent Colosseum, they have their own stately ruin (arrange for an audience with Brownlee and perhaps the Wizard) etc. Whangarei view the plans help the fundraising for the Hundertwasser, (indeed you can buy things now to assist on-line), go to Kawakawa for a pee-p if there is time.
Etc etc. meet with Labour Green Mana people, talk to the newspapers, have your photo taken for the local rag. Raise the profile of the regions, have some fun and camaraderie, and drop some money into their coffers on the way. Those who can afford it. Probably be specially suitable for retired pensioners
(superannuitants).
most regular conferences (not just political parties) wander around the country. Unless there’s a particularly strong catchment area (like if they want lots of folk from a particular ministry, so Wellington is the obvious choice) people get a bit pissy if they always end up having to travel the length of the country just because it’s convenient for the organisers.
So one year it’ll be palmy, the next chch, auckland or tauranga after that…
Otherwise it just becomes a regional conference that dictates nation-wide policy, rather than a true general meeting.
Thanks for your comment te reo putake, I appreciate that.
I still don’t feel reassured however. The previous provisions in the Act prior to the introduction of the 90 day trial law were adequate and fair to both parties.
To me, the promotion of work rights are a core Labour Party principle and the issue around this law is black and white. Repeal it and return to the previous law. It really worries me that there appears to be some softening around such a grossly unfair law that puts workers at a disadvantage and creates immense anxiety.
I won’t be able to attend the conference in Palmy but I do hope this issue gets a good airing and that a clear decision can be made.
btw, I wasn’t aware of how the right framed this statement, I wasn’t paying attention to them, so haven’t borrowed their u turn phrase. I was around for the protests against Wayne Mapp’s original bill in 2006 and knew Andrew Little was very vocal on the issue back then. He really had some fire in his belly.
Thats why it was so confusing and alarming to read about his new view on the 90 day law. It certainly felt like a u turn to me.
Whether it will be or not is something we will have to wait for.
+1 Rosie
I am really concerned about appeasing business at the expense of workers. Not a good look for the Labour Party.
Karen, was it you that said you are a business owner? If it was you that said that during a discussion here on TS at the time Little made that statement then good on you.
It demonstrates that intelligent, competent, responsible employers are fully capable of managing their staff without the need for draconian anti worker laws.
Maybe Mr Little could come and have a chat with you so he can learn how business owners can run their business successfully without being oppressive bullies.
I have a very small business, and the nature of the industry I am in means when I employ people it is for fixed contracts, so I don’t think my experience is useful.
However, I have also done my share of crap jobs for bad employers, and in my experience treating employees well makes economic as well as moral sense. I also work as a contractor for other businesses sometimes, so I know what it is like from both sides.
I still see myself as working class, even though I do employ people sometimes. A question of culture, I think.
Working class needs to be redefined…if you simply decided to randomly not turn up at work for a month, would your income stop rolling in? For 90% of small business owners the answer is yep – their businesses would likely fall over. So its work, work, work every day.
For plenty of major landlords or larger business owners, things would keep ticking on fine…
“Nothing has been decided, so it’s not a u-turn, though the right were quick to claim that it was”
Which seems to be a perennial problem that Labour and also the Greens to a lesser extent have with the media.
They take any word spoken by a senior MP / leader as being gospel and “new policy”, despite Labour (and also the Greens) having a very formal policy adoption process. Similarly the media will take any proposed policy from their conference as a done-and-dusted decision, eg the “man-ban” and recently Young Labour’s suggestions around sex reassignment surgery.
Not sure what Labour should do about it, but they must acknowledge the problem and come up with a response or change their behaviour.
“Nothing has been decided, so it’s not a u-turn, though the right were quick to claim that it was”
That’s the danger of not having clear cut policy. It allows the opposition to fill the gaps and take control of the narrative.
The policy last year was crystal clear – Labour was going to “scrap” (or “abolish”) National’s 90 day right to fire legislation.
That was the wording whenever the topic came up. Not “amend to make fairer” or some watered down BS.
And this year it’s not. Allowing the opposition to paint it as they deem, leaving Labour scrambling to re-control the narrative.
Is this New Zealand’s alternative flag?
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/is-this-new-zealands-alternative-flag-2015072718#axzz3h88LXpYG
Yuck.
cant bear to look at it!…it should have a big ‘CJK’ for “corruption” emblazoned on it !
That would never get through the referendum.
This is the only one I’ve seen that I think has any chance: http://www.silverfernflag.org/
I like that style to just not sure that the colour mix is right.
For me, that’s an inbetween flag, keeping half of the existing flag and replacing the union jack with another symbol. If that is the most popular choice at the moment I think it shows that we’re not ready for a flag change at all.
+100…jonkey is not the person to change the flag
….and in these uncertain times when New Zealand youth and the RSA adamantly oppose flag change …. and the rest of New Zealand doesnt want a flag change either
…why change the flag?
(jonkey’s costly vanity corporate rebranding of NZ project)
🙂
To date I haven’t heard of any kiwi children going hungry due to the flag, or of people dying in damp HNZ houses because of the flag, or of dairy export prices plummeting because of the flag, or even of the All Blacks losing because of the flag…. so the flag is not what NZ should be focusing on. As ever, this is just a Key diversionary tactic all about Key’s own ego, nothing else. And it stinks.
+1
I also think that National are hoping that, if they get the Union Jack off of the flag, people will forget that we’re actually subservient to the monarchy. National prefer dictatorships especially when they’re hidden but retain power.
yup
Some questions for the merchandising/marketing peeps and associated legal beagles out there
Re the commercial aspects of the manufacture and retailing of official flags.
1: Is there a fee to manufacture and or sell a country’s official flag?
2: Can anyone manufacture and sell our official flags?
Unlike a regularly commissioned design, or the large number of designs presented from members of the public, the Silver Fern Flag designs are long standing commercial products with an existing copyright. -The company has been selling their copyrighted design and variants thereof for over a decade now. The Silver Fern Flag designs currently sell for $64.95 a flag, plus there is all the income from badges pins and smaller versions of the flag itself, etc. Official flags available at various sites currently retail in the $100-$150 range for a full size flag.
3: If successful, does Silver Fern Flag have to gift the design to the country or will manufacturers and retailers have to buy a license to use the copyrighted design?
Then again, the Silver Fern Flag copyright, as listed on their website says:
“© Copyright 2000-2015. All rights reserved. We must be acknowledged when designs are published in the media and posted online. ”
3a: Did this company somehow plan to not need their copyright after 2015?
The plight of New Zealand youth under Nactional…New Zealand’s best and brightest!…the stars of our future …trashed by jonkey Nact….SHAME!
( and now no chance for a house as well…refugees in their own country…dreams shattered)
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201764133/effects-of-financial-pressures-on-tertiary-students
“Nearly 44 percent of full time students say they don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs. Nine to Noon speaks to a financial advisor, student avocate and a GP about the growing pressure being put on students who are often working long hours on top of full time study. Maria Goncalves-Rorke, a student financial services advisor; Sarah Miller, a student advocate at Massey University; and Dr Cathy Stephenson, GP at VUW student health services discuss student hardship….
Gordon Campbell is unimpressed with govt floating the 90s health model again: http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2015/07/28/gordon-campbell-on-90s-retro-proposals-for-our-health-system/
I’ve just been looking at a 2008 Listener under Pamela Stirling’s editorship.
The editorial is a doozy – first the drama of oil price hikes to $143, a doubling of the price from 12 months previous, and a note that that 10 years further back, Brent crude was $11.36 a barrel. (I suppose their figures are correct.)
Then the ed. points out that this cost will reduce travel and that USA predictions are for outlying suburbs in big cities to become the new slums. In NZ, lifestyle block owners who can’t afford to get to the supermarkets will be able to grow their own vegies.
After this cursory look at likely future woes the ed gets stuck into Labour for putting money into rail as a waste of taxpayers money.
The Government’s determination to own the rail system at a huge and likely never-ending cost to taxpayers appears motivated by ideology rather than financial prudence or environmental concerns.
The Listener’s editorial is rather different in being motivated by ideology connected to financial prudence. This sort of weathercock assertion, blowing in the wind, pointing in any favourable direction is an example of the majority of today’s journalism which can be loosely described as a giant cock-up.
+1
+100
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/andrew-little-s-collapsing-studio-chair-6362965.html
The right must be desperate!!! I can’t really believe that the collapsing chair was an accident…………..
Andrew Little good and assertive on TPPA ….on Morning Report ….despite Espiner’s moronic questions
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201764121/labour-leader-andrew-little-talks-tpp-foreign-buyers
Yes AL good. He seems to be slowing down his speech which works better.
I don’t normally listen to National Radio. Does Guyon Espinor usually use such a hostile tone of voice when he interviews? Does he with Key?
He may have missed his calling as an interrogator.
Espiner does tend to talk like that to the Opposition but not to Key. He tends to start a monologue about the whole things been overblown, rise in voice Labour did it during the 9 years, or didn’t and …continues.. and it’s an example of desperation etc….
But Espiner closely questioned, was a bit mocking, but not OTT. Andrew stuck to his point but he could have said wearily that he would love to give a more detailed answer but how can the Opposition do its job of scrutinising government actions when the details are held secret by the government.
And also that all this wonderful access Espiner was referring to, is at present unknown, unproved, and he could mention Australia which I think missed out on sugar access, or one of their important exports. And that it could be that the only time when Labour and the people get to see the TPPA details is when they are to be ratified and then they can only be rejected or accepted, (as I understand it.) And rejection will have diplomatic and trading consequences far bigger than at present.
Terrible.
If he can’t handle a chair, how can he handle being a PM.
Andrew Little may as well pack up and go home.
I thought it was hilarious it gave me a huge laugh. It showed a sense of humour ‘even though Little was most likely set up by one of Hosking’s flunkies’. Fully expect Gower to add to a montage of Little blooper clips that he will mash together during the 2017 election campaign.
The look on his face is quite amusing
Yes, he’d be quite exceptional at gurning.
Maybe he should flag this trying to be PM lark and actually concentrate on something he has a bit of talent for.
BM and PR not even worth replying to.
@Anker
+1
Oh come now had it happened to John Key you’d be all over yourselves claiming the end was nigh or something
I heard about this from a friend earlier, so was dreading seeing it (such is the shallowness of our politics), but that was fine, he smiled, seemed to think it was funny, all class & cool under pressure.
No trouble, he took it in his stride and could see the funny side of the situation. Mostly what he is interviewed on does not warrant a grin, but it was nice to see his sense of humour showing.
It would have been unintentional ankerawshark. I thought it was hilarious. I bet Little picked up a few votes on the back of that ‘misadventure’. 🙂
I’m trying to help STOP New Zealand signing the TPPA.
The above-mentioned OIA, in my view, could be significant in helping that happen, because it exposes how PM John Key could potentially profit from NZ signing the TPPA, as a shareholder in the Bank of America.
If enough FUSS was made about it?
When I sent out that ‘Media Alert’ this morning, I included the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Huffington Post.
Also the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.
Hopefully, that may encourage NZ media to give this story the prominence it deserves?
Is PM John Key working for US or the U$?
Follow the dollar?
Penny Bright
+100…GO PENNY !
TPPA – WALK AWAY!
Protest today in the wilds of Parnell – applying the political pressure in the Prime Minister’s ‘hood’, letting our placards / banners ‘do the talking’.
WHEN: Today, Tuesday 28 July 2015
TIME: 3.30pm – 5.30pm
WHERE: Corner St Stephens Ave / Parnell Rd
If YOU are opposed to NZ signing the TPPA, and YOU want to help expose PM John Key’s shareholding in the Bank of America – come along!
Time is short – the TPPA ‘Ministerial’ has started today and continues until 31 July.
Don’t sign away our sovereignty!
WALK AWAY from the TPPA!
Penny Bright
+1. If I were in Ak I’d be there. Have a good noisy afternoon.
An interesting contribution to the ongoing debate around wealth and inequality in Aotearoa…
http://www.motu.org.nz/about-us/news/kiwis-have-some-of-the-worlds-highest-material-living-standards/
Not really. Almost completely irrelevant, actually.
Hint: looking at population averages gives little to no information regarding the variations found within that population.
Of course you would say that McFlock.
The findings don’t suit your narrative.
And that obviously makes them ‘irrelevant’.
Hmmm…
Yeah, don’t think so. What we really saw is a massive rise in inequality from the 1980s, a slight dip in the early to mid 2000s and then another steep rise after the GFC with the end result being that inequality has remained the same across the 2000s.
And overstate those at the bottom which is the general problem of averages.
So, that would be a high number of cars and a low number of bedrooms. May explain why we have people living in cars.
I get the distinct impression that that ‘non-partisan’ research centre is trying to put the best spin on their research that they can because if they didn’t then it would clearly show that we have a declining living standard.
How many people do we have living in cars Draco?
This data is not suggesting we don’t…it’s just indicating that we very probably have far less living in car’s than most other countries.
Can you provide data that contradicts that?
Really? You concentrating on people living in cars? And not as a measure of how bad things are.
Personally, I would question the idea of using cars as a measure of wealth in the first place. As the saying goes:
A wealthy nation is where the rich use public transport.
Just remembered our last little dialogue about your acceptance of the Chinagate ‘data’ as “reasonably solid methodology, with some reasonable assumptions” Mcflock, and my prediction that in future you would dismiss evidence of a similar standard if it didn’t suit your narrative…
So here we have a meticulously researched and referenced report, using a highly sophisticated methodology, written by world class academics?
Almost ‘totally irrelevant’ eh?
What an outstanding example of blatant hypocrisy!
BTW, WTF does ‘world class’ mean?
Lost sheep, you are a lying piece of shit. Read on, and I will demonstrate my grounds for saying that:
I accepted the real estate data as reasonable grounds for further research. It was both reasonably solid and relevant to the issue at hand.
Your “little contribution” was irrelevant to the issue of inequality in Aotearoa, and we already have much better qualitative and quantitative long term research available than crude population averages.
But then you already know the significant difference between the two cases, because if my position were actually an example of hypocrisy you’d have linked directly to it so people could see and judge for themselves.
So take your allegation of hypocrisy and stick it firmly up your arse.
and the lost sheep
Your vice is versa.
@ALL
You know It won’t hurt you at all to admit that by comparison with the rest of the World, things aren’t actually too bad here in Aotearoa.
Not perfect, and plenty to work on, but all in all, no matter what your sociology-economic position, you’d be in a worse position almost anywhere else.
That’s all this data is saying.
No, that’s what you’d read if you were a complete imbecile.
Let me put it this way: even if “no matter what your sociology-economic position, you’d be in a worse position almost anywhere else” (which is just fucking bullshit because comparative averages don’t mean that the top 1% in X are better off than the top 1% in Y even if X averages more than Y, and that’s if you ignored the possibility that a declining economy might boost its consumption by transitioning to debt-based consumption rather than wealth-based consumption on the way to lower consumption overall), even if that, then it doesn’t mean that, given ALL NZ’s advantages, we should put up with the problems here.
You’re at a restaurant. You tell the waiter there is dirt on your fork. The waiter responds that, all in all, you’d be in a worse position if you’d been the customer who got half a mouse in the salad. Would you A) thank your lucky stars and be grateful for the fork; or B) tell the dickhead to go fuck himself?
But how pointless.
Given our comparative richness of natural resources, and fairly good cushion against the GFC shouldn’t we being doing better than – ‘not as badly as others?’
Kiaora Lostsheep
The data also feeds into how indebted we are as a nation. We buy stuff on credit. Material wealth is a poor measure of well-being but a good indicator of other things – wastefulness, resource depletion, and toxic waste.
However, I do agree with you, our nation is an awesome place to be and we are all privileged to be living here.
Key has just been reported on RNZ as saying that people in NZ will have to pay more for medicines under TPPA. Labour should climb all over this. Got to be worth a couple more per cent.
Here’s the Granny reporting it:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11488109
Allowing offshore investors to buy new homes still adds to demand, thus further drives up the price of land.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/70595522/john-key-says-a-tax-on-foreign-ownership-would-be-better-than-a-ban
Is Labour not concerned about the price of land and the impact that has on housing?
David Cameron hitting out at illegitimate foreign buyers of UK property
What a coincidence.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/28/david-cameron-fight-dirty-money-uk-property-market-corruption
But Mr Key says you can’t and he won’t! And he said it is all Labour’s fault ‘cos Labour signed a deal with China.
NPR Tiny desk winner 2015 – Fantastic Negrito –
http://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/
Great social commentary song. Quite beautiful as well.
Again may I remind Thestandard folk – you are not alone. What happen to us here in NZ, is happening all over.
What would be a great referendum question/issue – not the flag – that would motivate more people to vote in the General Election?
any ideas?
Bringing back ostracism – five year bans from any public office for nominated individuals?
And have to wear an ostrich head to perps who commit crimes against the good and honest administration of the state whenever out in public till the next election – punishment for keeping head in sand when bad things were happening.
Good idea! Murray Horn springs to mind…
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2015/07/28/gordon-campbell-on-90s-retro-proposals-for-our-health-system/
$85m is going on a few hundred feet of motorway lane here in Wellington – the local DHB could do with that. How about a region’s citizens get do do some ranking of variuos central govt plans .
Should nz become a fully bilingual country.
ie; Maori taught in all schools etc
Should we legilize weed and a safe as possible amphetamine/MDMA. That would get a few of the missing million out.
State purchase & control? Or leave it to the market?
There would have to be some form of testing and control especially on the amphetamine side of things. But it would need to be available enough to cut the crooks out of the game.
Work place Health & safety i.e. impairment?
http://www.drugs.com/article/drug-testing.html
https://www.drugtestingnetwork.com/saliva-testing.htm
Testing if there is probable cause to suspect use at work and or if there is a incident.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70610242/Anne-Tolley-still-happy-for-Serco-to-run-social-services-for-children
For the second time this week !!
How fucking stupid are these morons??
Cabinet meetings must be bloody chronic these days. Every minister is “disappointed” about something, while dunnukeyo dreams of tugging ponytails on a tropical beach.
Maybe if they didn’t keep fucking up, they wouldn’t be so disappointed.
They’re doing fine those Notionals. Whose side are you on!