FIRE stands for Finance, Insurance and Real Estate… It’s an economic model that is obsolete, outmoded, staggering towards its next and quite possibly fatal crisis.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.
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXwNoaOpDMw
______________________________________________________________________________________
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iycmb2Zo3qI&feature=iv&src_vid=7kWEhIXVPJA&annotation_id=annotation_1578084011
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!