FIRE stands for Finance, Insurance and Real Estate… It’s an economic model that is obsolete, outmoded, staggering towards its next and quite possibly fatal crisis.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.
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
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The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
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An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 8 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
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Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
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Extracts from Giovanni Tiso’s review of The FIRE economy, Jane Kelsey, 2015
http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/how-new-zealand-works.html
FIRE stands for Finance, Insurance and Real Estate… It’s an economic model that is obsolete, outmoded, staggering towards its next and quite possibly fatal crisis.
Then, tucked away at the bottom and to the far right, is old New Zealand: a country wallowing in the myth of its rock economy status whilst blissfully playing down the many indicators – beginning with runaway real estate prices and one of the highest levels of household debt in the OECD – that put it at risk of an acute crisis. On top of which, we stubbornly refuse to adopt any of the prudential measures that even the most radical champions of deregulation consider necessary: we remain, Kelsey tells us, the only developed country with no permanent deposit guarantee scheme to protect depositors, and our oversight of investment practices is considered woeful by international standards.
Those who demand that critics come up with an alternative could answer this at least: what is it that compels us to sit at the far extreme of free-market orthodoxy? And what has this orthodoxy ever done for us? Since adopting neoliberalism, New Zealand has become vastly more unequal, lost the majority of its industries, and opened itself to capital flows that were supposed to help create competitive businesses and new jobs, but never did: as it turns out, foreigners with money to spend will rather speculate on our non-productive assets or push up the dollar to take advantage of high-interest term deposits than put themselves at the mercy of our poorly regulated capital markets. Result: thirty years on from the beginning of the New Zealand experiment, the country remains a primary producer with a real estate fixation and rather pathetic delusions of high-flying entrepreneurial grandeur.
Read more here: http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/how-new-zealand-works.html
Stop asking such difficult questions – sheesh, can’t you see those questions will require neoliberalism’s most ardent supporters to actually consider evidence and place that evidence into a structured and reasoned argument? Have you ever seen them do that? Can you imagine John Key ever giving an in-depth answer to those questions? I don’t think so – John Key, the neolibs dear leader, has never answered anything like that, ever.
They will have to get smacked over the head with their own neoliberalism for the realisation to dawn…… which, as you point out at the start, is nigh…….
Thanks for this ropata. If nothing else it would have made Mr Mapp gag on his porridge this morning.
+1 haha step 1 of the nefarious plan has succeeded!
Great sum up and it would be nice to know that there was a political party out there with the will and the spine to do it.
Exactly. But perhaps the party approach to politics isn’t suited for this mission.
politics as usual hasn’t really worked for 50% of kiwis for at least 30 years
we now have housing apartheid in new zealand.
(the foregoing continues a theme, see also this comment on the late Garth George and these comments on the fourth labour government and rogernomics )
A little reminder of what useless governments National make. The leaky building nightmare rolls on for these Auckland apartment owners (plus ratepayers and taxpayers) courtesy of the last lot of tories.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11487766
Its called sticking ones head in the sand….
In spite of all evidence proving the failure of neoliberalism (pike river, leaky homes) this government simply refuses, like a child, to recognise that evidence. Also see comment http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28072015/#comment-1050858
Just wait, under the ‘relaxing’ of rules that the councils, lobby groups and well paid barristers are seeking do with resource consents – ratepayers can look forward to waking up and seeing a giant McMansion pop up next door, or perhaps a block of flats right to the boundary edge, – goodbye sun and privacy.
Funny, all the ‘relaxing’ including the 99% granting of resource consents, doesn’t seem to be producing any affordable homes – more like larger houses which cost more and are less affordable, and also smaller crap box apartments which the rate payers can look forward to paying to reclad in 5 years time.
The resource consents and RMA process is the Cosby Textor of councils. Under the discourse of affordable housing, they are busy enriching cronies, destroying our city and creating future liability with their poor decisions for decades to come.
There are many ways to create affordable houses, but the councils are allowing their resources consent officer and lobbyists, free reign to do the opposite.
How about the extra immigration 10 points is only allocated to regions where
-local unemployment is low
-there are sufficent part time jobs etc for those who need to combine work woth child rearing
– the local teenagers are all employed
-anybody else who wants a job can get one even if they don’t show up in the figures
-there is training taking place for any skill shortages
– x% of the waged jobs are 20% above the minimum hourly rate
Why dump extra people into communities that are not providing for those already there
this should apply to all of NZ, don’t you think 🙂
one problem is that to get the highest points you need to be young too (under 30), those folks move to cities for a reason… fun, nightlife, etc etc
FYI
28 July 2015
Media Alert! Urgent message to Maui!
Trade Minister Tim Groser – where’s your URGENT OIA reply regarding BIG banks and the TPPA?
Dear Minister,
On a letter dated 6 July 2015, Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson, from the Office of the Prime Minister, referred my following OIA request to your Office:
“The information you have requested appears to be more closely connected to the functions and responsibilities of the Minister of Trade.
Accordingly, I am transferring your request to the Minister under section 14 of the Official Information Act.”
______________________________________________________________________________________
MY OIA REQUEST TO PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY:
______________________________________________________________________________________
23 June 2015
Dear Prime Minister,
Please be reminded of your extensive employment background in the investment banking industry, including your significant role in the ‘derivatives trading market’:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/john-key
“Mr Key launched his investment banking career in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.
After 10 years in the New Zealand market he headed offshore, working in Singapore, London, and Sydney for US investment banking firm Merrill Lynch.
During that time he was in charge of a number of business units, including global foreign exchange and European bond and derivative trading.
In 1999, he was invited to join the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and on two occasions undertook management studies at Harvard University in Boston. ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please be reminded (again), that according to the 2015 NZ Register of Pecuniary Interests, you are (still) a shareholder in the Bank of America:
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20151/8bb43d9064b110c19c88349a36301a9580cfb3ed
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment (Aspen, Colorado)
Bank of America – banking ”
______________________________________________________________________________________
(Please be reminded, that I have previously asked you about your personal shareholding in the Bank of America, back in February 2011, at the following Grey Power Public Meeting:
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.
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!