I think yesterday marked a turning point in the media. They have given enough time and space to lies and deception of the PM and his govt, now it’s back to assisting them get the campaign back on the “right” track.
I think yesterday marked a turning point in the media. They have given enough time and space to lies and deception of Hager and his politically motivated hacker friend, now it’s back to assisting National and Labour (let’s not forget Labour has dropped as much as National in the polls through this whole episode) get the campaign back on track.
No Bob, you changed it to reflect your spoon fed view of the proven behaviour of Slater, Lusk, Bhatnagar, Williams, Collins… With your blinkers on regurgitating nonsense as fact.
you mean the idea that slater and DPF have been part of the nats paid attack machine? – that idea has been discussed well before hagers book came out – do keep up
Bob yeah right Nationals tide has gone out !
Slatergate is lost National 5% in the polls!
Now Nationals chances have been seriously damaged by their own septic blogger!
National have tried to shift the blame from Slater to the left that story is wearing thin as it looks like Slaters nasty comments on West Coast death of the brother of the dead coal miners friends are the ones that have lifted the lid on John Keys dirty tricks!
Slater has slipped back into the country threatening hacker with police action he will have to dob himself Lusk Ede Collins and by association Key for taking Credit Card details from a private website!
My reply with a link to the Herald DigiPoll has obviously been sent to moderation, but check it out yourself and tell me who has lost 6.4% since June and who is up .3%? I’ll give you a clue, it doesn’t fit your comment at all.
“National have tried to shift the blame from Slater to the left that story is wearing thin as it looks like Slaters nasty comments on West Coast death of the brother of the dead coal miners friends are the ones that have lifted the lid on John Keys dirty tricks!”
What did that comment have to do with Key?
“Slater has slipped back into the country threatening hacker with police action he will have to dob himself Lusk Ede Collins and by association Key for taking Credit Card details from a private website!” How did you reply to my post? Did you hack my public post to view it? Or was it published an available for anyone to see?
I agree they shouldn’t have (and from I can see didn’t) use the private information gained, but if you publish something on a website it is public domain. If it is meant to be private then don’t publish the information!
If I write my bank details on this site under a historic post where no-one should be able to find it without searching, but you do, does that make you a hacker? Or does that make me an idiot for publishing my private details?
who’s three or four percent down from the same poll a month before the last election?
Who could barely scrape together a majority coalition last election?
lol
Let’s see how winston reconciles baubles with asset sales, eh…
Now let’s see you you go:
Who couldn’t scrape together a majority coalition last election?
Who requires a corrupt (convicted of fraud, espionage, insider trading and embezzlement), right wing German to form a government if they even get close this time?
lol
Let’s see how winston reconciles baubles with joining forces with the Mana party, eh…
who says he needs to join forces with mana?
confidence and supply is not the same as a seat in cabinet.
But you’ve got a hell of a nerve talking about a corrupt new zealand resident when we have cabinet ministers leaking confidential details to one of the most amoral, contemptable and despicable people in the blogosphere. Not to mention the oravida trip, and illegal surveillance of nzers (including the NZ resident you mentioned), and the Environment Canterbury coup d’etat, and the elimination of environmental considerations when removing timber from DoC land, and the super-city debacle, and the holiday highways, and the uneconomic bridges for safe national seats, and the chinese import agent left to hang by Zespri, and so on…
Fuck, one fat millionaire pissing off US corporations who can’t adapt to new media is nothing compared with the looters and troughers in this government.
Collins moving a prisoner for Slater – Lie, and Hager has had to admit it
Key was briefed about the OIA of the SIS brief re. Phil Goff – Lie, and backed up by Key, SIS Director Warren Tucker and Ombudsman Dame Beverley
There are two off the top of my head, I suppose it is easy to get details wrong when you are only getting half a story drip fed (as he stated on Q&A 17/08, can’t link as I’ll get put in moderation) from a hacker after being hacked from one scum bags website.
Remember the outrage here when the GCSB bill was going through, about how when reading private emails things can get taken out of context? Well this is taking it to the nth degree!
So you are part of the group who believe that when tucker told beverley he had a discussion with the prime minister he actually meant he had spoken to someone in the prime ministers office who wasnt tge prime minister?
So you are part of the group who believe that when a hacker drip feed parts of a discussion….oh wait, there was no discussion, only an assumption based on an OIA request from Cameron Slater, with no evidence of anyone telling him to do it and he recieved it quickly because another media organisation had already requested the exact same thing…(hardly a story then is it)…that there is some sort of major conspiracy involving a Labour appointed head of the SIS?
Bob, you forget that the prime minister said he was told about it.
That was before he said he wasn’t told about it.
Which was shortly after people pointed out that slater’s coincidentally-precise OIA request was responded to in unheard of quick time, including the declassifying of the relevant documents.
After similar requests from other organisations were turned down.
You might think that that shit doesn’t stink, and you’re certainly free to do so.
But frankly I think it marks you as one of the education system’s obvious failures.
“Why does the right think accountability only relates to poor people and not their own?”
It’s not specifically a right/left thing, it’s the mind-set that lends itself to hierarchical/authoritarian/appeals-to-authority perspectives. It’s a tribal mind-set: the rules apply to the group/tribe, but infractions by outsiders/interlopers do not require equal consideration. Threats to the cohesion of the group from outside the group are always greater than crimes committed inside the group. Some minds believe they are what they believe themselves to be, it’s an over identification with false identity.
Thanks for that crocodill. Except it is ACT and many in National who make public statements and direct policy specifically to the notion of “personal accountability” and have a number of MPs who act contrary to it. That was the point I was making. For example, 17%+ of all ACT MPs elected to parliament have been convicted for crimes relating to deceit.
That’s a mix of layers of culture and language. What they speak is the dialect of the tribe/group. As you point out, when they say “responsibility” it doesn’t mean the dictionary definition, or your definition, the word is defined by the norms and rules of their group. It can be disorienting for English speakers to hear English spoken and not know what the words and phrases mean, except through experience.
The Left have their meanings, too. For example there was a post on here yesterday that had among it’s quoted phrases one like, “fiscal responsibility”. Yeah that sounds great, being responsible in your planning with money…but in context it meant, “no/less assistance for those who need it most, the people we said we’d help, but continued support of those who have more than they need.”. It’s all dialect using words that are spelled the same and sound the same, within phrases that are the same in all but meaning.
What matters most is the action, not the words, and the game for the voter is to use their own experience (but without getting too pessimistic or cynical – thanks, Hagar) to figure out what the dialectal words and phrases mean. Oh yeah, and the meanings don’t stay static either and are adjusted by the order of phrases, or apparent contradictions, and contradiction doesn’t necessarily mean a contradiction through rhetorical error, but merely an adjustment to new meaning…just to make it more challenging. Good luck with your study of the English language!
Oh no, he’s busy working hard to win his seat back on the gravy train in Wellington. Funny how he is not upset at Slater and Lusk taking credit for all his hard work.
It’s getting quite annoying now! Tried several times on Firefox and Chrome to get a comment through and most just disappear and some get bounced as spam. Is the Standard being hacked?
[Sometimes the filter gets really active and starts grabbing anything with a link in it. Will retrieve as many comments as I can – MS]
The Conservatives are on the verge of cracking 5% on last night’s TV3 poll…
We should all be worried about the prospect of Garth McVicar and Christine Rankin in Parliament (and possibly cabinet). They are a serious threat to all the progressive gains that have been made in this country since the end of WW2.
Cool. But we are talking about the difference between Craig funding a party he is heading, running and standing for and Dotcom who is merely funding a party.
I’d say that “merely” funding a party with policies beyond narrow self interest – especially lump sums up front – implies greater security and less of a tendency to micro-manage than insisting on being main backer, leader, dripfeeder of finance, and “face” of essentially a vanity project.
TV3 news page says the undecideds are 9%.
Interestingly given that ACT is at 0.3% in this poll (and a seat is worth roughly 0.7% of the vote) at what point does them winning Epsom deliver an overhang seat?
Won’t post my link to TV3 for some reason but the poll breakdown is at the bottom of the article “Latest Poll a Big Blow for John Key” on their news page.
For some reason TV3 has allocated two seats to the Maori Party on the strength of 0.7% of the party vote. It’s either a mistake or they reckon that MP will win two electorate seats in which case, along with ACT this poll suggests an overhang of two seats, requiring 62 seats to form a government. In other words National’s little helpers are cancelling themselves out.
3 News-Reid Research poll:
August 19-25, 1000 people polled, margin of error 3.1 percent
National 45 percent, down 2.5 percent
Labour 26.4 percent, down 2.6 percent
Greens 13.5 percent, up 0.5 percent
NZ First 6.3 percent, up 1.7 percent
Conservative 4.6 percent, up 2.1 percent
Internet Mana 2.1 percent, up 0.1 percent
Maori Party 0.7 percent, down 0.1 percent
United Future 0.4 percent, up 0.2 percent
ACT 0.3 percent, no change
Seats in the house:
National 57
ACT 1
United Future 1
Maori Party 2
Right total: 61
Labour 33
Greens 17
Internet Mana 3
Left total: 53
NZ First 8
Preferred Prime Minister:
John Key 41.4 percent, down 2.7 percent
David Cunliffe 11.1 percent, up 1.2 percent
Should John Key stand Judith Collins down?
Yes 63 percent
No 28 percent
Don’t know 9 percent
National voters:
Yes 43 percent
No 46 percent
Don’t know 9 percent
3 News
In 2011 the last seat went with a quota of 9048.171.
If there was the same number of votes this time that would mean that, assuming ACT get one electorate seat, it would be an overhang seat if their party vote was less than 9049.
0.3% is about 7,000 so it would be in this case. If they got 0.4% on the other hand they would be entitled to a seat and it wouldn’t be an overhang.
Yep. The left should plan for Conservatives being in Parliament. They have a constituency. Dirty Politics is playing into their hands. They will go with the party with the most votes which is likely to be Nats. That is why the Nats are not doing a deal, they’ll get them anyway for at least confidence and supply.
and so the party which has as its foundation a desire to be our moral backbone, will go with the party shown to be the most immoral currently in NZ. Will they just accept key’s word that it has all changed now I wonder
Morals are for solo mums and unemployed bludgers, not for god’s chosen conservatives. Besides, didn’t some bloke on a donkey say something about forgiving people their sins? And didn’t he cavort with prostitutes and thieves? It’s the least Colon can do. It’s obvious the bloke on the donkey would go with Key.
As expected National took a bit of a hit, labour took a bigger hit as everyone sees they’re pushing the dirty politics campaign and can’t believe the utter hypocrisy of the vote positive line labour are trying to run.
It’s become a they’re just as bad as each other scenario
Craig and Peters are definitely the winners here, don’t think John Key will be too upset by all this
“It’s become a they’re just as bad as each other scenario”
That’s how they can reconcile their support for such practices. As if the right wouldn’t have published everything they had on similar behaviour if they had it. I mean Whaleoil is dredging back to 2013 to get something on a rapper. BM hasnt read the book, so he can stay in his delusion fed by the lines of Slater or is it Lusk or is it Graham
I was talking to my father in-law the other night, he is normally a Labour supporter but with all of the talk of Dirty Politics, kids shouting “fuck John Key”, songs about killing John Key and having sex with his daughter and what seams to be an organised campaign were only National hoardings are being attacked, he has said he is sick of it all from both sides and is going to vote for Winston Peters. He is a life long Labour voter.
It’s only one person, but if you think it is only National being caught up in the Slater / Dotcom style dirty politics I think you may be mistaken.
I have read all about Internet-Mana putting up a “Fuck John Key” video, I have read all about and listened to the song saying “Kill the Prime Minister” and “Going to fuck his daughter”, do you condone this behavior Tracey?
Yes, by the looks of things his computer was genuinely hacked, and bits and pieces “drip feed” (according to Hager himself) were leaked to Hager and taken in the context that he wanted too. Two of his most damaging claims have already been thoroughly debunked, did you read about that? That’s right, it’s all a big conspiracy! You should vote Colin Craig, he is the conspiracy lover!
Bob, that’s the most depressing thing I’ve read in the whole saga. Does your father in law understand that voting for NZF will give the election to National? Is that what he wants?
“it’s toss up really. On the one hand it’s hard to believe anyone could be so stupid”
Don’t worry, for the past 12 years I’ve let him know he is stupid for voting Labour, finally he is actually doing something about it!
He doesn’t care too much this year, he doesn’t like David Cunliffe and he doesn’t like John Key so he just wants Winston to “keep them honest” whoever gets in.
Certainly John Key will not be too upset. I would have expected a much bigger hit then this.
This means Labour still needs to drop a policy bomb. Something that will resonate with all voters. Dirty Politics saga will not win the election for us. We need a big policy announcement. Hopefully this weekend.
wait to see what the undecideds did, or didnt do. This poll, it appears to me, shows some bleeding from those already committed to vote to National, to other right parties.
“I reckon the media will start pushing him, no more Crazy Colin stuff.”
Will they tape his mouth shut then?
I think you underestimate the MSM glee at people who can’t help but make dicks of themselves so they can be laughed at. Whyte would be the other classic example.
well one recent poll (HT swordfish) analysis had undecideds at about 10%. Could be undecided for a bunch of reasons. My point is that if undecideds have shift in the poll from last night then it is not good news for the left cos they have gone NZF and Conservatives.
reid Research from February 2014
National – 44.5 percent, down 1.9 percent
Labour – 33.5 percent, up 1.3 percent
Greens – 12.4 percent, up 2 percent
NZ First – 5.7 percent, up 1.5 percent
Conservative – 2.1 percent, down 0.7 percent
Maori Party – 1 percent, down 0.2 percent
Mana – 0.3 percent, down 1 percent
ACT – 0 percent, down 0.8 percent
United Future – 0 percent, down 0.1 percent
Reid last night (no undecideds included/polled)
National 45.0% (-2.5%)
Labour 26.3% (-2.6%)
Green 13.5% (+0.5%)
ACT 0.3% (nc)
Maori 0.7% (-0.1%)
United Future 0.4% (+0.2%)
Mana/Internet 2.1% (+0.1%)
NZ First 6.3% (+1.7%)
Conservative 4.6% (+2.1%)
thats a very interesting comparison Tracey and not at all what I would have expected. The only substantive change is a leakage from Labour to IMP, Conservatives, NZfirst and the Greens, so theres a bit of leftward leakage from Labour as well as rightward.
As I say, quite counter-intuitive, but pretty bad for Labour in a strategic sense. Six months of planning, strategising, campaigning and engaging, and it just isn’t working.
I think it is accounted for because its included in the later poll. They weren’t an option then, they are an option now.
It looks like what we will see – and this I am guessing will be a major component of Nationals advertising – is demonisation of IMP, painting them as a radical, dangerous, tail wagging dog coalition partner for Labour. It will improve IMP polling but at the expense of Labour/Greens. Any extreme party (right or left) that gets momentum probably does as much to shore up vote for the other bloc as it does for their own. The middle voters drift away.
Is that your big pronoucement BM? If so you are very late on the scene to that conclusion. many here have already posted for ages they are not voting labour.
I disagree. The last few weeks of the campaign will be telling in that the message will be loud and clear that young families and young people will better off and have some hope for the future with forward thinking and solution based Labour policy as opposed to falling further and further behind under National’s sit on their hands, reactive approach.
broadly based on results last night IF conservatives won a seat and got about 4.5% of the party vote they could have 6 MPs… I was doing rough calculations only and there were 2 overhang seats
No, what is killing labor is sheer fear by the wider public and the safe haven of conservatism. Unfortunately, NZ does not have the history or collective memory that such a move always is like a shot in the knee. Fear is everywhere and fear is a bad adviser.
I think you’ll find that they have other points of difference from National that play well. (see Lochinvar).
So if the Nats do end up with them the ‘horse trading’ to form a Gov it will be interesting but I think Nats will do it. The Conservatives social/moral concerns will be thrown over to referendum to bind us to a ‘moral majority’.
Never mind the Greens being ‘dangerous for the country’ as Garth George liked to say.
I suspect their economic concerns will not go to referendum though TPPA might. I do not see them as a fan of globalization but a champion of small businesses.
Caricaturing them can blind you to a threat that needs combating. Beware.
he hasnt read the book. hasnt read any Hager book but still bases an entire article on it.
“”I have tried really, really hard to read Nicky Hager’s books … But I have never been able to do it. They make my head hurt. They go 2 plus 2 is 17, the square root of 73 is 6, 12 times 12 is 50.”
And then Mr George goes on to take 2 plus 2 to make 17…
He repeats the myth that Hager said that Hide was blackmailed to resign by Lusk and Slater. Not true. My recollection is he specifically stated he didnt know if they went through with their plan. BUT not having read it, Mr George wouldn’t know that. he thinks all Slater and Lusk et al were doing was posting some stuff to a blog. He is out of his depth in this article because he doesn’t understand the way the media was manipulated by that blog and the national party and he doesn’t understand that because his prejudice won’t allow him to read any of Hager’s books.
he is sctahing of Collins, but not of Key’s, association with WO
“Why anyone would bother to read Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings I have no idea, but it seems he has a bit too much support from some people in government, particularly Justice Minister Judith Collins.
She is said to be on a “last chance” from Prime Minister John Key after various missteps and it is not surprising that she is maintaining a low profile while this trivial controversy continues to rage.
Mr Key says Ms Collins is the subject of a left-wing smear campaign, yet it seems to me that our Minister of Justice has put so many feet wrong in the past couple of years that she has lost the confidence of the electorate.
I doubt whether she will last in the National regime; she has certainly blotted her copybook often enough to have lost any chance of ever being leader and thus Prime Minister. For which we can all be thankful since she seems to stand slightly to the right of Ruth Richardson.”
And his final piece of resistance? A snide attack on MMP
”
Garth George: Hager – much ado about nothing
By Garth George
5:00 AM Wednesday Aug 27, 2014 Add a comment
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Why would anyone bother to read Cameron Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings? Why would anyone bother to read Cameron Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings?
And so it goes on … and on … and on – the kerfuffle over the big, fat, smelly red herring cast into the election campaign by Nicky Hager, that obsessive anti-establishment scribbler who seems to surface only when the chances of self-aggrandisement are at their highest.
The sudden and unheralded release of his book, Dirty Politics – and if there were ever a tautology, then that is it – has been blown up out of all proportion to its importance by the media – TV, radio and, unfortunately, newspapers – in an exhibition of tabloid journalism that brings them no credit whatsoever.
“How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment” is the subtitle to this document, as if none of us knew that our political environment has been slowly succumbing to the poison of personalities before principles for at least the past 30 years.
About the only thing we can say about it is that we’re lucky that so far it hasn’t become as poisonous as politics elsewhere, such as Australia, Britain, France and the United States.
Nevertheless, we seem to be catching up fast.
It has certainly become worse since we benightedly voted in the MMP system with its arcane alliances of disparate parties leading to all sorts of political shenanigans.”
Enjoy your retirement Mr George and please, REALLY retire from journalism this time.
“there were of course various political pressures on Hide as he made the decision but the threats described here were something completely different. The documents do not contain the texts and we do not know that they exist. There is also no evidence that a direct was made to Hide. Nonetheless, Slater and Lusk’s planning and thinly veiled threat on the blog post go far beyond normal politics. They feel more like blackmail. ”
my emphasis
Those without an axe to grind against Mr Hager would, imo, read that to be a commentary on Lusk and Slater’s intentions and behaviour and admonishing that, regardless of whether any actual blackmail attempt was made. And that Ms Collins and PM (and his office) Key associate with this guy, including spoeaking with him about matters on his blog. (I look to Key’s comment about the woman on the west coast on tv the other day “I to him that I knew her”.
Is Cunliffe being set up with people as examples who contradict the policy he is trying to sell?
I doubt the party leader is jacking this up because he would be too busy, but if you are going to trot out real people wouldn’t you want them on message too? Isn’t this the second or third time this has happened?
Not sure how they contradict the poicy. They looked to buy a house but in the current environment there is no way they can do that. For that reason they are not currently looking. They are instead saving and in a few years when Labour’s policy is starting to bear fruit they will be able to look at purchasing a more affordable house. Under NACT’s policy they may be able to scrimp together a deposit but it will be for a house that will be far more expensive and will burden them with a crushing amount of debt. Looks like they tick all of the boxes.
Of course if you were the Herald and wanted to spin it in the worst possible light you would only point out that they are currently not looing for a home and ham that up for everything it is worth.
It has been a particularly bad day for the Herald spin machine. Two editorials telling us how National can still win the election despite the evil nasty smear that is being aimed at them and a deliberate attempt to try and undermine a policy that Labor outshine NACT on by not actually atacking the policy but a couple chosen to represent those it is aimed at.
Herald this morning has an article from the Bay of Plenty Times from the pen of ‘Father of The Nation’ Garth George – “Hager – Much Ado About Nothing” – with bonus pic of SlaterPorn.
Attempted to link but no-can-do message comes up – “Identified as Spam”. Doesn’t say whether that’s Father or SP or both. Ne’er mind – good picking The Standard !
Hard case article though. Much revilement of SlaterPorn and demand for the loathsome Collins’ head on a plate. My…….how unfaithful you are Father……
So speaks a man who prides himself on Christian values. A nice summary of all the mis reporting by the media and swallowed hook line and sinker by Mr George et al.
Even repeating the BS that Hager wrote that Hide WAS blackmailed to resign. He patently did not write that. he wrote of a plan to blackmail him to resign, and stated he didn’t know if they went through with it. Another person waxing lyrical about Hager who patently hasnt read the book.
‘Get the whales to scooch over so we can get their oil.’ Just goes to show how little a private school education can actually do for the thick kids of the rich.
Ps: since when is interviewing people you have power over such as your children and your employees count as ‘balance’?
Disappointed (again!) in Guyons line of questioning of Winston on RNZ this morning. On RNZ National, I am hearing more and more interviewer ‘opinions’ in framing the questions that are asked of guests. The result is that we find out what Guyon or Suzie thinks is going on!!. Very concerning. Their ‘views’ are not balanced and its unprofessional. The public deserve a higher standard of journalism from its ‘National’ State Broadcaster.The tone and standard of Mourning (sp intended) Report has changed for the worse. Bring back Geof!
And on Morning Report this morning Colin Craig was able to say his rise in the polls was because of people being turned off by “Dirty Politics.” He should have been asked, if that was the case, why he intends propping up a National government, the very party that has indulged in dirty politics to a degree never seen before in NZ.
But no, he was given a soft interview in stark contrast to the aggressive interview style with David Cunliffe.
Large numbers of New Zealanders are aware of and talking about the issues raised as a result of the publication of Nicky Hager’s book, Dirty Politics, according to results of an August 18-25 HorizonPoll of 1,752 adults nationwide.
By large majorities they find dirty politics unacceptable and would prefer them not to be practised:
They are unacceptable to 59.9% of adults and acceptable to 25.8% as a part of overall political behaviour.
National should be getting a hiding in the polls about now.
why? There are many people who either don’t care, have such behavior as part of their culture or both. What is really worrying is the fact that everybody is referring to Mr Slater in one way or another. Who on earth has appointed this low life to any position to speak on anyone’s behalf? Who are these commentators who try to shape the opinion of so many with their slanted view of the world? Can we register them and their means of undue influence and hold them accountable if we degrade further as a nation?
So now Miss Bella Henry (daughter of Paul Henry) is an “ordinary New Zealander”? (according to TV3
“Neither do the ordinary New Zealanders the Paul Henry Show will be talking to between now and the September 20 election.
These are hard-working Kiwis who care about what’s happening in the world, but who are also far too busy to be bogged down in the detail of what politicians are up to.
Last week we met Graham from Napier, who is one of Paul’s political panellists the Paul Henry Show will be hearing from again in the run up to the election.
But tonight Bella, Paul’s youngest daughter, gives her views on matters of political interest – not matters of interest to her – but the political stories captivating the media.
And just like Graham, she’ll be voting because she knows it’s important to, but her pre-occupation is not politics – it’s getting on with her own life.
Amazing film. Lets interview people who have no idea of what is happening because their views are important instead of spending that time presenting the issue.
Gawd strewth!!! Just watched it. I’m bloody surprised Rebecca Wright agreed to do it – but I ‘spose she doesn’t have much choice in today’s media-star environment. It’s just as well Bella is 18 (going on 15), or that’d be the closest thing to child abuse I’ve seen in a while.
Still, it’s all about Paul, and any & every ego extension available.
Poor fuckn wife! Does she have a life I wonder?
It reminds me somewhat of all those American parents putting their toddlers up for beauty pageants. I suspect I-I-I-me-me-me Paul has been wondering for a while how the fook he was going to get Bella (he’s so proud of her) into the media. Shit …. here we go …. along comes an erection ooops eLection. Perfuck opportunity.
Shame on you. Pump your ego up much more and it’ll pop
I managed about a third of it. It was appalling. What little Bella does know is just picked up from her moran father’s prejudices. I’d say 18 going on 12. She’ll go far and maybe even become a NAct minister. After all, she’s probably brighter than Paula Benefat.
The above is the link to an Horizon Poll of 1752 people announced today
“More want the Prime Minister to launch an independent inquiry into the book’s allegations than not take this action (45.9% support, 24.7% oppose). However, more think he should stay in office rather than resign over the allegations made in the book. …………………….
Large numbers of New Zealanders are feeling angry, disappointed and disgusted as a result of the Prime Minister’s management of the issues raised in the book in the 12 days from its first publication. The results indicate the Prime Minister, John Key, has made 135,700 people who voted National in 2011 feel angry, or disappointed or disgusted. This is 12.8% of those who voted National at the last election. …………
In this survey, conducted after the release of the “Dirty Politics” book, National retains only 82% of those who said in July/August they would give their party vote to the National Party. Note that around 8% of those who said in the July/August poll they would vote for National are now undecided about which party they will give their party vote to…………………
It took me a while to get the Horizon Poll details up onto Open Mike – as above at 11.
And although it states that 8% of people who voted Nats last time are undecided, I’m thinking that if the MSM continues to allow ShonKey a reasonable say without questionning him or being persistent, then those undecideds will flow back into the National fold on election day.
And it does look as if all the publicity about Dirty Politics has taken attention away from Labour’s policy announcements. That’s disappointing, and disturbing.
I think the drop in Labour’s support is due to the almost total lack of coverage for Labour in either TV3 or TVNZ news over the last couple of weeks (apart from responding to “Dirty Politics”). I don’t usually watch TV news because it is a waste of time, but I decided to see the reactions to “Dirty Politics.” What I discovered was that Labour was unable to get coverage of policy announcements, and I suspect Key’s constantly repeated “left wing smear campaign” refrain has managed to smear Labour with some swinging voters.
Take some heart the ” I think new Zealanders will decide what tot hink about all this” line has failed
“73.7% believe that, if it is true as alleged in the book that a member of the staff of Prime Minister John Key’s office accessed confidential information held in a Labour Party web site, the behaviour is unacceptable.
They tend to believe the Prime Minister knew in advance about attacks on political opponents planned by pro-National bloggers and that the bloggers did not act totally independently of the National-led government.”
and they seem to see through media bias?
“More than half of adult New Zealanders (53.1%) believe mainstream media (newspapers, radio and television) have failed to act impartially in relation to material provided to them by bloggers. While 40.9% are not sure whether the media’s coverage of all aspects of the allegations made in Mr Hager’s book has been adequate, there is a small tendency to believe that it has not been.
Respondents tend to support the use of hacked e-mails and social media information of blogger Cameron Slater in the public interest than oppose it based on the information allegedly being private and obtained illegally.”
“A key policy plank for NZ First and the Conservative Party has been given a boost after two thirds of voters said they believed citizens-initiated referenda should be binding on a Government.
The Herald DigiPoll survey showed 66 per cent of respondents agreed such referenda should be binding while 22 per cent said they should not.”
2/3 of voters DID NOT say they believed referenda should be binding. 2/3 of people polled. I do wish they would make the differentiation
HOWEVER MR “anything to be in power” will be very interested n this I am sure…. any seats they can offer to Colins party so he can bring back a subjective defence for beating your children”
This has been on my mind for a while. Pete Hodgson had some numbers on it once I believe and they were pretty high. In the thousands I think.
Anyway, this came into sharp focus for me recently talking to four women aged around 30.
They all intended to vote this election.
They all voted last election.
The catch is only one was enrolled to vote.
They were under the mistaken opinion that being given a special vote on voting day and voting for their party and candidate of choice meant that they had voted. Not so.
Can you tell your friends, Draco – that from 3 Sept they are able to enrol and vote early at the same time. The Returning Officer in each electorate will have special polling booths available.
The Super City has been costly for residents of the former Auckland City Council who have been hammered by a new single rating system designed to put everyone on the same footing.
Following contents ‘rich suburbs pay higher rates, poor suburbs pay lower rates’ ie the way it should actually be with a unified rating system.
While voting intention shifts from poll to poll, National’s level of retention this year of those who said they intended to cast their party vote for the National Party at the next election had been particularly strong in polls conducted by Horizon up to the July/August survey (before the Hager book’s release), at around 92%. In this survey, conducted after the release of the “Dirty Politics” book, National retains only 82% of those who said in July/August they would give their party vote to the National Party.
Note that around 8% of those who said in the July/August poll they would vote for National are now undecided about which party they will give their party vote to.
In the High Court today … interesting facts calling for postponement of election until resolution of issue of human rights in denying votes to all prisoners .. with Te Tiriti …
Beverley Wakem laying the groundwork for retrospective legislation legitimising John Key’s hands off/didn’t see it lie about the speedy SIS OIA release to Slater.
The Chief Ombudsman will launch an investigation into the way the Official Information Act is being used after the election and will include a probe into ministerial offices as part of the inquiry.
The probe comes in the wake of Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics and questions over OIA information provided to Whaleoil blogger Cameron Slater.
Chief Ombudsman Dame Beverley Wakem said issues which would be examined included government departments having to seek “sign off” from their ministers before releasing information when there was no reason to do so.
She said there was “excessive reference upwards for approval” to release information when there was no good reason for doing so.
The Act was intended to increase Government and ministers’ accountability to the public while allowing citizens to have a greater input into decision-making. It was passed in 1982, came into force two years later and has now been operating for 30 years.
Dame Beverley, who did not want to comment on Hager’s book, said issues before the Office of the Ombudsman raised concerns about the capacity to handle requests and policies used by departments, rather than any alleged rorting of the system. “I haven’t observed anything sinister.
“I have observed unnecessary steps and referrals upwards. I have heard of at least five layers of approval before something can be released. That’s absurd.”
She said the unnecessary upwards delays included referrals to ministers for approval to release information. There were also offices which had “delayed things beyond what is reasonable” while others did “incredibly well”.
“There’s actually fundamentally nothing wrong with the Act. What is wrong is the execution.
“It is people’s understanding of the act and understanding of how to use it.” She said many public service staff with expertise in the Act had been “rinsed” out of the system. She said there was an impact on staff with experience “if there’s not very many of them left doing this” and they received a heavy load of requests each day.
Dame Beverley — a former Radio NZ chief executive — pointed to the public service sinking lid, saying “there’s only so much blood out of a stone”.
She said the office, which had previously told select committees it was cash-strapped, was “approaching having enough money”.
In the past two years, she said extra resources had gone into training for public service staff with positive effect.
Dame Beverley, who is president of the International Ombudsman Institute, said she had been tempted to publish a league table of best-to-worst agencies, as other bodies did abroad.
“We haven’t resorted to that in New Zealand but each day that goes by it becomes more tempting.” She said the framework of the inquiry had been completed and it would be launched in the next few months.
– NZ Herald
Beverley Wakem laying the groundwork for retrospective legislation legitimising John Key’s hands off/didn’t see it lie about the speedy SIS OIA release to Slater.
I’m sure the reference by this National party stooge to the departments that did “incredibly well” include the SIS ministry and Prime Minister’s office.
Isnt she contradicting mr tuckers claim that approval didnt go to the PM. She says it clearly has to go right to the top first. Could be she wants to remove that as a potential or actual point of political interference?
From reading a few other articles about her it seems she’s against the difficulty in releasing information quickly to the public and as she said above, calling the several layers of approval as “absurd”.
That she’s unhappy with the inconsistency in the release of information is nice overall, particularly in terms of the withholding of information she believes the public are entitled to, what she’s not addressing is the careful delaying for some and releasing for others which is what this episode is all about.
If this is the kind of confusion and suspicion of subterfuge that can result the the Act looks loose to me and lacks clarity. Fine, re-legislate, but still investigate the 90 minute Slater OIA vigorously.
And, if ministers are to be taken out of the loop, then who does she propose to be responsible for the release of information. Jason Ede types?
I think this coming election could be framed not just as “right versus left” but as “post-democracy versus democracy.” If David Shearer had remained Labour Party leader it would essentially be a post-democratic election, not because of anything particularly wrong with him, but because he was chosen with the approval of the opinion makers, after a short time in parliament, as a ‘face’ rather than a real leader of Labour. The small parties on the left and NZ first would still be democratic of course, but would lack the grunt to alter the post-democratic direction. And if Hager hadn’t written his book, we would not know just how far down the post-democratic road we have already come.
The speculation that Bennett may replace Key as National’s leader, should Key decide to vamoose, suggests that the right and their media flunkies assume a post-democratic future. Not someone like Joyce, who might think he has actual power, but someone who can be packaged and sold, who is willing to take directions and is attracted by celebrity status.
We may not even be able to save democracy, it may already be too late, but it is crucial that we try. We are lucky that Labour has Cunliffe as leader. We are lucky that the Greens do not seem to be suborned, that Hager wrote his book, and that IMP is there to shake things up. We cannot take this luck for granted. We must keep up our enthusiasm under pressure, and work to get the vote out.
For the last 30+ years the capitalists have been, through neo-liberal policies and privatisation, been taking us back to being a feudal society. We have to stop it now.
Throughout recorded history the greedy buggers, otherwise known as capitalists, have worked the system to gather the wealth into their own hands. This is not hyperbole as Piketty shows with his research – as wealth accumulates to the few more wealth accumulates to those few. Interest and percentile based returns on investment ensures that those returns exceed the return to labour and that they are exponential.
The inevitable result of capitalism is the collapse of society.
Once again (I’ll spell it out properly for you – and this has been spelt out for you before):
All neo-liberalism is capitalism but not all capitalism is neo-liberal. StatementS like “the capitalists” make no sense because it can’t be used to refer to a single group of people with a single ideology.
Can you read that properly?
(By the way – I’m a social democrat who believes in the Nordic Model of capitalism)
Worn down by all the dirt ? This is to get moving after the weight of all the filth, to be refreshed and re-inspired !
Brilliant song from1982, by the inspired Kokomo .. without doubt the best Bristish soul band ever; includes some members of Joe Cocker’s Grease Band and all of what was originally Arrival. Incredible vocals and rhythym section.
Rise and Shine …. perfect lyrics for today .. . Please enjoy the dancing and be re-inspired …
hope you enjoy it as much as me … these are dear friends of mine from way back .. and the track is perfect for today and what is to come I think !! left you a link down below for some funny carol burnett you might like too .. but who knows where it will show up with the way the page is going today !
I went to a concert at The Roundhouse in London close to forty years ago with Kokomo on the bill but alas, memories have faded and the only thing I can recall about the evening is the Canadian girl.
“A powerful new technology revolution is emerging that is going to fundamentally alter our economic life. The Communication Internet is converging with an embryonic Energy Internet and Logistics Internet to create a new technology platform — the Internet of Things (IoT) — that connects everything and everyone.”
I have to use up my mobile broadband today, I think there is over a gig left as I was away a lot of the month. Any suggestions on video downloads? Political, musical, comedic or just fun. I got the Hager talk already.
I haven’t had time to look properly, but assuming like all the other polls, the undecideds aren’t counted, I have to wonder if this is material for a complaint to the Press Council. It’s very misleading, and grossly deceitful that they don’t point out the implications of the undecided votes.
“I am intrigued that they should rush the result out at 2 pm before the debate.”
Because the media thinks the election is all about them, it’s the same with release of polls through the media outlets every second day….. the whole thing is ludicrous to the extreme.
Unfortunately we’ve played into their game by taking about it !
lol
I half expected them to be calling key the winner of the first debate already 🙂
So, to recap, national is on 50.7% with three weeks to go. The same poll said with 3 or 4 weeks before the election that national was on 53/54%.
So at the moment national are looking possibly at 43/44%, although the main variation will come after the debates. And depending what kdc’s announcement is as well – I suspect he’s overhyped it, though.
Worst case is that Assange makes a big self-important speech that fails to meet expectations, and kdc follows it with a minor fizzle that looks like nothing compared to the corruption hager’s already revealed. And while everyone is still going “what was all that about?”, half of them tick for the corrupt bastards again.
Best case is that kdc reveals genuinely slam-dunk evidence that key did something illegal and the cops have to drag the pm in for questioning.
After all, they raided newspaper offices last time, so they don’t let political timetables affect their investigations – right? /sarc
At the end of the day, it’s clear you just don’t like queer people. Why not be honest about it?
Stephanie Rodgers wrote this about me in her post “Supporting all the colours of the rainbow.” I replied to her outrageous remark (it was brief lol), but although she seems to have cleared other comments out of moderation, she won’t clear my reply. So here I am forced on to OM saying: that’s just a transparently shit argument style, Stephanie, and now I’m really looking forward to what other crap you’re going to put in my mouth/make up next about me. 😈
It seems fair to bring your comment to OM, given the power imbalance in arguing with an author on their own post, but I hope over the coing month we can try and state our differences but not get too bogged down in them.
It seems fair to bring your comment to OM, given the power imbalance in arguing with an author on their own post
damn, I appreciate you explicitly mentioning the subtle and not so subtle power imbalances stemming from author privilege, weka; so many people still refuse to acknowledge that it even exists 😉
Funnily enough, being a non commenting RWNJ on this site, I am all about this CV. Having a moan about the M/F/? on your passport when you try and enter the UAE or Egypt is onna be the least of yours problems
Most of us will be watching the leaders debate tonight but if anyone is interested Radio Live have a debate on a Thursday night 7pm – 9pm with the appropriate people Tonight’s debate is welfare/superan. It will be available on demand I expect.
Ok – how about focusing on the BIG issues and the HARD questions?
I did get speaking rights at today’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting in the Town Hall today.
Who knew that Auckland Council was currently exposed to nearly $5.8 BILLION in derivatives?
A follow-up OIA request to Treasury ….
_________________________________________________________________________28 August 2014
URGENT/’Open Letter’ / OIA request to NZ Treasury
re: Legislative changes since 2008 that have allowed NZ at local and central government to become more exposed to the derivatives market.
Please be advised that under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, I have recently received a reply from Auckland Council, dated 14 August 2014,
( Auckland Council Official Information Request No. 9000130643)
which reveals the following information:
My LGOIMA request question:
” 6) Please provide the information which confirms exactly how much Auckland Council has been exposed to the derivatives market since 1 November 2010.”
Auckland Council reply:
“Interest rate swaps are used to manage interest rate exposures on Council debt.
The total notional value of interest rate risk management instruments (swaps) including forward start swaps is $5.8 billion and the average term to is 6.4 years.
Total “live” swaps at 30 June 2014 are $3.2 billion.
The forward start swaps of $2.6 billion will lock in the interest rate on future borrowings. ”
Please provide the following information:
1) All legislative changes enacted since the John Key led National Government took office in 2008, which have facilitated, enabled, encouraged or generally made it easier, for New Zealand at local and central government level (including Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises) to become exposed to the derivatives market, in any/all way, shape or form.
2) The names of the banks, financial institutions and the like, which have facilitated, enabled and/or provided derivatives market services, in any form, since the John Key led National Government took office in 2008.
3) As of today, 28 August 2014, the total current amount of exposure to the derivatives market held by the NZ Government, at central government level (including, but not limited to, Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises).
4) As of 18 November 2008 (the day before the John Key led National Government took office), the total current amount of exposure to the derivatives market held by the NZ Government, at central government level (including, but not limited to, Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises).
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/ anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Attendee: 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2014 G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
Penny – good on you for raising this in the wider context of Auckland City Council general financial mismanagement.
But don’t be sucked in by the nominal amounts. If the council is doing their job properly (I know, a big if) the actual amount “at risk” on these trades should only be around 3 or 4% of the nominal amount. A swap is a nominal contract, ie if you enter into a 100 million swap, 100million dollars doesnt change hands. An agreement is made to swap interest payments. So lets say we agree to swap a 6% fixed payment for 3 month floating payment for 5 years, the exposure is just the present value of the difference of those payments. So on the start date the net exposure on that swap would be zero, not 100 million.
The questions you should be asking council are the following:
-What is the current mark to market value of all derivative transactions the council has entered into?
– What is the net credit exposure to each swap counterparty (please identify counterparties by name), broken out by counterparty credit rating?
– Please describe what proportion of outstanding derivative exposure is hedging existing interest rate exposures?
– Are all derivative contracts entered into under an ISDA agreement?
– Are exposures to counterparties collateralised, and if so to what degree?
– What gift and entertainment policies cover the staff responsible for negotiationg and entering into derivitive transactions?
– Please publish (without identifying staff names) the current gift and entertainment register?
Answers to those questions will tell you everything you need to know.
NZ Herald have published their latest Digipoll (interestingly, breaking it online before their papers). A reason for that could be that the results of the debate might take a more prominent seat then.
The party results are interesting, showing NZ First and Conservatives on the move upwards (Similar to last night’s 3 News poll, though not as extreme). Labour are still dropping though.
” He (Key) denied Ms Collins had information she could use against him which might have helped her keep her job.
“No one has anything on me,” he said.”
Well, surely you must have read his many other comments down the years, none of which were anti-gay. CV is not a homophobe. And re-reading his comments above, I still think you’ve leapt to an unwarranted conclusion
Hi Weka, I’m afraid that I don’t see how having a T in your passport instead of an M when you look F (or the other way around) is going to make it any easier to travel. So although I respect Stephanie’s addressing of this issue, on a practical basis I don’t see how it would improve her friend’s ability to travel. I won’t comment on the deleted comments because I didn’t see them.
No worries, comrade! We’re not always going to agree, but you have my ongoing respect. As does Stephanie, for that matter, even if I think this response was OTT.
For me, the most interesting figure in the latest Herald poll is that 67.8% of the polled population state John Key is their preferred PM.
If you assume that all Act, Conservative, MP and UF votes want John Key to be PM, my rough calculation is that about 35% of Labour, Green, IM and NZF voters are saying that despite their intended party vote, they would prefer John Key to be prime Minister.
The type of policies this government (and previous ones) have brought to life and fostered have led to the likes of Pike River which killed 29 men dead.
The types of policies are flawed in the extreme.
And now this afternoon another person at work has been killed. It is the attitude and the approach, the self-regulate mantra, the idea that what is good for the singular is good for the plural foolishness, this madness has to stop …..
Getting puzzled about the spam catcher problem. I have tried turning off (and hurriedly back on) three anti-spam protection systems so far with no effect. Comment with links and some others keep going to the spam directory.
It is almost like something new doesn’t like odd-ball punctuation like “://” and “. . .”*
A Lyttelton Port worker has fallen to his death in a workplace accident today, police have confirmed.
Emergency services rushed to Gladstone Quay about 3.20pm when a scissor lift the 40-year-old was in toppled over, a police spokesman said.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union South Island organiser John Kerr said he was aware of a death.
“What I can say is everybody on that waterfront is going to be shocked and angered about this . . . any death at work is one too many and this is the third in 12 months on that waterfront, this is just wrong,” he said.
Kerr believed the dead man was not an RMTU member, but a Maritime Union member.
“We will become involved, because once the investigation takes place we have got to look at why this happened.”
Worksafe New Zealand confirmed they are investigating an incident at the Lyttelton Port, but would not comment further.
Police launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, and were speaking to the family of the man with the help of Victim Support.
Fire crews from Christchurch and Lyttelton were at the scene with police.
Police will not be making further comment tonight.
Lyttelton Maritime Union New Zealand secretary Les Wells did not want to comment tonight.
THIRD DEATH IN A YEAR
In June a Press investigation revealed recent deaths and injuries at Lyttelton Port pointed to a lack of training and safety policies. Inexperienced workers worked back-to-back shifts and others were retiring early because of perceived risks.
In August last year port worker Harley Ritchie’s leg was snapped in half when a steel beam fell on him.
In November transport company owner William ”Bill” Frost died after being pinned between a logging truck trailer and a forklift.
The following month Harley Ritchie’s uncle, Warren, was killed when he was struck by a crane grab while unloading urea in the hold of a Singaporean ship docked at Lyttelton.
His mother Helen Dungey said today’s news brought December 21 flooding back.
‘‘It’s so awful. It’s a horrible thing. I really feel for the family,’’ Dungey said.
Dungey, who was also Frost’s friend, said there were simply “too many deaths”.
The port was a ‘‘very, very dangerous’’ place to work, she said.
‘‘I don’t want any of my lot down there again. I don’t think they are training them enough and that’s all there is to it.”
In January, a Lyttelton Port Company worker was left with head and spinal injuries after a container fell on top of the forklift he was driving.
In the last five years 10 people have been killed while working in ports, according to WorkSafe New Zealand figures.
Almost half of these were in 2013 and this year, but the statistics do not include those who died working on ships docked at a port.
– Stuff
The National government’s work place policy up close. Self regulation works, they said. Cut the red tape, they said. Boost productivity, they said.
I seem to be constantly persecuted here now, and it is not new, I just trued to post a concerned comment re sexism and child abuse, but it was off loaded and shat on. Maybe it is just another “technical” problem. But my concern is about child sex and sexism, and a band called Kaoma from Brasil did not serve interests of fairness long ago, so I intended to load a link, which now seems a waste of time.
It does not load after al l now, so they do NOT want to share it, so that tells you how NZ is run, right?!
I can tell you many similar stories, NZ is corrupt and rotten, run by an elite crowd, that control all, and it is time to get rid of them. So vote accordingly, research the parties to do so, I am NOT biased.
Lprent your are an ARSEHOLE, and I regret having thought I get a fair deal to come back to TS. It is BS you work on same as your mate from TDB. You are Bullshit People, and while I am left of centre, I will NOT support any of you fucking arseholes and liars as you are. So get fucked man, you are real shit, and I saw and heard enough about you at the meeting in Balmoral, no damned wonder the left in this crap country is losing, because of self interested people, who have their agendas, but do not give a shit for the rest of society. YOU can dig your damned TS website, so can Bomber, the other idiot I saw the other night, you Kiwi supposed “leftist” have ALL lost it, will lose the election to Key and ALL look for the next best job to serve yourselves, and fuck the people you claim you ever stood for. Feel ashamed.
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Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value.For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
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No mention of the Hager lecture in the msm.
800 attendees.
Says a lot about the corporate media’s agenda.
Paul
I think yesterday marked a turning point in the media. They have given enough time and space to lies and deception of the PM and his govt, now it’s back to assisting them get the campaign back on the “right” track.
+1
Tracey
I think yesterday marked a turning point in the media. They have given enough time and space to lies and deception of Hager and his politically motivated hacker friend, now it’s back to assisting National and Labour (let’s not forget Labour has dropped as much as National in the polls through this whole episode) get the campaign back on track.
FIFY
No Bob, you changed it to reflect your spoon fed view of the proven behaviour of Slater, Lusk, Bhatnagar, Williams, Collins… With your blinkers on regurgitating nonsense as fact.
Teach your children well Bob
“Spooned fed view”, you are the ones spouting the script from a book, what could be more spoon feed than that.
you mean the idea that slater and DPF have been part of the nats paid attack machine? – that idea has been discussed well before hagers book came out – do keep up
a book based on evidence from whaledump, you rely oncameron slater/lusk/carrick graham
“spoon fed view”
Reading is quite the issue for some of our anti fact brigade
Bob yeah right Nationals tide has gone out !
Slatergate is lost National 5% in the polls!
Now Nationals chances have been seriously damaged by their own septic blogger!
National have tried to shift the blame from Slater to the left that story is wearing thin as it looks like Slaters nasty comments on West Coast death of the brother of the dead coal miners friends are the ones that have lifted the lid on John Keys dirty tricks!
Slater has slipped back into the country threatening hacker with police action he will have to dob himself Lusk Ede Collins and by association Key for taking Credit Card details from a private website!
Who has sunk in the polls? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315586
My reply with a link to the Herald DigiPoll has obviously been sent to moderation, but check it out yourself and tell me who has lost 6.4% since June and who is up .3%? I’ll give you a clue, it doesn’t fit your comment at all.
“National have tried to shift the blame from Slater to the left that story is wearing thin as it looks like Slaters nasty comments on West Coast death of the brother of the dead coal miners friends are the ones that have lifted the lid on John Keys dirty tricks!”
What did that comment have to do with Key?
“Slater has slipped back into the country threatening hacker with police action he will have to dob himself Lusk Ede Collins and by association Key for taking Credit Card details from a private website!” How did you reply to my post? Did you hack my public post to view it? Or was it published an available for anyone to see?
I agree they shouldn’t have (and from I can see didn’t) use the private information gained, but if you publish something on a website it is public domain. If it is meant to be private then don’t publish the information!
If I write my bank details on this site under a historic post where no-one should be able to find it without searching, but you do, does that make you a hacker? Or does that make me an idiot for publishing my private details?
who’s three or four percent down from the same poll a month before the last election?
Who could barely scrape together a majority coalition last election?
lol
Let’s see how winston reconciles baubles with asset sales, eh…
National and Labour
National
Now let’s see you you go:
Who couldn’t scrape together a majority coalition last election?
Who requires a corrupt (convicted of fraud, espionage, insider trading and embezzlement), right wing German to form a government if they even get close this time?
lol
Let’s see how winston reconciles baubles with joining forces with the Mana party, eh…
who says he needs to join forces with mana?
confidence and supply is not the same as a seat in cabinet.
But you’ve got a hell of a nerve talking about a corrupt new zealand resident when we have cabinet ministers leaking confidential details to one of the most amoral, contemptable and despicable people in the blogosphere. Not to mention the oravida trip, and illegal surveillance of nzers (including the NZ resident you mentioned), and the Environment Canterbury coup d’etat, and the elimination of environmental considerations when removing timber from DoC land, and the super-city debacle, and the holiday highways, and the uneconomic bridges for safe national seats, and the chinese import agent left to hang by Zespri, and so on…
Fuck, one fat millionaire pissing off US corporations who can’t adapt to new media is nothing compared with the looters and troughers in this government.
what lies and deception? – please list some
Collins moving a prisoner for Slater – Lie, and Hager has had to admit it
Key was briefed about the OIA of the SIS brief re. Phil Goff – Lie, and backed up by Key, SIS Director Warren Tucker and Ombudsman Dame Beverley
There are two off the top of my head, I suppose it is easy to get details wrong when you are only getting half a story drip fed (as he stated on Q&A 17/08, can’t link as I’ll get put in moderation) from a hacker after being hacked from one scum bags website.
Remember the outrage here when the GCSB bill was going through, about how when reading private emails things can get taken out of context? Well this is taking it to the nth degree!
So you are part of the group who believe that when tucker told beverley he had a discussion with the prime minister he actually meant he had spoken to someone in the prime ministers office who wasnt tge prime minister?
You are entitled to believe it Bob.
So you are part of the group who believe that when a hacker drip feed parts of a discussion….oh wait, there was no discussion, only an assumption based on an OIA request from Cameron Slater, with no evidence of anyone telling him to do it and he recieved it quickly because another media organisation had already requested the exact same thing…(hardly a story then is it)…that there is some sort of major conspiracy involving a Labour appointed head of the SIS?
You are entitled to believe it Tracey.
Bob, you forget that the prime minister said he was told about it.
That was before he said he wasn’t told about it.
Which was shortly after people pointed out that slater’s coincidentally-precise OIA request was responded to in unheard of quick time, including the declassifying of the relevant documents.
After similar requests from other organisations were turned down.
You might think that that shit doesn’t stink, and you’re certainly free to do so.
But frankly I think it marks you as one of the education system’s obvious failures.
“”Someone needs to be held accountable,” he said. ” Mark Mitchell August 2014
He’s right but everyone keeps looking in the wrong direction for the accountability.
Perhaps he should sue Slater, but no he’s thinking of suing Hager!
Why does the right think accountability only relates to poor people and not their own?
“Why does the right think accountability only relates to poor people and not their own?”
It’s not specifically a right/left thing, it’s the mind-set that lends itself to hierarchical/authoritarian/appeals-to-authority perspectives. It’s a tribal mind-set: the rules apply to the group/tribe, but infractions by outsiders/interlopers do not require equal consideration. Threats to the cohesion of the group from outside the group are always greater than crimes committed inside the group. Some minds believe they are what they believe themselves to be, it’s an over identification with false identity.
Thanks for that crocodill. Except it is ACT and many in National who make public statements and direct policy specifically to the notion of “personal accountability” and have a number of MPs who act contrary to it. That was the point I was making. For example, 17%+ of all ACT MPs elected to parliament have been convicted for crimes relating to deceit.
That’s a mix of layers of culture and language. What they speak is the dialect of the tribe/group. As you point out, when they say “responsibility” it doesn’t mean the dictionary definition, or your definition, the word is defined by the norms and rules of their group. It can be disorienting for English speakers to hear English spoken and not know what the words and phrases mean, except through experience.
The Left have their meanings, too. For example there was a post on here yesterday that had among it’s quoted phrases one like, “fiscal responsibility”. Yeah that sounds great, being responsible in your planning with money…but in context it meant, “no/less assistance for those who need it most, the people we said we’d help, but continued support of those who have more than they need.”. It’s all dialect using words that are spelled the same and sound the same, within phrases that are the same in all but meaning.
What matters most is the action, not the words, and the game for the voter is to use their own experience (but without getting too pessimistic or cynical – thanks, Hagar) to figure out what the dialectal words and phrases mean. Oh yeah, and the meanings don’t stay static either and are adjusted by the order of phrases, or apparent contradictions, and contradiction doesn’t necessarily mean a contradiction through rhetorical error, but merely an adjustment to new meaning…just to make it more challenging. Good luck with your study of the English language!
” It can be disorienting for English speakers to hear English spoken and not know what the words and phrases mean”
Amen to that… and has become the cornerstone strategy of this National Party
So he’s not actually going to do it before the election.
But, in the run up to the election he’s talking big about maybe suing after the election?! Clever!
Oh no, he’s busy working hard to win his seat back on the gravy train in Wellington. Funny how he is not upset at Slater and Lusk taking credit for all his hard work.
Which means that he can quietly drop it after the election once everybody (Namely the jonolists) have stopped watching.
has tvnz breakfast jumped the shark..?
..the blond-sidekick engaged in an animated conversation..
..over which is the more scary..snakes or ghosts…
..she sez ghosts are more scary..’cos snakes can be taken away..
..whereas with ghosts..?..
(fuck..!..it was funny..!..but not as she intended..even ‘rawdy’ and the business-person seemed embarrassed for her..)
Don’t watch it then. I gave up TV One Breakfast a long time ago (when Paul Henry left – I am not ashamed to admit I found him fucking funny).
I still watch TV3 in the morning which is bearable though I fear the old guy Michael has Alzheimers
um..!..since yesterday my comments don’t appear..
..but seem to go to some limbo..sometimes to turn up later..
..am i the only one..?
Same thing happening to me, Phil and I’m not stoned, so it can’t be that.
It’s getting quite annoying now! Tried several times on Firefox and Chrome to get a comment through and most just disappear and some get bounced as spam. Is the Standard being hacked?
[Sometimes the filter gets really active and starts grabbing anything with a link in it. Will retrieve as many comments as I can – MS]
Ok, seeing as replies seem to work, here is the comment I wanted to make:
Paul Henry invents a new form of child abuse: http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
started happening to me today. lprent posted about it yesterday
Nah, it’s not just replies, it’s new comments
ah, sorry, yes happened to me today on new comments, but not yesterday
Yeah it is bloody irritating whatever it is.
internet gnomes
or
The Conservatives are on the verge of cracking 5% on last night’s TV3 poll…
We should all be worried about the prospect of Garth McVicar and Christine Rankin in Parliament (and possibly cabinet). They are a serious threat to all the progressive gains that have been made in this country since the end of WW2.
Wonder if Craig will get the same attacks as Dotcom.
You know the line…money buys politics.
Yeah but the difference is Craig is actually standing in, heading and funding his own party.
At least KDC is being open about which party he donates to and supports.
We don’t know which national party candidates pay lusk and slater for hatchet jobs against their opponents.
Cool. But we are talking about Craig Vis-à-vis Dotcom.
fair enough.
Another difference between the two is that KDC probably believes in evolution and the moon landings.
Cool. But we are talking about the difference between Craig funding a party he is heading, running and standing for and Dotcom who is merely funding a party.
I’d say that “merely” funding a party with policies beyond narrow self interest – especially lump sums up front – implies greater security and less of a tendency to micro-manage than insisting on being main backer, leader, dripfeeder of finance, and “face” of essentially a vanity project.
Well, the morally outraged on the right who had decided to vote nats have few places to go…
The undecideds interest me. I couldn’t see that in the Poll coverage last night.
Typical poor polling information
TV3 news page says the undecideds are 9%.
Interestingly given that ACT is at 0.3% in this poll (and a seat is worth roughly 0.7% of the vote) at what point does them winning Epsom deliver an overhang seat?
That I don’t know. Can you link me to that tv3 page? Also what were the undecideds in the previous Reid TV3 poll, do you know?
national may have to meet again to decide the following;
IF Colin’s party got a seat and 4.5% of the vote would that be of greater benefit to them than, say ACT?
Here you are. It’s right at the bottom of the article.
http://www.3news.co.nz/politics/decision14/latest-political-poll-big-blow-for-john-key
Won’t post my link to TV3 for some reason but the poll breakdown is at the bottom of the article “Latest Poll a Big Blow for John Key” on their news page.
thanks
For some reason TV3 has allocated two seats to the Maori Party on the strength of 0.7% of the party vote. It’s either a mistake or they reckon that MP will win two electorate seats in which case, along with ACT this poll suggests an overhang of two seats, requiring 62 seats to form a government. In other words National’s little helpers are cancelling themselves out.
3 News-Reid Research poll:
August 19-25, 1000 people polled, margin of error 3.1 percent
National 45 percent, down 2.5 percent
Labour 26.4 percent, down 2.6 percent
Greens 13.5 percent, up 0.5 percent
NZ First 6.3 percent, up 1.7 percent
Conservative 4.6 percent, up 2.1 percent
Internet Mana 2.1 percent, up 0.1 percent
Maori Party 0.7 percent, down 0.1 percent
United Future 0.4 percent, up 0.2 percent
ACT 0.3 percent, no change
Seats in the house:
National 57
ACT 1
United Future 1
Maori Party 2
Right total: 61
Labour 33
Greens 17
Internet Mana 3
Left total: 53
NZ First 8
Preferred Prime Minister:
John Key 41.4 percent, down 2.7 percent
David Cunliffe 11.1 percent, up 1.2 percent
Should John Key stand Judith Collins down?
Yes 63 percent
No 28 percent
Don’t know 9 percent
National voters:
Yes 43 percent
No 46 percent
Don’t know 9 percent
3 News
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/politics/decision14/latest-political-poll-big-blow-for-john-key#ixzz3BdX0WrBv
In 2011 the last seat went with a quota of 9048.171.
If there was the same number of votes this time that would mean that, assuming ACT get one electorate seat, it would be an overhang seat if their party vote was less than 9049.
0.3% is about 7,000 so it would be in this case. If they got 0.4% on the other hand they would be entitled to a seat and it wouldn’t be an overhang.
Its just another questionable poll that conveniently fits the narrative, funny that.
Watch the rest of the poodles run with it like smellstrong who at least is pointing out labours sound policy platform.
note to JA; its over 20/9 not after 1 debate hosted by a personality who has admitted his love of national.
The narrative from Paddy Gower was that John Key has taken a hit from Dirty Politics. Do you not agree with that?
The margin of error means the might be under half this percentage so grains of salt all around.
Yep. The left should plan for Conservatives being in Parliament. They have a constituency. Dirty Politics is playing into their hands. They will go with the party with the most votes which is likely to be Nats. That is why the Nats are not doing a deal, they’ll get them anyway for at least confidence and supply.
Interesting times.
and so the party which has as its foundation a desire to be our moral backbone, will go with the party shown to be the most immoral currently in NZ. Will they just accept key’s word that it has all changed now I wonder
Morals are for solo mums and unemployed bludgers, not for god’s chosen conservatives. Besides, didn’t some bloke on a donkey say something about forgiving people their sins? And didn’t he cavort with prostitutes and thieves? It’s the least Colon can do. It’s obvious the bloke on the donkey would go with Key.
As expected National took a bit of a hit, labour took a bigger hit as everyone sees they’re pushing the dirty politics campaign and can’t believe the utter hypocrisy of the vote positive line labour are trying to run.
It’s become a they’re just as bad as each other scenario
Craig and Peters are definitely the winners here, don’t think John Key will be too upset by all this
Fuck morality, aye BM? That’s what you’ve taught your kids I assume?
It’s a meme and it looks like it’s been paid for, I’m getting it from elsewhere as well.
BM how about you point out where Labour has pushed the dirty politics campaign? In my view Labour has been extremely restrained.
Of course the last defence National has is that Labour does it too. It is a sign they have run out of other defences.
https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Cunliffe%20dirty%20olitics
“It’s become a they’re just as bad as each other scenario”
That’s how they can reconcile their support for such practices. As if the right wouldn’t have published everything they had on similar behaviour if they had it. I mean Whaleoil is dredging back to 2013 to get something on a rapper. BM hasnt read the book, so he can stay in his delusion fed by the lines of Slater or is it Lusk or is it Graham
I was talking to my father in-law the other night, he is normally a Labour supporter but with all of the talk of Dirty Politics, kids shouting “fuck John Key”, songs about killing John Key and having sex with his daughter and what seams to be an organised campaign were only National hoardings are being attacked, he has said he is sick of it all from both sides and is going to vote for Winston Peters. He is a life long Labour voter.
It’s only one person, but if you think it is only National being caught up in the Slater / Dotcom style dirty politics I think you may be mistaken.
What??
How do you know what is dirty when you wont read about it?
Slater laid a police complaint so that proves the whaledump material is genuine.
What??
I have read all about Internet-Mana putting up a “Fuck John Key” video, I have read all about and listened to the song saying “Kill the Prime Minister” and “Going to fuck his daughter”, do you condone this behavior Tracey?
Yes, by the looks of things his computer was genuinely hacked, and bits and pieces “drip feed” (according to Hager himself) were leaked to Hager and taken in the context that he wanted too. Two of his most damaging claims have already been thoroughly debunked, did you read about that? That’s right, it’s all a big conspiracy! You should vote Colin Craig, he is the conspiracy lover!
Bob, that’s the most depressing thing I’ve read in the whole saga. Does your father in law understand that voting for NZF will give the election to National? Is that what he wants?
lol
what makes you think Bob’s formerly-labour-voting father in law even exists?
it’s toss up really. On the one hand it’s hard to believe anyone could be so stupid. One the other hand, this is NZ voters we’re talking about.
“it’s toss up really. On the one hand it’s hard to believe anyone could be so stupid”
Don’t worry, for the past 12 years I’ve let him know he is stupid for voting Labour, finally he is actually doing something about it!
He doesn’t care too much this year, he doesn’t like David Cunliffe and he doesn’t like John Key so he just wants Winston to “keep them honest” whoever gets in.
Try again
https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Cunliffe+dirty+politics
a google search result? that proves nothing
Certainly John Key will not be too upset. I would have expected a much bigger hit then this.
This means Labour still needs to drop a policy bomb. Something that will resonate with all voters. Dirty Politics saga will not win the election for us. We need a big policy announcement. Hopefully this weekend.
wait to see what the undecideds did, or didnt do. This poll, it appears to me, shows some bleeding from those already committed to vote to National, to other right parties.
At which point do you think those undecided will suddenly work out that Key is a crook, if they have not worked that out already?
The undecideds will either not vote or vote for one of the minor parties.
Craig will be in parliament this time around, I reckon the media will start pushing him, no more Crazy Colin stuff.
they had you in mind when politicians decided polls were better than education I think…\
“I reckon the media will start pushing him, no more Crazy Colin stuff.”
Will they tape his mouth shut then?
I think you underestimate the MSM glee at people who can’t help but make dicks of themselves so they can be laughed at. Whyte would be the other classic example.
well one recent poll (HT swordfish) analysis had undecideds at about 10%. Could be undecided for a bunch of reasons. My point is that if undecideds have shift in the poll from last night then it is not good news for the left cos they have gone NZF and Conservatives.
reid Research from February 2014
National – 44.5 percent, down 1.9 percent
Labour – 33.5 percent, up 1.3 percent
Greens – 12.4 percent, up 2 percent
NZ First – 5.7 percent, up 1.5 percent
Conservative – 2.1 percent, down 0.7 percent
Maori Party – 1 percent, down 0.2 percent
Mana – 0.3 percent, down 1 percent
ACT – 0 percent, down 0.8 percent
United Future – 0 percent, down 0.1 percent
Reid last night (no undecideds included/polled)
National 45.0% (-2.5%)
Labour 26.3% (-2.6%)
Green 13.5% (+0.5%)
ACT 0.3% (nc)
Maori 0.7% (-0.1%)
United Future 0.4% (+0.2%)
Mana/Internet 2.1% (+0.1%)
NZ First 6.3% (+1.7%)
Conservative 4.6% (+2.1%)
thats a very interesting comparison Tracey and not at all what I would have expected. The only substantive change is a leakage from Labour to IMP, Conservatives, NZfirst and the Greens, so theres a bit of leftward leakage from Labour as well as rightward.
As I say, quite counter-intuitive, but pretty bad for Labour in a strategic sense. Six months of planning, strategising, campaigning and engaging, and it just isn’t working.
Internet mana didnt exist in february though, so need to account for that too.
I think it is accounted for because its included in the later poll. They weren’t an option then, they are an option now.
It looks like what we will see – and this I am guessing will be a major component of Nationals advertising – is demonisation of IMP, painting them as a radical, dangerous, tail wagging dog coalition partner for Labour. It will improve IMP polling but at the expense of Labour/Greens. Any extreme party (right or left) that gets momentum probably does as much to shore up vote for the other bloc as it does for their own. The middle voters drift away.
People have switched off to Labour.
Cunliffe could promise free unicorns for everyone and no one would take any notice.
Sorry for being a Man killed Labour stone dead.
Is that your big pronoucement BM? If so you are very late on the scene to that conclusion. many here have already posted for ages they are not voting labour.
That comment was to Enough is Enough and why a big policy announcement won’t make any difference to Labour.
As I said no one will be listening.
did you miss this one
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28082014/#comment-874575
I disagree. The last few weeks of the campaign will be telling in that the message will be loud and clear that young families and young people will better off and have some hope for the future with forward thinking and solution based Labour policy as opposed to falling further and further behind under National’s sit on their hands, reactive approach.
Hey BM are you still predicting an outright majority for National?
I’d admit the chances of that have definitely dropped.
2017 looks more likely now.
With that reptile Stephen Joyce at the helm? Yeah Right!
so basically your predictions change with every poll, right?
Oh sorry I forgot. You were picking a glorious future for Judith Collins a la Thatcher.
She’s one of the walking dead now.
It’s been shown she’s not PM material so out the door for her.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she retires sometime in the next term.
broadly based on results last night IF conservatives won a seat and got about 4.5% of the party vote they could have 6 MPs… I was doing rough calculations only and there were 2 overhang seats
try the claculator here
http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system/mmp-seat-allocation-calculator
“It’s been shown she’s not PM material so out the door for her.”
up thread your saying its dirty politics being done by labour – then here you are jumping on board
you cant have it both ways
You need to change your handle BM
Try
statethebleedinobvious
No, what is killing labor is sheer fear by the wider public and the safe haven of conservatism. Unfortunately, NZ does not have the history or collective memory that such a move always is like a shot in the knee. Fear is everywhere and fear is a bad adviser.
“Mantra Mantra Mantra” from Bowel Motion…..Linus’s Blanket ?
Matthew Hooton said recently taking all the polls over the last 12 years National polled 5% less on election day in every election since 2003!
marvelous news !
So, people who are upset by the corruption in National as shown in Dirty Politics run to a political party that has nowhere else to go but National?
and portrays itself as the conscience of the nation…
Conscience of convenience.
I think you’ll find that they have other points of difference from National that play well. (see Lochinvar).
So if the Nats do end up with them the ‘horse trading’ to form a Gov it will be interesting but I think Nats will do it. The Conservatives social/moral concerns will be thrown over to referendum to bind us to a ‘moral majority’.
Never mind the Greens being ‘dangerous for the country’ as Garth George liked to say.
I suspect their economic concerns will not go to referendum though TPPA might. I do not see them as a fan of globalization but a champion of small businesses.
Caricaturing them can blind you to a threat that needs combating. Beware.
Anyone noticed that John Key’s spin merchants have told him to replace ‘at the end of the day’ with ‘in the end’?
The new go to expression for Key.
…
Even “In the end…” is a justification for the use of questionable means:
In the end the saturation bombing of German cities helped bring about the downfall of Hitler.
In the end the mass surveillance of emails might catch a terrorist.
In the end lying and deceiving might prevent the election of a socialist Government which would be a disaster for the country.
The person using the phrase might, indeed probably, does believe what he is saying but it indicates a moral and ethical flaw in the speaker. IMHO.
?..and the right wing saps are back in force here today
Get this perfect piece of poop from ‘Father of the Nation’ Garth George:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503346&objectid=11315084
he hasnt read the book. hasnt read any Hager book but still bases an entire article on it.
“”I have tried really, really hard to read Nicky Hager’s books … But I have never been able to do it. They make my head hurt. They go 2 plus 2 is 17, the square root of 73 is 6, 12 times 12 is 50.”
And then Mr George goes on to take 2 plus 2 to make 17…
He repeats the myth that Hager said that Hide was blackmailed to resign by Lusk and Slater. Not true. My recollection is he specifically stated he didnt know if they went through with their plan. BUT not having read it, Mr George wouldn’t know that. he thinks all Slater and Lusk et al were doing was posting some stuff to a blog. He is out of his depth in this article because he doesn’t understand the way the media was manipulated by that blog and the national party and he doesn’t understand that because his prejudice won’t allow him to read any of Hager’s books.
he is sctahing of Collins, but not of Key’s, association with WO
“Why anyone would bother to read Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings I have no idea, but it seems he has a bit too much support from some people in government, particularly Justice Minister Judith Collins.
She is said to be on a “last chance” from Prime Minister John Key after various missteps and it is not surprising that she is maintaining a low profile while this trivial controversy continues to rage.
Mr Key says Ms Collins is the subject of a left-wing smear campaign, yet it seems to me that our Minister of Justice has put so many feet wrong in the past couple of years that she has lost the confidence of the electorate.
I doubt whether she will last in the National regime; she has certainly blotted her copybook often enough to have lost any chance of ever being leader and thus Prime Minister. For which we can all be thankful since she seems to stand slightly to the right of Ruth Richardson.”
And his final piece of resistance? A snide attack on MMP
”
Garth George: Hager – much ado about nothing
By Garth George
5:00 AM Wednesday Aug 27, 2014 Add a comment
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Why would anyone bother to read Cameron Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings? Why would anyone bother to read Cameron Slater’s far-right and often obnoxious ramblings?
And so it goes on … and on … and on – the kerfuffle over the big, fat, smelly red herring cast into the election campaign by Nicky Hager, that obsessive anti-establishment scribbler who seems to surface only when the chances of self-aggrandisement are at their highest.
The sudden and unheralded release of his book, Dirty Politics – and if there were ever a tautology, then that is it – has been blown up out of all proportion to its importance by the media – TV, radio and, unfortunately, newspapers – in an exhibition of tabloid journalism that brings them no credit whatsoever.
“How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment” is the subtitle to this document, as if none of us knew that our political environment has been slowly succumbing to the poison of personalities before principles for at least the past 30 years.
About the only thing we can say about it is that we’re lucky that so far it hasn’t become as poisonous as politics elsewhere, such as Australia, Britain, France and the United States.
Nevertheless, we seem to be catching up fast.
It has certainly become worse since we benightedly voted in the MMP system with its arcane alliances of disparate parties leading to all sorts of political shenanigans.”
Enjoy your retirement Mr George and please, REALLY retire from journalism this time.
Page 70 Dirty Politics
“there were of course various political pressures on Hide as he made the decision but the threats described here were something completely different. The documents do not contain the texts and we do not know that they exist. There is also no evidence that a direct was made to Hide. Nonetheless, Slater and Lusk’s planning and thinly veiled threat on the blog post go far beyond normal politics. They feel more like blackmail. ”
my emphasis
Those without an axe to grind against Mr Hager would, imo, read that to be a commentary on Lusk and Slater’s intentions and behaviour and admonishing that, regardless of whether any actual blackmail attempt was made. And that Ms Collins and PM (and his office) Key associate with this guy, including spoeaking with him about matters on his blog. (I look to Key’s comment about the woman on the west coast on tv the other day “I to him that I knew her”.
I’m kinda figuring that the NZHerald pulled him back just so that he could help start the process of rehabilitating National.
Is Cunliffe being set up with people as examples who contradict the policy he is trying to sell?
I doubt the party leader is jacking this up because he would be too busy, but if you are going to trot out real people wouldn’t you want them on message too? Isn’t this the second or third time this has happened?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315347
Not sure how they contradict the poicy. They looked to buy a house but in the current environment there is no way they can do that. For that reason they are not currently looking. They are instead saving and in a few years when Labour’s policy is starting to bear fruit they will be able to look at purchasing a more affordable house. Under NACT’s policy they may be able to scrimp together a deposit but it will be for a house that will be far more expensive and will burden them with a crushing amount of debt. Looks like they tick all of the boxes.
Of course if you were the Herald and wanted to spin it in the worst possible light you would only point out that they are currently not looing for a home and ham that up for everything it is worth.
It has been a particularly bad day for the Herald spin machine. Two editorials telling us how National can still win the election despite the evil nasty smear that is being aimed at them and a deliberate attempt to try and undermine a policy that Labor outshine NACT on by not actually atacking the policy but a couple chosen to represent those it is aimed at.
Don’t forget the Nats poll has always be about 5% higher than election night.
The puts them close to 40%
Herald this morning has an article from the Bay of Plenty Times from the pen of ‘Father of The Nation’ Garth George – “Hager – Much Ado About Nothing” – with bonus pic of SlaterPorn.
Attempted to link but no-can-do message comes up – “Identified as Spam”. Doesn’t say whether that’s Father or SP or both. Ne’er mind – good picking The Standard !
Hard case article though. Much revilement of SlaterPorn and demand for the loathsome Collins’ head on a plate. My…….how unfaithful you are Father……
[Up now North – MS]
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11315084
So speaks a man who prides himself on Christian values. A nice summary of all the mis reporting by the media and swallowed hook line and sinker by Mr George et al.
Even repeating the BS that Hager wrote that Hide WAS blackmailed to resign. He patently did not write that. he wrote of a plan to blackmail him to resign, and stated he didn’t know if they went through with it. Another person waxing lyrical about Hager who patently hasnt read the book.
Bella Henry is either the greatest satirist New Zealand has ever seen or her Dad Paul has just invented a new form of child abuse:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
‘Get the whales to scooch over so we can get their oil.’ Just goes to show how little a private school education can actually do for the thick kids of the rich.
Ps: since when is interviewing people you have power over such as your children and your employees count as ‘balance’?
this one is kinda cool/amusing..
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/10-best-and-worst-drug-scenes-movie-history
Disappointed (again!) in Guyons line of questioning of Winston on RNZ this morning. On RNZ National, I am hearing more and more interviewer ‘opinions’ in framing the questions that are asked of guests. The result is that we find out what Guyon or Suzie thinks is going on!!. Very concerning. Their ‘views’ are not balanced and its unprofessional. The public deserve a higher standard of journalism from its ‘National’ State Broadcaster.The tone and standard of Mourning (sp intended) Report has changed for the worse. Bring back Geof!
the interviews have descended into farce on RNZ
And on Morning Report this morning Colin Craig was able to say his rise in the polls was because of people being turned off by “Dirty Politics.” He should have been asked, if that was the case, why he intends propping up a National government, the very party that has indulged in dirty politics to a degree never seen before in NZ.
But no, he was given a soft interview in stark contrast to the aggressive interview style with David Cunliffe.
yup. pretty obvious follow up question…
He will have to start telling us how he and his lil band of followers will hold key back from his back room strategy? Leash? They will need tasers!
They won’t – they’ll be cheering Key and National on in the back rooms while publicly saying something else.
Paul Henry invents a new form of child abuse:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
making them watch his show?
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
Paul Henry in Child Abuse Shock!
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
Paul Henry finds a completely independent commentator:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
Dribble
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
Significant fallout from Dirty Politics allegations
National should be getting a hiding in the polls about now.
And yet they are not which is very curious indeed.
why? There are many people who either don’t care, have such behavior as part of their culture or both. What is really worrying is the fact that everybody is referring to Mr Slater in one way or another. Who on earth has appointed this low life to any position to speak on anyone’s behalf? Who are these commentators who try to shape the opinion of so many with their slanted view of the world? Can we register them and their means of undue influence and hold them accountable if we degrade further as a nation?
sd gbnx hb zhWVC
hazar
Black ops?
Ps: This:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
HAHAHAHAHA
LOL, that was hilarious.
Humourous interview, it’s a pity the comments at the link descend into the nasty and downright vile very quickly.
Just watched video. Head desk!!
That is unbelievable.
Just like her Dad – absolutely no idea.
Wow, just watched it. One of the funniest things I’ve seen in a good while.
Dirty Politics: “I actually know about that! I was working on the night. I don’t know anything about it. I just know there’s a book.”
Daddy Henry: “If there’s a reason why we shouldn’t vote for them, come out and tell us. Don’t make us read a book.”
Well, Daddy Henry & daughter should definitely read the chapter on “Princess Parties” to know what kinds of creeps they support.
that has to be a piss-take…
..if not..’she’s a valley-girl.!..she’s a valley-girl..!.
…and there is no cure..!’
.(here is moon zappa doing daddys’ song about her..i hadn’t seen it b4..heh..!..)
the people who do that late nite breakfast show should immediately hire her..
..as their political-commentator…
D’oh! http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#disqus_thread
bjhbjhgjgh
So now Miss Bella Henry (daughter of Paul Henry) is an “ordinary New Zealander”? (according to TV3
“Neither do the ordinary New Zealanders the Paul Henry Show will be talking to between now and the September 20 election.
These are hard-working Kiwis who care about what’s happening in the world, but who are also far too busy to be bogged down in the detail of what politicians are up to.
Last week we met Graham from Napier, who is one of Paul’s political panellists the Paul Henry Show will be hearing from again in the run up to the election.
But tonight Bella, Paul’s youngest daughter, gives her views on matters of political interest – not matters of interest to her – but the political stories captivating the media.
And just like Graham, she’ll be voting because she knows it’s important to, but her pre-occupation is not politics – it’s getting on with her own life.
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenryshow/political-opinions-of-your-average-kiwi—bella-2014082600#ixzz3BcwSPvE0
“
Amazing film. Lets interview people who have no idea of what is happening because their views are important instead of spending that time presenting the issue.
yup and pretend that Bella Henry and some guy on the political panel are “ordinary New Zealanders”.
And, by the looks of things, they’ve chosen people who’s views will accord with Paul Henry.
Who is also an “ordinary New Zealander.”
Amazing film yes. Let’s interview people who have no idea, no brains.
The bit I liked was when prat Henry said ” Like a lot of New Zealanders she had not read Dirty Politics.” Can she read?
They’ll have Hohepa the plumber on next.
Graham is Paul Henry’s gardener! The girl is his (Henry’s) daughter.
Pathetic journalism!
Gawd strewth!!! Just watched it. I’m bloody surprised Rebecca Wright agreed to do it – but I ‘spose she doesn’t have much choice in today’s media-star environment. It’s just as well Bella is 18 (going on 15), or that’d be the closest thing to child abuse I’ve seen in a while.
Still, it’s all about Paul, and any & every ego extension available.
Poor fuckn wife! Does she have a life I wonder?
It reminds me somewhat of all those American parents putting their toddlers up for beauty pageants. I suspect I-I-I-me-me-me Paul has been wondering for a while how the fook he was going to get Bella (he’s so proud of her) into the media. Shit …. here we go …. along comes an erection ooops eLection. Perfuck opportunity.
Shame on you. Pump your ego up much more and it’ll pop
I managed about a third of it. It was appalling. What little Bella does know is just picked up from her moran father’s prejudices. I’d say 18 going on 12. She’ll go far and maybe even become a NAct minister. After all, she’s probably brighter than Paula Benefat.
Once was Tim
I think you mean, ‘Poor fuckn wives! Do they have lives I wonder?’
And Bella- poor Bella. It really is like child abuse.
I’m so glad Henry isn’t my dad- Graham Henry maybe Not Paul..please God!
http://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/379/significant-fall-out-from-dirty-politics-allegations?gtid=5530918338470TWM
The above is the link to an Horizon Poll of 1752 people announced today
“More want the Prime Minister to launch an independent inquiry into the book’s allegations than not take this action (45.9% support, 24.7% oppose). However, more think he should stay in office rather than resign over the allegations made in the book. …………………….
Large numbers of New Zealanders are feeling angry, disappointed and disgusted as a result of the Prime Minister’s management of the issues raised in the book in the 12 days from its first publication. The results indicate the Prime Minister, John Key, has made 135,700 people who voted National in 2011 feel angry, or disappointed or disgusted. This is 12.8% of those who voted National at the last election. …………
In this survey, conducted after the release of the “Dirty Politics” book, National retains only 82% of those who said in July/August they would give their party vote to the National Party. Note that around 8% of those who said in the July/August poll they would vote for National are now undecided about which party they will give their party vote to…………………
It took me a while to get the Horizon Poll details up onto Open Mike – as above at 11.
And although it states that 8% of people who voted Nats last time are undecided, I’m thinking that if the MSM continues to allow ShonKey a reasonable say without questionning him or being persistent, then those undecideds will flow back into the National fold on election day.
And it does look as if all the publicity about Dirty Politics has taken attention away from Labour’s policy announcements. That’s disappointing, and disturbing.
and the media started that yesterday giving him final right of reply in news items on Prime and TV3
I think the drop in Labour’s support is due to the almost total lack of coverage for Labour in either TV3 or TVNZ news over the last couple of weeks (apart from responding to “Dirty Politics”). I don’t usually watch TV news because it is a waste of time, but I decided to see the reactions to “Dirty Politics.” What I discovered was that Labour was unable to get coverage of policy announcements, and I suspect Key’s constantly repeated “left wing smear campaign” refrain has managed to smear Labour with some swinging voters.
Take some heart the ” I think new Zealanders will decide what tot hink about all this” line has failed
“73.7% believe that, if it is true as alleged in the book that a member of the staff of Prime Minister John Key’s office accessed confidential information held in a Labour Party web site, the behaviour is unacceptable.
They tend to believe the Prime Minister knew in advance about attacks on political opponents planned by pro-National bloggers and that the bloggers did not act totally independently of the National-led government.”
and they seem to see through media bias?
“More than half of adult New Zealanders (53.1%) believe mainstream media (newspapers, radio and television) have failed to act impartially in relation to material provided to them by bloggers. While 40.9% are not sure whether the media’s coverage of all aspects of the allegations made in Mr Hager’s book has been adequate, there is a small tendency to believe that it has not been.
Respondents tend to support the use of hacked e-mails and social media information of blogger Cameron Slater in the public interest than oppose it based on the information allegedly being private and obtained illegally.”
“A key policy plank for NZ First and the Conservative Party has been given a boost after two thirds of voters said they believed citizens-initiated referenda should be binding on a Government.
The Herald DigiPoll survey showed 66 per cent of respondents agreed such referenda should be binding while 22 per cent said they should not.”
2/3 of voters DID NOT say they believed referenda should be binding. 2/3 of people polled. I do wish they would make the differentiation
HOWEVER MR “anything to be in power” will be very interested n this I am sure…. any seats they can offer to Colins party so he can bring back a subjective defence for beating your children”
Video of yesterday’s Nicky Hager public meeting.
Invalid votes….ever made one?
This has been on my mind for a while. Pete Hodgson had some numbers on it once I believe and they were pretty high. In the thousands I think.
Anyway, this came into sharp focus for me recently talking to four women aged around 30.
They all intended to vote this election.
They all voted last election.
The catch is only one was enrolled to vote.
They were under the mistaken opinion that being given a special vote on voting day and voting for their party and candidate of choice meant that they had voted. Not so.
Can you tell your friends, Draco – that from 3 Sept they are able to enrol and vote early at the same time. The Returning Officer in each electorate will have special polling booths available.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315243
Headline “Super blow for Auckland ratepayers”
First paragraph
Following contents ‘rich suburbs pay higher rates, poor suburbs pay lower rates’ ie the way it should actually be with a unified rating system.
And mr seymour today wrote to the people of epsom demanding it be changed and remove the threat to “our” schools in epsom.
I can see this pushing more struggling families out of Auckland.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10433421/Auckland-faces-8-years-of-rate-hikes
p.3, Political Conduct Survey, Horizon Research, August 2014
Only a fraction of those need to decide to leave National say 2% to 3%, and Key is history.
In High Court today, seeking to delay the election on some interesting factual grounds … denying votes to all prisoners …
http://tvnz.co.nz/vote-2014-news/parliament-could-criticised-blocking-prisoners-votes-6066311
In the High Court today … interesting facts calling for postponement of election until resolution of issue of human rights in denying votes to all prisoners .. with Te Tiriti …
http://tvnz.co.nz/vote-2014-news/parliament-could-criticised-blocking-prisoners-votes-6066311
Labour has solid policy around restoring prisoners’ franchise.
The blog appears to be behaving very strangely – comments disappearing into the ether ?
me too …
another groaner from trevvet – how she even has a job writing this crap is beyond me. Such poorly argued BS
Audrey seems to be relegated to poll reporting
http://tvnz.co.nz/vote-2014-news/parliament-could-criticised-blocking-prisoners-votes-6066311
high court today .. interesting facts …
Have I dropped into the spam void?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11314977
Beverley Wakem laying the groundwork for retrospective legislation legitimising John Key’s hands off/didn’t see it lie about the speedy SIS OIA release to Slater.
– NZ Herald
Beverley Wakem laying the groundwork for retrospective legislation legitimising John Key’s hands off/didn’t see it lie about the speedy SIS OIA release to Slater.
I’m sure the reference by this National party stooge to the departments that did “incredibly well” include the SIS ministry and Prime Minister’s office.
Thanks for this.
Isnt she contradicting mr tuckers claim that approval didnt go to the PM. She says it clearly has to go right to the top first. Could be she wants to remove that as a potential or actual point of political interference?
From reading a few other articles about her it seems she’s against the difficulty in releasing information quickly to the public and as she said above, calling the several layers of approval as “absurd”.
That she’s unhappy with the inconsistency in the release of information is nice overall, particularly in terms of the withholding of information she believes the public are entitled to, what she’s not addressing is the careful delaying for some and releasing for others which is what this episode is all about.
If this is the kind of confusion and suspicion of subterfuge that can result the the Act looks loose to me and lacks clarity. Fine, re-legislate, but still investigate the 90 minute Slater OIA vigorously.
And, if ministers are to be taken out of the loop, then who does she propose to be responsible for the release of information. Jason Ede types?
Hunting the issue that is throwing comments into spam
I think this coming election could be framed not just as “right versus left” but as “post-democracy versus democracy.” If David Shearer had remained Labour Party leader it would essentially be a post-democratic election, not because of anything particularly wrong with him, but because he was chosen with the approval of the opinion makers, after a short time in parliament, as a ‘face’ rather than a real leader of Labour. The small parties on the left and NZ first would still be democratic of course, but would lack the grunt to alter the post-democratic direction. And if Hager hadn’t written his book, we would not know just how far down the post-democratic road we have already come.
The speculation that Bennett may replace Key as National’s leader, should Key decide to vamoose, suggests that the right and their media flunkies assume a post-democratic future. Not someone like Joyce, who might think he has actual power, but someone who can be packaged and sold, who is willing to take directions and is attracted by celebrity status.
We may not even be able to save democracy, it may already be too late, but it is crucial that we try. We are lucky that Labour has Cunliffe as leader. We are lucky that the Greens do not seem to be suborned, that Hager wrote his book, and that IMP is there to shake things up. We cannot take this luck for granted. We must keep up our enthusiasm under pressure, and work to get the vote out.
+111
For the last 30+ years the capitalists have been, through neo-liberal policies and privatisation, been taking us back to being a feudal society. We have to stop it now.
Capitalism =/= neo-liberalism
And who are “the capitalists”? I’m a capitalist but not a neo-liberal capitalist. Am I “the capitalists”?
Please don’t bait Draco by asking him these questions.
I am a proud lefty who will always advocate for an equal society. But I do find his hyperbole about the psychopathic capitalism a little crae crae.
Throughout recorded history the greedy buggers, otherwise known as capitalists, have worked the system to gather the wealth into their own hands. This is not hyperbole as Piketty shows with his research – as wealth accumulates to the few more wealth accumulates to those few. Interest and percentile based returns on investment ensures that those returns exceed the return to labour and that they are exponential.
The inevitable result of capitalism is the collapse of society.
So are all greedy buggers capitalists now? Was there no greed before capitalism? Are there non-capitalists who are greedy?
You’re not making any sense because you haven’t defined your terms (hint: “the capitalists” is not a defined term)
I have absolutely NFI WTF you are but you obviously can’t read.
No I can read just fine.
Once again (I’ll spell it out properly for you – and this has been spelt out for you before):
All neo-liberalism is capitalism but not all capitalism is neo-liberal. StatementS like “the capitalists” make no sense because it can’t be used to refer to a single group of people with a single ideology.
Can you read that properly?
(By the way – I’m a social democrat who believes in the Nordic Model of capitalism)
11.45 segment – Plunket compared dirty politics to Watergate.
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio.aspx
Better late than never
Worn down by all the dirt ? This is to get moving after the weight of all the filth, to be refreshed and re-inspired !
Brilliant song from1982, by the inspired Kokomo .. without doubt the best Bristish soul band ever; includes some members of Joe Cocker’s Grease Band and all of what was originally Arrival. Incredible vocals and rhythym section.
Rise and Shine …. perfect lyrics for today .. . Please enjoy the dancing and be re-inspired …
thanks!!
hope you enjoy it as much as me … these are dear friends of mine from way back .. and the track is perfect for today and what is to come I think !! left you a link down below for some funny carol burnett you might like too .. but who knows where it will show up with the way the page is going today !
trying again with carol burnett laughter for you ..
Thanks yeshe, have liked that Tim Conway skit for years. Great to see it again.
I went to a concert at The Roundhouse in London close to forty years ago with Kokomo on the bill but alas, memories have faded and the only thing I can recall about the evening is the Canadian girl.
https://soundcloud.com/kokomo1975
…
Brainfood:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-rifkin/internet-of-things_b_5104072.html
“A powerful new technology revolution is emerging that is going to fundamentally alter our economic life. The Communication Internet is converging with an embryonic Energy Internet and Logistics Internet to create a new technology platform — the Internet of Things (IoT) — that connects everything and everyone.”
given the extent of our domestic abuse problem..(largely/often fueled by alcohol..)
..this should be of some interest..surely..?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/married-couples-who-smoke-cannabis-together-are-less-likely-to-engage-in-domestic-violence-9693772.html
I have to use up my mobile broadband today, I think there is over a gig left as I was away a lot of the month. Any suggestions on video downloads? Political, musical, comedic or just fun. I got the Hager talk already.
weka .. for your download and laughter !
oh dear
do not look at the herald
I am intrigued that they should rush the result out at 2 pm before the debate. This is the first time I can ever recall them doing this.
Yep, they have an agenda Greg.
They want this to dominate debate between now and 7pm. They want this to be the issue in the debate.
I haven’t had time to look properly, but assuming like all the other polls, the undecideds aren’t counted, I have to wonder if this is material for a complaint to the Press Council. It’s very misleading, and grossly deceitful that they don’t point out the implications of the undecided votes.
7.9% were undecided.
was that included in their analysis and what they communicated beyond a single statement at the bottom of the article?
read it
🙄
@ m.s..mind you..better than ambushing cunnliffe by holding it back until 6 pm…
it’s a newspaper phil
the debate is at 7
i’m just failing to see any ..aside from garnering support/attention for their media-organ..any conspiracy-clues..
“I am intrigued that they should rush the result out at 2 pm before the debate.”
Because the media thinks the election is all about them, it’s the same with release of polls through the media outlets every second day….. the whole thing is ludicrous to the extreme.
Unfortunately we’ve played into their game by taking about it !
lol
I half expected them to be calling key the winner of the first debate already 🙂
So, to recap, national is on 50.7% with three weeks to go. The same poll said with 3 or 4 weeks before the election that national was on 53/54%.
So at the moment national are looking possibly at 43/44%, although the main variation will come after the debates. And depending what kdc’s announcement is as well – I suspect he’s overhyped it, though.
Worst case is that Assange makes a big self-important speech that fails to meet expectations, and kdc follows it with a minor fizzle that looks like nothing compared to the corruption hager’s already revealed. And while everyone is still going “what was all that about?”, half of them tick for the corrupt bastards again.
Best case is that kdc reveals genuinely slam-dunk evidence that key did something illegal and the cops have to drag the pm in for questioning.
After all, they raided newspaper offices last time, so they don’t let political timetables affect their investigations – right? /sarc
Stephanie Rodgers wrote this about me in her post “Supporting all the colours of the rainbow.” I replied to her outrageous remark (it was brief lol), but although she seems to have cleared other comments out of moderation, she won’t clear my reply. So here I am forced on to OM saying: that’s just a transparently shit argument style, Stephanie, and now I’m really looking forward to what other crap you’re going to put in my mouth/make up next about me. 😈
to be honest, it looks like the conversation has turned personal on both sides. Is this really what we want to be doing at this time?
well, that’s a very good point as well…
🙂
It seems fair to bring your comment to OM, given the power imbalance in arguing with an author on their own post, but I hope over the coing month we can try and state our differences but not get too bogged down in them.
damn, I appreciate you explicitly mentioning the subtle and not so subtle power imbalances stemming from author privilege, weka; so many people still refuse to acknowledge that it even exists 😉
😀
Funnily enough, being a non commenting RWNJ on this site, I am all about this CV. Having a moan about the M/F/? on your passport when you try and enter the UAE or Egypt is onna be the least of yours problems
Apologies for all the near duplicate posts above, people. Had some issues with disappearing comments, which now seems to be sorted.
no..it’s not yet ‘sorted’..
Most of us will be watching the leaders debate tonight but if anyone is interested Radio Live have a debate on a Thursday night 7pm – 9pm with the appropriate people Tonight’s debate is welfare/superan. It will be available on demand I expect.
Ok – how about focusing on the BIG issues and the HARD questions?
I did get speaking rights at today’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting in the Town Hall today.
Who knew that Auckland Council was currently exposed to nearly $5.8 BILLION in derivatives?
A follow-up OIA request to Treasury ….
_________________________________________________________________________28 August 2014
URGENT/’Open Letter’ / OIA request to NZ Treasury
re: Legislative changes since 2008 that have allowed NZ at local and central government to become more exposed to the derivatives market.
Please be advised that under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, I have recently received a reply from Auckland Council, dated 14 August 2014,
( Auckland Council Official Information Request No. 9000130643)
My LGOIMA request question:
” 6) Please provide the information which confirms exactly how much Auckland Council has been exposed to the derivatives market since 1 November 2010.”
Auckland Council reply:
“Interest rate swaps are used to manage interest rate exposures on Council debt.
The total notional value of interest rate risk management instruments (swaps) including forward start swaps is $5.8 billion and the average term to is 6.4 years.
Total “live” swaps at 30 June 2014 are $3.2 billion.
The forward start swaps of $2.6 billion will lock in the interest rate on future borrowings. ”
Please provide the following information:
1) All legislative changes enacted since the John Key led National Government took office in 2008, which have facilitated, enabled, encouraged or generally made it easier, for New Zealand at local and central government level (including Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises) to become exposed to the derivatives market, in any/all way, shape or form.
2) The names of the banks, financial institutions and the like, which have facilitated, enabled and/or provided derivatives market services, in any form, since the John Key led National Government took office in 2008.
3) As of today, 28 August 2014, the total current amount of exposure to the derivatives market held by the NZ Government, at central government level (including, but not limited to, Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises).
4) As of 18 November 2008 (the day before the John Key led National Government took office), the total current amount of exposure to the derivatives market held by the NZ Government, at central government level (including, but not limited to, Crown Entities, and State-Owned Enterprises).
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/ anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Attendee: 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2014 G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
Are they into derivatives so they can loss the money? Then they say, oh poor us, we broke – we need to sell some stuff off.
Public money needs to be treated with a bit more respect.
Penny – good on you for raising this in the wider context of Auckland City Council general financial mismanagement.
But don’t be sucked in by the nominal amounts. If the council is doing their job properly (I know, a big if) the actual amount “at risk” on these trades should only be around 3 or 4% of the nominal amount. A swap is a nominal contract, ie if you enter into a 100 million swap, 100million dollars doesnt change hands. An agreement is made to swap interest payments. So lets say we agree to swap a 6% fixed payment for 3 month floating payment for 5 years, the exposure is just the present value of the difference of those payments. So on the start date the net exposure on that swap would be zero, not 100 million.
The questions you should be asking council are the following:
-What is the current mark to market value of all derivative transactions the council has entered into?
– What is the net credit exposure to each swap counterparty (please identify counterparties by name), broken out by counterparty credit rating?
– Please describe what proportion of outstanding derivative exposure is hedging existing interest rate exposures?
– Are all derivative contracts entered into under an ISDA agreement?
– Are exposures to counterparties collateralised, and if so to what degree?
– What gift and entertainment policies cover the staff responsible for negotiationg and entering into derivitive transactions?
– Please publish (without identifying staff names) the current gift and entertainment register?
Answers to those questions will tell you everything you need to know.
Guyon Espiner @GuyonEspiner
Peters: will talk first to the largest party, will not work with IMP or Maori Party and refuses to say whether he will work with the Greens.
So, once again, voting for NZF is NOT a left wing vote, nor is it a vote for changing this govt.
“So, once again, voting for NZF is NOT a left wing vote, nor is it a vote for changing this govt.”
I think it’s been fairly obvious for quite a while that Winston will go with National if push comes to shove,
There’s been a few ts regulars who think that Winston will def go with Labour. I think there are general voters who believe this too.
polling after the last time peters went with the tories..
..showed that 70% of those who voted for him then..
..did so with the expectation that their vote was going to support a labour-led govt..
..fool me twice..more fool me…eh..?
‘
Wonderful news – Cameron Slater has confirmed that the material in “Dirty Politics” is genuine.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/cameron-slater-files-police-complaint-over-hacking-video-6066570
Was my thought too.
So those saying Hagers book is fantasy, whaledumps info backs the book = evidence.
‘
Sssup with my comments disappearing . . . that’s four now.
they’re probably going into the spam filter. It’s been happening for the past day to a few people.
Stacey Kirk: [STUFF]
NZ Herald have published their latest Digipoll (interestingly, breaking it online before their papers). A reason for that could be that the results of the debate might take a more prominent seat then.
The party results are interesting, showing NZ First and Conservatives on the move upwards (Similar to last night’s 3 News poll, though not as extreme). Labour are still dropping though.
National 50.7 (up 0.7)
Labour 24.1 (down 1.1)
Greens 11.4 (down 2.3)
NZ First 5 (up 0.7)
Maori Party 1 (up 0.3)
Internet Mana 3.4 (up 1.3)
Conservatives 3.3 (up 0.7)
Act 0.3 (down 0.3)
United Future 0.2 (down 0.2)
Undecideds?
Can you please post a link we so can see it in context?
National 45.0% (-2.5%) Digi National 50.7 (up 0.7)
Labour 26.3% (-2.6%) Labour 24.1 (down 1.1)
Green 13.5% (+0.5%) Greens 11.4 (down 2.3)
ACT 0.3% (nc) Act 0.3 (down 0.3)
Maori 0.7% (-0.1%) Maori Party 1 (up 0.3)
United Future 0.4% (+0.2%) United Future 0.2 (down 0.2)
Mana/Internet 2.1% (+0.1%) Internet Mana 3.4 (up 1.3)
NZ First 6.3% (+1.7%) NZ First 5 (up 0.7)
Conservative 4.6% (+2.1%) Conservatives 3.3 (up 0.7
Right N A UF Con 50.3 54.5
Left Lab Green Mana 41.9 38.9
I find it hard to believe National has gone up in the polls and the Greens gave gone down
That is is not what I am hearing door knocking but hey I do live in Wellington
As Marty G and Steve Pierson used to always say it is the trends that count. The trends are fucking terrible and I am stressed about it.
Undecideds?
Can you please post a link we so can see it in context?
A self polling site – but does have some interesting results.
Like this one
http://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/379/significant-fall-out-from-dirty-politics-allegations?gtid=0829406813088IRO
Yeah, right. But he has to say it though !!!
” He (Key) denied Ms Collins had information she could use against him which might have helped her keep her job.
“No one has anything on me,” he said.”
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/politics/john-key-stands-by-embattled-judith-collins-2014082816#ixzz3BempdrXw
Thanks for stating this, TRP.
Have seen nothing to suggest CV is homophobic in his posting.
Not always a girl’s best friend 😉 but not a homophobe
…thank you Tracey! 🙂
Not a whiff of homophobia ever that I have seen. I read the post. Agree with Tracey 100% and TRP.
yeshe…most kind.
I can’t see it either. All I see is a lot of bold text in the comments section.
There is the argument to be made (has been made) that marginalising so called identity politics is a form of homophobia etc.
Hi Weka, I’m afraid that I don’t see how having a T in your passport instead of an M when you look F (or the other way around) is going to make it any easier to travel. So although I respect Stephanie’s addressing of this issue, on a practical basis I don’t see how it would improve her friend’s ability to travel. I won’t comment on the deleted comments because I didn’t see them.
It doesn’t matter if you see or don’t see how it changes things for the better for those people. It’s about what matters to them, yeah?
Yes of course it is.
Mine was probably more of a question originally than a statement, I have had problems getting my posts through the filter tonight for some reason.
No worries, comrade! We’re not always going to agree, but you have my ongoing respect. As does Stephanie, for that matter, even if I think this response was OTT.
And you have my respect, and especially for all the work you put into helping ordinary NZers get ahead 🙂
Yes we butt heads from time to time, but we are also very honest about our differences when they do arise which is fine by me.
For me, the most interesting figure in the latest Herald poll is that 67.8% of the polled population state John Key is their preferred PM.
If you assume that all Act, Conservative, MP and UF votes want John Key to be PM, my rough calculation is that about 35% of Labour, Green, IM and NZF voters are saying that despite their intended party vote, they would prefer John Key to be prime Minister.
I’d want to see the actual question.
The type of policies this government (and previous ones) have brought to life and fostered have led to the likes of Pike River which killed 29 men dead.
The types of policies are flawed in the extreme.
And now this afternoon another person at work has been killed. It is the attitude and the approach, the self-regulate mantra, the idea that what is good for the singular is good for the plural foolishness, this madness has to stop …..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10434813/Worker-killed-at-Lyttelton-Port
is John Key up to it?
i seem to recall predicting here last week that labour wd slump more in the polls..
..it happens every time after parker comes out and talks about raising the pension-age..
..it happens every time..
..i reckon..that also for a raft of other reasons..but for many..it’s a case of..
..we as a country may need to do some re-jigging of priorities..
..but somehow raising the pension age doesn’t seem to be anywhere near problem number one…
..right now..
..not to mention that policy driving away maori/p.i-voters..
..who ‘cos of earlier mortality..
..barely get to pension age now…
..labours’ stupidest policy…
..but they can’t be told..eh..?
INTERNET MANA PARTY LIST 2014
List number – Name – Electorate – Component party
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/internet-mana-list-embodies-modern-nz/5/200470
Getting puzzled about the spam catcher problem. I have tried turning off (and hurriedly back on) three anti-spam protection systems so far with no effect. Comment with links and some others keep going to the spam directory.
It is almost like something new doesn’t like odd-ball punctuation like “://” and “. . .”*
don’t tease!
– Stuff
The National government’s work place policy up close. Self regulation works, they said. Cut the red tape, they said. Boost productivity, they said.
Example of rightwing propagandising on YahooNZ website:
Photo : Grafitti on National Party billboard
Headline : “Labour candidate owns up’
A cursory read of the headline and picture suggests a Labour candidate has owned up to defacing National Party billboards.
The story is actually about Jacinda Ardern owning up to drawing on her OWN billboard after someone had cut the eyes out of the photo on it.
They have now changed it but how many people saw it before it was changed?
KDC posts the promo for Sept 15th,
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/504928578832576514
Interesting:
Thievery Corporation –
NOT mainstream stuff, but “interesting”.
I seem to be constantly persecuted here now, and it is not new, I just trued to post a concerned comment re sexism and child abuse, but it was off loaded and shat on. Maybe it is just another “technical” problem. But my concern is about child sex and sexism, and a band called Kaoma from Brasil did not serve interests of fairness long ago, so I intended to load a link, which now seems a waste of time.
It does not load after al l now, so they do NOT want to share it, so that tells you how NZ is run, right?!
I can tell you many similar stories, NZ is corrupt and rotten, run by an elite crowd, that control all, and it is time to get rid of them. So vote accordingly, research the parties to do so, I am NOT biased.
So what does this mean?
Worth also in moderation, we are all supposed to be one together:
Worth also in moderation, we are all supposed to be one together:
Lprent your are an ARSEHOLE, and I regret having thought I get a fair deal to come back to TS. It is BS you work on same as your mate from TDB. You are Bullshit People, and while I am left of centre, I will NOT support any of you fucking arseholes and liars as you are. So get fucked man, you are real shit, and I saw and heard enough about you at the meeting in Balmoral, no damned wonder the left in this crap country is losing, because of self interested people, who have their agendas, but do not give a shit for the rest of society. YOU can dig your damned TS website, so can Bomber, the other idiot I saw the other night, you Kiwi supposed “leftist” have ALL lost it, will lose the election to Key and ALL look for the next best job to serve yourselves, and fuck the people you claim you ever stood for. Feel ashamed.