1. Labour to to take utilities back into public ownership and change the way the economy runs.
2. The public sector pay cap must end.
3. A Labour government will bring in rent controls and ensure tenants are rehoused locally when estates are regenerated.
4. Labour wants more workplace democracy.
5. Corbyn attacks the traditional media and its tax exile owners who “trash Labour at every turn”, especially the Daily Mail.
6. Tuition fees would be abolished for both university and further education students.
7. Businesses will have to pay a bit more tax.
I thought this speech from the UK Labour conference was also something that would sound like beautiful music coming from NZ Labour, but I guess with old third way crusaders like Robinson, Clarke and Mike Williams being the ideological back bone of NZ Labour now…all we will hear is the unpleasant sounds of NZ Labour digging further into it’s own grave….
Paul Mason ‘We Will Change the World’ Labour Party Conference
Ed, this is similar to Winstons policy to take back utilities companies again along with any ‘errant manufacturing companies that get public taxpyer bailouts and then leave NZ’ and we have several of those dont we just.
All around Corbyn is a hero I see there and a new dawn to take back our countries from the ‘rogue elites’ ( we call carpetbaggers invited here by John Key & mow accomodated by Bill English.)
Hopefully we will get a Labour/NZ First/Greens coalition to save our country.
An excellent platform for a Labour-NZ First-Greens coalition for the next 3 years. Each of those points has been championed by one of these three parties at some stage… except no.2… but pretty sure Green and NZ First would support it.
Leaky homes: ‘If you can’t afford to pay for it, then tough luck’
The son of one elderly Auckland owner said authorities needed to urgently step in because open-ended repair bills put all the risk on the owners.
“There is no protection. It will cost what it will cost and if you can’t afford to pay for it, then tough luck,” Iain Swan said.
His 86-year-old father has moved out of his leaky Bay Palms apartment in Browns Bay, on the North Shore, but Mr Swan said payment demands from the body corporate remained.
“Under the Unit Titles Act the body corp committee are quite able to forcibly sell your apartment.”
I wonder who the son has been voting for the last 20 years? I worked in the leaky home area and it became a gravy train for so-called building experts and lawyers. The Council (Auckland in particular) got so fixated on its own liability it has forced many properties into full reclad when Building Code repairs were possible.
Building experts cream money for being a project manager of a rebuild. On a multi-unit, we are talking no change from 50k and often far higher.
WHY would they recommend repairs? Why would they fight for repairs?
Many Body Corps run by professional Body Corps have been treated negligently but suing your Body Corp is the same as suing yourself.
IF National wanted to deal with this for future generations (and that would include Christchurch rebuild) they would have made developers personally liable, along with Designers and Builders. The Cowboys would have disappeared and the good ones would dominate. Instead
Developer starts a company – does build – removes profits – shuts down company – = escapes any legal liability for wrongdoing.
Sadly too many people dismiss such issues until it happens to them (or their loved one).
Developer starts a company – does build – removes profits – shuts down company – = escapes any legal liability for wrongdoing.
And it’s not just developers who do that.
IIRC, there was a tech shop a few years ago who got into trouble for not paying his employees enough. Went to court, was found guilty and ordered to pay. Next day the business was shut down and a new one in its place owned by the same person and selling the same stuff. The liability disappeared overnight as the business that had been charged no longer existed.
When shit like this can happen then the law needs to change to hold the people that own the business liable. After all, it’s not the business that’s breaking the law as that’s an inanimate object. It’s the people that own it.
I agree on both counts but developers decided to buy the cheap mediterranean suited cladding.
Note how quickly BRANZ was changed into a company jyst in time to escape liability. I have seen documentation which shows BRANZ never tested Harditex before put their mark on it they just accepted JH testing… which it turns out they didnt do
Acceptance of inequality at heart of CEO pay – researcher
‘Chief executives are paid more in societies that are more tolerant of inequality, a researcher says.
Researcher Max Rashbrooke specialises in salary trends.
He told Morning Report research showed that New Zealand chief executives received large salaries whether their companies did well or not.
“They’ve kind of got a bit of a bet each way.”
Mr Rashbrooke said chief executives earned far more than their predecessors a generation ago but there was no evidence they were more effective.
“They are paid more because they’re in a society that’s much more tolerant of inequality.
“Whereas conversely, if you look at a country like Japan where you have people running huge multinational companies, most Japanese chief executives would be paid less than $1m New Zealand.
“Because in Japan it’s still, to a large extent, culturally unacceptable to have those very large salaries which people don’t regard as deserved.”‘
Poverty, illness and living on less than the minimum wage.
‘The last time there was fresh produce on the table was more than two years ago.
After covering her basic expenses, Lynlie Beazley survives on just $22 per week and sometimes she sleeps on an empty stomach. The west Auckland resident described herself as the “face of poverty” in the country. “I don’t know how I live each day.”
Beazley said she would not be able to survive without food parcels from The Salvation Army. She is one of a growing number of people knocking on the charity’s door for help. Her weekly benefit was about $236, but she only had $22 after rent, expenses, and hire purchase payments. Beazley, a Housing NZ tenant, said this was enough for two bottles of milk, three loaves of bread and a tray of eggs.
Salvation Army welfare national Practice Manager Jono Bell said they helped 10,555 individuals and families around the country with food parcels between April and June – an 8 per cent increase on the same period last year
“For many people we see food parcels are a temporary measure to help them out in a crisis, such as losing their job, but we do have a number of clients who rely on food parcels for survival, because their income is not enough to meet their needs.
“The rising cost of food on top of the increasing rents we’ve seen in the past few years have been a major factor in this.” ….’
Don’t be so mean.
Bringing facts into the debate is totally unfair.
That is like asking Metira to tell the truth about the amount of support she got from her child’s fathers family.
Why doesn’t RNZ release the material they received about that? They have no problem with releasing anything provided to them if it denigrates a National MP’s character.
Of course she shouldn’t.
On the other hand I do think she should have fulfilled her obligations to the taxpayer and done such minor little things as naming the father.
She should also, when she justified her fraud, have told the truth about her situation instead of leaving the impression that the father had basically abandoned her and left her, and her daughter to go hungry.
She also had an obligation, at least in my view, to have looked for a part time job instead of spending her time running for Parliament on the ticket of idiot parties. It is called “taking responsibility” and even toward the end she never seemed to have grown up enough to do that.
I do apologise. The numbers on the indents don’t show up very clearly and I did think I was one of the two people you were referring to.
I can assure you I have no obsession with Turei. I dislike in equal measure all corrupt politicians.
On the other hand, having read your last sentence I withdraw the words of apology. The rest stands though.
Yup. Rewards those who show no personal responsibility or accountability for their lawbreaking (from positions of power) but preaches personal responsibility and accountability for others
Alwyn, just maybe the father did not want to be named ? If fathers are not married to the mothers of their children then they have to specifically front up to the registry office and sign on the dotted line. Many men won’t take that final step. Mother can name the father to WINZ but without the signature the mother is deemed to have “not named the father”.
Ms Beazley has been to prison and has completed her sentence.
Also to the point – in the article I read she has been searching for work. She clearly wasn’t coached as to the sheer amount of effort it would take to pick up an entry level job.
It’s silly in the extreme to expect someone from a hard background, with prison sentences, to know how to operate in the mainstream.
Why aren’t ex-prisoners being set up with work when they leave prison? And a mentor-buddy to help them past the rocky parts?
Or do we choose to keep on punishing them?
I didn’t see the piece on ‘$1000 of damage’. I have no idea whether it was accidental or deliberate. I do know that the amount she has to cover her overheads and living costs is far too low.
Remember – she’s done her time. Don’t let the punishment continue.
But the demonising and stigmatising (can these be used together, I wonder) must go on. You know, once a thief, always a thief. This applies to Beazley, Turei, as well as to Bill English. How on Earth can these be ‘fundamentally decent’ people once they’ve erred in their ways, I ask you … Let those we have never committed sin stand tall be counted and they shall be knighted for their good deeds and unblemished record. Yeah, nah!
“The Electoral Commission is looking into a social media post on election day by former broadcaster Sean Plunket that used a play on words to endorse the political party he worked for.
The commission confirmed it has received complaints about the tweet, which read: “Hope everyone remembers to put a top on before going out to vote, when it’s cold, two tops.”
I hope the complaint is upheld. I noticed a bit of this sort of thing going on on election day at Kiwiblog but it’s a whole new level when someone (formerly) in the media is doing it.
So in other words Alwyn…….you just don’t give a fuck about people being bone poor in New Zealand. That disregard necessarily includes bone poor children. To the contrary you militate for a small proportion of the population to earn, and enhance their earnings way, way, way beyond need. There seems to be no other conclusion.
You are therefore one of those self-perceived ‘fine’, repugnant, subversive extremists worthy of nothing less than contempt. In my more than 4 decades of active engagement with NZ criminal law I am yet to find the penalty of starvation prescribed in any New Zealand criminal legislation. A word to the ignorant…….it is extremely dishonest to muddy the waters by invoking a conviction without at the same time providing full detail of the circumstances of the offending. The offence of aggravated robbery covers a wide range of unlawful behaviour. Not that that would worry a darkly ignorant blowhard.
Even if this woman’s offence fell at the very serious end of the scale of such offending, where imprisonment is more or less mandatory, starvation was never part of that sentence. Or are you saying that if one has a serious conviction you’ll not be left to starve while serving your prison sentence but that’s all good once you’re released ? Karma will take you Alwyn.
Did anyone else hear the item on Morning Report (I just heard it on the 7 am news) where there was some discussion talked about in which Tuariki John Delamere is said to have stated that “if Jacinda offers Winston the shared PM” she will probably get a deal – there was then some suggestion that “Bill wouldn’t and shouldn’t”.
Maybe I’m just being sensitive before my morning coffee, but it reeked sexism to me.
I heard it but I didn’t hear it as sexist… I heard it as Jacinda having less of an ego than Bill, making such an arrangement possible. Given that time is on Jacinda’s side and not on Winnie’s… why not make that offer? They could do 18 months each.
Ha! Hell… why not throw in James as well and they can have 12 months each… 🙂
@SpaceMonkey – ok, must have been the lack of coffee then 😉
I just hope it’s the lack of ego factor driving people to make such comments, rather than any insinuation about her gender, age or relative lack of experience – those things push my sensitive wee buttons!!
Sounds like a bitter member of the old boys club grasping at straws and living in the dark ages.
A bit like all the speculation that is rife in the media again today.
Bitter ex MP’s facing irrelevance like Dunne giving his opinion and speculations while preparing his CV after withdrawing from the election due to a lack of popularity that was waging a war against his ego.
Hey there Frida 😀 I’m finding it super amusing, how media are asking opinions of all these people, because their opinions will have absolutely no bearing on any decision making.
Winston click bait for the masses, it’s sooooo funny.
Tualeki the two faced .
Former National/NZfirst MP.
Traitorous meddler.
Bill English is finished washed up if he doesn’t get over the line.
Now at least that’s up the anti how trustable are National in holding their coalition deal given this Rant from the Tuafaced Delamare.
NOne of my favorite programs on TV IS Gold Rush Its a good program that shows that the small guy can win and beat big money with a bit of learning and some good intelligence . I remember one day and Mitch Parkers mechanic had a water leak in one of
There machine and Mitch said that a tip that Jean Cheesman was to have heaps of black pepper and they put that in the radiatior and it stops the water leaks so six months ago when I found that my radiator cap had been loosened and had a slight crack in the head I remember that episode and poured black pepper into my trucks cooling system and what do you no it works so DON’T by any of that shit they sell in the shop just put black pepper in your cooling system and top the water up if you are losing water and you will be able to get home it was a temporary fix
That gave me six months .Now the grass is growing and my other job has started well I will be able to pay my loan off piece o piss and also the big picture is were are the small COUNTRY so don’t go shooting our own foot off and attacking fonterra One old say if I like is if it ain’t broke DON’T fix it yes there need to be some environment issues sorted but fonterra business structures are fine.
“…poured black pepper into my trucks cooling system and what do you no it works so DON’T by any of that shit they sell in the shop.”
Would get us home as long as we had black pepper on board. Great ide Eco maori.
Don’t you get it our largest trading nation has a controlled economy and they can fuck WITH our exports at the drop of a hat By the way someone direct credit $30 into my bank account and reference it with KEEP GROWING IN TAURANGA.
Now that can be interpreted in many ways so DON’T DO that because it’s not helping me.
Sweden and Norway, for example, both experienced a major power shift in the 1930s after prolonged nonviolent struggle. They “fired” the top 1 percent of people who set the direction for society and created the basis for something different.
Both countries had a history of horrendous poverty. When the 1 percent was in charge, hundreds of thousands of people emigrated to avoid starvation. Under the leadership of the working class, however, both countries built robust and successful economies that nearly eliminated poverty, expanded free university education, abolished slums, provided excellent health care available to all as a matter of right and created a system of full employment. Unlike the Norwegians, the Swedes didn’t find oil, but that didn’t stop them from building what the latest CIA World Factbook calls “an enviable standard of living.”
I know schadenfreude is not a particularly noble emotion. But should Winston go with a progressive government, the shit fight within the National Party will be a joy to behold.
Because they were in Government when he got his citizenship. It’s not a secret Chairman. But National, they are the ones who elevated him to parliamentarian.
[lprent: Quite inadequate. If you want people to click into links, then provide some summary information about why they should click into it rather than your effective statement of “I am a pretentious wanker”. As you can see it just causes stupid flames which I don’t like reading or dealing with and have a tendency to deal with by making sure that don’t happen again. ]
no you didn’t provide clarification. You merely linked to something you claim provides clarification.
And if you don’t provide a clear description of your point in a sentence or two of your own construction, then you’re either incapable of doing so (in which case discussing the topic with you is pointless, as you cannot comprehend it), or you’re to lazy to do so (in which case there’s no point in discussing the topic with you), or you used the request for clarification as an excuse to insert irrelevant information into the discussion alongside whatever “clarification” your link might provide (in which case there’s no point in discussing the topic with you because you’re discusssing things in bad faith).
Are there allegations that any Labour MPs worked for schools that taught agents of foreign intelligence services?
No?
Probably just what Tracey said, then.
Did national do due diligence when making him a candidate?
“Are there allegations that any Labour MPs worked for schools that taught agents of foreign intelligence services?”
No, not that I’m aware of at this stage. But there are questions about donations and their connection to the CCP. As I pointed out to Tracey, it is thought (by the author of the report) both National and Labour were being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
And we need to know how influential that influence is. In both parties.
As for Nationals due diligence, it’s another thing the inquiry will need to discover. The same goes for Labour and their MPs.
And by the way, I did warn about this, but as usual, I was largely brushed off as a concern troll.
When Labour face the same allegations as the nats, go consider your “questions”.
And by the way, I did warn about this
Hey, seeing as it’s about you now, did you have any concerns about, say, US involvement with the nats? Like sharing the data from the KDC search with the FBI? What about rewriting NZ labour laws after meetings with Hollywood folk?
Oh, wait, the yanks aren’t Chinese, so…. no, you probably didn’t.
“When Labour face the same allegations as the nats…”
They largely are.
However, I’m not to clear on the point you’re trying to make re go consider my questions?
And as for the US (and any other nation for that matter) of course I have concerns about what influence they have on our nation. One of the reasons why I opposed the TPP.
No. A nat mp has allegations, your wider wank merely has questions.
marty was pretty clear, and my point is that I agree with him: I think you’re a racist. But with the addition that you also give national a pass on genuine issues and beat up bullshit about labour and the greens.
It’s not just my “wank” as you put it. As highlighted above, the author of the study believes both National and Labour are being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
If it were only my “wider wank” (again, as you put it) Labour would have little to worry about, but as it happens, it’s not.
This study was largely drowned out by the election, but once that is done and dusted (and especially if Labour become the new Government) don’t be surprised if the media refocuses on this.
And while at this stage it may be only questions being raised, don’t you think it would be prudent to duly investigate before any potential damage is done and ensure the line hasn’t already been crossed?
Marty is a pinhead who can stay on the sidelines (having fun) hurling his insults for all I care. Sticks and stones. But every now and then I may give him a clip (verbally of course) and have some fun of my own.
Resorting to the race card is often done as a means of diminishing the concern (as in, don’t listen to him he’s a racist) and shutting down these types of discussions.
Like Marty and a number of others (regardless of the topic at hand) you jump at the opportunity to make it about me. It may appeal to the ignorant and pinheads like Marty, but I’m hoping more readers are above that and will see through all this racist, concern troll, undercover righty crap that continually gets thrown at me.
But I’m sure, going forward, you and Marty will be there to hurl your abuse, distract the discussion and do your best to make it about me. Knock yourself out. You won’t deter me.
Dude, even when I addressed the topic without discussing you, you made it about you. But if someone else does it, you get all twee and self-effacing.
The fact is that allegations with serious ramifications have been made about a specific individual, and wider “questions” are raised about donations overwhelmingly directed at one party in particular. Your article mentions fifteen donations to national, probably totalling well over a million bucks. But you give equal time to the one 40k donation to Labour before one donor switched allegiance. Your fixation is on China and Labour. This bias affects your comments.
I know you won’t be deterred – like most bigots you think that your opinions are normal and reasonable.
As usual the self absorbed its not about me chair gets all cut up cos hes misunderstood.
As a troll you are quite funny but your wee mask is slipping and your bed of rancor is exposed too often now. Zero cred usually means you’ll up your comments. Ho hum lets do this…
Whether or not someone wants to make themselves the topic is their prerogative. Evidently, you don’t respect that.
Moreover, the instance I take it you are referring too was a side note, merely stating I forewarned about this and I was largely brushed off as a concern troll. It was inline with the topic, hence wasn’t a means to distract. And again, it’s ones prerogative and you should respect that. It’s not a green light for you to go piling it on.
The fact is there is more than allegations with serious ramifications being made. You’re overlooking there are also questions with potentially serious ramifications requiring answers.
Moreover, I’m not taking a one sided approach to this. As shown from my call for a wide-ranging inquiry.
Hence, that’s just you resorting to lies again in an attempt to score a point and discredit my approach.
The reason Labour has gotten a little more attention in this discussion relates to some being oblivious to (and some attempting to diminish) Labour’s role in this. Pointing at you.
As my comments will overwhelmingly show. I don’t come here to talk about me. I come here to talk politics and that which relates to it. Unlike you, that clearly wants to continue making it about me. As shown in this and most of your other replies too me.
So thanks again for providing readers with another example.
Labour’s “role” in this is at worst a bit part, with the nats centre stage. Your emphasis on Labour raises the question as to why your attention dwells well away from the major players. Like your emphasis on China yet nothing about the yanks.
The main issue is that the nats put NZ on sale to the highest bidder. Chinese millionaires, yank billionaires, limited raw materials at low low prices, everything must go! Even earning an honourable mention from Mossack Fonseca. A cynic would argue that this is why National got so many “questioned” donations and Labour got only one – the donors got no return on their “investment” to one party, maybe? Which one?
The author of the study believes both National and Labour are being similarly influenced by the Chinese, suggesting their role is far larger than a bit part.
But, without a thorough investigation, you’re clearly speculating at best.
My emphasis on Labour in this particular discussion relates to some being oblivious to (and some attempting to diminish) Labour’s role in this. As I already explained.
So your assertion can only be seen as another attempt to discredit and make this discussion about me.
Thanks again for another example of you playing the man and not the ball. The more you do it, the more I’ll highlight it.
And as I told Marty, the more you play up like this, the more chance you’ll be caught out.
Moreover, each time your play the man and not the ball your veil is further lifted, exposing readers to your troll like behaviour.
But as I mentioned above, knock yourself out.
It will be interesting to see how long you’ll get away with it.
As for National obtaining larger donations, perhaps it’s due to them being in Government and (until recently) being perceived as more likely to maintain hold of that power. It’s rather pointless donating large sums of money to a party that won’t achieve power, thus produce a return.
Or maybe with Labour having two Chinese MPs to potentially apply influence, the large fiscal incentive isn’t as necessary. And with Labour having set up the free trade deal with China, perhaps they’ve already won over the support of a number within the party?
you’re the one making the claim, doofus. You allege Labour is being influenced by the Chinese government. All you have is that Labour received one donation from people who gave repeatedly to the national party, and someone you agree with wrote an article.
If China is controlling the Labour party as much as it is the nats, why were Labour opposing foreign involvement in the housing market, while the nats have refused to do a damned thing?
You know why people usually demand (or conduct) investigations when there is no evidence of wrongdoing, or even where there is exculpatory evidence? Bias. Often racial bias (just saying that as a “side note” so apparently it would be unfair for you to respond to it in any way. /sarc)
Why should I have to read your links? I could end up anywhere, like Whaleoil… You ask so many questions and demand answers of others.
“Moreover, do you believe its got nothing to do with questions surrounding a couple in their own camp?” I don’t know what you mean by this, Labour, National or Greens?
You don’t have to read my links, Tracey. However, it was a rather important political article that I would have assumed those that have an interest in politics (such as yourself) would’ve already been aware of.
The link clearly reads newsroom, so there was no chance of you ending up at Whaleoil.
Nevertheless, back to the clarification seeing as the link provided seems to have been considered inadequate. There are also questions surrounding the connections (to the CCP) of two labour MPs.
And as shown in the link, Professor Anne-Marie Brady from the University of Canterbury (the author of the study) believed both National and Labour were being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
Personally, I’d go for it. If the investigation shows malicious intent and the MSM says but it was you who gave him citizenship I’d then say Yes, and now that mistake is being corrected.
I think the torch needs to be shone on National for knowingly appointing him to their candidate list and turning him into a Parliamentarian. I won’t hold my breath though. Good luck, let us know what else you uncover.
“I think the torch needs to be shone on National for knowingly appointing him to their candidate list and turning him into a Parliamentarian.”
So from that can we take it you will be holding their (Labour, Greens) feet to the fire for them to support an inquiry? Or is not holding your breath what you recommend we all do?
Moreover, you’ll be holding Labour to the same standard?
I have no problem with an inquiry except I know they are very expensive. I would just prefer the redacted document was unredacted. So much cheaper than an inquiry
In this instance, I don’t believe we can let the cost of an investigation excuse not having one. And it needs to go deeper than just removing the redaction.
Allow me to modestly predict that in a day or two our “Leftie” Mr Chairman will be raising points with great concern, subtly trying to prompt Greens and Labour towards those pits…
Listening to RNZ this morning and heard about the seriously substandard apartment buildings in NZ – so serious that people will be killed if something is not done about it. The incredible thing is that these buildings cannot be named for legal reasons. What on earth is Health and Safety going to do about this. The apartment building owners have been informed but not the apartment dwellers who are owners. They are owners of these apartments. Are they going to be left in limbo forever and a day not knowing if they step on their balcony it will collapse, the building will fall off its foundations or the walls so rotting that two people have a fun fight in their apartment will fall through the side walls.
Its appalling that people’s lives are so bloody cheap in this country. Surely the decent thing is to notify these owners of the apartments of the state and danger of their abode and give them a chance to relocate and sort out the fiasco at a later date. At least they won’t be killed or seriously injured living on in their ignorance. It just disgusts me that lives are so cheap and building owners can get away with their sloppy building practices to cut costs.
National made builders and designers personally liable but not developers, as a response to leaky homes… this one smaall step might have made a big difference to the quality of the final product. The Developer generally determines the budget, not the builder.
Tracey It doesn’t matter who is to blame for the state of the buildings, its the fact that people are living in these buildings and not being forewarned about the dangers and that they could be seriously injured or killed. Protecting shoddy work is not acceptable and should be against the law.
It does matter Kate because history repeats cos of such things. Until we get personal responsibility on the ones holding the wallet this will keep happening. Why would National make it against the law when they refuse to fix part of the problem at the source
Remember Key says all young people should look to apartments but left apartments off the Homesmart funding.
There is a pattern. Labour in the past and National feed the Developer appetite knowing they avoid all recourse from shoddy work. It is another example of money over people. It is wrong of course
Wow bill and Jim must have smoke coming out there ass after what I wrote last nite because the intimation stepped up ten fold today I tried my bluff with the bank it did not work but I will not retaliate because they are worried about me getting locked up and not been able to pay there money back YEA FIGHT.
And I can’t blame anyone for being victims of the fight between me the police and national my G mar would not approve Ka Pai
This may have been canvassed before but does anyone know NZF’s position on the tax cuts scheduled for April 18 ?
Essentially Labour’s programme of education / health / etc investment is dependent upon cancelling those cuts. So if NZF wants to retain those tax cuts then Labours has its hands tied , yes? Which way did NZF vote on these tax changes?
I’m trying to support some people’s Wairua and you neo liberal go and stuff them up.
So why did you not support Joe,s fight when they needed it is it because he would become a role model for all Brown people in NZ O we can’t have that because they will come out in force and vote you out you neo liberals are idiots and have tunnel vision and we cannot let you run OUR Country we are all on this journey together you fools
Ka Pai
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1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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NZ Labour should listen to this.
Some key points.
1. Labour to to take utilities back into public ownership and change the way the economy runs.
2. The public sector pay cap must end.
3. A Labour government will bring in rent controls and ensure tenants are rehoused locally when estates are regenerated.
4. Labour wants more workplace democracy.
5. Corbyn attacks the traditional media and its tax exile owners who “trash Labour at every turn”, especially the Daily Mail.
6. Tuition fees would be abolished for both university and further education students.
7. Businesses will have to pay a bit more tax.
The speech in 4 minutes.
The bit where he attacks the Daily Mail.
I thought this speech from the UK Labour conference was also something that would sound like beautiful music coming from NZ Labour, but I guess with old third way crusaders like Robinson, Clarke and Mike Williams being the ideological back bone of NZ Labour now…all we will hear is the unpleasant sounds of NZ Labour digging further into it’s own grave….
Paul Mason ‘We Will Change the World’ Labour Party Conference
Ed, this is similar to Winstons policy to take back utilities companies again along with any ‘errant manufacturing companies that get public taxpyer bailouts and then leave NZ’ and we have several of those dont we just.
All around Corbyn is a hero I see there and a new dawn to take back our countries from the ‘rogue elites’ ( we call carpetbaggers invited here by John Key & mow accomodated by Bill English.)
Hopefully we will get a Labour/NZ First/Greens coalition to save our country.
An excellent platform for a Labour-NZ First-Greens coalition for the next 3 years. Each of those points has been championed by one of these three parties at some stage… except no.2… but pretty sure Green and NZ First would support it.
And property developers must ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to land banking.
That south islanders pay 30+ cents a litre more than north Islanders, and the BPs and Caltexes say it is NOT to do with transport, means it is
a. greed
b. informal price fixing
I have a pretty good idea of the relative transport costs.
It is fractions! of a cent per litre.
If anyone has trouble hearing JC, this RT link has much better sound and you get the intro.
Take it back. Sound is shit after 50 or so mins.
This is what neo-liberalism looks like #1
Leaky homes: ‘If you can’t afford to pay for it, then tough luck’
The son of one elderly Auckland owner said authorities needed to urgently step in because open-ended repair bills put all the risk on the owners.
“There is no protection. It will cost what it will cost and if you can’t afford to pay for it, then tough luck,” Iain Swan said.
His 86-year-old father has moved out of his leaky Bay Palms apartment in Browns Bay, on the North Shore, but Mr Swan said payment demands from the body corporate remained.
“Under the Unit Titles Act the body corp committee are quite able to forcibly sell your apartment.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/339867/leaky-homes-if-you-can-t-afford-to-pay-for-it-then-tough-luck
I wonder who the son has been voting for the last 20 years? I worked in the leaky home area and it became a gravy train for so-called building experts and lawyers. The Council (Auckland in particular) got so fixated on its own liability it has forced many properties into full reclad when Building Code repairs were possible.
Building experts cream money for being a project manager of a rebuild. On a multi-unit, we are talking no change from 50k and often far higher.
WHY would they recommend repairs? Why would they fight for repairs?
Many Body Corps run by professional Body Corps have been treated negligently but suing your Body Corp is the same as suing yourself.
IF National wanted to deal with this for future generations (and that would include Christchurch rebuild) they would have made developers personally liable, along with Designers and Builders. The Cowboys would have disappeared and the good ones would dominate. Instead
Developer starts a company – does build – removes profits – shuts down company – = escapes any legal liability for wrongdoing.
Sadly too many people dismiss such issues until it happens to them (or their loved one).
And it’s not just developers who do that.
IIRC, there was a tech shop a few years ago who got into trouble for not paying his employees enough. Went to court, was found guilty and ordered to pay. Next day the business was shut down and a new one in its place owned by the same person and selling the same stuff. The liability disappeared overnight as the business that had been charged no longer existed.
When shit like this can happen then the law needs to change to hold the people that own the business liable. After all, it’s not the business that’s breaking the law as that’s an inanimate object. It’s the people that own it.
Unfortunately it is the cladding manufacturers and the academics who advised Branz, as much as the developers. So far they have escaped any liability.
I agree on both counts but developers decided to buy the cheap mediterranean suited cladding.
Note how quickly BRANZ was changed into a company jyst in time to escape liability. I have seen documentation which shows BRANZ never tested Harditex before put their mark on it they just accepted JH testing… which it turns out they didnt do
This is what neo-liberalism looks like #2
Acceptance of inequality at heart of CEO pay – researcher
‘Chief executives are paid more in societies that are more tolerant of inequality, a researcher says.
Researcher Max Rashbrooke specialises in salary trends.
He told Morning Report research showed that New Zealand chief executives received large salaries whether their companies did well or not.
“They’ve kind of got a bit of a bet each way.”
Mr Rashbrooke said chief executives earned far more than their predecessors a generation ago but there was no evidence they were more effective.
“They are paid more because they’re in a society that’s much more tolerant of inequality.
“Whereas conversely, if you look at a country like Japan where you have people running huge multinational companies, most Japanese chief executives would be paid less than $1m New Zealand.
“Because in Japan it’s still, to a large extent, culturally unacceptable to have those very large salaries which people don’t regard as deserved.”‘
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/340243/acceptance-of-inequality-at-heart-of-ceo-pay-researcher
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201859949
How does Fonterra boss’ $8.3m pay packet stack up to other professions?
Select a card to flip it over and find out.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/97314609/comparing-fonterra-boss-theo-spierings-83m-pay-packet
“Acceptance of inequality at heart of CEO pay”
The silence on the matter from some political parties is enlightening.
This is what neo-liberalism looks like #3
Poverty, illness and living on less than the minimum wage.
‘The last time there was fresh produce on the table was more than two years ago.
After covering her basic expenses, Lynlie Beazley survives on just $22 per week and sometimes she sleeps on an empty stomach. The west Auckland resident described herself as the “face of poverty” in the country. “I don’t know how I live each day.”
Beazley said she would not be able to survive without food parcels from The Salvation Army. She is one of a growing number of people knocking on the charity’s door for help. Her weekly benefit was about $236, but she only had $22 after rent, expenses, and hire purchase payments. Beazley, a Housing NZ tenant, said this was enough for two bottles of milk, three loaves of bread and a tray of eggs.
Salvation Army welfare national Practice Manager Jono Bell said they helped 10,555 individuals and families around the country with food parcels between April and June – an 8 per cent increase on the same period last year
“For many people we see food parcels are a temporary measure to help them out in a crisis, such as losing their job, but we do have a number of clients who rely on food parcels for survival, because their income is not enough to meet their needs.
“The rising cost of food on top of the increasing rents we’ve seen in the past few years have been a major factor in this.” ….’
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/96992301
Beazley was convicted of aggravated robbery, and she’s been evicted for doing $1000 of damage to her house.
Don’t be so mean.
Bringing facts into the debate is totally unfair.
That is like asking Metira to tell the truth about the amount of support she got from her child’s fathers family.
Why doesn’t RNZ release the material they received about that? They have no problem with releasing anything provided to them if it denigrates a National MP’s character.
Wow alwyn, not enough to destroy someones political career, you want to put the boot into their family as well.
But what is even stranger no matter how far down the gutter a natioanl mp goes you will support them.
You have no morals, where should I send the white sheets?
Or Bill lying about a hole or imaginary taxes or using lawyers/accountants to take another 900 a week for living in Dipton, when he didn’t
Stinking bully you are alwyn and a liar lover too.
neither of which mean she should have to rely on private charity to live, so… fuck you, arsehole.
Of course she shouldn’t.
On the other hand I do think she should have fulfilled her obligations to the taxpayer and done such minor little things as naming the father.
She should also, when she justified her fraud, have told the truth about her situation instead of leaving the impression that the father had basically abandoned her and left her, and her daughter to go hungry.
She also had an obligation, at least in my view, to have looked for a part time job instead of spending her time running for Parliament on the ticket of idiot parties. It is called “taking responsibility” and even toward the end she never seemed to have grown up enough to do that.
Was it your obsession with Turei that makes you think I replied to you, or merely your ego? Both seem to be unhealthy.
[edit: what the hell – fuck you, too]
I do apologise. The numbers on the indents don’t show up very clearly and I did think I was one of the two people you were referring to.
I can assure you I have no obsession with Turei. I dislike in equal measure all corrupt politicians.
On the other hand, having read your last sentence I withdraw the words of apology. The rest stands though.
Dislikes corrupt politicians. Supports national. ’nuff said.
Yup. Rewards those who show no personal responsibility or accountability for their lawbreaking (from positions of power) but preaches personal responsibility and accountability for others
In other words you are a self righteous, bigoted judgemental twit.
You have no idea what you would do in the same situation. I suspect, like Turei, Bennett and everyone else, you do what you have to do to survive.
There you go again, judging her for not being honest, but votiing for National.
Alwyn, just maybe the father did not want to be named ? If fathers are not married to the mothers of their children then they have to specifically front up to the registry office and sign on the dotted line. Many men won’t take that final step. Mother can name the father to WINZ but without the signature the mother is deemed to have “not named the father”.
Ms Beazley has been to prison and has completed her sentence.
Also to the point – in the article I read she has been searching for work. She clearly wasn’t coached as to the sheer amount of effort it would take to pick up an entry level job.
It’s silly in the extreme to expect someone from a hard background, with prison sentences, to know how to operate in the mainstream.
Why aren’t ex-prisoners being set up with work when they leave prison? And a mentor-buddy to help them past the rocky parts?
Or do we choose to keep on punishing them?
I didn’t see the piece on ‘$1000 of damage’. I have no idea whether it was accidental or deliberate. I do know that the amount she has to cover her overheads and living costs is far too low.
Remember – she’s done her time. Don’t let the punishment continue.
Well said!
But the demonising and stigmatising (can these be used together, I wonder) must go on. You know, once a thief, always a thief. This applies to Beazley, Turei, as well as to Bill English. How on Earth can these be ‘fundamentally decent’ people once they’ve erred in their ways, I ask you … Let those we have never committed sin stand tall be counted and they shall be knighted for their good deeds and unblemished record. Yeah, nah!
Heh. National ripping off “Lose Yourself” just took on another level of irony. Allegedly it’s a favourite song for psychopaths.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11927110
I guess they figured “Sociopaths, psychopaths, near enough.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11926756
“The Electoral Commission is looking into a social media post on election day by former broadcaster Sean Plunket that used a play on words to endorse the political party he worked for.
The commission confirmed it has received complaints about the tweet, which read: “Hope everyone remembers to put a top on before going out to vote, when it’s cold, two tops.”
I hope the complaint is upheld. I noticed a bit of this sort of thing going on on election day at Kiwiblog but it’s a whole new level when someone (formerly) in the media is doing it.
God he must think he’s so clever. Like Whaleoil with his name suppression breaches.
So in other words Alwyn…….you just don’t give a fuck about people being bone poor in New Zealand. That disregard necessarily includes bone poor children. To the contrary you militate for a small proportion of the population to earn, and enhance their earnings way, way, way beyond need. There seems to be no other conclusion.
You are therefore one of those self-perceived ‘fine’, repugnant, subversive extremists worthy of nothing less than contempt. In my more than 4 decades of active engagement with NZ criminal law I am yet to find the penalty of starvation prescribed in any New Zealand criminal legislation. A word to the ignorant…….it is extremely dishonest to muddy the waters by invoking a conviction without at the same time providing full detail of the circumstances of the offending. The offence of aggravated robbery covers a wide range of unlawful behaviour. Not that that would worry a darkly ignorant blowhard.
Even if this woman’s offence fell at the very serious end of the scale of such offending, where imprisonment is more or less mandatory, starvation was never part of that sentence. Or are you saying that if one has a serious conviction you’ll not be left to starve while serving your prison sentence but that’s all good once you’re released ? Karma will take you Alwyn.
Did anyone else hear the item on Morning Report (I just heard it on the 7 am news) where there was some discussion talked about in which Tuariki John Delamere is said to have stated that “if Jacinda offers Winston the shared PM” she will probably get a deal – there was then some suggestion that “Bill wouldn’t and shouldn’t”.
Maybe I’m just being sensitive before my morning coffee, but it reeked sexism to me.
I heard it but I didn’t hear it as sexist… I heard it as Jacinda having less of an ego than Bill, making such an arrangement possible. Given that time is on Jacinda’s side and not on Winnie’s… why not make that offer? They could do 18 months each.
Ha! Hell… why not throw in James as well and they can have 12 months each… 🙂
@SpaceMonkey – ok, must have been the lack of coffee then 😉
I just hope it’s the lack of ego factor driving people to make such comments, rather than any insinuation about her gender, age or relative lack of experience – those things push my sensitive wee buttons!!
A turn each would definitely be egalitarian 🙂
Sounds like a bitter member of the old boys club grasping at straws and living in the dark ages.
A bit like all the speculation that is rife in the media again today.
Bitter ex MP’s facing irrelevance like Dunne giving his opinion and speculations while preparing his CV after withdrawing from the election due to a lack of popularity that was waging a war against his ego.
@Cinny – +1 – Dunne should just go back into his box…..! The ego of that man knows no bounds.
Hey there Frida 😀 I’m finding it super amusing, how media are asking opinions of all these people, because their opinions will have absolutely no bearing on any decision making.
Winston click bait for the masses, it’s sooooo funny.
@Cinny – agreed! I am enjoying that aspect of it too
Tualeki the two faced .
Former National/NZfirst MP.
Traitorous meddler.
Bill English is finished washed up if he doesn’t get over the line.
Now at least that’s up the anti how trustable are National in holding their coalition deal given this Rant from the Tuafaced Delamare.
NOne of my favorite programs on TV IS Gold Rush Its a good program that shows that the small guy can win and beat big money with a bit of learning and some good intelligence . I remember one day and Mitch Parkers mechanic had a water leak in one of
There machine and Mitch said that a tip that Jean Cheesman was to have heaps of black pepper and they put that in the radiatior and it stops the water leaks so six months ago when I found that my radiator cap had been loosened and had a slight crack in the head I remember that episode and poured black pepper into my trucks cooling system and what do you no it works so DON’T by any of that shit they sell in the shop just put black pepper in your cooling system and top the water up if you are losing water and you will be able to get home it was a temporary fix
That gave me six months .Now the grass is growing and my other job has started well I will be able to pay my loan off piece o piss and also the big picture is were are the small COUNTRY so don’t go shooting our own foot off and attacking fonterra One old say if I like is if it ain’t broke DON’T fix it yes there need to be some environment issues sorted but fonterra business structures are fine.
ground pepper or peppercorns?
I suppose ground pepper would do it, drifting into the cracks. As long as the pipes in the system don’t block…
“…poured black pepper into my trucks cooling system and what do you no it works so DON’T by any of that shit they sell in the shop.”
Would get us home as long as we had black pepper on board. Great ide Eco maori.
Don’t you get it our largest trading nation has a controlled economy and they can fuck WITH our exports at the drop of a hat By the way someone direct credit $30 into my bank account and reference it with KEEP GROWING IN TAURANGA.
Now that can be interpreted in many ways so DON’T DO that because it’s not helping me.
Eco Maori Fonterra is a monopoly it needs fixing .
Rod Oram has way more knowledge than your bandaide fixes.
Poor comparison.
A good article on Films for Action, How Swedes and Norwegians broke the power of the 1%.
Wow
Meanwhile the investigation continues…
https://twitter.com/BeehiveLetters/status/912881544120877057
chuckling
Yeh and many a true word spoken in jest.
I know schadenfreude is not a particularly noble emotion. But should Winston go with a progressive government, the shit fight within the National Party will be a joy to behold.
“Labour has not joined Peters’ call for an inquiry and has remained silent on the Yang story.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97325576/winston-peters-wont-let-yang-allegations-slide
Why is that?
Because they were in Government when he got his citizenship. It’s not a secret Chairman. But National, they are the ones who elevated him to parliamentarian.
Which raises questions in itself.
Moreover, do you believe its got nothing to do with questions surrounding a couple in their own camp?
So, you read an article yesterday and this is your stick de jour.
What do you mean by
“do you believe its got nothing to do with questions surrounding a couple in their own camp?”
Really, Tracey?
Head in the sand much?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/18/48616/expert-calls-for-inquiry-into-chinese-threat
Really Chairman? Cannot answer my simple question seeking clarification?
The answer was in the link provided, Tracey.
[lprent: Quite inadequate. If you want people to click into links, then provide some summary information about why they should click into it rather than your effective statement of “I am a pretentious wanker”. As you can see it just causes stupid flames which I don’t like reading or dealing with and have a tendency to deal with by making sure that don’t happen again. ]
🙄
So you’re either incapable of stating the answer in your own words, or you’re just playing silly buggers. Gee, which could it be?
She was seeking further clarification, I provided it.
Moreover, I’m not the topic.
Cheeky bugger.
https://tinyurl.com/yd977ufu
no you didn’t provide clarification. You merely linked to something you claim provides clarification.
And if you don’t provide a clear description of your point in a sentence or two of your own construction, then you’re either incapable of doing so (in which case discussing the topic with you is pointless, as you cannot comprehend it), or you’re to lazy to do so (in which case there’s no point in discussing the topic with you), or you used the request for clarification as an excuse to insert irrelevant information into the discussion alongside whatever “clarification” your link might provide (in which case there’s no point in discussing the topic with you because you’re discusssing things in bad faith).
I provided a link that contained further clarification. Which I thought would have been more than sufficient, but apparently not.
So your assumptions are merely that (assumptions). Which, of course, are incorrect.
But here we are talking about me again, funny that.
Care to engage in the topic at hand?
If you’re genuinely interested (which I doubt) the clarification was posted to Tracey below.
Not that I can see much point, but here goes:
Are there allegations that any Labour MPs worked for schools that taught agents of foreign intelligence services?
No?
Probably just what Tracey said, then.
Did national do due diligence when making him a candidate?
“Are there allegations that any Labour MPs worked for schools that taught agents of foreign intelligence services?”
No, not that I’m aware of at this stage. But there are questions about donations and their connection to the CCP. As I pointed out to Tracey, it is thought (by the author of the report) both National and Labour were being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
And we need to know how influential that influence is. In both parties.
As for Nationals due diligence, it’s another thing the inquiry will need to discover. The same goes for Labour and their MPs.
And by the way, I did warn about this, but as usual, I was largely brushed off as a concern troll.
When Labour face the same allegations as the nats, go consider your “questions”.
Hey, seeing as it’s about you now, did you have any concerns about, say, US involvement with the nats? Like sharing the data from the KDC search with the FBI? What about rewriting NZ labour laws after meetings with Hollywood folk?
Oh, wait, the yanks aren’t Chinese, so…. no, you probably didn’t.
“When Labour face the same allegations as the nats…”
They largely are.
However, I’m not to clear on the point you’re trying to make re go consider my questions?
And as for the US (and any other nation for that matter) of course I have concerns about what influence they have on our nation. One of the reasons why I opposed the TPP.
lol largely are?
No. A nat mp has allegations, your wider wank merely has questions.
marty was pretty clear, and my point is that I agree with him: I think you’re a racist. But with the addition that you also give national a pass on genuine issues and beat up bullshit about labour and the greens.
It’s not just my “wank” as you put it. As highlighted above, the author of the study believes both National and Labour are being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
If it were only my “wider wank” (again, as you put it) Labour would have little to worry about, but as it happens, it’s not.
This study was largely drowned out by the election, but once that is done and dusted (and especially if Labour become the new Government) don’t be surprised if the media refocuses on this.
And while at this stage it may be only questions being raised, don’t you think it would be prudent to duly investigate before any potential damage is done and ensure the line hasn’t already been crossed?
Marty is a pinhead who can stay on the sidelines (having fun) hurling his insults for all I care. Sticks and stones. But every now and then I may give him a clip (verbally of course) and have some fun of my own.
Resorting to the race card is often done as a means of diminishing the concern (as in, don’t listen to him he’s a racist) and shutting down these types of discussions.
Like Marty and a number of others (regardless of the topic at hand) you jump at the opportunity to make it about me. It may appeal to the ignorant and pinheads like Marty, but I’m hoping more readers are above that and will see through all this racist, concern troll, undercover righty crap that continually gets thrown at me.
But I’m sure, going forward, you and Marty will be there to hurl your abuse, distract the discussion and do your best to make it about me. Knock yourself out. You won’t deter me.
Though, you may end up in the big guys bad book.
Dude, even when I addressed the topic without discussing you, you made it about you. But if someone else does it, you get all twee and self-effacing.
The fact is that allegations with serious ramifications have been made about a specific individual, and wider “questions” are raised about donations overwhelmingly directed at one party in particular. Your article mentions fifteen donations to national, probably totalling well over a million bucks. But you give equal time to the one 40k donation to Labour before one donor switched allegiance. Your fixation is on China and Labour. This bias affects your comments.
I know you won’t be deterred – like most bigots you think that your opinions are normal and reasonable.
As usual the self absorbed its not about me chair gets all cut up cos hes misunderstood.
As a troll you are quite funny but your wee mask is slipping and your bed of rancor is exposed too often now. Zero cred usually means you’ll up your comments. Ho hum lets do this…
@Marty
Thanks again for providing readers with another example of you playing the man and not the ball, Marty.
You know the more you do it the more chance you are going to get the big guys attention? But feel free to dig your own grave.
Sounds like a threat.
No, not at all. I hold no power here to threaten you with, Marty.
As Winston would say, it’s just commonsense.
The more you play up, the more chance you’ll be caught out.
Correct – you have no power.
Whether or not someone wants to make themselves the topic is their prerogative. Evidently, you don’t respect that.
Moreover, the instance I take it you are referring too was a side note, merely stating I forewarned about this and I was largely brushed off as a concern troll. It was inline with the topic, hence wasn’t a means to distract. And again, it’s ones prerogative and you should respect that. It’s not a green light for you to go piling it on.
The fact is there is more than allegations with serious ramifications being made. You’re overlooking there are also questions with potentially serious ramifications requiring answers.
Moreover, I’m not taking a one sided approach to this. As shown from my call for a wide-ranging inquiry.
Hence, that’s just you resorting to lies again in an attempt to score a point and discredit my approach.
The reason Labour has gotten a little more attention in this discussion relates to some being oblivious to (and some attempting to diminish) Labour’s role in this. Pointing at you.
As my comments will overwhelmingly show. I don’t come here to talk about me. I come here to talk politics and that which relates to it. Unlike you, that clearly wants to continue making it about me. As shown in this and most of your other replies too me.
So thanks again for providing readers with another example.
Labour’s “role” in this is at worst a bit part, with the nats centre stage. Your emphasis on Labour raises the question as to why your attention dwells well away from the major players. Like your emphasis on China yet nothing about the yanks.
The main issue is that the nats put NZ on sale to the highest bidder. Chinese millionaires, yank billionaires, limited raw materials at low low prices, everything must go! Even earning an honourable mention from Mossack Fonseca. A cynic would argue that this is why National got so many “questioned” donations and Labour got only one – the donors got no return on their “investment” to one party, maybe? Which one?
“Labour’s “role” in this is at worst a bit part…”
That’s a bold claim.
The author of the study believes both National and Labour are being similarly influenced by the Chinese, suggesting their role is far larger than a bit part.
But, without a thorough investigation, you’re clearly speculating at best.
My emphasis on Labour in this particular discussion relates to some being oblivious to (and some attempting to diminish) Labour’s role in this. As I already explained.
So your assertion can only be seen as another attempt to discredit and make this discussion about me.
Thanks again for another example of you playing the man and not the ball. The more you do it, the more I’ll highlight it.
And as I told Marty, the more you play up like this, the more chance you’ll be caught out.
Moreover, each time your play the man and not the ball your veil is further lifted, exposing readers to your troll like behaviour.
But as I mentioned above, knock yourself out.
It will be interesting to see how long you’ll get away with it.
As for National obtaining larger donations, perhaps it’s due to them being in Government and (until recently) being perceived as more likely to maintain hold of that power. It’s rather pointless donating large sums of money to a party that won’t achieve power, thus produce a return.
Or maybe with Labour having two Chinese MPs to potentially apply influence, the large fiscal incentive isn’t as necessary. And with Labour having set up the free trade deal with China, perhaps they’ve already won over the support of a number within the party?
you’re the one making the claim, doofus. You allege Labour is being influenced by the Chinese government. All you have is that Labour received one donation from people who gave repeatedly to the national party, and someone you agree with wrote an article.
If China is controlling the Labour party as much as it is the nats, why were Labour opposing foreign involvement in the housing market, while the nats have refused to do a damned thing?
You know why people usually demand (or conduct) investigations when there is no evidence of wrongdoing, or even where there is exculpatory evidence? Bias. Often racial bias (just saying that as a “side note” so apparently it would be unfair for you to respond to it in any way. /sarc)
Why should I have to read your links? I could end up anywhere, like Whaleoil… You ask so many questions and demand answers of others.
“Moreover, do you believe its got nothing to do with questions surrounding a couple in their own camp?” I don’t know what you mean by this, Labour, National or Greens?
You don’t have to read my links, Tracey. However, it was a rather important political article that I would have assumed those that have an interest in politics (such as yourself) would’ve already been aware of.
The link clearly reads newsroom, so there was no chance of you ending up at Whaleoil.
Nevertheless, back to the clarification seeing as the link provided seems to have been considered inadequate. There are also questions surrounding the connections (to the CCP) of two labour MPs.
And as shown in the link, Professor Anne-Marie Brady from the University of Canterbury (the author of the study) believed both National and Labour were being similarly influenced by the Chinese.
Point taken, lprent. I’ll be more careful in future.
Well, I’d say that they’re still considering it.
Personally, I’d go for it. If the investigation shows malicious intent and the MSM says but it was you who gave him citizenship I’d then say Yes, and now that mistake is being corrected.
Anybody know where the Greens stand on this?
Have you asked them? And Seymour? And Peters? and English?
Shouldn’t they be telling us, Tracey?
I think the torch needs to be shone on National for knowingly appointing him to their candidate list and turning him into a Parliamentarian. I won’t hold my breath though. Good luck, let us know what else you uncover.
“I think the torch needs to be shone on National for knowingly appointing him to their candidate list and turning him into a Parliamentarian.”
So from that can we take it you will be holding their (Labour, Greens) feet to the fire for them to support an inquiry? Or is not holding your breath what you recommend we all do?
Moreover, you’ll be holding Labour to the same standard?
Whoa there sunshine you’re going from shine a torch to gruesome torture – twisted shit.
I’m not the topic, Marty.
But do feel free to engage the subject matter.
Do you support an inquiry?
Nah I think you are a racist – i only make fun of them.
I have no problem with an inquiry except I know they are very expensive. I would just prefer the redacted document was unredacted. So much cheaper than an inquiry
In this instance, I don’t believe we can let the cost of an investigation excuse not having one. And it needs to go deeper than just removing the redaction.
What would you like the outcome to be (of the enquiry0?
We require a wide-ranging inquiry, leaving no stone unturned and see what it develops.
See the Hagmann case of defamation against Little is going ahead as Hagmann was alive when his wife filed it.
It could cost Andrew $100 000 They got 7 million. Neo liberals.
Judges reserving a verdict. (yeah right!!)
Reserving a decision is usual practice in Civil cases.
Presumably that’s only the wife’s court action – defamation law in NZ is crystal clear that claims do not survive death.
An interesting read.
Pitfalls for the Greens and NZ First in coalition discussions – By Keith Locke.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/09/26/pitfalls-for-the-greens-and-nz-first-in-coalition-discussions/
Allow me to modestly predict that in a day or two our “Leftie” Mr Chairman will be raising points with great concern, subtly trying to prompt Greens and Labour towards those pits…
Good to see you picked up on the post. Sadly, your assumptions are delusional.
Clearly, the point of posting the link was to help make those pitfalls more widely known. Giving a greater chance they’ll be avoided.
Listening to RNZ this morning and heard about the seriously substandard apartment buildings in NZ – so serious that people will be killed if something is not done about it. The incredible thing is that these buildings cannot be named for legal reasons. What on earth is Health and Safety going to do about this. The apartment building owners have been informed but not the apartment dwellers who are owners. They are owners of these apartments. Are they going to be left in limbo forever and a day not knowing if they step on their balcony it will collapse, the building will fall off its foundations or the walls so rotting that two people have a fun fight in their apartment will fall through the side walls.
Its appalling that people’s lives are so bloody cheap in this country. Surely the decent thing is to notify these owners of the apartments of the state and danger of their abode and give them a chance to relocate and sort out the fiasco at a later date. At least they won’t be killed or seriously injured living on in their ignorance. It just disgusts me that lives are so cheap and building owners can get away with their sloppy building practices to cut costs.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/340396/multi-storey-building-flaws-almost-the-norm
National made builders and designers personally liable but not developers, as a response to leaky homes… this one smaall step might have made a big difference to the quality of the final product. The Developer generally determines the budget, not the builder.
Tracey It doesn’t matter who is to blame for the state of the buildings, its the fact that people are living in these buildings and not being forewarned about the dangers and that they could be seriously injured or killed. Protecting shoddy work is not acceptable and should be against the law.
It does matter Kate because history repeats cos of such things. Until we get personal responsibility on the ones holding the wallet this will keep happening. Why would National make it against the law when they refuse to fix part of the problem at the source
Remember Key says all young people should look to apartments but left apartments off the Homesmart funding.
There is a pattern. Labour in the past and National feed the Developer appetite knowing they avoid all recourse from shoddy work. It is another example of money over people. It is wrong of course
Wow bill and Jim must have smoke coming out there ass after what I wrote last nite because the intimation stepped up ten fold today I tried my bluff with the bank it did not work but I will not retaliate because they are worried about me getting locked up and not been able to pay there money back YEA FIGHT.
And I can’t blame anyone for being victims of the fight between me the police and national my G mar would not approve Ka Pai
Odd. On my Samsung S7 edge, since yesterday, the mobile theme isn’t displaying the comment box or the reply link inside of the posts.
I’ll see if there was some kind of crappy update last night. Otherwise it will have to wait until after work.
Anyone else seeing it?
yes @lprent on my iPhone
My phones is a Huawei and I have to use computer mode to post because there is no reply tabs in phone format Iprent thanks
This may have been canvassed before but does anyone know NZF’s position on the tax cuts scheduled for April 18 ?
Essentially Labour’s programme of education / health / etc investment is dependent upon cancelling those cuts. So if NZF wants to retain those tax cuts then Labours has its hands tied , yes? Which way did NZF vote on these tax changes?
Other than politicians, is there anyone in the world more unpleasant than Bill Gates?
Not only unpleasant, but fundamentally stupid….
The Panel repeating right wing bs about National Green alliance.
Please RNZ ……. stop repeating National Party lies and spin.
Do your job.
That is their job under Griffin, why else would you have DP players like Hooten and Farrar on unless you were intent on bias.
RNZ doesn’t have the reach that redneck radio rantland does that’s why they’ve ZB and radio Live to cover the demographics.
Just for Hugh Hefner, now he’s dead:
One day you’re going to have to face
A deep dark truthful mirror
A 13.2% swing to Labour and Greens in my electorate of Clutha-Southland. Not bad for one of the most conservative seats in the country.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97283075/election-shows-ruralurban-divide-shrinking-not-growing
I’m trying to support some people’s Wairua and you neo liberal go and stuff them up.
So why did you not support Joe,s fight when they needed it is it because he would become a role model for all Brown people in NZ O we can’t have that because they will come out in force and vote you out you neo liberals are idiots and have tunnel vision and we cannot let you run OUR Country we are all on this journey together you fools
Ka Pai