Yep. According to some, the roman geographer Strabo’s travels stretched from circumnavigating Brittania to the Hindu Kush during relative peace under Augustus. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zr11t
There was certainly contact using the technologies of the time, slow by current standards. I flew directly from Bangkok to Kolkata (*) and took a while to adapt.
Ancient Greek and Greek influenced coins have been found almost as far east as Bengal.
(*) While the city’s name has always been pronounced Kolkata [ˈkolkat̪a] (Bengali: কলকাতা) or Kôlikata [ˈkɔlikat̪a] (Bengali: কলিকাতা) in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation.
So Andrew Little gets a 8/10 for his performance thus far (just that thing about Goff holding him back from a 9) and Labour gets a 7/10 which would have been 8 as well but for Goff (he really should know better)
John Key gets a 3/10 which would have been 2/10 but for Goff and National gets a 4/10 for weak exonerations but still exonerations
Littles doing well so far, Key needs to up his game and end this distraction quickly
Unless Keys strategy is to hope that the public get very bored of it all and stop listening, it worked for the election but its a high risk game hes playing now
Most of the people don’t pay much attention but the press are warming to Little and the people will go were the press take them.I had hoped he would resign but now I want him to tuff it out so he can take nats to it’s biggest defeat in 2017.
“the people will get bored” seems to be the right’s best defense at the moment, but as you point out a fairly hopeless one because it’s the media that runs the show and Little will keep them interested for quite some time I imagine. How long until the RWNJs realise the game has changed?
“Key needs to up his game and end this distraction quickly”
Completely wrong analysis chris. This isn’t a ‘distraction’. It’s a fundamental crisis for NZ’s governance. It’s also the most overt manifestation of the long term fight between good and evil that NZ has seen in a long time, probably since the 80s.
I’m not sure it’s possible for Key to up his game in the face of being finally proven a bare face liar who’s been taking the piss with the PM hat for quite some time.
True, but I think there is a limit to that working and Key has just reached it. When the MSM stop believing him he’s pretty much screwed. See, the emperor has no clothes.
Transcripts of some of his texts. Let us not presume it is the full text exchange, uneditted.
He also released docs last week of the election which he said proved something they didnt. In that instance he relied on people not reading them, espesh in the media.
You’re missing the point, it doesn’t matter what you think, what I think, what the moderators or anyone lese on this blog thinks, its what the voters think and at the moment the headlines are:
Key cleared
Collins cleared
Banks likely to be cleared
I was thinking that about the US corporate types. The atmosphere has changed and people will be asking “Why now? What’s in it for them? We know Key doesn’t like Dotcom. Has he promised them something?”
Have a computer today and am trying to give this clip as much exposure as poss.(especially to the unenlightened like Chris73…hope he sees it this time)
Great to see Ferguson the ex-head of the GCSB come out hard against the new SIS-enabling bill on National Radio.
However I don’t think this whole issue will hurt Key in the polls much.
LIttle needs to start to turn to housing. Labour said almost nothing about Hamilton City’s decision to sell off its entire public housing portfolio yesterday – at least nothing with cut-through.
With migration set to be sustained at high levels for the next few years, house prices in Auckland are going to escalate to places never yet seen in New Zealand. LIttle needs to get set to attack the rentier class, and decent the public housing sector – citizens need shelter.
Post scheduled on Labour and housing. Actually, it’s one of the first issues off the block under Little’s leadership. It’s just been overshadowed by other goings on this week.
And re the need to get the bill passed before the house rises.
IF the bill is so damned important why not DELAY the house rising for say a month for a full investigation.
What is more important the National security or the polis holidays!!!!
+100…”Great to see Ferguson the ex-head of the GCSB come out hard against the new SIS-enabling bill on National Radio.”…Ferguson very good …reminded the listeners of J.Edgar Hoover and his ability to blackmail just about all USA politicians
…ALL political parties should strenuously oppose this bill!….. which will be used against them and any individuals and groups who opposes or questions John Key and the Nacts and friends….we are heading into a police state
( Morning Report is getting better and better imo..becoming a bit of a watchdog)
This week marked a long overdue turning point in NZ politics, and in media coverage of events. Bryce Edwards’ round-up of the week’s links could be helpful for future reference.
Bryce Edwards: The Democratic Deficit of Dirty Politics http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11365448
Thanks Manuka AOR. A big read. And a bit unusual from Edwards as he usually puts all the good news for Key’s Government first and tacks on a bit of contrary stuff at the end. Not this time!
It may be true that the huge detail available will kill the interest of the general public. Perhaps the next poll will have National riding higher? Dammit!
+100 Manuka AOR….that comprehensive article by Bryce Edwards is a wake up call for the danger now facing democracy in New Zealand ….It is a MUST READ for everyone!
In a year’s time Bill English will be National Party leader and PM.
Someone more dependable upon to push through that the financial elites want Especially ‘reforms’ to health and superannuation. Remember: this was the guy who oversaw dozens of hospital closures in the 1990s.
John Key will be given the US Ambassadorship which becomes vacant next year and a knighthood as compensation, so he can focus on the Washington cocktail circuit.
English has been plotting his utu for years. His hands clean from dirty politics and busy with the economy, he will want to present himself as one who “gets on with it”.
Women vote in first general election 28 November 1893. Interesting voter stats.
New Zealand women went to the polls for the first time, just 10 weeks after the governor, Lord Glasgow, signed the Electoral Act 1893 into law, thereby making this country the first in the world to give all adult women the vote.
Despite the short timeframe for voter registration, 109,461 women – about 84% of the adult female population – enrolled to vote in the election. On polling day 90,290 of them cast their votes, a turnout of 82% (far higher than the 70% turnout among registered male voters). There were then no electoral rolls for the Māori seats, but women cast perhaps 4000 of the 11,269 Māori votes that year.
Despite warnings from opponents of women’s suffrage that ‘lady voters’ might be harassed at polling booths, election day passed off in a relaxed, festive atmosphere. According to a Christchurch newspaper, the streets ‘resembled a gay garden party’ – ‘the pretty dresses of the ladies and their smiling faces lighted up the polling booths most wonderfully’.
In fairness, there were a few comments from non-Nats, who took umbridge at what Toby had written (thought he was being serious), or else just read the by-line and commented without reading at all. I am shocked/bemused that people (on both sides) don’t even realise its satire……which just reinforces the critical role of MSM, soundbites, headlines and how important they are as influencers over what people think…..It kind of frightens me, how reality for some people is so different to reality for others……we read the same piece of news and take polar opposite messages from it. Is it intellectual laziness, low literacy levels or what? From a political perspective, if you want to gain support for your point of view, if you want to try to get people to see the world how you see it (like accepting a new policy), it begs the question of how you reach people (who see the world through completely different eyes).
Yeah I know, some on the left are also not intellectually blessed, but Blue hadn’t mentioned them.
As for why, somehow we seem to have built a culture of instant gratification. People want information, and pleasure, in short bursts and right now. They seem to just want their preconceptions fulfilled, so if a headline does that, they stop. There’s a lot to be said for slowing down and smelling the kowhai flowers.
“Sanson hoped the decision wouldn’t tarnish Newman, and said she had made a “youthful mistake.”
“When you’re 20 or 21 everything is black and white and when you’re 61 you realise there is a hell of a lot of grey and I can put it down as a youthful mistake [on her part].”
Sanson said he would still rehire Newman. However, the 23-year-old declined the offer.
“No, he’s creeping me out with that. No, I definitely [do] not feel safe to be anywhere near him.”
There is no difference. They are both workplaces. Richie is an authority figure, just like the boss. They are both subject to the same law. Richie has the same defence as the boss, which is that, in context, it’s not sexual harassment.
Strange reply, weka. It’s not me defining reality. It is reality. It’s hundreds of years of jurisprudence, the laws of NZ, the common law and case law.
In a nutshell, you don’t appear to like the outcome. And therefore, you are willing to completely dismiss the sound legal reasons for the outcome. That’s an attempt to define reality, right there. Let’s see how well that works, eh?
Sound legal reasons for the outcome were arrived at by a new era member based on, in my opinion (allegedly known as fact by me)*, false testimony by witnesses.
*Trying really hard not to call a spade a spade in order to protect TS.
“In a nutshell, you don’t appear to like the outcome. And therefore, you are willing to completely dismiss the sound legal reasons for the outcome. That’s an attempt to define reality, right there. Let’s see how well that works, eh?”
I don’t have an opinion about the outcome, as I haven’t read the report.
Go back and reread my comments on this topic TRP. You will see that right from the first one I have been commenting on the meta issues. I’ve stated twice that my point is in addition to or separate from the legal issues.
You insist on making this conversation solely about the legal issues, hence my comment about defining reality. There are at least 3 subthreads going on here. The Al1en’s, which is a mix of the legal and direct experience/anecdote and covers law and ethics. Ergo’s, which I haven’t followed closely enough to accurately summarise. And mine, which is about the necessity of clear messages beyond legalities from organisations like the ERA and Stuff. I think we’ve all talked about the importance of culture in addition to law.
Trying to define this solely in terms of the strict law of this case is like trying to talk about roastbusters solely in terms of the police investigation and their legal parameters.
Hundreds of years of jurisprudence, the laws of NZ, the common law and case law is no the only way to understand reality.
Mention st richie all you like, but the joking around is a red herring.
A laugh and a joke is not a pre cursor to an unwanted sexual advance that, as was stated but not accepted by the hearing, was the last in a sequence of similar events.
If his ‘witnesses’ had told the era what I know them to know, the result would be very different.
I have accepted that because of the false statement from one of his witnesses (same one as in Newman’s case), and despite having a list of dates, times and places, I can’t win my own case unless I pay to forensically expose the lies (which I can’t), so I have to cough up for the bill I’ve run up and let it go.
Still, got two and a half years left before the cutoff date to proceed, so plenty of time for the dirty old man’s stories to unravel.
Gutted though, cause the guy is fuckstick and needs to be stopped.
All this case has done, so far, is bolster his sense of impunity. Knowing the man, it won’t last. He won’t be able to help himself, though with a mail order bride on the way he may be occupied enough at home.
I have, as a final clutch at a straw, sent a request to Campbell live to have a little look at things, but I don’t hold out much hope.
Fair enough, Al1en, that must be a bitter pill to swallow. I don’t know either you or the boss, but I know who’s version sounds the most likely. Particularly after his Benny Hill style comments in the media.
Regarding the witnesses, don’t be too hard on them. There’s all sorts of reasons why they might say things that don’t align with your understanding. They might be intimidated, afraid of losing their jobs. Or they might not understand or care. Or they simply might have seen it differently from you (the Rashomon effect).
It is a bitter pill and it’s lodged about halfway down my throat at the moment, but it’s nice to be considered a reliable witness by someone.
As for the witnesses, who I know to have been less than honest, I feel nothing but scorn and contempt.
For the record, I was intimidated and afraid of losing my job too, yet stood up for what’s right – It was a no brainer as far as I was concerned. In my opinion, women who ignore, deny, mitigate and/or cover up this sort of behaviour, for any of those reasons listed, I say fuck ’em, which may be extremely harsh, but these women allowed this dirty old coot to get away with it.
When this behaviour is allowed or ignored by one, this just makes sure it will happen to someone else. There are all sorts of reasons why people don’t speak up, but I wish they would. I knew a woman years ago who worked in a petrol station and copped all sorts of garbage off the boss. For about an hour. After telling him to stop 3 or 4 times and being laughed at, she put a screwdriver through his hand. That stopped him.
Rubbish. The manly bonding between sweating giants of our national sport necessitates a few slaps on the well muscled buttocks of a comrade. This is both encouragement and reward and is understood by manly men in all the changing rooms and on all the ritual battlefields of the land. When John Key, captain of the All Blacks, pats another player on the bum, it is for encouragement and promise of knighthoods to come.
When a dirty old man of a boss does it to a young female worker, it’s a statement of power over her. It cannot be compared to joking about whatever stupid hat he was wearing.
Murray, I’m sure you understand that the same action in different situations can have different meanings. The action of the boss in this case is not as insignificant as those in the rugby player analogy, but it is not sexual harassment as it is defined in NZ. It is not repeated and it is not sufficiently severe to meet the threshold, in the circumstances as we know them. If you don’t like the law, by all means campaign to have the definition tightened.
If the complainant was able to provide any corroboration at all of repetitive harassing behaviour or a witness that confirmed the incident was more severe than it was said to be by the boss, then there would be a different outcome. The actual outcome seems consistent with the proven facts.
I’m not trying to give a legal opinion here. I’m not qualified. What I am qualified to do is write what I think about the situation. In any case, it just confirms once more that the courts and tribunals are stacked against workers.
And if you haven’t got the money to hire the professionals, and let’s face it, most low paid workers don’t, one is always going to be up against it.
Justice costs, and those without go without.
She wasn’t, she resigned.
The point is that on the evidence presented, if I as a co-worker had slapped her bum, I would have been dismissed or disciplined for it, yet he gets off scot free.
She wasn’t dismissed, weka. She resigned, then unsuccessfully claimed constructive dismissal. That’s the concept that the resignation was forced by the employer’s behaviour. ie. that the worker had no reasonable alternative but to resign. It’s usually very hard to prove.
What were Cameron Slater’s links (if any) with the Israeli State back in 2011?
Was the attack on (then) Leader of the Labour Party Phil Goff, to help stop his asking ‘hard’ questions in the House about the strange circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Israelis in the Christchurch earthquake?
Three Israelis were among the 181 people who died when the earthquake struck on February 22.
An SIS officer told the Southland Times there were fears Israeli agents had hacked the police national computer, compromising highly sensitive files. Police have since said their systems are subject to regular security audits and are secure.
The investigation centred on a group of four people in a van in the city centre. Driver Ofer Benyamin Mizrahi, 23, was killed instantly and the other three left the country within 12 hours. The newspaper reported Mizrahi was found with five passports.
Key refused to answer questions about the revelations when he was grilled by reporters this morning, saying it was not in the “national interest.”
…….
______________________________________________________________________________________
In WHOSE ‘national interest’?
The national interest of New Zealand or Israel?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Cameron Slater made a trip to Israel which was partially paid by the Israeli Embassy in Wellington in August 2014.
But the Israeli Embassy in Wellington is relaxed about picking Slater – a climate change denier – to cover the World Science Conference in Israel. Despite the bad publicity, it believes Slater is “fair-minded” and “spiritual”.
The embassy picked Slater to be part of a media delegation to the conference a long time ago. He had a reputation for controversy even before the release of Dirty Politics, a book based on his leaked emails and revealing deep cynicism and some nasty communications between Slater and some people in politics and PR.
The embassy’s cultural and public affairs director, Patricia Deen, stands by its choice, and said Slater’s fairness showed in his coverage from Israel so far. Israel has been part-funding Slater and other writers to the conference, which was scheduled to run from August 17 to 21. While it never went ahead because of the war on Gaza, Slater has stayed on to write about Israel.
The Israeli Government paid part of his costs, and he paid extra to extend his visit to cultural places, said Deen. “Cameron is a very spiritual person,” she said.
Like other countries, Israel pays for journalists to visit so they can get media to see their side of the story. NZ does much the same thing in helping journalists visit our “100 per cent pure” nation. In Israel’s case, though, such delegations are often designed to counter what it believes is an anti-Israel bias on the part of international media.
+100 … great post Penny…and thought provoking questions!
…i also think i remember a whole lot of passports at issue with those Israelis after the Christchurch Earthquake when the remaining surviving Israelis were spirited out of the country very fast by their fatherland…this all deserves much wider investigation
….eg what exactly is New Zealand’s relationship with Israel?…we know where Helen Clark stood ….but since it seems to have got very murky ….where do the GCSB and the SIS stand on these issues?…are there hidden agendas both in New Zealand and Australia…eg ex Jesuit Priest Tony Abbott….what is his stance?…given the concerns of United Nations on human rights violations and genocide against the Palestinians….i think the Labour Party, Greens , Mana/Int and NZF parties should looking at these questions as a priority
…especially with new warrantless spy legislation proposed by John Key and Nact on New Zealanders…will there be any accountability ….and if so to whom?!
…these questions are crucial for our democracy and sovreignty
Tony Abbott was never a Jesuit priest. He wanted to be, but he was booted from the seminary for lack of empathy.
As for ngati poaka saying their systems are secure……..what are the odds that a good part of the IT comes from companies with links to Israel? The Zionists have shown great willingness and ability to access the computer systems of other countries.
On Slug Boy – he has no credentials whatsoever to report on a science conference. It’d be like sending a deaf reporter to report on a symphony.
thanks for that correction re Tony Abbott….well that is interesting…he got the boot from the seminary for “lack of empathy”! ( my respect for the Jesuits goes up …and respect for Aussies voting him in… after all… goes down)
…what is “ngati poaka” ?…SIS?
lol…re “Slug Boy”…science credentials …but what about Slater being “a very spiritual person”?!…
(See Penny’s post :- “Israeli Embassy in Wellington is relaxed about picking Slater – a climate change denier – to cover the World Science Conference in Israel. Despite the bad publicity, it believes Slater is “fair-minded” and “spiritual”….said Deen. “Cameron is a very spiritual person,” …)
Ngati poaka are the tribe of pigs. They wear blue and have different rules and customs to the rest of us. Some people have objected to my use of this name, but I’m relaxed about it. Not in a Key way, though, I have sought advice.
In August, Banks was sentenced to two months’ community detention after being found guilty of knowingly filing a false return in relation to the donations, which were declared as anonymous.
I hope crim.con is charged with perjury, Banks spent a fortune on clearing his name he would not have done that if he could not prove crim.con was lying.
Yep, a fright alright. That’ll probably be the last time a prominent candidate puts his hand out directly for a cheque. It’ll be ‘see my campaign manager while I look away’ in future. Though I saw somewhere recently that they are now finding alternative ways to channel the big bucks, via intermediary organisations. And really, the only crime is getting caught, eh.
Mr Banks had appealed and introduced affidavits from two US-based businessmen who had been at the same lunch at which Mr Dotcom claimed donations were discussed. The pair – David Schaeffer and Jeffery Karnes – both said donations were not discussed at that lunch.
It’s entirely possible to be at the same lunch and not in the same conversation and thus not hear or see what was actually taking place.
Yes it is, but Dotcom and his wife gave evidence that there were no other parties present that day, so undoubtedly since the two businessmen have said in an affidavit that they were there and donations were not discussed it would have unquestionably have had a major impact at the trial.
Am pleased for his wife who has been dragged through this.
Interestingly John Banks may get a not guilty on the basis that wilfully not reading a form can absolve you from responsibility and accountability. Ironic from the party that preaches accountability and responsibility. Imagine if you will, a beneficiary taking money after signing a form they didnt read and thereby didnt know what they had agreed to. Banks and ACT would be squealing like stuck pigs.
Good riddance. It is just a shame there are more with his lack of ethics and accoubtability ready for the trough.
So the murdering pedo is on his way back to NZ. Unbelievable that he was collecting
a student accommodation allowance while being kept by the tax payer.
10 mins with Slavoj Zizek thinking about the situation of so many being ‘disposable people’. How do we live full lives in a world where capitalism creates a two part world – inner and outer. Where the ratio is 20:80 the smaller number that are wanted and the vast majority who are disposable. University students study and pass exams knowing that there is no job available.
He suggests they do not shy away from being creative, artistic. If we concentrate our endeavours only on the utilitarian then too many firstly are unemployed, and then become unemployable.
Where life is like the inside of The Truman Show for the 20% and they cannot see the fringes of their elite bubble. If you feel edgy watching him, then just listenn
One thing that young men can do is play cricket and other sports. There you are disposable as in the recent cricket death of Abbott in Australia. (Unfortunately it wasn’t their vicious RW PM. Here is what he had to say about it. No promise to request humane treatment with a ban on this type of bowling.)
The thought that a player in his prime should be killed playing our national game is shocking and sobering. We should be conscious of the risks that our sportspeople run to give us the pleasure that they do. What happened has touched millions of Australians.
Very Emperor-like viewing the gladiatorial contest.
So they could now have the greatest memorial for this young guy Hughes and the
bowler ‘s state of mind by requesting a ban on this type of bowl, and making people in sports and their officials, likely for charges of manslaughter. Because this is what they bring about by their own actions and agreement with a disgraceful practice.)
Oh I understand the issues all right. There is a blind drive to worship some activities from war to sport and to rush off in a group to participate ignoring that pain, injury, crippling even or death may follow. There is groupthink at work here. And it drags everyone along into a black hole. Learning how to behave like an intelligent humane human is always up against this ‘great’ idea of risking injury or causing a sacrifice to serve whatever the project is. And the aggression raised by sport spills over from the teams facing each other, to the parents at the sideline attacking their child’s opposition, or the ref.
The unions want to protect foresters and miners from being killed and injured at work. Yet the power of sport to attract people into its midst and encourage them to think it is manly to accept that they may be badly injured or killed is very strong. Rugby have their spear tackles.
The dirty play and dangerous play becomes acceptable when there is mana or money for winning and if there are bad, careless rules of attack and people die because of them, who cares. You obviously don’t, you are callous and unthinking.
The primary function of a bowler is to attack the wickets, not the man. The bouncer does that. It is meant to attack the man’s head, face or body in order to intimidate. So, I agree, the bouncer should be banned. If the bouncer is above a certain stipulated height, it should be deemed illegal, with serious consequences to the bowler and his/her team.
There would be 1000’s of bouncers bowled every year to change the game for one freak accident is ridiculous I bet more cricket players die from melanoma each year than have ever been killed buy a ball ffs
This from Wikipedia on bouncers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncer_%28cricket%29
There have been several occurrences of injurious bouncers in recent times. In 2006, Australian opener Justin Langer, was struck on the head in his 100th Test from a bouncer from Makhaya Ntini and hospitalised.
In 2008 West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was knocked out for several minutes after being hit by a bouncer from Australian fast bowler Brett Lee during a test match.[7] Shoaib Akhtar was a regular offender; he injured both Gary Kirsten (2003) and Brian Lara (2004) with fast bouncers. Both batsmen had to be taken off the field.[8]
NZ Herald finds excuses for throwing an object – violence – in the name of sport. They say the Hughes tragedy is a rarity and perhaps death is but in recent years batsman have been hit as above. The Herald article shows that the bouncer is part of the expectation of fans, it wouldn’t be so interesting a game without it. Heaven save us from the morality of fans!
There is some good technical discussion about bowling and the difficulties that changing the rules might cause that cricket fans will enjoy and want to think about.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11365898 But one of the reasons the Hughes’ tragedy has hit home so hard is its rarity. It was described by one commentator as a one in 10 million occurrence. I would suggest those odds are too skinny. At the elite level, in the helmet age, this is unprecedented.
Banning the bouncer aimed at the head could actually be counterproductive and more dangerous. If lawmakers draw the line, say, at the batsman’s shoulders, this would give those on strike a greater level of comfort only if cricket had no variables. As anybody who has played the game will tell you, it is hard to think of a sport with more variables.
It is ‘illegal’ if it’s too tall. It’s a no-ball. It costs a run and has to be re-bowled. At amateur level, the height is often lower (shoulder height when I last played) to discourage bouncers.
btw, the primary function of the bowler is to get the batsman out. Bowling him is just one way of achieving that. Less than a quarter of test dismissals are out, bowled, nearly half are out, caught fielder.
If you listen to the audio, apparently the only reason he hasn’t released proof is due to the continuing Police investigation.
He has been known to be as credible as Winston Peters on matters like this though.
And no, I haven’t asked him, if I ever meet him (which is highly unlikely) I will though, just for you Tracey. Maybe you could ask Matt McCaten if he is involved in a conspiracy?
Tracey, you clearly did not listen to the interview, he states several times the the Labour Party were not behind Dirty Politics or part of the far fetched conspiracy around him topping himself.
Thanks Bob. I did listen and decided that Cam has similar dislocated thinking/justifications as Key. No wonder they are soul mates. He certainly says he believes that there is a conspiracy to “get him.’ Maybe it is just his guilt tormenting himself.
” ..Narcissism, in lay terms, basically means that a person is totally absorbed in self. The extreme narcissist is the center of his own universe. To an extreme narcissist, people are things to be used. It usually starts with a significant emotional wound or a series of them culminating in a major trauma of separation/attachment. No matter how socially skilled an extreme narcissist is, he has a major attachment dysfunction. The extreme narcissist is frozen in childhood. He became emotionally stuck at the time of his major trauma of separation/attachment
Some narcissists may have the ability to change into a variety of identities according to the situation. The wounded child inside may choose to present a front as a “bad ass” and tough individual. He may look, by appearance, intimidating and scary to the average person. He could also play the “nice guy/person” whom everyone likes. A corporate type version can be one that is diplomatic, proper, and appearing to care but in reality does not. Another very likeable extreme narcissist can be the one that chooses the comedian role. He is the life of the party and has everyone in stitches, making them laugh constantly. Everyone wants to include this person because they are a lot of fun.
So Slater is claiming to have proof! But he can’t show it right now…
Gosh. An unprecedented turn of events.
I remember when he had ‘proof’ that Karol who posts here and Tania Billingsley were in cahoots as part of a Green party conspiracy to embarrass National with her sexual assault claim. His evidence turned out to be that Karol wrote here in one of her comments that she thought that Billingsley would agree with her about some point or other. Yep.
I was working on the assumption that Slater was just a compulsive BS artist, but I’m starting to think that he actually believes a significant amount of his own manure. If so Key must be racking his brains on how to get rid of him – it’s rather dangerous and risky to trust such a person. If he can’t he must figure out how to mollify him, and thus remain under his grip, or else his position will become untenable sooner or later, when he be forced to simply leave.
Bryce Edwards suggested today that Key cannot afford to cut Slater loose for fear of him going nuclear and spilling what dirt he has on Key.
It’s more likely he knows what dirt Key’s got in his top drawer. He also probably knows how Key obtained it which could be the more dangerous info. should it ever become public knowledge.
Whatever the motivation, the raid, like the Australian anti-whistle-blower laws and President Obama’s anti-leak investigations, is certain to have a chilling effect. Of course, such steps are always explained as a result of a careful balancing between national security and civil liberties. What is becoming increasingly clear is that political self-interest — which serves no one except the powers that be — is just as important a factor.
I said he’d be found not guilty (I admit I got the time frame slightly wrong) and its looking more likely thats whats going to happen, they might not even bother with the re-trial
Thats what happens when you listen to nut bars like McCready and Dot Con
I read that the affidavits of the two American gentlemen in question differ on the details of the day. If they couldn’t even get their story straight after being coached by Banks’ wife then how is this evidence admissible?
I’d love for the whole truth to be known. Unfortunately, the actions of Banks and other right-wing politicians such as John Key over the last few years would indicate that they’ll be lying and generally trying to hide the truth as much as possible.
Do you know why they werent subpoened at trial? Dotcom must have known who they were and mr and mrs banks would have recalled their names. Interesting ruling that this was new evidence given their existence was known.
Banks will be vindicated and (once again) Dot Con will have found to be talking porkies and all the leftards that supported and praised him will have egg on their faces (again)
That is not what I asked. No one has lied in this case except Banks and his wife. They are liars, and the court has said so. That a judge would find testimony from Kim Dotcom and his wife more reliable than from Banks and his wife must really sting for you and for them.
You and Banks and all your type are deceitful liars and should not be close to positions of power.
From my own experience not getting them to give evidence and not knowing they exist to give e idence are very different things. Remember the recent case with the crown against one SCF…
IF these guys were known to all parties then they are not strictly speaking new evidence but as I wrote I havent read the decision.
The Court of Appeal said that although Banks’ defence could have tracked the businessmen down before the trial, it was satisfied that if their evidence had been known at the trial the outcome might have been different.
Well, I guess only Banks and his wife knew they existed. If they had been mentioned in the trial, surely we would have heard about it. I guess Team Banks didn’t want to talk about these witnesses until they tracked them down and learned what the witnesses had to say about what went down re-the donation discussions.
Understood. Odd thing is they arent hard to find. I guess Banks wasnt listening when he was introduced to them.
I get the part that their evidence could change the judges view, its the couldnt find them bit. I guess banks spent his money on all the appeals and strike outs instead.
You ok with people signing forms without reading them, even when they preach accountability and responsibility to others?
He took money to be ED of Hujlich and his defence was that he didnt know anything about operations… Executive director who takes BIG fee but knows nothing about Ops.
Has any journalist actually asked John Key why he organised his office so that political operatives, such as Phil de Joux, were the people who talked to the SIS rather than himself.
From what I can gather this was an unprecedented move, all previous Prime ministers spoke to the SIS directly, in secret.
By organising his office this way it was inevitable that something like the SIS/Whaleoil leak would occur.
Pretty obvious why. He decided to use Slater as part of the Black ops. brigade he set up within his office – Slater was the conduit through which the ‘information’ could be picked up by the MSM. Lets face it, as a wheeler/dealer Key would have been well versed in the art of undercover operations and deceptions.
The MSM journos would have known what was going on, and were more than happy to go along with it. I suspect that is what some journos are worried about. They know their reputations will be badly tarnished if the truth was ever revealed. I bet that’s what Slater has over them.
Yeah I know it is obvious why he did it, it’s clear as day to anyone who has been watching National and its appendages for any length of time. But has any journalist actually asked him why?
Are you suggesting that no journalist would ask him this because it would endanger their career??
Are you suggesting that no journalist would ask him this because it would endanger their career??
No, they’re implicated to a degree. It’s common knowledge that many in the MSM read Slater’s blog on a daily basis looking for scraps of info. It’s also known Slater gave some of them a heads-up (privately) on what was coming. The journos knew where most of the info. was coming from – the Black Ops brigade in Key’s office and in that sense they were part of the Dirty Politics conspiracy.
Fall foul of Slater and he’ll dob them in. My god, the more one thinks about it, the more dirty/sleazy it becomes.
Agreed. I haven’t heard every interview (or question in Parliament) but there seems to have been little attention on the unprecedented use of a party hack in the PM’s office to deal with the SIS.
The Nats have banked too much on Kiwis’ lack of interest in civil liberties and process. it’s a bit early to tell, but my sense is that people like to think they don’t have to worry about this stuff, but now it all seems a bit dodgy.
He did it because he thinks the way to govern a country is the same as the way they ran Merrill Lynch. Rules and integrity do not apply if you can get away with it.
Anne reckons it’s not so much what Slater has on Key (because in reality Key is a very boring person), but what Slater has about the dirt Key hold in his draw and more to the point, how he got it.
Which is kind of the crux of this whole SIS/PMO thing at the moment and has always been my biggest fear about Key: that he’d have no problem using state apparatus to maintain power.
So – is this UNSC Resolution 2178 (which is behind this Foreign Terrorist Fighters Bill) – going to help the formation of a ‘greater Israel’ – by ‘weakening and eventually fracturing neighboring Arab states as part of an Israeli expansionist project’?
Foreign Terrorist Fighters – Targeted review of relevant legislation
…………………………………..
‘Status quo and problem definition’ :
2. The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and other violent extremists is evolving rapidly. The most immediate and latest manifestation of the FTF issue is seen with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). fighters invloved with ISIL are responsible for widespread use of indiscriminate and extreme acts of violence primarily in the Iraq and Syria region. there are an estimated 15,000 – 20,000 FTFs associated with ISIL of which an estimated 3,000 hold western passports. these fighters threaten to return to their countries of origin radicalised and with military training.
______________________________________________________________________________________
This article was published on Global Research April 29, 2013.
Global Research Editor’s Note
The following document pertaining to the formation of “Greater Israel” constitutes the cornerstone of powerful Zionist factions within the current Netanyahu government, the Likud party, as well as within the Israeli military and intelligence establishment.
According to the founding father of Zionism Theodore Herzl, “the area of the Jewish State stretches: “From the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates.” According to Rabbi Fischmann, “The Promised Land extends from the River of Egypt up to the Euphrates, it includes parts of Syria and Lebanon.”
When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing war on Syria, not to mention the process of regime change in Egypt, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East. The latter consists in weakening and eventually fracturing neighboring Arab states as part of an Israeli expansionist project.
“Greater Israel” consists in an area extending from the Nile Valley to the Euphrates.
The Zionist project supports the Jewish settlement movement. More broadly it involves a policy of excluding Palestinians from Palestine leading to the eventual annexation of both the West Bank and Gaza to the State of Israel.
Greater Israel would create a number of proxy States. It would include parts of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the Sinai, as well as parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. (See map).
So what they mean is air and sea port passport control will have as chronically impaired recall as john banks that they won’t recognise an eight foot tall man with a germanic accent who has been all over the news for a few years.
That’s a worrying development for the nations border security.
I thought that was funny too. Almost as funny as the Crown alleging that KDC has been playing too many video games based on what he has said on twitter.
How hard would it be to get out of NZ? I think he’s not allowed to travel very far and no helicopters, so that limits it to leaving on a private boat from near Auckland right?
Stowaway on a super yacht parked up in the viaduct, or rowing boat out of the mangroves to a waiting u-boat in Manakau harbour. Ridiculous reasoning and spiteful in intent. Which department or office did the ‘get Dotcom email come from?
As for video games, I’m not hard core and I do have to play on easy these days (no more legendary master chief for me), and though taking a wild, but non sexist guess that shooters wouldn’t really be your thing, I saw a trailer for call of duty advanced warfare Exo zombies add on content today, and my trigger fingers have been itching ever since.
Satellites pass over NZ all the time (literally). Here I focus on the 187 Planet Labs ‘Dove’ Earth-imaging satellites, and I show that one can determine in advance where they will be, enabling scientists on the ground to correlate their environmental and other data collection with opportunities to get imaging ...
The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...
On both sides of the Atlantic, some purportedly “contentious” and “difficult to deal with” leadership contenders to lead the US and UK, as President and Prime Minister respectively, seem to have thrown a few spanners into the works of the normal messaging most are used to hearing constantly. Except they’re ...
In Question Time today the Prime Minister was naturally facing questions about Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and his dubious party financing arrangements, which seem to violate electoral finance law. Her response was to pretend that it was nothing to do with her, and that she is not responsible for ...
A prisoner stripped of their name, imprisoned for a secret crime after a secret trial, with all details legally suppressed for secret reasons. A story by Kafka or Dumas? China? No, its just the latest stage of Australian tyranny:An Australian citizen was prosecuted, convicted, and jailed in the ACT last ...
Stuff has more details on what New Zealand First's slush-fund has been funding, with much of the spending directly benefiting the party. Which makes it look a lot like hidden donations, rather than the completely-innocent-giant-pile-of-cash Winston is trying to portray it as. The Electoral Commission is now investigating, but Simon ...
I've joked before about how hosting international summits effectively turns part of your country into a police state for the duration. Well, New Zealand is hosting APEC in 2021, with events throughout the year in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. And the government has put up a bill to give itself ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzI saw an article claiming that “king tides” will increase in ...
It has been revealed that firing ranges used by the NZDF while deployed to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, contained unexploded ordnance that caused numerous deaths and injuries after the NZDF withdrew the PRT in April 2013. In 2014 seven children were killed when an unidentified ...
Didn't See It Coming: NZ Herald columnist Lizzie Marvelly's latest column merits serious scrutiny because such a clear example of anti-democratic thinking is encountered only rarely on the pages of the daily press. Which is not to say that the elitism which lies at the heart of such social disparagement ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Initially it was reported that in an aerial bombardment that took place on August 30th seven children were massacred; the figure then went up to eight and then on November 11th Noticias Uno reported that, according to people from the community in close proximity to the ...
A lot has happened since the UN’s report on 1.5ºC was released in October 2018. New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Bill has passed, and enshrines the 1.5ºC goal in law. The UK and France have also legally strengthened their targets to Net Zero 2050. The School Strike For Climate and Extinction ...
Next year is an election year, and Labour needs money to fund its campaign. So naturally, they're selling access:Labour is charging wealthy business figures $1500-a-head to lunch with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at its annual conference later this month. [...] On the weekend beginning November 29th, around 800 delegates will ...
Yesterday the government announced its changes to tenancy laws, including an end to no-cause evictions, limits on rent increases, and anonyminity for tenants who defend their rights against bad landlords (sadly necessary because landlords are scum who maintain blacklists of "uppity" tenants). They're all good moves, and have resulted in ...
In 2003 New Zealand sent a Provincial Reconstruction Team to Afghanistan to support America's doomed war there. While there, they conducted regular weapons practice on local firing ranges, littering the landscape with unexploded ammunition. These ranges weren't secure - they're on land used by locals for animal herding - so ...
Green MP Gareth Hughes has announced he will retire at the election. Its understandable - he's been there ten years, and wants to actually see his children grow up rather than miss it while drowning in the toxic parliamentary sewer. But his departure is also a huge loss for the ...
Words and images by Jacqui GibsonGone are Auckland Museum’s days of doing science using a museum-centric academic approach, after Māori land rights holders Ngāti Kuri gave the museum an ultimatum.Tom Trnski holding a fossilised whale tooth from the Far North.Aussie-born Head of Natural Sciences at Auckland Museum ...
MediaWorks announced in October 2019 that it intended to sell off its struggling television business and cancel or cut back on several popular local programmes, including New Zealand Today, Married at First SightNew Zealand and 7 Days. Its radio and outdoor advertising arms are currently performing well, but MediaWorks’ ...
Westminster voting intention:CON: 44% (+3)LAB: 28% (-1)LDEM: 14% (-1)BREX: 6% (-)via @OpiniumResearch, surveyed this weekChgs. w/ 08 Nov— Britain Elects (@britainelects) 16 November 2019 This, of course, doesn't look good. Labour have been chucking big, headline grabbing policies left, right and centre ... Well, maybe not right. Left, left ...
Some readers may remember that I mentioned last year that I was applying for NZ citizenship. I filled out the paperwork and had my original citizenship interview in February. Everything went well until they discovered that, because I had spent five months in the US in 2017, I had not ...
by Deirdre O’Neill It is becoming quite acceptable for certain sections of the left to declare that people like me – women who are ‘gender critical’ – should not be allowed in leftist or anarchist spaces. Leaving aside the arrogance and implicit authoritarianism of this claim, its lack of critical ...
There is an article in The Conversation, written by Jeremy P. Shapiro (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University), about what he sees as the psychologically-based underpinnings of three main matters that seem to vex people all around the planet. The article is titled “The Thinking ...
. . Blogger Martyn Bradbury has won his case against unreasonable search and surveillance against the NZ Police; and subsequent Police attempts to produce evidence in secrecy, in a closed Court. His case highlights a disturbing growing trend in Aotearoa New Zealand for State power to be used against ...
The Committee of Disobedient Women has intercepted an email from Dr Emma Eejut, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Massey University to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Jan Thomas. Dear Jan, Thank you for your courageous move. I think 10 pages of blether** should tie any of the students game enough to try holding ...
That's the only response to the findings of the Ombudsman's investigation into LGOIMA practices at the Christchurch City Council:My investigation identified serious concerns about the Council’s leadership and culture, and its commitment to openness and transparency. In particular, Council staff raised concerns with me about various methods employed by some ...
NZ First seems to be nakedly trying to enrich itself from public office:A powerful New Zealand First figure helped establish a forestry company that then pushed for money from two key funding streams controlled by a New Zealand First Minister. An RNZ investigation has found Brian Henry, lawyer for Winston ...
Behrouz Boochani is an award winning author and journalist. He is also a refugee, who for the past six years has been detained in Australia's offshore gulag on Manus Island, and in Papua New Guinea. But last night, with the cooperation of the WORD Christchurch festival and Amnesty International, he ...
Different Strokes: If a multicultural immigration policy imposes no obligation on immigrant communities to acknowledge and ultimately embrace their host nation’s most cherished traditions and values, then how is that nation to prevent itself from being reduced to a collection of inward-looking and self-replicating ethnic and cultural enclaves?THE COALITION GOVERNMENT’S ...
Protective Zone: Reading the rules and guidelines released by Massey University, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that its governing body considers the whole concept of free speech a disruptive threat to the orderly imparting of orthodox academic knowledge.IN TRUE ORWELLIAN fashion, Massey University has announced its commitment to ...
Farmers held a hate-march on Parliament today, complete with MAGA hats, gun-nut signs, and gendered insults. While supposedly about a grab-bag of issues - including, weirdly, mental health - it was clear that the protest was about one thing, and one thing only: climate change. And specifically, forestry "destroying" rural ...
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security released their annual report today, and I've been busy reading through it. In amongst the usual review of what they've been doing all year, there's a few interesting bits. For example, a discussion on "agency retention and disposal of information", which points out that ...
Recently more than 150 post-graduate students and young scientists presented an open letter to the Green Party via The Spinoff, encouraging them to reconsider their position on genetic modification. Their target is tackling climate change issues.[1] Can any party continue to be dismissive about genetic modification (GM) contributing to ...
by Deirdre O’Neill Under Thatcher and then Blair and continuing up until our contemporary moment, the working class has seen its culture slowly and progressively destroyed. The change from an industrial society to a service society produced a marked shift in focus from the working class as the backbone of ...
Since 2013, the Australian government has detained refugees without trial in Pacific gulags, where they are abused, tortured, and driven to suicide. The policy is not just an abuse of human rights and possible crime against humanity; it has also had a corrosive effect on the states Australia uses as ...
It seems fair to say that we currently live in a problematic political moment in world history. Democracies are in decline and dictatorships are on the rise. Primordial, sectarian and post-modern divisions have re-emerged, are on the rise or have been accentuated by political evolutions of the moment such as ...
Last month, Greenpeace head Russel Norman surrendered his speaking slot at an EPA conference to student climate activist Sorcha Carr, who told the EPA exactly what she thought of them. It was a bold move, which confronted both regulators and polluters (or, as the EPA calls them, "stakeholders") with the ...
The core principle supposedly underlying New Zealand's electoral finance regime is transparency: parties can accept large donations from rich people wanting to buy policy, but only if they tell the public they've been bought. Most parties abide by this, so we know that TOP was wholly-owned by Gareth Morgan, and ...
Today is a Member's Day, probably the second-to-last one of the year, and its a big one, with the Third Reading of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. last Member's Day it was reported back from committee, after MPs voted narrowly to make it subject to a (rules TBA) ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThe growth of the human population over the last 70 ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...
by Don Franks In 1957, E M Forster wrote, of his greatest work: “The India described in ‘A Passage to India’ no longer exists either politically or socially. Change had begun even at the time the book was published ( 1924) and during the following quarter of a century it ...
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff@DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...
Now the Zero Carbon Bill is law, what's next? Obviously, the ETS changes currently before select committee are going to be the next battleground. But we're also going to get a good idea of where we're going, and if the progress the Zero Carbon Act promises is good enough, during ...
Grant PearceThe effects of the current Australian bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland (and also again in California) are devastating and far-reaching. To date, the fires have resulted in several lives being lost and many homes and properties destroyed. Here in New Zealand, the impacts have been only ...
A passing comment in a post the other day about the labour force participation rates of older people prompted me to pull down the fuller data and see what we could see about various participation rates over the decades since the HLFS began in 1986. As it happens, the ...
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...
"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third readinginParliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its first reading in Parliament. “Today’s progress takes serious action on the mental health and addiction crisis the country is facing,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Jenny Marcroft. “The re-establishment ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2021 (APEC 2021) Bill in Parliament today. The temporary bill supports New Zealand’s security preparations for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in 2021. “APEC is the leading economic and trade forum ...
The Government is making progress on improving the wellbeing of the one million New Zealanders under the age of 18,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on World Children’s Day. The Government has today recommitted to the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history – the United Nation’s Convention on ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter has released a new report celebrating the contribution of Māori women in business across Aotearoa New Zealand. “Māori women are leaders in our communities, they employ many people and support our economy and our communities,” Julie Anne Genter said. The report, Ngā wāhine kaipakihi: ...
Four parcels of land have been bought in Omokoroa, in the Western Bay of Plenty District, for an education facility that will accommodate both a primary and secondary school on a campus-like facility, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Two parcels were acquired from private land owners and two were ...
1 million New Zealanders warmed by the Winter Energy Payment 36,000 families bank the Best Start Payment in first year 6,000 more families received the Family Tax Credit, 220,600 in total They receive an increase too – from an average of $117 to $157 a week for Inland Revenue clients, ...
New rules to clamp down on overzealous wheel clamping and extortionate fees charged in order to release a vehicle have passed their final stage in Parliament today. The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill has now passed its third reading. “These changes mean $100 will be the maximum wheel clamping ...
An independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is a step closer after it unanimously passed its first vote in Parliament today. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill lays the groundwork for establishing the Commission as a fully independent crown entity – delivering on a key recommendation of He Ara ...
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to screen travellers for border and immigration risks off-shore before they travel to New Zealand. It was launched in August and became mandatory on 1 October 2019. More than 500,000 NZeTAs have been issued since ...
A proposed national plan of action to reduce the number of seabirds caught in fisheries is being circulated for public feedback. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage say New Zealand is a global centre of seabird diversity with about 145 species in our waters. It has more ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. Associate Finance Minister David Parker said under current Overseas Investment Act rules, assets such as ports and ...
The Government is building special housing to accommodate one of Aotearoa’s greatest taonga- our kaumātua, says the Minister for Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Speaking at a National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference in Rotorua today, the Minister reinforced the importance kaumātua play in maintaining and passing on mātauranga Māori, knowledge, ...
Eleven men from a pilot forestry training programme for prisoners in Northland now have full time jobs or job offers upon release, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Forestry Minister Shane Jones announced today. The ‘release to work’ programme was a collaboration between Te Uru Rākau and the Department of Corrections, ...
Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins today introduced into Parliament a Bill that will make it easier for the public service to tackle the biggest challenges facing Governments. The Bill represents the most significant change in the public service in 30 years. The State Sector Act 1988 will be repealed ...
The families of more than 416,000 students will be better off next year as their schools have signed up to the Government’s donations scheme, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. The scheme will see almost $62.5 million in additional Government funding go to schools nationwide next year. “I’m really pleased ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next four weeks,” Mr Peters said. “A New Zealand Medical Assistance ...
Fa’atalofa atu, malo e lelei, Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you to the Child Poverty Action Group for asking me to be here today to provide an update on some of the things that have been happening across my the social development portfolio. Can I firstly acknowledge the vast ...
***Please check against delivery*** Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure to be with you this morning to open this year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Conference and AGM. Firstly, thank you Dr Alan Jackson, NZTR Chair for your introduction. And let us acknowledge also: The NZTR Board; Dean McKenzie, Chair ...
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer and more secure, Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Kris Faafoi has announced today. Both renters and landlords will benefit from the suite of practical changes to the Residential ...
A marine conservation milestone - the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve - is being celebrated today at a community event in Tairāwhiti/East Coast attended by the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “The creation of this marine reserve in November 1999 was a game ...
The Government is asking the food industry to step up work to tackle obesity including reducing sugar, fat and salt in their products, better information for consumers, and tighter restrictions on advertising to children. Health Minister David Clark and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor have responded to a ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
The Government welcomes PHARMAC’s decision to fund a vaccine to protect young people from meningococcal disease from 1 December this year. “Meningococcal disease is a serious threat which people at higher risk should be protected from,” says Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter. “The combined pharmaceutical budget was increased by ...
Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a ...
The Government has fixed an issue affecting how Immigration New Zealand has processed visa applications for culturally arranged marriages, which will now see a consistent process applied which ensures people with legitimate arranged marriages can visit New Zealand while also preventing any rorting of the system. Earlier this year Immigration ...
The Royal Commission into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques will report back on 30 April 2020 to give it more time to hear submissions and consider information, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Royal Commission was originally scheduled to report back to Government by 10 December 2019. “There has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities. Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. ...
The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today. 168 community conservation projects throughout New Zealand are benefiting from $8 million in government grants, including $500,000 ...
Controls on assault rifles and semi-automatic firearms are to be broadened to include some types of pistols, under changes to a bill currently making its way through Parliament. Police Minister Stuart Nash has tabled a Supplementary Order Paper to the Arms Legislation Bill, which is currently before a Select Committee ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark will travel to Singapore today to conduct a counterpart visit and to co-chair the third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting with his counterpart, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. “Singapore is one of our most important defence partners in the region, and our ...
On a farm near Rotorua, breeding rams are having their methane-laced burps measured - so the next generation of lambs can be bred from climate-friendlier fathers. ...
Back from a freak injury, White Ferns quick bowler Lea Tahuhu continues to make the most of her "gift" as the world's fastest woman with a cricket ball ...
NZ phone companies and the government are setting up a system that will identify scam callers within hours and, they hope, stop them in their tracks, the Spinoff can reveal.We’ve all received them. The calls from strange corners of the world at odd times of the day. After I made ...
The process to appoint Steve Hansen looks increasingly like a farce as quality candidate after quality candidate rule themselves out. Was it all preordained, asks Jamie Wall.For an awful lot of 2019, I was one of the select few that sat in a room with Steve Hansen several times a ...
News that one big publisher wants to buy the other, giving the state a Kiwishare to avoid regulatory objections, complicates a media crisis the government hasn't yet addressed. ...
A flash new playground has been unveiled on Parliament's grounds today, amid growing calls for the government to take more action to help lift Kiwi kids out of poverty. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne Two and a half months before the February 3 Iowa Democratic caucus, the highly regarded Selzer poll for CNN and the Des Moines Register gave Pete Buttigieg 25% in Iowa ...
A bill allowing overseas security agents to carry illegal guns while in New Zealand for the APEC summit has passed its first reading, without support from the Greens. ...
The Labour led coalition government is continuing to create homelessness. The impact of immigration, failure of Kiwibuild, and attacks on the rental market, have resulted in the opposite outcomes that New Zealanders were promised. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Every, Senior Research Fellow in social vulnerability and disasters, CQUniversity Australia If you live in a bushfire-prone area, you’ll likely have considered what you will do in the event of a bushfire. The decision, which should be made well in advance ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni Di Virgilio, Research associate, UNSW Temperatures across many regions of Australia are set to exceed 40℃ this week, including heatwaves forecast throughout parts of eastern Australia, raising the spectre of more devastating bushfires. We have already heard warnings this fire season ...
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) says that the Government’s Families Package Monitoring Report shows strong commitment to the intentions outlined in the Child Poverty Reduction Act, specifically with regard to reporting on progressing towards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni Di Virgilio, Research associate, UNSW Temperatures across many regions of Australia are set to exceed 40℃ this week, including heatwaves forecast throughout parts of eastern Australia, raising the spectre of more devastating bushfires. We have already heard warnings this fire season ...
Today leading Māori health and public health organisations called on the Crown to meet its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi as it drafts legislation for the regulation of cannabis. More than 50 Māori leaders joined the call for Māori rights ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Vickers, Director, Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, CSIRO We need to revolutionise agriculture in the next 30 years. In 2050 we may have almost 10 billion people to feed. Farmland is already degraded by existing agriculture, and climate change is putting ...
Between now and March 2020 there is a small window where migrants who work in industries like aged care will have a realistic chance to get residency for the first time. This is due to ANZSCO skill levels being reclassified in Australia and some of those ...
Spinoff Art editor Mark Amery and photographer Ebony Lamb pay a visit to the internationally celebrated jewellery couple at their colonial cottage above Island Bay.The white horses are galloping in from the Cook Strait as photographer and singer-songwriter Ebony Lamb (Eb and Sparrow) and I roll in to Island Bay, ...
New powers to protect strategically-important assets from overseas investors are necessary due to the extremes of global capitalism, the government says. ...
Don’t get sucked in by the jovial banter and the sausage sizzle with Jacinda Ardern. Stephen Colbert is an international criminal mastermind who must be stopped. New Zealand is fizzing today with the exciting news that someone from another country has noticed that we exist. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ...
When the 59 new constables of Wing 332 graduate on Thursday, one of them will be the 1,800th new constable to head to the frontline since October 2017. ...
Extending the amnesty period for the return of banned firearms is utterly pointless unless the compensation period is extended as well, says the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO). ...
The Taxpayers Union denounced the role it seemed the government would require taxpayers to play in resolving the Ihumatao land dispute. But the union further claimed that taxpayers had contributed to the funding of an organisation which has been involved in the prolonged protest action at Ihumatao. This was a ...
Save the Children are extremely pleased by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement today that the Government will recommit to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). ...
David Farrier has been writing about clamping enthusiast Michael Organ for nearly three years. In this latest installment, the totally logical thing happens and the New Zealand government rolls up its sleeves.Catch up with the extraordinary saga of the clamp-happy Bashford Antiques: Parts I to V are hereWhen Michael Organ ...
In October teams of second-year Unitec Architecture students designed, modelled, then constructed interactive light installations in Devonport’s Windsor Reserve for GLOW@Artweek. The brief is strict. Their budget is zero. And the installations must be zero waste too, both in the construction and in the afterlife of the projects. These strict conditions ...
A wave of reviews and inquiries into audit around the globe are raising questions about trust, independence, and freedom from conflicts of interest in the profession, says CAANZ President Stephen Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen, who has previously been shadow treasurer and before that treasurer, wants the study of economics made “more sexy” to attract more students, especially women, to study it. And he thinks young ...
Jenée Tibshraeny of interest.co.nz surveys the issues that have farmers worried right now, and looks at the facts behind the fears.Rumblings from the dairy farming sector are becoming increasingly loud, as both the Government and Reserve Bank (RBNZ) make policy changes that affect the sector.New Zealand has for years milked ...
He Kākano Ahau is a podcast by writer and activist Kahu Kutia (Ngāi Tūhoe) that explores stories of Māori in the city, and weaves together strands of connection. In this episode: what happens when Māori are not ‘urban Māori’ as we know them, but mana whenua.For episode four of He ...
New powers to protect strategically-important assets from overseas investors are necessary due to the extremes of global capitalism, the government says. ...
The Children’s Commissioner is calling on the government to re-prioritise its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Children’s Convention) on International Children’s Day. ...
National Party leaders Simon Bridges wants Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to take stronger action over allegations that New Zealand First has breached electoral law. ...
"Prince Charles’ visit to Waitangi today, the first by a Royal in a quarter-century, highlights Moana Jackson’s view that it is kāwanatanga that is the Treaty partner," said Lewis Holden, campaign chair of New Zealand Republic. ...
Seriously, if you haven’t seen The Mandalorian, look away now. This article also contains spoilers for Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Return of the Sith, and The Last Jedi.In case you didn’t read the standfirst: this article contains spoilers about The Mandalorian, and also all of Star Wars.The ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.NZ First Matt Shand (Stuff): What NZ First slush fund was spent on: Campaign HQ, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Cook, Lecturer, Computer and Security Science,Edith Cowan University, Edith Cowan University Fake videos and doctored photographs, often based on events such as the Moon landing and supposed UFO appearances, have been the subject of fascination for decades. Such imagery is often ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evelyn Parr, Research Fellow in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University As an aesthetic society, we often demonise body fat and stigmatise people with lots of it. There’s often an assumption that people carrying excess ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Victoria University of Wellington CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larissa McLean Davies, Associate Professor Language and Literacy Education, University of Melbourne In recent weeks, Australian universities’ commitment to teaching Australian literature has come under scrutiny. This came amid revelations Sydney University has withdrawn funding from its Chair of Australian Literature – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Maund, PhD Candidate, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle The impacts of the bushfires that are overwhelming emergency services in New South Wales and Queensland suggest houses are being built in areas where the risks are high. We ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Cebulla, Senior Research Fellow, South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, University of Adelaide In the past decade a 30-year trend to earlier retirement has been reversed. In OECD countries the average age at which people retire has risen by about one ...
Correspondence between MPI (Fisheries NZ) and NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmosphere), obtained by Sea Shepherd under the Official Information Act, shows conclusively that MPI unreasonably influenced the research they had contracted from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gay Hawkins, Professor, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Most of us will never see a platypus or a lyrebird in the wild, but it’s likely we’ve encountered them on television. Our new research looks at the vital role early ...
The release of the proposed new electoral boundaries is an appropriate time to consider whether our electoral system is fit for purpose or needs a complete revamp. ...
Winston Peters says his party has always obeyed electoral law after new revelations about foundation; and RBNZ steps up BNZ supervision after capital calculation breaches. ...
The government has released statistics showing uptake of its budgeted welfare package two days after it was criticised over inaction on child poverty reduction. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pressure mounts over NZ First Foundation, range of changes made to overseas investment office, and accusations of bottom trawling destroying coral.The allegations swirling around the NZ First Foundation are serious enough to warrant going back to again today. Party leader Winston ...
Are possible solutions to child maltreatment complicated? Yes. Quantum physics? No. The University of Auckland's Dr Ian Hyslop looks at how we can address child abuse as a social problem. ...
Open mike 28/11/2014 
Open mike is your post.
Satellites pass over NZ all the time (literally). Here I focus on the 187 Planet Labs ‘Dove’ Earth-imaging satellites, and I show that one can determine in advance where they will be, enabling scientists on the ground to correlate their environmental and other data collection with opportunities to get imaging ...6 hours ago
The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...9 hours ago
On both sides of the Atlantic, some purportedly “contentious” and “difficult to deal with” leadership contenders to lead the US and UK, as President and Prime Minister respectively, seem to have thrown a few spanners into the works of the normal messaging most are used to hearing constantly. Except they’re ...10 hours ago
In Question Time today the Prime Minister was naturally facing questions about Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and his dubious party financing arrangements, which seem to violate electoral finance law. Her response was to pretend that it was nothing to do with her, and that she is not responsible for ...15 hours ago
It has been revealed that firing ranges used by the NZDF while deployed to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, contained unexploded ordnance that caused numerous deaths and injuries after the NZDF withdrew the PRT in April 2013. In 2014 seven children were killed when an unidentified ...20 hours ago
Didn't See It Coming: NZ Herald columnist Lizzie Marvelly's latest column merits serious scrutiny because such a clear example of anti-democratic thinking is encountered only rarely on the pages of the daily press. Which is not to say that the elitism which lies at the heart of such social disparagement ...2 days ago
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Initially it was reported that in an aerial bombardment that took place on August 30th seven children were massacred; the figure then went up to eight and then on November 11th Noticias Uno reported that, according to people from the community in close proximity to the ...2 days ago
MediaWorks announced in October 2019 that it intended to sell off its struggling television business and cancel or cut back on several popular local programmes, including New Zealand Today, Married at First Sight New Zealand and 7 Days. Its radio and outdoor advertising arms are currently performing well, but MediaWorks’ ...3 days ago
There is an article in The Conversation, written by Jeremy P. Shapiro (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University), about what he sees as the psychologically-based underpinnings of three main matters that seem to vex people all around the planet. The article is titled “The Thinking ...4 days ago
. . Blogger Martyn Bradbury has won his case against unreasonable search and surveillance against the NZ Police; and subsequent Police attempts to produce evidence in secrecy, in a closed Court. His case highlights a disturbing growing trend in Aotearoa New Zealand for State power to be used against ...5 days ago
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...1 week ago
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ... 2 weeks ago
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third reading in Parliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...20 hours ago
We're setting our young people up for success, investing in education around the country. ...3 days ago
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2021 (APEC 2021) Bill in Parliament today. The temporary bill supports New Zealand’s security preparations for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in 2021. “APEC is the leading economic and trade forum ...12 hours ago
On a farm near Rotorua, breeding rams are having their methane-laced burps measured - so the next generation of lambs can be bred from climate-friendlier fathers. ...15 mins ago
Pristine beaches, smiling hotel staff and exotic cultural experiences: this is how many picture a holiday in a tropical country. But at what cost? ...15 mins ago
Machines will transcribe handwritten weather records from as far back as 1860 to help predict future weather patterns. ...15 mins ago
NZ’s tobacco companies used annual tax increases as cover for significant voluntary price increases. Pete McKenzie reports. ...15 mins ago
A confessional memoir from the latest and radically good issue of the literary journal Sport, by its editor, Tayi Tibble. ...15 mins ago
Back from a freak injury, White Ferns quick bowler Lea Tahuhu continues to make the most of her "gift" as the world's fastest woman with a cricket ball ...15 mins ago
The University of Otago's Jacob Edmond discusses how poetry continues to play a vital role in modern society. ...15 mins ago
NZ phone companies and the government are setting up a system that will identify scam callers within hours and, they hope, stop them in their tracks, the Spinoff can reveal.We’ve all received them. The calls from strange corners of the world at odd times of the day. After I made ...43 mins ago
A new Suicide Prevention Office - but a recycled plan, and no targets. Are we doing enough to try to get our horrific suicide rates down? ...45 mins ago
News that one big publisher wants to buy the other, giving the state a Kiwishare to avoid regulatory objections, complicates a media crisis the government hasn't yet addressed. ...8 hours ago
The Government has a $7.5b surplus, which experts and advocates say should be spent on helping children and families most in need. ...10 hours ago
Opotiki District Council is New Zealand's only council to have an all-female leadership team, led by the country's only Māori mayor. ...10 hours ago
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has proposed an "overlying structure" that would help with oversight of local government. ...11 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne Two and a half months before the February 3 Iowa Democratic caucus, the highly regarded Selzer poll for CNN and the Des Moines Register gave Pete Buttigieg 25% in Iowa ...11 hours ago
The Labour led coalition government is continuing to create homelessness. The impact of immigration, failure of Kiwibuild, and attacks on the rental market, have resulted in the opposite outcomes that New Zealanders were promised. ...12 hours ago
Is Labour looking to increase the top personal tax rate again and considering reinstating long-abandoned wealth and inheritance taxes? ...13 hours ago
A mystery bidder has made a play for one of the country's biggest retirement village operators. ...14 hours ago
New powers to protect strategically-important assets from overseas investors are necessary due to the extremes of global capitalism, the government says. ...15 hours ago
The Taxpayers Union denounced the role it seemed the government would require taxpayers to play in resolving the Ihumatao land dispute. But the union further claimed that taxpayers had contributed to the funding of an organisation which has been involved in the prolonged protest action at Ihumatao. This was a ...16 hours ago
Zespri is pursuing legal action in China to stop the spread of pirated kiwifruit cuttings. ...17 hours ago
A wave of reviews and inquiries into audit around the globe are raising questions about trust, independence, and freedom from conflicts of interest in the profession, says CAANZ President Stephen Walker. ...17 hours ago
Half of New Zealand's electoral boundaries are expected to change, and a new electorate is proposed for South Auckland. ...17 hours ago
The National Party leader Simon Bridges says the Prime Minister can not distance herself from allegations against her coalition partner. ...21 hours ago
Winston Peters says his party has always obeyed electoral law after new revelations about foundation; and RBNZ steps up BNZ supervision after capital calculation breaches. ...22 hours ago
Money from a NZ First-linked slush fund was reportedly spent for campaign purposes and kept secret from party officials and MPs. ...22 hours ago
Otaki writer Renée reveals the personal circumstances behind her new crime novel The Wild Card. ...1 day ago
Fortune has been kind to Sonny Bill Williams, allowing him to stay healthy enough to bank one as the curtain slides down, ...1 day ago
Are possible solutions to child maltreatment complicated? Yes. Quantum physics? No. The University of Auckland's Dr Ian Hyslop looks at how we can address child abuse as a social problem. ...1 day ago
BLIPs famous list of Key’s porkies will have been extended by recent days’ events.
I once stood in the Kabul Museum and gazed in wonder upon a statue merging features of Buddha and Apollo.
I don’t know if it survived destruction by the Taliban.
Joyce & Key have played a similar role in this country.
Neither of them an original intellect, they have left an enduring legacy and contributed to the development of a new career – of undercover scientist.
Can I interest anyone in a cheap analysis ?
Such a fascinating ancient history, that land. In its own way, a “global civilisation” existed even way back then.
Yep. According to some, the roman geographer Strabo’s travels stretched from circumnavigating Brittania to the Hindu Kush during relative peace under Augustus.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zr11t
There was certainly contact using the technologies of the time, slow by current standards. I flew directly from Bangkok to Kolkata (*) and took a while to adapt.
Ancient Greek and Greek influenced coins have been found almost as far east as Bengal.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IndoGreekCampaings.jpg
(*) While the city’s name has always been pronounced Kolkata [ˈkolkat̪a] (Bengali: কলকাতা) or Kôlikata [ˈkɔlikat̪a] (Bengali: কলিকাতা) in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata
Yes, go ahead.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/14/forex-rigging-investigation-george-osborne-sfo?
Remember when US forces got to the bagdad banks but not the museum?
Skeptical Science has put this very neat interactive together:
97 Hours
See if you can spot the kiwi.
Dr Jim Salinger
Crap – missed him. There’s another one at least.
So Andrew Little gets a 8/10 for his performance thus far (just that thing about Goff holding him back from a 9) and Labour gets a 7/10 which would have been 8 as well but for Goff (he really should know better)
John Key gets a 3/10 which would have been 2/10 but for Goff and National gets a 4/10 for weak exonerations but still exonerations
Littles doing well so far, Key needs to up his game and end this distraction quickly
I think ‘dirty politis’ will be gift that keeps giving, Key s getting a hunted look in his eyes.
Unless Keys strategy is to hope that the public get very bored of it all and stop listening, it worked for the election but its a high risk game hes playing now
Most of the people don’t pay much attention but the press are warming to Little and the people will go were the press take them.I had hoped he would resign but now I want him to tuff it out so he can take nats to it’s biggest defeat in 2017.
“the people will get bored” seems to be the right’s best defense at the moment, but as you point out a fairly hopeless one because it’s the media that runs the show and Little will keep them interested for quite some time I imagine. How long until the RWNJs realise the game has changed?
“Key needs to up his game and end this distraction quickly”
Completely wrong analysis chris. This isn’t a ‘distraction’. It’s a fundamental crisis for NZ’s governance. It’s also the most overt manifestation of the long term fight between good and evil that NZ has seen in a long time, probably since the 80s.
I’m not sure it’s possible for Key to up his game in the face of being finally proven a bare face liar who’s been taking the piss with the PM hat for quite some time.
what chris means is Key has to up his spinning and BS’ing as that’s been his game for as long as he’s been in parliamant
True, but I think there is a limit to that working and Key has just reached it. When the MSM stop believing him he’s pretty much screwed. See, the emperor has no clothes.
Perhaps chris meant to type ” Key needs to up his game and find this distraction quickly 😀
😀
Key really is scraping the bottom of the barrel when he has to release his own txts as a distraction.
Transcripts of some of his texts. Let us not presume it is the full text exchange, uneditted.
He also released docs last week of the election which he said proved something they didnt. In that instance he relied on people not reading them, espesh in the media.
There were no exonerations Chris no matter how much John Key lies about it.
You’re missing the point, it doesn’t matter what you think, what I think, what the moderators or anyone lese on this blog thinks, its what the voters think and at the moment the headlines are:
Key cleared
Collins cleared
Banks likely to be cleared
Thats what the voters are seeing
Well I haven’t seen any headlines for a while, but all the radio news has been
Key lying?
Key lying, says (x)
Did Key Lie again?
Why is Key lying?
Key defends lying
How many times has Key lied?
etc
No, the headlines are:
Dirty Politics: John Key’s office in gun over SIS
Dirty Politics saga: Andrew Little claims John Key ‘misled New Zealand’
Reports ‘prove John Key office was involved in Dirty Politics’
But you can keep telling yourself lies if you so choose.
BTW, Banks going back for retrial is really just going to have people asking why those US businessmen didn’t come forward earlier.
I was thinking that about the US corporate types. The atmosphere has changed and people will be asking “Why now? What’s in it for them? We know Key doesn’t like Dotcom. Has he promised them something?”
And remind people that Banks thinks its ok to sign official docs without reading them so he can avoid liability, just as he and brash did at Hujlich…
Appears to not be against the law is the rights definition of right… And many have kids being taught the same
@Chris73 5.03pm
How about you seeing this Chris – key lying. This is why we can say he lies:
PM John Key grilled on Fletcher’s GCSB appointment
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics-videos/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503464&gal_cid=1503464&gallery_id=131968
Have a computer today and am trying to give this clip as much exposure as poss.(especially to the unenlightened like Chris73…hope he sees it this time)
Dont you vote? I do.
Great to see Ferguson the ex-head of the GCSB come out hard against the new SIS-enabling bill on National Radio.
However I don’t think this whole issue will hurt Key in the polls much.
LIttle needs to start to turn to housing. Labour said almost nothing about Hamilton City’s decision to sell off its entire public housing portfolio yesterday – at least nothing with cut-through.
With migration set to be sustained at high levels for the next few years, house prices in Auckland are going to escalate to places never yet seen in New Zealand. LIttle needs to get set to attack the rentier class, and decent the public housing sector – citizens need shelter.
That’s where the new electoral gold is.
Post scheduled on Labour and housing. Actually, it’s one of the first issues off the block under Little’s leadership. It’s just been overshadowed by other goings on this week.
And re the need to get the bill passed before the house rises.
IF the bill is so damned important why not DELAY the house rising for say a month for a full investigation.
What is more important the National security or the polis holidays!!!!
+100…”Great to see Ferguson the ex-head of the GCSB come out hard against the new SIS-enabling bill on National Radio.”…Ferguson very good …reminded the listeners of J.Edgar Hoover and his ability to blackmail just about all USA politicians
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20159007/former-gcsb-director-critical-of-new-terrorist-fighters-law
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20159006/mps-warned-new-anti-terror-laws-allow-fishing-expeditions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover
…ALL political parties should strenuously oppose this bill!….. which will be used against them and any individuals and groups who opposes or questions John Key and the Nacts and friends….we are heading into a police state
( Morning Report is getting better and better imo..becoming a bit of a watchdog)
This week marked a long overdue turning point in NZ politics, and in media coverage of events. Bryce Edwards’ round-up of the week’s links could be helpful for future reference.
Bryce Edwards: The Democratic Deficit of Dirty Politics
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11365448
Thanks Manuka AOR. A big read. And a bit unusual from Edwards as he usually puts all the good news for Key’s Government first and tacks on a bit of contrary stuff at the end. Not this time!
It may be true that the huge detail available will kill the interest of the general public. Perhaps the next poll will have National riding higher? Dammit!
+100 Manuka AOR….that comprehensive article by Bryce Edwards is a wake up call for the danger now facing democracy in New Zealand ….It is a MUST READ for everyone!
UK Tory MP Andrew Mitchell comes a cropper in the ‘plebgate’ libel case: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/27/pleb-andrew-mitchell-loses-libel-case
Anyone come up with John and Cam’s celeb name yet?
Camkey?
Something with oil in it seems appropriate.
Keymoran?
jam..or con…
they cd go all hip-hop..
..k-oil..
KY-oil the lubricant used by neolibs everywhere.
heh..!
Slonkater
Slakey – rhymes with Flaky.
Weka @ 8 ? (W)ronKey ????
ErKey
Sla-key
Slakey
In a year’s time Bill English will be National Party leader and PM.
Someone more dependable upon to push through that the financial elites want Especially ‘reforms’ to health and superannuation. Remember: this was the guy who oversaw dozens of hospital closures in the 1990s.
John Key will be given the US Ambassadorship which becomes vacant next year and a knighthood as compensation, so he can focus on the Washington cocktail circuit.
English has been plotting his utu for years. His hands clean from dirty politics and busy with the economy, he will want to present himself as one who “gets on with it”.
You heard it here first.
Not if Judith Collins has anything to do with it.
Q. Who are Barry and Faye Kurren?
A. _______
Why should we care?
Are they corrupt Hawaiian friends of our dear leader?
Corrupt – Yes
Friends – Same ilk
Hawaiian – Ideology over nationality
Why should we care (TRP) – Because it’s important and illustrative
Women vote in first general election 28 November 1893. Interesting voter stats.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/women-vote-first-general-election
This is the sort of life-saving medicine Labour so sorely needed:
Toby Manhire brilliant in todays NZH.
The funniest part is the comments. Most of them have completely missed the satire and are wholeheartedly ‘agreeing’ that Key can do no wrong.
Friday lolz:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11365588
More evidence for the theory that NAct supporters really are as thick as pigshit.
In fairness, there were a few comments from non-Nats, who took umbridge at what Toby had written (thought he was being serious), or else just read the by-line and commented without reading at all. I am shocked/bemused that people (on both sides) don’t even realise its satire……which just reinforces the critical role of MSM, soundbites, headlines and how important they are as influencers over what people think…..It kind of frightens me, how reality for some people is so different to reality for others……we read the same piece of news and take polar opposite messages from it. Is it intellectual laziness, low literacy levels or what? From a political perspective, if you want to gain support for your point of view, if you want to try to get people to see the world how you see it (like accepting a new policy), it begs the question of how you reach people (who see the world through completely different eyes).
Yeah I know, some on the left are also not intellectually blessed, but Blue hadn’t mentioned them.
As for why, somehow we seem to have built a culture of instant gratification. People want information, and pleasure, in short bursts and right now. They seem to just want their preconceptions fulfilled, so if a headline does that, they stop. There’s a lot to be said for slowing down and smelling the kowhai flowers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/63625960/job-offer-after-bum-slap-by-boss-ruled-ok.html
“Sanson hoped the decision wouldn’t tarnish Newman, and said she had made a “youthful mistake.”
“When you’re 20 or 21 everything is black and white and when you’re 61 you realise there is a hell of a lot of grey and I can put it down as a youthful mistake [on her part].”
Sanson said he would still rehire Newman. However, the 23-year-old declined the offer.
“No, he’s creeping me out with that. No, I definitely [do] not feel safe to be anywhere near him.”
Newman plans to appeal the decision.
Presumably the grey is when you can touch one of your young female employees whenever you feel like it.
Oddest thing is if he’d been an employee and did it to a co-worker, he’d be up for dismissal and all sorts without a leg to stand on.
But do remember that face those women who shop for plants in Hamilton.
Nope. The same rules apply to both employers and employees. Context, remember.
Not what I’ve been told, but if you want to volunteer a slap on a co-workers arse, go ahead and let me know how you get on.
Edit:
Just remember to laugh and joke first and only say you did it once.
Can I just mention Richie McCaw for the 6th time? Context, Ai1en. And remember, both parties agree that they were joking at the time, so, um, context.
Except that everyone else in the conversation can tell the difference between playing rugby and working in a plant shot.
There is no difference. They are both workplaces. Richie is an authority figure, just like the boss. They are both subject to the same law. Richie has the same defence as the boss, which is that, in context, it’s not sexual harassment.
lolz, keep trying to define reality for everyone, see how well that works.
Strange reply, weka. It’s not me defining reality. It is reality. It’s hundreds of years of jurisprudence, the laws of NZ, the common law and case law.
In a nutshell, you don’t appear to like the outcome. And therefore, you are willing to completely dismiss the sound legal reasons for the outcome. That’s an attempt to define reality, right there. Let’s see how well that works, eh?
Sound legal reasons for the outcome were arrived at by a new era member based on, in my opinion (allegedly known as fact by me)*, false testimony by witnesses.
*Trying really hard not to call a spade a spade in order to protect TS.
“In a nutshell, you don’t appear to like the outcome. And therefore, you are willing to completely dismiss the sound legal reasons for the outcome. That’s an attempt to define reality, right there. Let’s see how well that works, eh?”
I don’t have an opinion about the outcome, as I haven’t read the report.
Go back and reread my comments on this topic TRP. You will see that right from the first one I have been commenting on the meta issues. I’ve stated twice that my point is in addition to or separate from the legal issues.
You insist on making this conversation solely about the legal issues, hence my comment about defining reality. There are at least 3 subthreads going on here. The Al1en’s, which is a mix of the legal and direct experience/anecdote and covers law and ethics. Ergo’s, which I haven’t followed closely enough to accurately summarise. And mine, which is about the necessity of clear messages beyond legalities from organisations like the ERA and Stuff. I think we’ve all talked about the importance of culture in addition to law.
Trying to define this solely in terms of the strict law of this case is like trying to talk about roastbusters solely in terms of the police investigation and their legal parameters.
Hundreds of years of jurisprudence, the laws of NZ, the common law and case law is no the only way to understand reality.
Mention st richie all you like, but the joking around is a red herring.
A laugh and a joke is not a pre cursor to an unwanted sexual advance that, as was stated but not accepted by the hearing, was the last in a sequence of similar events.
If his ‘witnesses’ had told the era what I know them to know, the result would be very different.
I have accepted that because of the false statement from one of his witnesses (same one as in Newman’s case), and despite having a list of dates, times and places, I can’t win my own case unless I pay to forensically expose the lies (which I can’t), so I have to cough up for the bill I’ve run up and let it go.
Still, got two and a half years left before the cutoff date to proceed, so plenty of time for the dirty old man’s stories to unravel.
Gutted though, cause the guy is fuckstick and needs to be stopped.
All this case has done, so far, is bolster his sense of impunity. Knowing the man, it won’t last. He won’t be able to help himself, though with a mail order bride on the way he may be occupied enough at home.
I have, as a final clutch at a straw, sent a request to Campbell live to have a little look at things, but I don’t hold out much hope.
Fair enough, Al1en, that must be a bitter pill to swallow. I don’t know either you or the boss, but I know who’s version sounds the most likely. Particularly after his Benny Hill style comments in the media.
Regarding the witnesses, don’t be too hard on them. There’s all sorts of reasons why they might say things that don’t align with your understanding. They might be intimidated, afraid of losing their jobs. Or they might not understand or care. Or they simply might have seen it differently from you (the Rashomon effect).
It is a bitter pill and it’s lodged about halfway down my throat at the moment, but it’s nice to be considered a reliable witness by someone.
As for the witnesses, who I know to have been less than honest, I feel nothing but scorn and contempt.
For the record, I was intimidated and afraid of losing my job too, yet stood up for what’s right – It was a no brainer as far as I was concerned. In my opinion, women who ignore, deny, mitigate and/or cover up this sort of behaviour, for any of those reasons listed, I say fuck ’em, which may be extremely harsh, but these women allowed this dirty old coot to get away with it.
When this behaviour is allowed or ignored by one, this just makes sure it will happen to someone else. There are all sorts of reasons why people don’t speak up, but I wish they would. I knew a woman years ago who worked in a petrol station and copped all sorts of garbage off the boss. For about an hour. After telling him to stop 3 or 4 times and being laughed at, she put a screwdriver through his hand. That stopped him.
Rubbish. The manly bonding between sweating giants of our national sport necessitates a few slaps on the well muscled buttocks of a comrade. This is both encouragement and reward and is understood by manly men in all the changing rooms and on all the ritual battlefields of the land. When John Key, captain of the All Blacks, pats another player on the bum, it is for encouragement and promise of knighthoods to come.
When a dirty old man of a boss does it to a young female worker, it’s a statement of power over her. It cannot be compared to joking about whatever stupid hat he was wearing.
Murray, I’m sure you understand that the same action in different situations can have different meanings. The action of the boss in this case is not as insignificant as those in the rugby player analogy, but it is not sexual harassment as it is defined in NZ. It is not repeated and it is not sufficiently severe to meet the threshold, in the circumstances as we know them. If you don’t like the law, by all means campaign to have the definition tightened.
If the complainant was able to provide any corroboration at all of repetitive harassing behaviour or a witness that confirmed the incident was more severe than it was said to be by the boss, then there would be a different outcome. The actual outcome seems consistent with the proven facts.
I’m not trying to give a legal opinion here. I’m not qualified. What I am qualified to do is write what I think about the situation. In any case, it just confirms once more that the courts and tribunals are stacked against workers.
And if you haven’t got the money to hire the professionals, and let’s face it, most low paid workers don’t, one is always going to be up against it.
Justice costs, and those without go without.
Why was she dismissed?
She wasn’t, she resigned.
The point is that on the evidence presented, if I as a co-worker had slapped her bum, I would have been dismissed or disciplined for it, yet he gets off scot free.
She wasn’t dismissed, weka. She resigned, then unsuccessfully claimed constructive dismissal. That’s the concept that the resignation was forced by the employer’s behaviour. ie. that the worker had no reasonable alternative but to resign. It’s usually very hard to prove.
ta.
What were Cameron Slater’s links (if any) with the Israeli State back in 2011?
Was the attack on (then) Leader of the Labour Party Phil Goff, to help stop his asking ‘hard’ questions in the House about the strange circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Israelis in the Christchurch earthquake?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5311491/Investigation-cleared-Israelis-of-spy-claims-PM
Three Israelis were among the 181 people who died when the earthquake struck on February 22.
An SIS officer told the Southland Times there were fears Israeli agents had hacked the police national computer, compromising highly sensitive files. Police have since said their systems are subject to regular security audits and are secure.
The investigation centred on a group of four people in a van in the city centre. Driver Ofer Benyamin Mizrahi, 23, was killed instantly and the other three left the country within 12 hours. The newspaper reported Mizrahi was found with five passports.
Key refused to answer questions about the revelations when he was grilled by reporters this morning, saying it was not in the “national interest.”
…….
______________________________________________________________________________________
In WHOSE ‘national interest’?
The national interest of New Zealand or Israel?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Cameron Slater made a trip to Israel which was partially paid by the Israeli Embassy in Wellington in August 2014.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11312402
But the Israeli Embassy in Wellington is relaxed about picking Slater – a climate change denier – to cover the World Science Conference in Israel. Despite the bad publicity, it believes Slater is “fair-minded” and “spiritual”.
The embassy picked Slater to be part of a media delegation to the conference a long time ago. He had a reputation for controversy even before the release of Dirty Politics, a book based on his leaked emails and revealing deep cynicism and some nasty communications between Slater and some people in politics and PR.
The embassy’s cultural and public affairs director, Patricia Deen, stands by its choice, and said Slater’s fairness showed in his coverage from Israel so far. Israel has been part-funding Slater and other writers to the conference, which was scheduled to run from August 17 to 21. While it never went ahead because of the war on Gaza, Slater has stayed on to write about Israel.
The Israeli Government paid part of his costs, and he paid extra to extend his visit to cultural places, said Deen. “Cameron is a very spiritual person,” she said.
Like other countries, Israel pays for journalists to visit so they can get media to see their side of the story. NZ does much the same thing in helping journalists visit our “100 per cent pure” nation. In Israel’s case, though, such delegations are often designed to counter what it believes is an anti-Israel bias on the part of international media.
…..
______________________________________________________________________________________
hmmm…………………
Penny Bright
+100 … great post Penny…and thought provoking questions!
…i also think i remember a whole lot of passports at issue with those Israelis after the Christchurch Earthquake when the remaining surviving Israelis were spirited out of the country very fast by their fatherland…this all deserves much wider investigation
….eg what exactly is New Zealand’s relationship with Israel?…we know where Helen Clark stood ….but since it seems to have got very murky ….where do the GCSB and the SIS stand on these issues?…are there hidden agendas both in New Zealand and Australia…eg ex Jesuit Priest Tony Abbott….what is his stance?…given the concerns of United Nations on human rights violations and genocide against the Palestinians….i think the Labour Party, Greens , Mana/Int and NZF parties should looking at these questions as a priority
…especially with new warrantless spy legislation proposed by John Key and Nact on New Zealanders…will there be any accountability ….and if so to whom?!
…these questions are crucial for our democracy and sovreignty
Tony Abbott was never a Jesuit priest. He wanted to be, but he was booted from the seminary for lack of empathy.
As for ngati poaka saying their systems are secure……..what are the odds that a good part of the IT comes from companies with links to Israel? The Zionists have shown great willingness and ability to access the computer systems of other countries.
On Slug Boy – he has no credentials whatsoever to report on a science conference. It’d be like sending a deaf reporter to report on a symphony.
thanks for that correction re Tony Abbott….well that is interesting…he got the boot from the seminary for “lack of empathy”! ( my respect for the Jesuits goes up …and respect for Aussies voting him in… after all… goes down)
…what is “ngati poaka” ?…SIS?
lol…re “Slug Boy”…science credentials …but what about Slater being “a very spiritual person”?!…
(See Penny’s post :- “Israeli Embassy in Wellington is relaxed about picking Slater – a climate change denier – to cover the World Science Conference in Israel. Despite the bad publicity, it believes Slater is “fair-minded” and “spiritual”….said Deen. “Cameron is a very spiritual person,” …)
….definitely an Orwellian spin
Ngati poaka are the tribe of pigs. They wear blue and have different rules and customs to the rest of us. Some people have objected to my use of this name, but I’m relaxed about it. Not in a Key way, though, I have sought advice.
Q. What is the difference
1. Agent
2. Asset
3. Sayanim
Breaking on NZ Herald John Banks conviction overturned.
More to come.
Herald Breaking News!
John Banks’ conviction overturned
John Banks’ conviction has been overturned.
In August, Banks was sentenced to two months’ community detention after being found guilty of knowingly filing a false return in relation to the donations, which were declared as anonymous.
More to come.
And Stuff: In a judgment released this morning, the Court of Appeal set aside his conviction and ordered a retrial.
I hope crim.con is charged with perjury, Banks spent a fortune on clearing his name he would not have done that if he could not prove crim.con was lying.
Lying is appalling.
Yes he would as that’s what Banks has shown that he would do every time he’s been in court to deny he had any responsibility.
Off to a retrial, so not out of jail just yet. So to speak 😉
Another drag on the big germans resources coming up….
Nope. Dotcom doesn’t pay for the Crown to prosecute Banks. He is at most a witness.
These yanks suddenly appearing is just too convenient.
bit of a bugger, but the system will get there eventually.
Worst case is he gets off, but he and the rest of the tories would have had a mighty shock the first time 🙂
Yep, a fright alright. That’ll probably be the last time a prominent candidate puts his hand out directly for a cheque. It’ll be ‘see my campaign manager while I look away’ in future. Though I saw somewhere recently that they are now finding alternative ways to channel the big bucks, via intermediary organisations. And really, the only crime is getting caught, eh.
Hasnt this govt rushed a law change to make it a crime to sign a form you dont read?
only for poor people.
Touche
They normally rush to close loopholes, spesh for the sis
John Banks’ conviction overturned
It’s entirely possible to be at the same lunch and not in the same conversation and thus not hear or see what was actually taking place.
There’d be some short odds that Schaeffer and Karnes have received some anonymous donations too.
Yes it is, but Dotcom and his wife gave evidence that there were no other parties present that day, so undoubtedly since the two businessmen have said in an affidavit that they were there and donations were not discussed it would have unquestionably have had a major impact at the trial.
DotCom would have security cameras surely, which would show people arriving and leaving?
Am pleased for his wife who has been dragged through this.
Interestingly John Banks may get a not guilty on the basis that wilfully not reading a form can absolve you from responsibility and accountability. Ironic from the party that preaches accountability and responsibility. Imagine if you will, a beneficiary taking money after signing a form they didnt read and thereby didnt know what they had agreed to. Banks and ACT would be squealing like stuck pigs.
Good riddance. It is just a shame there are more with his lack of ethics and accoubtability ready for the trough.
So the murdering pedo is on his way back to NZ. Unbelievable that he was collecting
a student accommodation allowance while being kept by the tax payer.
And just think, a few years ago you were all upset about a hip-hop tour.
spluttered coffee at that one 🙂
There is a good article on stuff from Russell Norman about oia’s
10 mins with Slavoj Zizek thinking about the situation of so many being ‘disposable people’. How do we live full lives in a world where capitalism creates a two part world – inner and outer. Where the ratio is 20:80 the smaller number that are wanted and the vast majority who are disposable. University students study and pass exams knowing that there is no job available.
He suggests they do not shy away from being creative, artistic. If we concentrate our endeavours only on the utilitarian then too many firstly are unemployed, and then become unemployable.
Where life is like the inside of The Truman Show for the 20% and they cannot see the fringes of their elite bubble. If you feel edgy watching him, then just listenn
One thing that young men can do is play cricket and other sports. There you are disposable as in the recent cricket death of Abbott in Australia. (Unfortunately it wasn’t their vicious RW PM. Here is what he had to say about it. No promise to request humane treatment with a ban on this type of bowling.)
The thought that a player in his prime should be killed playing our national game is shocking and sobering. We should be conscious of the risks that our sportspeople run to give us the pleasure that they do. What happened has touched millions of Australians.
Very Emperor-like viewing the gladiatorial contest.
So they could now have the greatest memorial for this young guy Hughes and the
bowler ‘s state of mind by requesting a ban on this type of bowl, and making people in sports and their officials, likely for charges of manslaughter. Because this is what they bring about by their own actions and agreement with a disgraceful practice.)
I think that comment on the issues of bouncers in cricket should be left to those that actually play cricket and thus understand the issues.
Oh I understand the issues all right. There is a blind drive to worship some activities from war to sport and to rush off in a group to participate ignoring that pain, injury, crippling even or death may follow. There is groupthink at work here. And it drags everyone along into a black hole. Learning how to behave like an intelligent humane human is always up against this ‘great’ idea of risking injury or causing a sacrifice to serve whatever the project is. And the aggression raised by sport spills over from the teams facing each other, to the parents at the sideline attacking their child’s opposition, or the ref.
The unions want to protect foresters and miners from being killed and injured at work. Yet the power of sport to attract people into its midst and encourage them to think it is manly to accept that they may be badly injured or killed is very strong. Rugby have their spear tackles.
The dirty play and dangerous play becomes acceptable when there is mana or money for winning and if there are bad, careless rules of attack and people die because of them, who cares. You obviously don’t, you are callous and unthinking.
The primary function of a bowler is to attack the wickets, not the man. The bouncer does that. It is meant to attack the man’s head, face or body in order to intimidate. So, I agree, the bouncer should be banned. If the bouncer is above a certain stipulated height, it should be deemed illegal, with serious consequences to the bowler and his/her team.
There would be 1000’s of bouncers bowled every year to change the game for one freak accident is ridiculous I bet more cricket players die from melanoma each year than have ever been killed buy a ball ffs
This from Wikipedia on bouncers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncer_%28cricket%29
There have been several occurrences of injurious bouncers in recent times. In 2006, Australian opener Justin Langer, was struck on the head in his 100th Test from a bouncer from Makhaya Ntini and hospitalised.
In 2008 West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was knocked out for several minutes after being hit by a bouncer from Australian fast bowler Brett Lee during a test match.[7] Shoaib Akhtar was a regular offender; he injured both Gary Kirsten (2003) and Brian Lara (2004) with fast bouncers. Both batsmen had to be taken off the field.[8]
NZ Herald finds excuses for throwing an object – violence – in the name of sport. They say the Hughes tragedy is a rarity and perhaps death is but in recent years batsman have been hit as above. The Herald article shows that the bouncer is part of the expectation of fans, it wouldn’t be so interesting a game without it. Heaven save us from the morality of fans!
There is some good technical discussion about bowling and the difficulties that changing the rules might cause that cricket fans will enjoy and want to think about.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11365898
But one of the reasons the Hughes’ tragedy has hit home so hard is its rarity. It was described by one commentator as a one in 10 million occurrence. I would suggest those odds are too skinny. At the elite level, in the helmet age, this is unprecedented.
Banning the bouncer aimed at the head could actually be counterproductive and more dangerous. If lawmakers draw the line, say, at the batsman’s shoulders, this would give those on strike a greater level of comfort only if cricket had no variables. As anybody who has played the game will tell you, it is hard to think of a sport with more variables.
It is ‘illegal’ if it’s too tall. It’s a no-ball. It costs a run and has to be re-bowled. At amateur level, the height is often lower (shoulder height when I last played) to discourage bouncers.
btw, the primary function of the bowler is to get the batsman out. Bowling him is just one way of achieving that. Less than a quarter of test dismissals are out, bowled, nearly half are out, caught fielder.
Aussies should just go back to underarm. That’s where they shine.
Not sure if we heard the Tuesday Mary Wilson interview with John Key on his continued “contesting” the connection between his office and Slater’s OIA. This is classic Key denial! Wow! and Mary sounded incredulous.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/20158616/direct-link-between-pm%27s-office-and-blogger
Cameron Slater interviewed on Radio Live if anyone interested, not going to change anyones views, but he does make some big accusations around Dirty Politics being a big conspiracy by a number of left wingers (including Matt McCarten) for which he states he has proof: http://www.radiolive.co.nz/FULL-AUDIO-Cameron-Slater-in-studio-with-Willie–Ali/tabid/506/articleID/62929/Default.aspx
When will he publish his proof? Bob,have you asked him?
If you listen to the audio, apparently the only reason he hasn’t released proof is due to the continuing Police investigation.
He has been known to be as credible as Winston Peters on matters like this though.
And no, I haven’t asked him, if I ever meet him (which is highly unlikely) I will though, just for you Tracey. Maybe you could ask Matt McCaten if he is involved in a conspiracy?
Peters has more credibility in his little finger than Slater will every have.
And that’s coming from someone who thinks Peters ruined MMP.
Yes, of course Bob, and why not release his evidence that LP tried to kill him, or the evidence he has the LP pollies do dirty politics.
Let Slater make a dick of himself but have some pride man.
Tracey, you clearly did not listen to the interview, he states several times the the Labour Party were not behind Dirty Politics or part of the far fetched conspiracy around him topping himself.
…. and he has proof that the aliens who kidnapped him and gave him a rectal probe were all Labour Party caucus members, too. /sarc
Proof of lp trying to kill him only monday this week…
Thanks Bob. I did listen and decided that Cam has similar dislocated thinking/justifications as Key. No wonder they are soul mates. He certainly says he believes that there is a conspiracy to “get him.’ Maybe it is just his guilt tormenting himself.
” ..Narcissism, in lay terms, basically means that a person is totally absorbed in self. The extreme narcissist is the center of his own universe. To an extreme narcissist, people are things to be used. It usually starts with a significant emotional wound or a series of them culminating in a major trauma of separation/attachment. No matter how socially skilled an extreme narcissist is, he has a major attachment dysfunction. The extreme narcissist is frozen in childhood. He became emotionally stuck at the time of his major trauma of separation/attachment
Some narcissists may have the ability to change into a variety of identities according to the situation. The wounded child inside may choose to present a front as a “bad ass” and tough individual. He may look, by appearance, intimidating and scary to the average person. He could also play the “nice guy/person” whom everyone likes. A corporate type version can be one that is diplomatic, proper, and appearing to care but in reality does not. Another very likeable extreme narcissist can be the one that chooses the comedian role. He is the life of the party and has everyone in stitches, making them laugh constantly. Everyone wants to include this person because they are a lot of fun.
. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/08/04/how-to-spot-a-narcissist/
So Slater is claiming to have proof! But he can’t show it right now…
Gosh. An unprecedented turn of events.
I remember when he had ‘proof’ that Karol who posts here and Tania Billingsley were in cahoots as part of a Green party conspiracy to embarrass National with her sexual assault claim. His evidence turned out to be that Karol wrote here in one of her comments that she thought that Billingsley would agree with her about some point or other. Yep.
I was working on the assumption that Slater was just a compulsive BS artist, but I’m starting to think that he actually believes a significant amount of his own manure. If so Key must be racking his brains on how to get rid of him – it’s rather dangerous and risky to trust such a person. If he can’t he must figure out how to mollify him, and thus remain under his grip, or else his position will become untenable sooner or later, when he be forced to simply leave.
Bryce Edwards suggested today that Key cannot afford to cut Slater loose for fear of him going nuclear and spilling what dirt he has on Key.
Edwards stopped short of calling it blackmail but that is what it is, isn’t it?
Either way it appears Slater has power over Key and that puts this country in a very vulnerable position.
It’s more likely he knows what dirt Key’s got in his top drawer. He also probably knows how Key obtained it which could be the more dangerous info. should it ever become public knowledge.
This governments attacks on civil liberties goes international:
My bold.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/63631562/John-Banks-I-m-an-innocent-man-today
I said he’d be found not guilty (I admit I got the time frame slightly wrong) and its looking more likely thats whats going to happen, they might not even bother with the re-trial
Thats what happens when you listen to nut bars like McCready and Dot Con
“Thats what happens when you listen to nut bars like McCready and Dot Con”
Could’nt agree more Chris 73 and also Penny Bright !~
*Couldn’t
I read that the affidavits of the two American gentlemen in question differ on the details of the day. If they couldn’t even get their story straight after being coached by Banks’ wife then how is this evidence admissible?
That’s a position I have some degree of sympathy for. It’s just too convenient.
My thoughts too Weepus.
That is because – according to Dotcom – they were two separate luncheons.
He hasn’t been found not guilty, he’s been sent for retrial.
Good, let the whole truth be known
I’d love for the whole truth to be known. Unfortunately, the actions of Banks and other right-wing politicians such as John Key over the last few years would indicate that they’ll be lying and generally trying to hide the truth as much as possible.
Mr and Mrs Dot Con might even be charged with perjury
Funny how lying by a PM is a shruggable thing from you… Yet here you are defending someone who signed a form he didnt read to avoid accountability.
KDC is disputing Banks’ new evidence. So, we’ll need to see how it plays out in court.
KDC said on 3 News tonight that the meeting on which this (today’s?) decision is based>/a>, was a few days before the actual donation meeting.
Do you know why they werent subpoened at trial? Dotcom must have known who they were and mr and mrs banks would have recalled their names. Interesting ruling that this was new evidence given their existence was known.
I havent read the decision.
Banks said his wife was very vigilant in tracking down the new witnesses. They weren’t available at the earlier court case.
Is Banks going to fly them out to testify at the retrial? Where will they stay? How will they be entertained? And other questions.
Banks will be vindicated and (once again) Dot Con will have found to be talking porkies and all the leftards that supported and praised him will have egg on their faces (again)
That is not what I asked. No one has lied in this case except Banks and his wife. They are liars, and the court has said so. That a judge would find testimony from Kim Dotcom and his wife more reliable than from Banks and his wife must really sting for you and for them.
You and Banks and all your type are deceitful liars and should not be close to positions of power.
Decision
[44] The appeal is allowed. The conviction is set aside. We order a new trial.
and thats all you need to know
Hopefully he won’t pick at his ear and eat it this time.
John Banks for mayor of Auckland has quite a ring to it
But seriously for someone claiming they’re broke hes not living to shabbily:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/63656649/Dotcoms-mansion-life-to-continue
@Weepus beard.
I hope this time John Banks won’t pick from his arse rather than from his ear…and EAT it like he did last time! Yuck!
From my own experience not getting them to give evidence and not knowing they exist to give e idence are very different things. Remember the recent case with the crown against one SCF…
IF these guys were known to all parties then they are not strictly speaking new evidence but as I wrote I havent read the decision.
According to the Stuff report of the court decision:
Well, I guess only Banks and his wife knew they existed. If they had been mentioned in the trial, surely we would have heard about it. I guess Team Banks didn’t want to talk about these witnesses until they tracked them down and learned what the witnesses had to say about what went down re-the donation discussions.
Understood. Odd thing is they arent hard to find. I guess Banks wasnt listening when he was introduced to them.
I get the part that their evidence could change the judges view, its the couldnt find them bit. I guess banks spent his money on all the appeals and strike outs instead.
You ok with people signing forms without reading them, even when they preach accountability and responsibility to others?
He took money to be ED of Hujlich and his defence was that he didnt know anything about operations… Executive director who takes BIG fee but knows nothing about Ops.
I’m ok with seeing what the courts decide
Then you’re ok with what Tracey laid out.
But without the courage to actually say it…
Has any journalist actually asked John Key why he organised his office so that political operatives, such as Phil de Joux, were the people who talked to the SIS rather than himself.
From what I can gather this was an unprecedented move, all previous Prime ministers spoke to the SIS directly, in secret.
By organising his office this way it was inevitable that something like the SIS/Whaleoil leak would occur.
Why did he do this?
Pretty obvious why. He decided to use Slater as part of the Black ops. brigade he set up within his office – Slater was the conduit through which the ‘information’ could be picked up by the MSM. Lets face it, as a wheeler/dealer Key would have been well versed in the art of undercover operations and deceptions.
The MSM journos would have known what was going on, and were more than happy to go along with it. I suspect that is what some journos are worried about. They know their reputations will be badly tarnished if the truth was ever revealed. I bet that’s what Slater has over them.
Yeah I know it is obvious why he did it, it’s clear as day to anyone who has been watching National and its appendages for any length of time. But has any journalist actually asked him why?
Are you suggesting that no journalist would ask him this because it would endanger their career??
No, they’re implicated to a degree. It’s common knowledge that many in the MSM read Slater’s blog on a daily basis looking for scraps of info. It’s also known Slater gave some of them a heads-up (privately) on what was coming. The journos knew where most of the info. was coming from – the Black Ops brigade in Key’s office and in that sense they were part of the Dirty Politics conspiracy.
Fall foul of Slater and he’ll dob them in. My god, the more one thinks about it, the more dirty/sleazy it becomes.
The herald or stuff this week wrote they knew of rumours about what Ede was doing… None of them investigated or shared.
Do you really need to ask?
The journalists need to ask this, not me!
I wanna hear the ‘official’ reason from Key why he did this.
I find it surprising that no journalist has asked him this. (if they haven’t)
Ah, fair enough.
Agreed. I haven’t heard every interview (or question in Parliament) but there seems to have been little attention on the unprecedented use of a party hack in the PM’s office to deal with the SIS.
The Nats have banked too much on Kiwis’ lack of interest in civil liberties and process. it’s a bit early to tell, but my sense is that people like to think they don’t have to worry about this stuff, but now it all seems a bit dodgy.
I wonder about this too. There are only three answers…
I am busier than previous PMs and needed to give up something so chose nat security over tourism
I am not up to the job, incompetent
I want it to be a political tool that cant taint me
Oh, and the fourth
I dont recall
He did it because he thinks the way to govern a country is the same as the way they ran Merrill Lynch. Rules and integrity do not apply if you can get away with it.
NY Times…
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/28/opinion/civil-liberties-in-peril-down-under.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0
Hmm an article on civil liberties under fire from the USA…I suppose the USA would know all about that
Well, at least the socially responsible people of America will now know what is happening down here and that can only be good for the future.
You sound scornful yet uncommenting on our own slide in that area
Thanks Weepus beard.
That’s an excellent rundown of events here and in Aussie. It deserves wide dissemination but It won’t get it of course.
What has Slater got on Key? Why else would Key be defending his involvement with Slater?
Anne reckons it’s not so much what Slater has on Key (because in reality Key is a very boring person), but what Slater has about the dirt Key hold in his draw and more to the point, how he got it.
Which is kind of the crux of this whole SIS/PMO thing at the moment and has always been my biggest fear about Key: that he’d have no problem using state apparatus to maintain power.
But, here I go again, this is the weekend…
So – is this UNSC Resolution 2178 (which is behind this Foreign Terrorist Fighters Bill) – going to help the formation of a ‘greater Israel’ – by ‘weakening and eventually fracturing neighboring Arab states as part of an Israeli expansionist project’?
http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/all/files/publications/ris-foreign-terrorist-fighters_0.pdf
Regulatory Impact Statement
Foreign Terrorist Fighters – Targeted review of relevant legislation
…………………………………..
‘Status quo and problem definition’ :
2. The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and other violent extremists is evolving rapidly. The most immediate and latest manifestation of the FTF issue is seen with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). fighters invloved with ISIL are responsible for widespread use of indiscriminate and extreme acts of violence primarily in the Iraq and Syria region. there are an estimated 15,000 – 20,000 FTFs associated with ISIL of which an estimated 3,000 hold western passports. these fighters threaten to return to their countries of origin radicalised and with military training.
______________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.globalresearch.ca/greater-israel-the-zionist-plan-for-the-middle-east/5324815
This article was published on Global Research April 29, 2013.
Global Research Editor’s Note
The following document pertaining to the formation of “Greater Israel” constitutes the cornerstone of powerful Zionist factions within the current Netanyahu government, the Likud party, as well as within the Israeli military and intelligence establishment.
According to the founding father of Zionism Theodore Herzl, “the area of the Jewish State stretches: “From the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates.” According to Rabbi Fischmann, “The Promised Land extends from the River of Egypt up to the Euphrates, it includes parts of Syria and Lebanon.”
When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing war on Syria, not to mention the process of regime change in Egypt, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East. The latter consists in weakening and eventually fracturing neighboring Arab states as part of an Israeli expansionist project.
“Greater Israel” consists in an area extending from the Nile Valley to the Euphrates.
The Zionist project supports the Jewish settlement movement. More broadly it involves a policy of excluding Palestinians from Palestine leading to the eventual annexation of both the West Bank and Gaza to the State of Israel.
Greater Israel would create a number of proxy States. It would include parts of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the Sinai, as well as parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. (See map).
______________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/kim-dotcom-a-flight-risk—crown-2014112819
So what they mean is air and sea port passport control will have as chronically impaired recall as john banks that they won’t recognise an eight foot tall man with a germanic accent who has been all over the news for a few years.
That’s a worrying development for the nations border security.
I thought that was funny too. Almost as funny as the Crown alleging that KDC has been playing too many video games based on what he has said on twitter.
How hard would it be to get out of NZ? I think he’s not allowed to travel very far and no helicopters, so that limits it to leaving on a private boat from near Auckland right?
Stowaway on a super yacht parked up in the viaduct, or rowing boat out of the mangroves to a waiting u-boat in Manakau harbour. Ridiculous reasoning and spiteful in intent. Which department or office did the ‘get Dotcom email come from?
As for video games, I’m not hard core and I do have to play on easy these days (no more legendary master chief for me), and though taking a wild, but non sexist guess that shooters wouldn’t really be your thing, I saw a trailer for call of duty advanced warfare Exo zombies add on content today, and my trigger fingers have been itching ever since.
You shouldn’t click, but players should.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-new-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-exo-zombie/1100-6423847/
“The Crown’s case is based on two affidavits from special FBI agent Rodney Hays, who didn’t appear on the witness stand.”
A bit too many of these affidavits from seppos who can’t be cross examined, methinks. They should be given no weight whatsoever.