More liars…
No. 53 Richie McCaw: “The win over France in the quarter-final put some demons to bed.” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19112015/#comment-1098032
No. 52 Michael Cheika: “I genuinely feel for Craig Joubert. It’s so unfair. No other referee has had this stuff put out there like that and he’s a very good referee.”
Browsing online on the Herald, though God knows why I do, I see where a woman, Australian born, who has lived here since she was 4 years old, 38 years old now, has been diagnosed with terminal melanoma. She does not qualify for free treatment here and although 31 weeks pregnant, she has to return to Australia for her treatment and early birth of her baby.
With all our disgust of how New Zealanders are treated over the ditch in not being able to receive help, even when they pay taxes to provide for such help, isn’t it a bit rich of us when we are doing the same thing to fellow neighbours from over the ditch who have lived here for many years. I understand that recent arrivals have to pay for their medical help but isn’t this going a bit too far for this woman who has lived here for years. What a nasty old world we live in.
This is exactly the same secretive administrative regime that is detaining and deporting New Zealanders.
The point so many people fail to understand, is that the rule changes Abbott passed early this year mean that:
1. If you are deemed to have failed the new retrospective rules then arrest is mandatory.
2. Indefinite detention is mandatory
3. You do not have to be told why you have been detained or on what grounds
4. There is NO legal appeal
5. The Minister of Immigration has sole discretion
The UN has condemned this regime, and there was real disquiet when Abbott rammed these changes through under the guise of ‘fighting terrorism’. It’s application to New Zealanders who have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism is obnoxious and wrong.
Kind of like their cricket team now I come to think of it.
Here is some interesting new OIA information that was released by MSD on 19 Nov. 2015 (see also questions/answers 18 and 19 re Mental Health Employment Service and Sole Parent Employment Service outcomes). As usual, the response has raised more questions than answers, and some info has been withheld (some without any reason), other info appears to have selectively been made available.
Now why can our MSM not deliver any such information? Sorry, they do mostly seem to be under-resourced, unable to do a proper job, or are indifferent and rather spend time on discussing different flags and help the government stir up yet more fear about possible terror attacks in NZ. And lest we forget, there is always the weather, crime, lots of sports and celebrity news to report on. And who and what is “trending” on Twitt-err?
So most on “the left” do not seem to give much of a shit about this kind of info, but rather follow with obsession whatever MSM report, so they can then hit out at them? FFS if that is the state of affairs in this crap country, I have NO more hope for it!!!
Quote: The expert noted that the Doce River, one of Brazil’s great water sheds, “is now considered by scientists to be dead and the toxic sludge is slowly working its way downstream towards the Abrolhos National Marine Park where it threatens protected forest and habitat. Sadly the mud has already entered the sea at Regencia beach a sanctuary for endangered turtles and a rich source of nutrients that the local fishing community relies upon.”
We are killing this planet one river at a time….and nothing will be done about it, lest we hinder progress and growth and export n shite.
Hey! This sounds very brave, very exciting and innovative. Great leadership! “An Auckland high school is skipping NCEA Level 1 to reduce assessment stress for its students, giving the teenagers an extra year before facing exams.
Hobsonville Point Secondary School says the first year of the NCEA qualification is unnecessary as it doesn’t lead to anywhere except further schooling……
The school, which opened last year, said it made the decision to switch to a two-year NCEA Level 2 programme after reviewing a national report on student wellbeing which found schools were over-assessing children, leading to anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
“Why would we do that to them?” said principal Maurie Abraham. “We found the kids weren’t enjoying learning, and were instead ticking boxes. Our approach changes the focus to deep learning, rather than chasing credits.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11552492
This is an interesting step. But the gap between Level 1 NCEA and Level 2 is huge. A lot will not be able to cope with it. Those are the ones who need Level 1 – it shows basic literacy, numeracy and general understanding of subjects studied. That’s may be all some students are capable of, but that capacity should be acknowledged.
Of more concern is the hothousing and credit farming that is becoming endemic in schools. This is not a problem with NCEA as such (scaling exams so 50% passed and 50% failed was just as bad) but is a result of the pressure on schools to improve on results. The Ministry target for NCEA Level 1 is 85% pass rate (Which makes it pretty meaningless as a qualification). In a lot of cases, this can only be achieved by hothousing and downright cheating at an institutional level, because 85% of students are not capable of passing NCEA Level 1, at least not over the course of a single year.
But no school wants to be identified as a failing school, because then Bright Flight happens – the capable students are sent to other schools and the cycle is confirmed.
I wish we could move away from this continual cycle of assessment. A useful analogy is that weighing the pig all the time does not increase its weight. Have just observed my youngest child’s NCEA level one year. Start school in February. Practice exams in September, more revision then NCEA exams November to December. She is currently on holiday until the start of next year. So effectively only seven months when they learn new stuff. Just imagine what they could learn and discover if it wasn’t for all these pesky assessments.
Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For a bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.
Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.
Another analogy. A watched pot doesn’t boil! Give the kids a break. Strange that our pollies and advisors seem to be leaning towards Chinese rote learning after our style had been lauded for years.
It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.
It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.
The changes proposed to S.95A of the Act mean that NO residential subdivision and/or development will be able to be publicly notified regardless of adverse effects. This means that the checks and balances of public submission and the ability to appeal to the Environment Court will be removed completely from ALL residential subdivisions and developments.
The result will be that in places such as Queenstown or Wanaka visually intrusive residential developments promoted by well-resourced developers will inevitably gain consent from (specially chosen, often poorly trained) commissioners without any public input. This is a disaster for NZ’s landscapes in the making.
Why on earth have the Maori Party signed up to this?
S.95A should be kept as it it is. In its current form it does not hold back residential development. The Nats are simply using this as an excuse to change it.
One can only hope that Dunne and the Maori Party realise the the disastrous effects of this change before it is too late.
The change also flies in the face of a central tenet of the RMA-public involvement.
The Maori Party have only promised support up to Select Committee stage. They presumably have not the manpower to examine the implications and hope that a wider view will help illuminate.
There seems to be a wish to fast track things behind tis RMA overturning. This is in my opinion, one of the main factors that influenced the Christchurch City Council building management section to be so careless with the controls and demands on the building that went down in the earthquake. The hegemony at that time was the same careless, feckless one presently coming from government.
We should take this gummint before the Trade Practices tribunal or whatever decides that the public has been sold a sick pup and left with an article that is not fit for purpose. I want an intelligent government that acts carefully and effectively not a bunch of buccaneer cowboys knocking down fences meant to offer protection from danger and reliable stability.
Yeah indeed North. Wonder if that level of support was Government funded? Should be.
Edit:Mr Backhouse and trust founder Scott Gilmour worked for more than two years to raise money for the Whangarei programme, which costs about $1000 per student per year.
The men had joined forces with the Ngatahi Education Initiative ….”
This morning on RADIONZ Kim Hill interviewed Nick Tyler, a very interesting and knowledgable searcher for practical application of good ideas. The sort of person that gives my heart oxygen! His interview would have something in it for everyone who comes here and like heartening news, positive and factual and helpful stuff that will aid us for coping even improving our situation.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780651
05 Nick Tyler: rethinking urban movement
Nick Tyler is Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering at University College London, and investigates the ways in which people interact with their immediate environments. He set up the Accessibility Research Group within the Centre for Transport Studies, with a team of researchers investigating many aspects of accessibility and public transport.
Professor Tyler is also the Director of the UCL CRUCIBLE Centre, which conducts interdisciplinary research on lifelong health and wellbeing. He visited New Zealand as a guest of the University of Auckland, New Zealand Transport Agency, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council, for public meetings and talks.
Much of what he was saying was very good…but the bit about making bus shelters into something that sounded like entertainment zones threw me.( As Kim pointed out…everyone has devices!) And the one meter square of grass needed to supply the urban dwellers with the required amount of aerial gut biota was a bit woowooish!
I would have though grass verges and urban green spaces would have provided enough bug populated turf.
The USA seems to be quite a violent, lawless place. And of course they assassinate their leaders from time to time. On top of that they have a religious fundamentalist group that thinks nothing of preventing people having human rights and freedom.
It is not surprising that we hear so much bad stuff about the USA. Any place where people feel they have to have a gun to protect themselves against lurking dangers, (mostly their family or neighbours), must be a country not yet civilised, or one on the way down.
Oh I love these theories. I hardly have to watch films for intriguing plots and scenarios now. And with the emerging stories that leak out from the past – ones about killing Castro come to mind, they can’t be dismissed as drivel.
I’ve put this up once and it seems to have vanished. I think it is interesting so here goes again. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.
This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.
So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.
They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.
Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.
[lprent: Some of your comments have been going into autospam. Haven’t looked to see why yet. ]
lprent
Running my mouse over parts of the TS page bring up a warning that –
‘Firefox has prevented the outdated plugin “Adobe Flash” from running on thestandard.org.nz.
And this is without my presenting anything. Then it happened when I was testing to see what brought up the message and ran the mouse down the comments list on the right.
I had tried to put up a comment with two links to audio on Radionz but it wouldn’t accept them on the two times that I tried. While I have been refreshing to see where the comment has gone, I have had that message about taking up too much time and been locked out.
lprent
Further to before – I see that I had some options to get rid of the blocker – Allow now and allow and remember, so I have pressed the remember one. It has gone. Don’t know any more but hope that’s it.
Still having trouble. I am trying to put up a summary from RADIONZ plus their audio for one of their features. It has gone up in the cloud but not come down again.
Need some heavenly guidance. Had four or five goes now in total.
You have to wonder whether the man is just completely oblivious to the effects of his government on ordinary people, or if he is taking the piss monumentally.
Antibiotics: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.
This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.
So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.
They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.
Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.
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Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
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Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As reported by CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/26/asia/new-zealand-academic-research-police-veto/index.html
Liars of Our Time
No. 54: RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
“The greatest supporter of ISIL is the Assad regime.”
—-ISIL’s greatest supporter Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey
Al Jazeera News, Saturday 28 November 2015
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-25/meet-man-who-funds-isis-bilal-erdogan-son-turkeys-president
More liars…
No. 53 Richie McCaw: “The win over France in the quarter-final put some demons to bed.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19112015/#comment-1098032
No. 52 Michael Cheika: “I genuinely feel for Craig Joubert. It’s so unfair. No other referee has had this stuff put out there like that and he’s a very good referee.”
Even more liars…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20102015/#comment-1084864
Browsing online on the Herald, though God knows why I do, I see where a woman, Australian born, who has lived here since she was 4 years old, 38 years old now, has been diagnosed with terminal melanoma. She does not qualify for free treatment here and although 31 weeks pregnant, she has to return to Australia for her treatment and early birth of her baby.
With all our disgust of how New Zealanders are treated over the ditch in not being able to receive help, even when they pay taxes to provide for such help, isn’t it a bit rich of us when we are doing the same thing to fellow neighbours from over the ditch who have lived here for many years. I understand that recent arrivals have to pay for their medical help but isn’t this going a bit too far for this woman who has lived here for years. What a nasty old world we live in.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11552650
Read this and be appalled:
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/nov/28/a-phonecall-a-meeting-then-indefinite-detention-the-refugees-at-the-mercy-of-asio
This is exactly the same secretive administrative regime that is detaining and deporting New Zealanders.
The point so many people fail to understand, is that the rule changes Abbott passed early this year mean that:
1. If you are deemed to have failed the new retrospective rules then arrest is mandatory.
2. Indefinite detention is mandatory
3. You do not have to be told why you have been detained or on what grounds
4. There is NO legal appeal
5. The Minister of Immigration has sole discretion
The UN has condemned this regime, and there was real disquiet when Abbott rammed these changes through under the guise of ‘fighting terrorism’. It’s application to New Zealanders who have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism is obnoxious and wrong.
Kind of like their cricket team now I come to think of it.
What’s the French word for poodle?
http://iran-times.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ObamaHollandeWHU.jpg
I believe one option is “Morrissey”.
There is another, more polite, alternative “caniche”.
Does that help you?
https://cdn-webimages.wimages.net/0517659d3063398830657bef90013f7ef41aa7-wm.jpg
It must be hard being alwyn and always supporting reactionary people and policies. Understandable he gets grumpy ever so often.
Was that you out on your stag do, or is it just after you were nicked for rioting with your Millwall mates at a Football game?
http://static.commentcamarche.net/es.ccm.net/pictures/Ud6krzOUaQiVrbx4IWkuzUrMD8vWr4qbG1wMtmWKQ94r7Doi6fybXXnACJoLFtKR-lol.png
Here is some interesting new OIA information that was released by MSD on 19 Nov. 2015 (see also questions/answers 18 and 19 re Mental Health Employment Service and Sole Parent Employment Service outcomes). As usual, the response has raised more questions than answers, and some info has been withheld (some without any reason), other info appears to have selectively been made available.
A post on another blog covers all this:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/msds-selective-and-poor-responses-to-new-oia-requests-on-benefits-advisors-reports-mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services/
An earlier post that also contained OIA data on MHES and SPES and much more:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services-msd-withholds-o-i-a-information-that-may-prove-their-trials-a-failure/
And here is a post showing how MSD and their Principal Advisor on Health selectively use statistical and other information, and misrepresent it to push their agendas:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/
PDFs with the new OIA response from MSD, and also with the sets of questions that were asked:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-oia-rqst-dr-bratt-mhes-spes-waa-reports-winz-sundry-data-08-07-reply-anon-19-11-15.pdf
High-lit version:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-oia-rqst-dr-bratt-hd-panel-mhes-spes-waa-reports-reply-hi-lit-19-11-15.pdf
Questions put to MSD:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-o-i-a-request-to-c-e-of-m-s-d-base-benefit-break-down-anon-08-07-15.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-o-i-a-request-to-c-e-of-msd-bratt-hd-panel-reforms-anon-08-07-15.pdf
Now why can our MSM not deliver any such information? Sorry, they do mostly seem to be under-resourced, unable to do a proper job, or are indifferent and rather spend time on discussing different flags and help the government stir up yet more fear about possible terror attacks in NZ. And lest we forget, there is always the weather, crime, lots of sports and celebrity news to report on. And who and what is “trending” on Twitt-err?
So most on “the left” do not seem to give much of a shit about this kind of info, but rather follow with obsession whatever MSM report, so they can then hit out at them? FFS if that is the state of affairs in this crap country, I have NO more hope for it!!!
nope, your comment was just tl;dr
there’s plenty of OIA outrage round these parts already
François Hollande’s French civilization
No. 1: Pâté de Foie Gras
http://www.lamontagne.fr/photoSRC/bqUyVelNbWe1aAxBwXruFG8LIKncgI5EqzxysNngmzhLQqc95EY68d5L1WxH7gOSe4AgvLt9FhffSVHCrA9xuoG6bA–_/gavage-de-canards-a-buisson_542611.jpeg
Brazil and the mining ‘tragedy’ no one really wants to speak about.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16803&LangID=E
Quote: The expert noted that the Doce River, one of Brazil’s great water sheds, “is now considered by scientists to be dead and the toxic sludge is slowly working its way downstream towards the Abrolhos National Marine Park where it threatens protected forest and habitat. Sadly the mud has already entered the sea at Regencia beach a sanctuary for endangered turtles and a rich source of nutrients that the local fishing community relies upon.”
We are killing this planet one river at a time….and nothing will be done about it, lest we hinder progress and growth and export n shite.
Hey! This sounds very brave, very exciting and innovative. Great leadership!
“An Auckland high school is skipping NCEA Level 1 to reduce assessment stress for its students, giving the teenagers an extra year before facing exams.
Hobsonville Point Secondary School says the first year of the NCEA qualification is unnecessary as it doesn’t lead to anywhere except further schooling……
The school, which opened last year, said it made the decision to switch to a two-year NCEA Level 2 programme after reviewing a national report on student wellbeing which found schools were over-assessing children, leading to anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
“Why would we do that to them?” said principal Maurie Abraham. “We found the kids weren’t enjoying learning, and were instead ticking boxes. Our approach changes the focus to deep learning, rather than chasing credits.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11552492
This is an interesting step. But the gap between Level 1 NCEA and Level 2 is huge. A lot will not be able to cope with it. Those are the ones who need Level 1 – it shows basic literacy, numeracy and general understanding of subjects studied. That’s may be all some students are capable of, but that capacity should be acknowledged.
Of more concern is the hothousing and credit farming that is becoming endemic in schools. This is not a problem with NCEA as such (scaling exams so 50% passed and 50% failed was just as bad) but is a result of the pressure on schools to improve on results. The Ministry target for NCEA Level 1 is 85% pass rate (Which makes it pretty meaningless as a qualification). In a lot of cases, this can only be achieved by hothousing and downright cheating at an institutional level, because 85% of students are not capable of passing NCEA Level 1, at least not over the course of a single year.
But no school wants to be identified as a failing school, because then Bright Flight happens – the capable students are sent to other schools and the cycle is confirmed.
I wish we could move away from this continual cycle of assessment. A useful analogy is that weighing the pig all the time does not increase its weight. Have just observed my youngest child’s NCEA level one year. Start school in February. Practice exams in September, more revision then NCEA exams November to December. She is currently on holiday until the start of next year. So effectively only seven months when they learn new stuff. Just imagine what they could learn and discover if it wasn’t for all these pesky assessments.
Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For a bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.
Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.
Another analogy. A watched pot doesn’t boil! Give the kids a break. Strange that our pollies and advisors seem to be leaning towards Chinese rote learning after our style had been lauded for years.
It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.
It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.
Fairy Godmother. You can say that again!
The Nats and there friends at the Herald are spinning the line that there are only minor changes to the RMA proposed. See here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11552680
This is NOT true. Let me repeat; NOT true.
The changes proposed to S.95A of the Act mean that NO residential subdivision and/or development will be able to be publicly notified regardless of adverse effects. This means that the checks and balances of public submission and the ability to appeal to the Environment Court will be removed completely from ALL residential subdivisions and developments.
The result will be that in places such as Queenstown or Wanaka visually intrusive residential developments promoted by well-resourced developers will inevitably gain consent from (specially chosen, often poorly trained) commissioners without any public input. This is a disaster for NZ’s landscapes in the making.
Why on earth have the Maori Party signed up to this?
S.95A should be kept as it it is. In its current form it does not hold back residential development. The Nats are simply using this as an excuse to change it.
One can only hope that Dunne and the Maori Party realise the the disastrous effects of this change before it is too late.
The change also flies in the face of a central tenet of the RMA-public involvement.
The Maori Party have only promised support up to Select Committee stage. They presumably have not the manpower to examine the implications and hope that a wider view will help illuminate.
There seems to be a wish to fast track things behind tis RMA overturning. This is in my opinion, one of the main factors that influenced the Christchurch City Council building management section to be so careless with the controls and demands on the building that went down in the earthquake. The hegemony at that time was the same careless, feckless one presently coming from government.
We should take this gummint before the Trade Practices tribunal or whatever decides that the public has been sold a sick pup and left with an article that is not fit for purpose. I want an intelligent government that acts carefully and effectively not a bunch of buccaneer cowboys knocking down fences meant to offer protection from danger and reliable stability.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11552466
Yeah !
Yeah indeed North. Wonder if that level of support was Government funded? Should be.
Edit:Mr Backhouse and trust founder Scott Gilmour worked for more than two years to raise money for the Whangarei programme, which costs about $1000 per student per year.
The men had joined forces with the Ngatahi Education Initiative ….”
This morning on RADIONZ Kim Hill interviewed Nick Tyler, a very interesting and knowledgable searcher for practical application of good ideas. The sort of person that gives my heart oxygen! His interview would have something in it for everyone who comes here and like heartening news, positive and factual and helpful stuff that will aid us for coping even improving our situation.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780651
05 Nick Tyler: rethinking urban movement
Nick Tyler is Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering at University College London, and investigates the ways in which people interact with their immediate environments. He set up the Accessibility Research Group within the Centre for Transport Studies, with a team of researchers investigating many aspects of accessibility and public transport.
Professor Tyler is also the Director of the UCL CRUCIBLE Centre, which conducts interdisciplinary research on lifelong health and wellbeing. He visited New Zealand as a guest of the University of Auckland, New Zealand Transport Agency, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council, for public meetings and talks.
I was peripherally listening to that.
Much of what he was saying was very good…but the bit about making bus shelters into something that sounded like entertainment zones threw me.( As Kim pointed out…everyone has devices!) And the one meter square of grass needed to supply the urban dwellers with the required amount of aerial gut biota was a bit woowooish!
I would have though grass verges and urban green spaces would have provided enough bug populated turf.
I’ll listen again later…
Rosemary
These are generalised ideas and particularly aimed at sterile spaces, not like our green and pleasant neighbourhoods?
Promoters of anti-choice terrorist propaganda are culpable.
.
Michael Skolnik Verified account
@MichaelSkolnik
Suspect in #PlannedParenthood shooting is a white male in his 40’s.
(via police scanner)
https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik/status/670326090699796480
Lisa @notmuchelse 9m9 minutes ago
Daleiden and his buddy Troy Newman knew exactly what they were doing w/ their dishonest propaganda videos. Newman’s done it before!
3 retweets 2 likes
Lisa
@notmuchelse
Troy Newman spent years demonizing Dr. Tiller, until he was murdered. Then he joined up w/ Daleiden for these videos.
https://twitter.com/notmuchelse/status/670382764286349312
Alexandra
@aliemalie
A clinic needs bulletproof vests. Let that sink in. “Clinic has a… supply of bulletproof vests.” #ColoradoSprings http://nyti.ms/1InJgGU
https://twitter.com/aliemalie/status/670362047834558468
The USA seems to be quite a violent, lawless place. And of course they assassinate their leaders from time to time. On top of that they have a religious fundamentalist group that thinks nothing of preventing people having human rights and freedom.
It is not surprising that we hear so much bad stuff about the USA. Any place where people feel they have to have a gun to protect themselves against lurking dangers, (mostly their family or neighbours), must be a country not yet civilised, or one on the way down.
Rumour had it, it was the CIA that nailed JFK Kennedy?
Oh I love these theories. I hardly have to watch films for intriguing plots and scenarios now. And with the emerging stories that leak out from the past – ones about killing Castro come to mind, they can’t be dismissed as drivel.
These guys want a blanket ban on abortion, and are prepared to kill in order to acheive that goal.
I’ve put this up once and it seems to have vanished. I think it is interesting so here goes again.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.
This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.
So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.
They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.
Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.
[lprent: Some of your comments have been going into autospam. Haven’t looked to see why yet. ]
lprent
Running my mouse over parts of the TS page bring up a warning that –
‘Firefox has prevented the outdated plugin “Adobe Flash” from running on thestandard.org.nz.
And this is without my presenting anything. Then it happened when I was testing to see what brought up the message and ran the mouse down the comments list on the right.
I had tried to put up a comment with two links to audio on Radionz but it wouldn’t accept them on the two times that I tried. While I have been refreshing to see where the comment has gone, I have had that message about taking up too much time and been locked out.
I’m not sure what’s going on.
lprent
Further to before – I see that I had some options to get rid of the blocker – Allow now and allow and remember, so I have pressed the remember one. It has gone. Don’t know any more but hope that’s it.
Still having trouble. I am trying to put up a summary from RADIONZ plus their audio for one of their features. It has gone up in the cloud but not come down again.
Need some heavenly guidance. Had four or five goes now in total.
Just use chrome, firefox is a dog.
We have always used linux so want to continue if possible.
This may be of interest
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?hl=en
I’ve seen the same issue in Chrome. It seems to happen when Flash hasn’t been properly updated.
firefox is ok on windows, if you don’t add too many extensions, but it’s a total memory hog. better than IE11 at least (the default at work)
Firefox is single process, one tab doesn’t load correctly and the whole thing locks up.
If you’ve got multiple cores it ‘s pretty much unusable, especially if you’re running any thing containing webgl, the performance is glacial.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/david-cameron-letter-cuts-oxfordshire
insert National Party Ministers name of your choice and this would be here
You have to wonder whether the man is just completely oblivious to the effects of his government on ordinary people, or if he is taking the piss monumentally.
National have pricked the Auckland real estate bubble with the 1st October changes!
says who?
Antibiotics:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.
This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.
So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.
They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.
Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.
This is really good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrH6UMYAVsk
David Graeber: debt and what the government doesn’t want you to know – video
one must not mention such things as the whole system runs on confidence….a confidence trick as it were
Jihad and more in Syria, and what is behind it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPY0X8SrLo
Most keep dreaming and getting no real info, that is the west.