Last week we were swimming in the sea, it was so hot here. This morning it’s freezing, fresh dusting of snow on the mountains and hills, which will melt fast once the sun hits it, but it is unusual weather for this time of year. Hot/Cold weather = earthquakes.
Climate change is very really and our whole human existence depends on it, it’s nuts how little coverage media gives it, seeing they talk about the weather every hour on the wireless.
Thanks for the links Paul, will check them out.
I am typing this to you from a location deep in the sub-Arctic. Temperatures are in the -10 to -15 degC range. Instead of -25 to 35 degC range they should be right now.
In other words about 10 to 15 degC warmer than they should be. The local Innuit people I work with all say the same thing; the change over recent seasons is perfectly obvious to them.
Weren’t we told the point of no return into irreversible global immolation was several years ago? Why then do people persist in what must be a futile attempt to reverse something that can’t be changed for the better?
And what is your view about what is going on in the Arctic?
Have you read Peter Wadham’s ‘A Farewell to Ice? Scientist with over 30 years experience in the Arctic.
James Renwick is discussing Arctic ice on Kathryn Ryan this morning btw.
Shhhhh don’t mention the Arctic, global warming is good for business, new shipping routes take less time, less cost, less danger, less ice. Money first is the right wing way, profit over the planet, look at the current government, shocking.
Paul – James Renwick will not be mentioning Guy McPherson
If you really want to draw attention to the very real concern of AGW, please do not continue to drag in this alarmist, because he undermines the real science with his outlandish claims. There are very few Climate scientists who support his claims. Yes the threat of AGW is real and the impending catastrophic outcomes may be far more horrific than most people are aware. However to over egg the threat is just as damaging as under estimating.
So now you think we should only listen to Climate Change scientists who operate at an acceptable severity rating? It’s bad, but not too bad. It’s still hopeful but not 100% hopeful. We still have time to act and change, not too much time, but just enough time, still.
That’s delusional thinking IMO.
McPherson is the only person I know who has put the big picture together with the absolute latest in literature from across multiple fields.
For instance, you can’t object to McPherson saying that there are now multiple positive feedback loops in full swing, making human action to reduce CO2 emissions largely irrelevant.
So whether McPherson is right about the ten year time frame or it is in fact going to be twenty years or thirty years is a bit beside the point – climate change is most probably unstoppable at this stage and it will be catastrophic for the habitat that the human race needs to survive.
But if he’s wrong and the timeframe is fifty years, and we can stop it in thirty, then he’s doing humanity a disservice by throwing his hands in the air and preaching the futility of effort.
We should listen to the bulk of scientists, not the extreme fringes. The fringes can occasionally be coincidentally correct, but usually the most accurate assessment based on information available at the time comes from within the scientific consensus.
1) Nothing is going to be ‘stopped in 30 years.’ Non-man controllable positive feed back loops are already in full swing. And even ignoring them, if we ended the burning of fossil fuels tonight, additional warming from current record levels of GHGs would continue for another 50-100 years, taking us well beyond 2 deg C warming.
2) McPherson is closer to where the mainstream scientific position would be if scientists did not have to worry about looking and sounding respectable to get their next government grant and their next peer reviewed paper published.
The bulk of scientists have to worry about appearing respectable, trying to get tenure, sounding like they are mainstream enough to get their papers through peer review boards, and appearing optimistic enough to get the next round of research grants.
Governments aren’t interested in funding people with relentlessly bad news.
The bulk of scientists have to worry about appearing respectable,
lol
trying to get tenure,
It is a struggle – best achieved by coming up with research outputs that change conventional thinking or at least add to the sum of human knowledge (in those countries where tenure still exists, of course)
sounding like they are mainstream enough to get their papers through peer review boards,
That’s not how peer review works. Look at the EM drive.
and appearing optimistic enough to get the next round of research grants.
Scott Johnson
Is a geoscience educator, hydrogeologist, and freelance science writer contributing at Ars Technica. He is also Science Editor for Climate Feedback.
and then there is Michael Tobas here: http://planet3.org/2014/03/13/mcphersons-evidence-that-doom-doom-doom/
On McPhersons so called “multiplicative feedbacks”.
Michael Tobis, is editor-in-chief of Planet3.0 and site cofounder, he has always been interested in the interface between science and public policy. He holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences where he developed a 3-D ocean model on a custom computing platform. He has been involved in sustainability conversations on the internet since 1992,
Methane feedbacks in the Arctic are going to be important for future climate change, just like the direct emissions from humans. This includes substantial regions of shallow permafrost in the Arctic, which is already going appreciable change. Much larger changes involving hydrate may be important longer-term. Nonetheless, these feedbacks need to be kept in context and should be thought of as one of the many other carbon cycle feedbacks, and dynamic responses, that supplement the increasing anthropogenic CO2 burden to the atmosphere. There is no evidence that methane will run out of control and initiate any sudden, catastrophic effects. There’s certainly no runaway greenhouse. Instead, chronic methane releases will supplement the primary role of CO2. Eventually some of this methane oxidizes into CO2, so if the injection is large enough, it can add extra CO2 forcing onto the very long term evolution of global climate, over hundreds to thousands of years.
The recent US election has prompted cries that the decision on Earth’s climate has now been irrevocably made, that the US has unilaterally decided to scrap the peak warming target from the Paris agreement of 1.5 oC. What do the numbers say? Is Earth’s climate now irrevocably fracked?
The short answer is that, strictly speaking, the future of global climate would have been fracked even had the election gone the other way, unless stronger action to cut CO2 emissions is taken, very soon.
Thanks for that antidote to the alarmist stuff Macro. It seems very important to me that we have such responses that are grounded and evenhanded and based in knowledge, including when people react against what you say and misinterpret it.
(Me, I just want to call McPherson a traitor but am biting my tongue as much as I can).
No no you don’t understand this is a great, not good, result for the left, here let me explain it for you
See if you look at the poll you’ll see John Key has dropped, yes dropped, in his popularity which shows that the people of NZ now see him how the left see him (evil in case you were wondering)
Also you must, I say must, add Winston Peters into the left block because as we all know Winston Peters will go with the left block because his ego is such that he would have no problems being the third wheel behind Labour and the Greens as opposed to being the tail wagging the dog with National
So its actually a great result and besides the only poll that counts is on election day and Trump and Brexit shows that the polls don’t count and will sweep Labour into victory and Jesus will love us
On the bright side it keeps Labour focused on opposing harmful policies instead of kicking the poor in the teeth, and National implementing Labour’s good ideas.
Your Christmas gift to The Standard! It would be fun to write a little serial while you are away about how you’ll spend your Christmas break: painstakingly drafting John’s Christmas card then hand writing the craven thing using a drop of blood squeezed ecstatically from a prick to your finger tip, wrapping up the print-outs from all your trolling and posting that into HQ for the archives, opening the brown-paper packet they send back to you as “thanks” for your efforts through the year, sitting beneath the portrait of your Dear Leader, tossing back egg nog after egg nog in an ongoing toast to his brilliance, giving the bright blue sock hanging above the fireplace a furtive squeeze (will he remember me this year?) before standing expectantly under the mistletoe for half an hour or so, then trotting upstairs to bed, to dream, to sleep the sleep of the just…do you think I’d have an audience for that sort of gripping stuff? You know I mean this in the kindest way, Pucky, it being the Season of Goodwill (nearly). In any case, looking forward to your break almost as much as you are 🙂
Waits for Little to pull out another poll showing Labour is on track to win.
Seriously though, with the next election less than a year away and with Labour still struggling to get any traction (despite all the work done on their Future of Work) do they have anything significant to pull out of their hat which will win-over voters?
So it’s Centre-left 11%, Centre-right 28%, Nationalists 10%, Bumbling right wing incompetents 50%, sundry parasites with electorate seats 1%.
That’s basically appalling, and it does look like New Zealand is going to vote for more self-flagellation and failure next year.
James – you hang around The Standard like a human botfly inserting your eggs into the body of the discussion where ever you can – does this bring you some sort of parasitical joy? Or is it that you are driven by your DNA to infest for the sake of reproduction? Are there more of you gestating? Should the moderators stock up on swats?
I’ve always felt you’re more perceptive then most and more able to look past the political leanings of the poster and consider the argument on its own merits 🙂
The polls! The polls! I’m picturing the viscera-readers of ancient times, huddled over the newly-slaughtered beast, peering into the mass of glistening organs, seeing futures in the slippery goop – it’s not the seers who make me laugh, theirs is a lucrative pursuit, it’s the slack-jawed, wall-eyed crowd standing anxiously about, hanging on their every word.
James… Dude, the outgoing PM is downward trending in the polls, and he is very uncomfortable about it. Should have seen him on TVNZ this morning, he was making every excuse imaginable to explain why he is consistently declining in the polls.
Key is just going to become another Toady (Tony) Blair. Still trying to be relevant and justify his bad decisions years down the track.
Blair like Key just gamed everything to make himself look good on the world stage and be powerful – until one day – he wasn’t and will soon become too scared to travel incase one day he is picked up and tried at the Hague.
Yesah, Swordfish sure did a great job, lots of numbers clearly demonstrating the downward trend.
I’m not interested in other political parties atm, i’m interested in the trends of the outgoing government.
You know what… why have some of you Tories got the meows with me? Did I touch a nerve?
Nessalt it is not the slowest drop in the history of politics, that’s a lie. And with MMP who knows what’s going to happen next election, it’s not a two party race anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. Long live MMP
How’s his support partners doing?
By crikey Maori Party has fallen to 1%,
ACT and Dunne don’t even get a mention, no one chose them when rung about the poll.
As well 13% of people are undecided voters
National would not be able to govern alone
it’s the slowest drop in the history of politics. The trend line that shows you that John Key’s personal pm preference ratings as dropping, also shows that he’ll be in power for two more elections. He’ll be at about 30% by the election next year. andrew little on the other hand will at around 2%.
“the outgoing PM is downward trending in the polls, and he is very uncomfortable about it. Should have seen him on TVNZ this morning”
Yeah, I had to laugh at John’s relatively cynical attempt to discredit the Colmar Brunton’s Preferred PM figures by feigning bewilderment at the fact that the collective ratings for the 3 main leaders added up to only 52%.
Key:
My main point was really going to be the … (slight stutter / pause) … that counts for 52%. So I don’t know what happens – in your poll – what happens to the other 48% (his voice here characteristically rises at end of sentence – teenage New Zealander-style – looking for some sort of tacit endorsement from the interviewer). Coz, if you add up – you had all the leaders going down but the whole 3 of us added up to 52%. I don’t know where the other 48% is but (pauses and throws his arms up in the air to suggest genuine, innocent bewilderment at what he hints is dubious methodology, albeit betrayed by a somewhat guilty / embarrassed / sheepish-looking smile that suggests he’s fully aware that Tame knows he’s talking bollocks) … I don’t know, you’d have to ask your Pollsters but …
As Jonathan Wedgewood Key knows full well, the Colmar Brunton’s – like the Reid Research Polls – include the Don’t knows and None-of-the-Aboves in their Preferred PM figures. Always have.
Arguably, a far more accurate measure of Leader popularity than the (now defunct) Herald-Digi – which excluded the Don’t knows and hence massively exaggerated Key’s (and everyone else’s) popularity, generating headlines and misleading voters into believing that two-thirds or more of the public wanted Key as PM.
Most of the “missing” 48% whose personal welfare John agonized over in the interview are accounted for by:
9% preferring various other minor leaders / politicians as PM.
Good topic savenz. Does anyone know if its illegal to skip dive in supermarket bins here? ive seen a couple of tv shows recently that had people skip diving outside supermarkets in aussie and the uk, seemed legal there.
I’d like to see supermarkets be forced to give their best before food to food banks to be given for free to anyone who needs food. It is a crime that people may be hungry in this country when we are a food producer and apparently Kiwis are the fourth richest country per capita in the world. Not to mention the problems when the food is going into land fill!
Yeah fully agree with you there. We might need (god forbid!) a socialist in charge to get some common sense happening though.
The Hugh’s War on Waste doco opened my eyes to food wastage. It focused a lot on produce not meeting cosmetic standards and then being thrown away… We need a better model.
Good people doing good work. Flaxmere residents pulling the community out of its nosedive.
“It’s 7.30am in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere. Half a dozen children, some as young as 5, are already at Kimi Ora Community School tucking into spaghetti on toast.
Over the next half-hour, other hungry mouths arrive. No parents come with them.
“We might see five parents a day who walk their kids to school. Our kids walk to school and walk home by themselves,” says principal Matt O’Dowda.
White-bearded caretaker Wayne Reading, who serves the breakfast every school day, usually feeds about 25 of the school’s 130 pupils – or 70 on Fridays, when he serves a full cooked breakfast.
At lunchtimes almost all students cram into the dining room for $1 lunches prepared by a mum and her partner.”
“It’s not the black eyes, it’s more children that have had a lack of sleep because there’s been a party going on at home. Or not being picked up on time, or not being brought to school.”
O’Dowda says the partying and overcrowding put children at risk.
“We have just done a pubertal change unit with the seniors [Years 6-8, aged about 10-12],” he says.
“For our girls, their major concern was how do you protect yourself from men, because they know there are parties and there’s lots of people around. So we have now got a two-day self-defence programme coming in this term just for our Year 6-8 girls.”
Dr Sandra Jessop, a general practitioner in Flaxmere since 1988, cries when she speaks of women who disclose childhood abuse when she asks gently about injuries she can see when she does cervical smears.
“Sometimes you get depression in the mums when their girls start to go through puberty, because of what happened to them,” she says.””
Excellent piece of writing from veteran ‘tell it like it is’ journalist Simon Collins.
If New Zealand’s inherent dottiness and glaring contradictions were ever a local secret, this year they have been paraded for all the world to see.
We often made the overseas news – whether it was because of the poor living in cars and garages in a supposedly egalitarian society, our heavily polluted rivers (and drinking water) in a land we tout as being environmentally 100% Pure, or our high domestic violence rates in a country we like to think of as family friendly.
There were the Panama Papers, reported extensively around the world, that suggested we are a tax haven – an unfortunate impression that is at odds with our longstanding reputation for honesty, transparency and incorruptibility. John Key firmly rejected the “tax haven” tag but we were exposed in the Australian Financial Review, for one, as having been involved in questionable transactions – including setting up accounts for Maltese politicians that some of the world’s dodgiest banks (in Miami, the Caribbean and Panama) wouldn’t touch because of strict disclosure laws for money-laundering politicians.
We’ve got to own up to our faults and change them. This will not happen with the present corrupt government because these faults suit them and their backers as it makes them richer.
The Government has been warned not to cave in and make it easier for Chinese investors to buy strategically important land and businesses just to secure better access to China’s market.
In a country where homelessness is rising maybe it is time we think that “strategically” means “all land” not being sold offshore. Land should be for citizens only. And being a citizen of NZ should also be a lot harder to achieve – not just a left over choice for those that can’t get into Canada or OZ.
The Qatari dictatorship’s official TV station does not
miss a chance to ridicule and demean the late Fidel Castro
Al Jazeera 10 a.m. News, Monday 28 November 2016
Al Jazeera is again featuring ugly demonstrations of gloating by the extreme right fringe of the Cuban-American community after the death of Fidel Castro. Interestingly, Al Jazeera three years ago did not feature any of the similar gloating that occurred in some of the similarly rabid pockets of South Africa when Castro’s great friend and supporter Nelson Mandela died.
Yet even the most grievous propaganda channel will sometimes, perhaps accidentally, provide access to more balanced, representative views. This morning that balanced representation came in the form of 22 year old Elian Gonzalez. In 1999, five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was kidnapped by some of these so-called “exile” fanatics. After a momentous legal battle, he was eventually returned to his father in Cuba. Today Elian Gonzalez, now 22 years old, appeared on Al Jazeera, praising the late Cuban leader.
This moment of sanity was soon relegated, however. To “balance” the testimony of Elian Gonzalez, the host interviewed one Peter Hakim, who rejoices in the splendid title of “president emeritus and senior fellow” of the Inter-American Dialogue. For a couple of minutes, Hakim released, pompously and slowly, a stream of anti-Castro propaganda, and absurdly lied that Castro had been opposed to the democratic developments in Latin America. To hear Peter Hakim telling this lie was especially galling, in view of the fact that in 1994, Hakim stated with equal pomposity, that the U.S. should not be concerned with either human rights or democracy in Haiti, and in fact the democratically elected President Aristide should be deposed, in the usual brutal manner.
RT: Chris Hedges ‘On Contact’ Standing Rock protest special
Documentary special by Chris Hedges, veteran war correspondent, as part of his ‘On Contact’ series on RT.
He follows the Water Protectors standing in the way of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Warning this is Chris Hedges on RT – ‘fake news ‘ – the news and the viewpoints that the establishment media doesn’t want you to know and will not cover themselves.
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
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It would appear the climate is spinning out of control.
All other news seems to fade into insignificance as a result.
‘Things are getting weird in the polar regions’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/21/things-are-getting-weird-in-the-polar-regions/?utm_term=.37d956c3d647&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1
Climate change happening ‘too fast’ for plant and animal species to adapt.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/climate-change-extinction-species-happening-too-fast-for-plant-and-animals-to-adapt-a7433111.html
Arctic ice melt could trigger uncontrollable climate change at global level
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/25/arctic-ice-melt-trigger-uncontrollable-climate-change-global-level
Starvation has killed 80,000 reindeer in Siberia because of melting sea ice
Arctic tundra warming at a faster rate than the rest of the globe
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/starvation-reindeer-siberia-melting-sea-ice-global-warming-climate-change-a7434746.html
Guy McPherson: “I can’t imagine there will be a human on the planet in 10 years” He would be worth listening to in Wellington on the 6th December.
https://guymcpherson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/whole-tour.jpg
Here is his interview on Paul Henry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqIt93dDG1M
Last week we were swimming in the sea, it was so hot here. This morning it’s freezing, fresh dusting of snow on the mountains and hills, which will melt fast once the sun hits it, but it is unusual weather for this time of year. Hot/Cold weather = earthquakes.
Climate change is very really and our whole human existence depends on it, it’s nuts how little coverage media gives it, seeing they talk about the weather every hour on the wireless.
Thanks for the links Paul, will check them out.
McPherson is visiting Christchurch as part of his tour.
Will have a listen to him later on, I’m intrigued.
“Hot/Cold weather = earthquakes.”
Wha………….. ?
No, no ,no…Earthquakes are caused by winds trapped in subterranean caves. And maybe Namazu.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/namazu-the-earthshaker/
I am typing this to you from a location deep in the sub-Arctic. Temperatures are in the -10 to -15 degC range. Instead of -25 to 35 degC range they should be right now.
In other words about 10 to 15 degC warmer than they should be. The local Innuit people I work with all say the same thing; the change over recent seasons is perfectly obvious to them.
Weren’t we told the point of no return into irreversible global immolation was several years ago? Why then do people persist in what must be a futile attempt to reverse something that can’t be changed for the better?
Guys idea is to hold hands with your clan, sing kumbaya and wait until the asteroid hits. Pretty nuts. Don’t question the cult leader though..
How much money does this chap make from these speaking tours?
if you believe doomer guy and no one would be around in 10 years why waste time and energy going to his talk – doesn’t make sense.
Just like preparing a will doesn’t make sense. You’re going to be dead anyway so who cares?
You assume someone will be there to read it don’t you otherwise why do it.
Similarly, you can go listen to McPherson and see if there are a lot of other people there who also get the message. Which there are.
And waste your time if you believe there is 10 years left.
That’s not a call for you to make for other people.
Its not a call that you can make about me making a call – feel free to explain if you have a point rather than you’re just being awkward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM0uZ9mfOUI
Sigh ….guy macpherson is lie a photonegative of a
climate change denier.
And what is your view about what is going on in the Arctic?
Have you read Peter Wadham’s ‘A Farewell to Ice? Scientist with over 30 years experience in the Arctic.
James Renwick is discussing Arctic ice on Kathryn Ryan this morning btw.
Shhhhh don’t mention the Arctic, global warming is good for business, new shipping routes take less time, less cost, less danger, less ice. Money first is the right wing way, profit over the planet, look at the current government, shocking.
“And what is your view about what is going on in the Arctic?”
Ice melt is faster and more complete each year due to climate change.
“Have you read Peter Wadham’s ‘A Farewell to Ice? Scientist with over 30 years experience in the Arctic.”
Nope.
Paul – James Renwick will not be mentioning Guy McPherson
If you really want to draw attention to the very real concern of AGW, please do not continue to drag in this alarmist, because he undermines the real science with his outlandish claims. There are very few Climate scientists who support his claims. Yes the threat of AGW is real and the impending catastrophic outcomes may be far more horrific than most people are aware. However to over egg the threat is just as damaging as under estimating.
So now you think we should only listen to Climate Change scientists who operate at an acceptable severity rating? It’s bad, but not too bad. It’s still hopeful but not 100% hopeful. We still have time to act and change, not too much time, but just enough time, still.
That’s delusional thinking IMO.
McPherson is the only person I know who has put the big picture together with the absolute latest in literature from across multiple fields.
For instance, you can’t object to McPherson saying that there are now multiple positive feedback loops in full swing, making human action to reduce CO2 emissions largely irrelevant.
So whether McPherson is right about the ten year time frame or it is in fact going to be twenty years or thirty years is a bit beside the point – climate change is most probably unstoppable at this stage and it will be catastrophic for the habitat that the human race needs to survive.
But if he’s wrong and the timeframe is fifty years, and we can stop it in thirty, then he’s doing humanity a disservice by throwing his hands in the air and preaching the futility of effort.
We should listen to the bulk of scientists, not the extreme fringes. The fringes can occasionally be coincidentally correct, but usually the most accurate assessment based on information available at the time comes from within the scientific consensus.
1) Nothing is going to be ‘stopped in 30 years.’ Non-man controllable positive feed back loops are already in full swing. And even ignoring them, if we ended the burning of fossil fuels tonight, additional warming from current record levels of GHGs would continue for another 50-100 years, taking us well beyond 2 deg C warming.
2) McPherson is closer to where the mainstream scientific position would be if scientists did not have to worry about looking and sounding respectable to get their next government grant and their next peer reviewed paper published.
The bulk of scientists have to worry about appearing respectable, trying to get tenure, sounding like they are mainstream enough to get their papers through peer review boards, and appearing optimistic enough to get the next round of research grants.
Governments aren’t interested in funding people with relentlessly bad news.
lol
It is a struggle – best achieved by coming up with research outputs that change conventional thinking or at least add to the sum of human knowledge (in those countries where tenure still exists, of course)
That’s not how peer review works. Look at the EM drive.
That’s not how grants work.
A more detailed analysis as to how Guy McPherson gets it wrong is available here:
https://fractalplanet.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/how-guy-mcpherson-gets-it-wrong/
Scott Johnson
Is a geoscience educator, hydrogeologist, and freelance science writer contributing at Ars Technica. He is also Science Editor for Climate Feedback.
and then there is Michael Tobas here:
http://planet3.org/2014/03/13/mcphersons-evidence-that-doom-doom-doom/
On McPhersons so called “multiplicative feedbacks”.
Michael Tobis, is editor-in-chief of Planet3.0 and site cofounder, he has always been interested in the interface between science and public policy. He holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences where he developed a 3-D ocean model on a custom computing platform. He has been involved in sustainability conversations on the internet since 1992,
As Skeptical Science puts it here
https://www.skepticalscience.com/toward-improved-discussions-methane.html
my bold
Prof. David Archer at Realclimate.
Worth reading the whole article for some perspective.
Thanks for that antidote to the alarmist stuff Macro. It seems very important to me that we have such responses that are grounded and evenhanded and based in knowledge, including when people react against what you say and misinterpret it.
(Me, I just want to call McPherson a traitor but am biting my tongue as much as I can).
Maybe start a petition against him, or protest outside his talk venues.
Is Penny Hulse Jill Stein’s doppelganger?
Latest Colmar Brunton good news for the Left… Labour 28%, Labour-lite 50%, Greens 10%
No no you don’t understand this is a great, not good, result for the left, here let me explain it for you
See if you look at the poll you’ll see John Key has dropped, yes dropped, in his popularity which shows that the people of NZ now see him how the left see him (evil in case you were wondering)
Also you must, I say must, add Winston Peters into the left block because as we all know Winston Peters will go with the left block because his ego is such that he would have no problems being the third wheel behind Labour and the Greens as opposed to being the tail wagging the dog with National
So its actually a great result and besides the only poll that counts is on election day and Trump and Brexit shows that the polls don’t count and will sweep Labour into victory and Jesus will love us
Yeah
On the bright side it keeps Labour focused on opposing harmful policies instead of kicking the poor in the teeth, and National implementing Labour’s good ideas.
That’s…not a bad point actually
When are these rogue polls going to stop?
When are these Rogue comments going to stop?
Can’t speak for anyone else but in a little under three weeks from now I’ll be knocking off for Christmas 🙂
Your Christmas gift to The Standard! It would be fun to write a little serial while you are away about how you’ll spend your Christmas break: painstakingly drafting John’s Christmas card then hand writing the craven thing using a drop of blood squeezed ecstatically from a prick to your finger tip, wrapping up the print-outs from all your trolling and posting that into HQ for the archives, opening the brown-paper packet they send back to you as “thanks” for your efforts through the year, sitting beneath the portrait of your Dear Leader, tossing back egg nog after egg nog in an ongoing toast to his brilliance, giving the bright blue sock hanging above the fireplace a furtive squeeze (will he remember me this year?) before standing expectantly under the mistletoe for half an hour or so, then trotting upstairs to bed, to dream, to sleep the sleep of the just…do you think I’d have an audience for that sort of gripping stuff? You know I mean this in the kindest way, Pucky, it being the Season of Goodwill (nearly). In any case, looking forward to your break almost as much as you are 🙂
That might in fact be the best thing I’ve seen written on here
https://imgflip.com/s/meme/Leonardo-Dicaprio-Cheers.jpg
Waits for Little to pull out another poll showing Labour is on track to win.
Seriously though, with the next election less than a year away and with Labour still struggling to get any traction (despite all the work done on their Future of Work) do they have anything significant to pull out of their hat which will win-over voters?
So far, nope.
They’re still hanging on to the failed neo-liberal ideology. The ideology that’s seen voters leave them in droves.
National’s winning because Labour’s not changing.
I often wonder when are left leaning voters and the Unions going to give up on them altogether?
The left have been waiting for years now for Labour to up their game. It seems they are incapable.
It’s time we all found another left-wing party to support.
Advice to Labour….. Don’t give him another six months.
Advice from National…please give him another six months 😉
You hit the nail on the head again
I’ve more sympathy for that poor nail than I have for either National or Labour..
So it’s Centre-left 11%, Centre-right 28%, Nationalists 10%, Bumbling right wing incompetents 50%, sundry parasites with electorate seats 1%.
That’s basically appalling, and it does look like New Zealand is going to vote for more self-flagellation and failure next year.
I am rating it 4:1 for a National win next year. And possibly with NZF support.
Has to be bogus. How cannnational still be so popular after all these years???
Cannot wait for Andrew little to come out with their own polling that shows labour doing so so so much better.
Funny isn’t it that the only poll that shows labour doing ok is the one they pay for.
Now just waiting for someone to say trump or brexit as an example of why the polls don’t matter.
Little’s excuse was that the US election distracted everybody.
Yeah… it was true. Trump even made Key look good in comparison.
Yeah – pity for Andrew Little that Trump couldn’t even make him look good.
James – you hang around The Standard like a human botfly inserting your eggs into the body of the discussion where ever you can – does this bring you some sort of parasitical joy? Or is it that you are driven by your DNA to infest for the sake of reproduction? Are there more of you gestating? Should the moderators stock up on swats?
So stating Trump makes Key = good comment, but saying that Trump dosnt make little look good makes me a human botfly.
Sorry that I dont echo the lines that you want Robert.
No s.o.h. these little RWNJ bots Robert.
At least PR and one or two others do exhibit moments of wit that makes them human rather than bots.
I’ve always felt you’re more perceptive then most and more able to look past the political leanings of the poster and consider the argument on its own merits 🙂
Ta PR. I do try – not always successfully.
The polls! The polls! I’m picturing the viscera-readers of ancient times, huddled over the newly-slaughtered beast, peering into the mass of glistening organs, seeing futures in the slippery goop – it’s not the seers who make me laugh, theirs is a lucrative pursuit, it’s the slack-jawed, wall-eyed crowd standing anxiously about, hanging on their every word.
🙂
brilliant Robert, brilliant
James… Dude, the outgoing PM is downward trending in the polls, and he is very uncomfortable about it. Should have seen him on TVNZ this morning, he was making every excuse imaginable to explain why he is consistently declining in the polls.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/blame-you-its-your-fault-john-keys-tongue-in-cheek-explanation-jack-tame-popularity-drop
Let’s not forget that Little dropped from 10% to 8%, effectively shedding 20% of his support…
Cinny…dude…at 50% party vote for National within a year of the election your “outgoing PM ” line is looking a little sick.
Cinny has been working on that meme for ages – best to just ignore – although I think we will be reading it until at least 2020.
Key is just going to become another Toady (Tony) Blair. Still trying to be relevant and justify his bad decisions years down the track.
Blair like Key just gamed everything to make himself look good on the world stage and be powerful – until one day – he wasn’t and will soon become too scared to travel incase one day he is picked up and tried at the Hague.
Cinny, swordfish explained very clearly last night that Key’s declining numbers are not associated with a corresponding increase in Labour’s.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27112016/#comment-1266638
Yesah, Swordfish sure did a great job, lots of numbers clearly demonstrating the downward trend.
I’m not interested in other political parties atm, i’m interested in the trends of the outgoing government.
You know what… why have some of you Tories got the meows with me? Did I touch a nerve?
Nessalt it is not the slowest drop in the history of politics, that’s a lie. And with MMP who knows what’s going to happen next election, it’s not a two party race anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. Long live MMP
How’s his support partners doing?
By crikey Maori Party has fallen to 1%,
ACT and Dunne don’t even get a mention, no one chose them when rung about the poll.
As well 13% of people are undecided voters
National would not be able to govern alone
See for yourselves, graphs and everything…
http://www.colmarbrunton.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Preliminary_ONE-News-Colmar-Brunton-Poll-report-Nov-12-13-21-23.pdf
it’s the slowest drop in the history of politics. The trend line that shows you that John Key’s personal pm preference ratings as dropping, also shows that he’ll be in power for two more elections. He’ll be at about 30% by the election next year. andrew little on the other hand will at around 2%.
“the outgoing PM is downward trending in the polls, and he is very uncomfortable about it. Should have seen him on TVNZ this morning”
Yeah, I had to laugh at John’s relatively cynical attempt to discredit the Colmar Brunton’s Preferred PM figures by feigning bewilderment at the fact that the collective ratings for the 3 main leaders added up to only 52%.
Key:
As Jonathan Wedgewood Key knows full well, the Colmar Brunton’s – like the Reid Research Polls – include the Don’t knows and None-of-the-Aboves in their Preferred PM figures. Always have.
Arguably, a far more accurate measure of Leader popularity than the (now defunct) Herald-Digi – which excluded the Don’t knows and hence massively exaggerated Key’s (and everyone else’s) popularity, generating headlines and misleading voters into believing that two-thirds or more of the public wanted Key as PM.
Most of the “missing” 48% whose personal welfare John agonized over in the interview are accounted for by:
9% preferring various other minor leaders / politicians as PM.
36% choosing Don’t know or None.
Yes. I think the only inference is that if he doesn’t then his UMR polling is even worse.
And National don’t pay for the rest? hahahah
Price is what you pay, value is what you get
Isnt the North Pole and South Pole the only ones that really matter ?
Danish supermarket selling expired food opens second branch
Wefood in Copenhagen has proved a huge success as food waste becomes hot topic worldwide
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/27/food-waste-denmark-buy-expired-produce-copenhagen-wefood
Good topic savenz. Does anyone know if its illegal to skip dive in supermarket bins here? ive seen a couple of tv shows recently that had people skip diving outside supermarkets in aussie and the uk, seemed legal there.
I’d like to see supermarkets be forced to give their best before food to food banks to be given for free to anyone who needs food. It is a crime that people may be hungry in this country when we are a food producer and apparently Kiwis are the fourth richest country per capita in the world. Not to mention the problems when the food is going into land fill!
Yeah fully agree with you there. We might need (god forbid!) a socialist in charge to get some common sense happening though.
The Hugh’s War on Waste doco opened my eyes to food wastage. It focused a lot on produce not meeting cosmetic standards and then being thrown away… We need a better model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH2Jt3jobsQ
Good people doing good work. Flaxmere residents pulling the community out of its nosedive.
“It’s 7.30am in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere. Half a dozen children, some as young as 5, are already at Kimi Ora Community School tucking into spaghetti on toast.
Over the next half-hour, other hungry mouths arrive. No parents come with them.
“We might see five parents a day who walk their kids to school. Our kids walk to school and walk home by themselves,” says principal Matt O’Dowda.
White-bearded caretaker Wayne Reading, who serves the breakfast every school day, usually feeds about 25 of the school’s 130 pupils – or 70 on Fridays, when he serves a full cooked breakfast.
At lunchtimes almost all students cram into the dining room for $1 lunches prepared by a mum and her partner.”
“It’s not the black eyes, it’s more children that have had a lack of sleep because there’s been a party going on at home. Or not being picked up on time, or not being brought to school.”
O’Dowda says the partying and overcrowding put children at risk.
“We have just done a pubertal change unit with the seniors [Years 6-8, aged about 10-12],” he says.
“For our girls, their major concern was how do you protect yourself from men, because they know there are parties and there’s lots of people around. So we have now got a two-day self-defence programme coming in this term just for our Year 6-8 girls.”
Dr Sandra Jessop, a general practitioner in Flaxmere since 1988, cries when she speaks of women who disclose childhood abuse when she asks gently about injuries she can see when she does cervical smears.
“Sometimes you get depression in the mums when their girls start to go through puberty, because of what happened to them,” she says.””
Excellent piece of writing from veteran ‘tell it like it is’ journalist Simon Collins.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11737537
A year of living shamefully: New Zealand’s dirty secrets
We’ve got to own up to our faults and change them. This will not happen with the present corrupt government because these faults suit them and their backers as it makes them richer.
The Government has been warned not to cave in and make it easier for Chinese investors to buy strategically important land and businesses just to secure better access to China’s market.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201825535/govt-warned-not-to-give-up-too-much-in-china-fta-upgrade-talks
In a country where homelessness is rising maybe it is time we think that “strategically” means “all land” not being sold offshore. Land should be for citizens only. And being a citizen of NZ should also be a lot harder to achieve – not just a left over choice for those that can’t get into Canada or OZ.
The Qatari dictatorship’s official TV station does not
miss a chance to ridicule and demean the late Fidel Castro
Al Jazeera 10 a.m. News, Monday 28 November 2016
Al Jazeera is again featuring ugly demonstrations of gloating by the extreme right fringe of the Cuban-American community after the death of Fidel Castro. Interestingly, Al Jazeera three years ago did not feature any of the similar gloating that occurred in some of the similarly rabid pockets of South Africa when Castro’s great friend and supporter Nelson Mandela died.
Yet even the most grievous propaganda channel will sometimes, perhaps accidentally, provide access to more balanced, representative views. This morning that balanced representation came in the form of 22 year old Elian Gonzalez. In 1999, five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was kidnapped by some of these so-called “exile” fanatics. After a momentous legal battle, he was eventually returned to his father in Cuba. Today Elian Gonzalez, now 22 years old, appeared on Al Jazeera, praising the late Cuban leader.
This moment of sanity was soon relegated, however. To “balance” the testimony of Elian Gonzalez, the host interviewed one Peter Hakim, who rejoices in the splendid title of “president emeritus and senior fellow” of the Inter-American Dialogue. For a couple of minutes, Hakim released, pompously and slowly, a stream of anti-Castro propaganda, and absurdly lied that Castro had been opposed to the democratic developments in Latin America. To hear Peter Hakim telling this lie was especially galling, in view of the fact that in 1994, Hakim stated with equal pomposity, that the U.S. should not be concerned with either human rights or democracy in Haiti, and in fact the democratically elected President Aristide should be deposed, in the usual brutal manner.
https://chomsky.info/199408__/
RT: Chris Hedges ‘On Contact’ Standing Rock protest special
Documentary special by Chris Hedges, veteran war correspondent, as part of his ‘On Contact’ series on RT.
He follows the Water Protectors standing in the way of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Warning this is Chris Hedges on RT – ‘fake news ‘ – the news and the viewpoints that the establishment media doesn’t want you to know and will not cover themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRO7arI1KNo
Great piece, Hedges is brilliant. He also mentions that Trump will make this situation worse