Open mike 29/04/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 29th, 2023 - 49 comments
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49 comments on “Open mike 29/04/2023 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    29 April 2023 at 7:41 am

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300863277/hey-mate-heres-why-new-zealand-should-become-a-state-of-australia

    Would we benefit from becoming a state of Australia,

    What would it mean for the treaty

    • arkie 1.1
      29 April 2023 at 9:03 am

      An EU-type group across the Pacific seems more workable:

      A Pacific leader has called on New Zealand and Australia to live up to their “Pacific family” rhetoric and look into a European Union-style free movement of people around the region.

      Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa also revealed she suggested the idea to Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni at a recent meeting in Fiji but was told it would only see “all other people in the islands” wanting to come and live in New Zealand and Australia.

      The Green Party, which has been calling for visa waivers to be introduced for Pacific countries, says it supports Fiamē's proposal and wants the Government to seriously look into it.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/samoa-pm-calls-out-nz-and-australia-over-pacific-family-urges-eu-style-free-movement-of-labour-and-travel/E2JBKV5OU5CEXJBCIRJL3GFPSM/

    • pat 1.2
      29 April 2023 at 11:10 am

      An economist who dosnt mention currency in his piece…

    • Corey 1.3
      29 April 2023 at 7:36 pm

      Far Better wages, a better healthcare system, stronger unions, lower cost of groceries, lower house prices, far better working conditions, much higher top tax rates, less centralized power, a far better economy and a far more diversified economy, Aussie banks would now be domestic banks, New Zealanders would have more choice, better education.

      Our inclusion would always tilt the Senate and parliament a bit more left of center.

      New Zealanders like to pretend we refused to join the federation for altruistic reasons, which is baloney, NZ didn't join the federation because the NZ government wanted to be a national/dominion government not a state/province govt.

      Nz govt at the time wanted to have its own mini empire in the Pacific, it didnt want to be just some state in a federation.

      NZ and Australia used to have comparable quality of life and wealth distribution, since the 80s Australia has soared while NZ has floundered due to 39 years of consecutive misgovernment.

      Australia is a far more egalitarian country than NZ which is a classist neoliberal backwater with delusions of grandeur.

  2. Ed 2
    29 April 2023 at 9:14 am

    Bomber Bradbury puts out two excellent posts this morning highlighting that a class war has been waged for nearly 40 years by the rich in New Zealand….

    and that the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics.

    The woke are great at the low hanging fruit of identity politics because the solution is always exclusion of those who don’t accept identity politics dogma, but they are very quiet when it comes to class warfare in the form of a rigged capitalism because they themselves want to benefit from that rigged capitalism….

    There’s a class war in NZ but we don’t have the political vocabulary to articulate it because identity politics and not class is the only lens the middle class activists want to view society through!

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/04/29/why-the-woke-are-so-silent-over-the-tax-report/

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/04/29/dear-nz-how-does-it-feel-knowing-the-rich-have-rigged-the-economy-and-made-you-debt-slaves/

    • Bearded Git 2.1
      29 April 2023 at 9:39 am

      Bomber is obsessed with "woke middle-class identity politics" (WMCIP) and claims in the article that this is shutting out ideas such as a Wealth Tax.

      This is rubbish.

      He ignores the fact that the Greens, who he would accuse of being the prime proponents of WMCIP, had an excellent and workable Wealth Tax in their manifesto in 2020, and that the Greens still support a WT, which will doubtless form part of their 2023 manifesto.

      • alwyn 2.1.1
        29 April 2023 at 11:50 am

        The proposed tax was never going to be workable. It never discussed how they proposed to value peoples wealth. It simply glibly talked about wealth without proposing any way of measuring it in money terms. What method were they going to use to value a business that was not a listed company? How much, as an example, is the value of a small panel beating business with 10 employees? How do you suggest we measure it? It would be essential to come up with some way as that is where a great deal of wealth is held.

        • Bearded Git 2.1.1.1
          29 April 2023 at 4:01 pm

          Alwyn-You are just putting obstacles in the way because you hate the idea. Professional valuations of businesses are common when they are sold.

          I agree that a Land Tax would be simpler. Given that you only seem to oppose a WT on practicalities I assume you would support a LT?

    • AB 2.2
      29 April 2023 at 9:50 am

      “the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics”

      Does he get to the point where he says that only TOP and ACT can save us from the "liberal woke left" who won't take on the rich? Or is that that hilarious example of standing on his head and tying himself in knots something we can look forward to?

      And isn't the tax report itself 'woke' – people showing the ways in which their essential humanity gets crushed – poor and middle class people in this instance rather than say black people or trans people? How can Bradbury say the 'woke' oppose it when it's such a woke thing? Maybe he should define his terms – but when it comes to 'woke' we know that's an unmeetable demand.

      • Patricia Bremner 2.2.1
        29 April 2023 at 9:57 am

        AB in a nutshell.devil

      • RosieLee 2.2.2
        29 April 2023 at 10:14 am

        Woke is a silly word and I'm thoroughly sick of it. It's become an excuse for lazy and superficial thinking.

        • Ed 2.2.2.1
          29 April 2023 at 11:02 am

          The fact is that the liberal left are focused on identity politics as opposed to class politics.

          • Incognito 2.2.2.1.1
            29 April 2023 at 11:28 am

            Are they mutually exclusive?

            Is there any connection?

            Who are the ‘liberal left’ here in NZ?

          • Bearded Git 2.2.2.1.2
            29 April 2023 at 1:24 pm

            Ed-No we aren't.

            A tiny (but noisy and somewhat entitled) percentage of the population go on and on about "woke" and so-called identity issues.

          • AB 2.2.2.1.3
            29 April 2023 at 3:23 pm

            Right – so the problem with the 'woke' is that they are insufficiently woke, i.e. they care only about the oppression and indignities people suffer due to their race, gender and sexual identity, not those suffered due to social and economic class. Therefore they should be condemned for being 'woke' but then actually urged to be more 'woke'.

            There's a better phrase to describe these people – insofar as they exist in sufficient numbers to be worth thinking about – and it's "selective morality". And that's a phrase that could be equally applied to people who show the reverse bias, e.g. care about economic oppression but are quite happy with a bit of discreet racism here and there.

            • Corey 2.2.2.1.3.1
              29 April 2023 at 7:53 pm

              We definitely need a new word for describing the excesses of upper middle class "lefty's" who obsess over identity.

              Frankly what we call woke I consider undiluted neoliberalism because of its worship of individualism and it's breaking down of people into their gender, sexuality or race.

              They don't care about poor gays , poor trans , poor women or poor brown people, just themselves and people they associate with and the idea of solidarity with groups outside their little boxes is outrageous to them

        • Incognito 2.2.2.2
          29 April 2023 at 11:14 am

          It is not an excuse, it is a symptom. And anybody who uses it as an excuse is symptomatic.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 2.2.2.3
          29 April 2023 at 12:26 pm

          Ron DeSantis Mocked After ‘Buzzword Diarrhea Of The Mouth’ Rant Against ‘Woke’ [20 April 2023]

          So because 'the woke' represents a war on truth, ah
          We have no other recourse but to wage a war on 'woke'.

          We fight 'the woke' in the schools.
          We fight 'the woke' in the legislature.
          We fight 'the woke' in the corporations.

          We will never ever surrender to the 'woke' mob.
          Florida is where 'woke' goes to die.

          Would ‘anti-woke’ fly in Aotearoa New Zealand – aren’t we're too 'woke' for school?

          The War on Woke [18 March 2023]
          With those responsible for defending Otago University having been captured by the woke brigade, the question is what can be done.

          Winston Peters rails against secret 'woke agenda' in campaign speech [24 March 2023]

          'RIP woke media': An examination of Voices for Freedom's web radio channel [31 March 2023]

          Any wonder some young white males rebel? [18 April 2023]
          When merit doesn’t matter, young white males no longer strive for it but instead experience a sense of hopelessness which is the goal of the woke ideology. And to cap it all they have to cope with the imposition of the complicated, half-baked gender ideology.

          Is it any wonder that some of them rebel and turn to macho heros like the former world champion kickboxer and social media hero Andrew Tate, or others languish, smoking marijuana, which destroys their motivation and IQs, and playing pointless, violent video games?

          National's ex-candidate Stephen Jack accuses media of 'woke stupidity' and 'character assassination' [20 April 2023]

          Anti-woke 'heroes' (the antidote to ‘woke’) everywhere – Kiwis can't move for them all.

          Off to the Gulag for You Sonny [20 April 2023; Slater warning!]

        • Ed 2.2.2.4
          29 April 2023 at 1:03 pm

          I must say the word doesn't appeal to me either (hence the quote marks).

          I much prefer the description by Chris Hedges in his brilliant book 'Death of the Liberal Class.

          In this searing polemic Chris Hedges indicts liberal institutions, including his former employer, the New York Times, who have distorted their basic beliefs in order to support unfettered capitalism, the national security state, globalization, and staggering income inequalities.

          https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/13477640-the-death-of-the-liberal-class

        • Shanreagh 2.2.2.5
          29 April 2023 at 1:43 pm

          I agree.

          Woke

          I've seen it used in so many different and contradictory ways that it has lost its meaning. However for Martyn Bradbury it is the word du jour and because it has become so amorphous many don't think the description applies to them or anyone they know so his arguments lose their punch.

        • Corey 2.2.2.6
          29 April 2023 at 7:48 pm

          I agree. Woke is the wrong word.

          We definitely need a new word to describe the worst excesses of upper middle class identity politics.

          The kind of self indulgent pure temple virtue signaling outrage Olympics , faux activism that uses left wing social justice talking points to advocate for a quite bluntly, an authoritarian style of politics that shuts down debate, ideas, speech and art it doesn't like.

          Lefty's should call it out more often because it's toxic and freaks voters out.

          This kind of politics is the left wing version of puritans and bible bashers.

    • Incognito 2.3
      29 April 2023 at 11:06 am

      There’s a class war in NZ but we don’t have the political vocabulary to articulate it because identity politics and not class is the only lens the middle class activists want to view society through!

      That there is irony!

    • Mike the Lefty 2.4
      29 April 2023 at 11:30 am

      You might think they are excellent but for me they just represent Bradbury's obsessions and say nothing that he hasn't said a thousand times before.

      • Ed 2.4.1
        29 April 2023 at 1:05 pm

        His obsession. Extreme inequality in New Zealand.

        And that is bad?

        Yes, the liberal classes have much more important things to worry about…

        • Incognito 2.4.1.1
          29 April 2023 at 1:35 pm

          All obsessions are bad. They cloud judgment and narrow or close off the mind to other things and alternative views. Obsessed people are boring, repetitive, predictable and frankly uninteresting unless one has a morbid fascination with other people’s habits & behaviours.

        • Mike the Lefty 2.4.1.2
          29 April 2023 at 2:12 pm

          No, his obsessions with "wokeism", identity politics and all its connotations.

          You knew that I meant that and are just trying to look superior, exactly what Martyn Bradbury does in his arguments.

    • Sabine 2.5
      29 April 2023 at 3:36 pm

      We have the vocabulary, but like with identity politics we are in the process of criminalizing that vocabulary to benefit the very few at the expense of the majority.

      I mean we are calling men women, and have arrived at a point where a grown penis haver of importance is having a panic attack when asked to define the word' women', something that penis haver can't do because they were not 'pre-asked' that question and thus their million dollar speech writers could not provide them with a 'pre-formulated answer', and thus that person would risk upsetting the identity purity police, and well that would be so bad. And that grown penis haver would be our current PM person Chippy.

  4. Alan 4
    29 April 2023 at 1:48 pm

    Heard an ad on the radio today offering free entry to the Warriors game for people who turn up and complete the census at the gates prior to going into the match. Also go into a draw to win a trip to see an NRL game in Oz, or something like that.

    WHAT?

    Rewarding lazy, non-compliant behaviour while the rest of us suckers who actually got off our arses and did the census on time get SFA.

    Stupid.

    • alwyn 4.1
      29 April 2023 at 1:58 pm

      What do you see as an alternative? Do you really expect the Government, and the Government Statistician, to admit they have stuffed up the Census for the second time in a row, tell us that the results are useless and have the people responsible apologise and resign?

      Can you see any possibility of that happening?

      • Incognito 4.1.1
        29 April 2023 at 3:29 pm

        Your ‘solution’: heads off. [typical RW response]

        Peter Davis’ solution: look at international best practice.

        https://www.newsroom.co.nz/census-turnout-low-despite-37m-blowout

        • alwyn 4.1.1.1
          29 April 2023 at 7:41 pm

          "Your ‘solution’: heads off"?

          Well I rather think that when you proceed by assigning responsibility to a Minister who still has training wheels as the most junior Minister we have, and then try and do exactly the same things as was done in 2018 I don't suppose we can expect to do any better can we? The only difference I can see is that we seem to have an even lower response rate after expending a great deal more money.

          Should they go? Well I suppose it is no more a failure than Kiwibuild, or the ridiculous re-organisation of the Health system, or the Polytech merger farce or perhaps the phantom cycle bridge across the Waitemata so why should they be the only ones to pay the price of failure?

    • Incognito 4.2
      29 April 2023 at 2:54 pm

      You sound like an angry NACT voter, all stick, no carrot. The ones who want to hand out stickers to rule-breaking youth and then send them to boot camps upon their third sticker. Your cognitive dissonance is even the more grating because you fail to recognise that this is an initiative by a private enterprise, which you should be applauding to the hilt. BTW, it took me less than 10 mins. to complete the Census form and I slept really well that night knowing that I had fulfilled my duty.

    • bwaghorn 4.3
      29 April 2023 at 4:01 pm

      So what's your solution old angry white man??

    • scotty 4.4
      29 April 2023 at 5:25 pm

      A similar thing might work getting the lazy entitled non compliant farmers off their arses,

  5. Mike the Lefty 5
    29 April 2023 at 2:33 pm

    On mayor Wayne Brown's claim about vote fraud in the last mayoral election.

    http://www.newsroom.co.nz/wayne-brown-called-out-on-voter-fraud-claim

    Brown claims that the postal voting system allows fraud to take place. His specific allegation (no evidence is provided) is that voters take their postal ballots to one place – like a community centre in South Auckland and the choices are made there. The implication is, of course, that people are urged to vote for a particular candidate and may have their voting paper filled out for them. The further implication is that this was done by supporters of rival candidate Efeso Collins, although he doesn't specifically say that you know that he means it.

    Brown actually may be right. The postal voting system is riddled with problems and inconsistencies and it is very easy to manipulate voters when they vote other than in a public booth with Electoral Commission staff to keep an eye on things.

    What Wayne Brown didn't mention however is that anecdotally it happens in other places. I have heard stories in the past of retirement village staff collecting ballot papers so they could be taken to the office "to help the retirees cast their vote properly, save them time…."It is a very hard thing to prove because you need witnesses who will talk. If the staff talk they lose their job and the retirees would normally be too nervous to object.

    I agree with Wayne Brown in that the postal voting system is very vulnerable to fraud and should be abolished. It was established in the first place because it was thought it would increase voter turnout (it hasn't) and of course because it is much cheaper than having election booths open.

    I have been a persistent opponent of postal voting for ANY local body or higher elections and it should be scrapped. If it costs more to have proper and fair elections – too bad!

    • Incognito 5.1
      29 April 2023 at 3:22 pm

      Wayne Brown is looking and sounding more like Donald Trump every day. If he has any ‘evidence’ of voter fraud then he should not sit on his arse, as he did when that weather event hit Auckland, but do something about it, to help fix it. For example, take it to the Electoral Commission or the Police. Put up or shut up, Wayne Brown.

    • Belladonna 5.2
      29 April 2023 at 4:18 pm

      We were 'sold' postal voting as a mechanism to address the decline in voter turnout in local body elections.

      The theory being that people didn't vote because it was inconvenient.

      The decline has continued.

      No way (absent alternative history) to know if the decline would have been greater if in-person voting had continued.

      Personally, I think that postal voting has made it *less* likely that people will vote.

      People who are committed to democracy will vote – either in person or via postal ballot.

      People who don't care or believe their vote has no impact, won't bother – regardless of the medium.

      Influencing someone to get out and vote, is more effectively done when there is a real deadline (it's Saturday or never).

      Much like the census. The most effective way of getting people to fill it out, is to stand at the door, and wait while they do it.

      • Mike the Lefty 5.2.1
        29 April 2023 at 5:19 pm

        The census!

        O God! what you can say about the census!

        What an unmitigated pack of b…s it was!

        I seriously considered not doing it at all because it was so bad.

        I bet a whole lot of people didn't do it.
        Postal voting is the “O’Reilly” system (Fawlty Towers) = it’s cheap (and nasty)

        • Drowsy M. Kram 5.2.1.1
          29 April 2023 at 7:00 pm

          OMG the census – so much worse than COVID and cyclone Gabrielle put together. And it happens every 5 years – talk about effing onerous – never again!

          Still, against colossal odds, I completed the 2023 census forms – don't ask me how.

          Only one more week for census collectors to help with census forms [27 April 2023]
          “To organise a visit from a census collector, call the 0800 236 787 (0800 CENSUS) helpline.”

          “Ask not what your country can do for you…” – how times, and people, have changed. Is Aotearoa New Zealand becoming a nation of ‘special’ crusading wizards?

          Key trends within civic engagement [PDF]
          Local trends in civic engagement should be considered within the context of the general decline in voter engagement across
          western democracies. In the last 30 years, voter turnout in New Zealand has fallen from a high of 89 percent in the 1984
          general election to a low of 70 percent in 2011.

    • Ed1 5.3
      29 April 2023 at 9:14 pm

      I am aware that Justices of the Peace are used to ensure that many elderly people in retirement villages / rest homes / hospitals are able to vote as they wish without coercion. Australia is able to impose fines for those that do not vote – whether that improves the quality of the election is arguable. Many critics are however short on answers to perceived problems – there do not seem to be many ideas for improving our election process. . .

  6. aj 6
    29 April 2023 at 7:18 pm

    Joe Biden urges Wall Street donors to fill $1bn-plus campaign war chest

    https://twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/1651998106848833552?cxt=HHwWoMC9hdHhie0tAAAA

  7. joe90 7
    29 April 2023 at 9:04 pm

    A wee tale of humiliation.

    Mr. Belafonte, sir.

    […]

    There will be better and more substantive testimonials and remembrances of this great, great man published this week. I met him briefly, on limited terms, but on news of his death, I found myself reliving the entire encounter. The worst of it left me dazed, shaking my head at myself, incredulous that it happened as it did. And while most of the joke is on me, there is enough in this tale to deliver some insight into how sharp, savage and charming a man Harry Belafonte was. In short, it’s always a shame to not share a good anecdote, so here we go: A few years back, HBO execs brought me in to look at a project that had been languishing at the network for too long: A proposed long-form miniseries on Taylor Branch’s magisterial trilogy of America in the King Years, perhaps the most definitive account of the critical years in the civil rights movement. Those who have read those three tomes will immediately understand that there is enough power and content in any one of them for…

    https://davidsimon.com/mr-belafonte-sir/

  8. joe90 8
    29 April 2023 at 9:29 pm

    .

    These are junior officers. Imagine the scale of the thievery senior officers are engaged in and how the Russian military kleptocracy degrades the ability of Ru forces.

    1/ Six Russian logistics officers have been found guilty of stealing more than 360 tons of aviation kerosene in the Irkutsk region. Each got off with fines equivalent to $627 or less, according to a regional Russian news outlet.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1651966786345091072

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1651966786345091072.html

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    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

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