Sub-editor at Stuff trying to set up a bullshit ‘gotcha’ narrative.
Headline:Test for Labour Government as France stands firm against strikes.
Article’s position on local wages/industrial relations: After years of relatively anaemic wage growth, I certainly don’t begrudge workers rattling the cage for a top-up to their take-home pay.
The article goes on to describe a rancorous mess in France and makes no mention of any sort of “test” for our government.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Labour the Greens and NZF emphasised the need for higher wages. Guess what happens if there are no wage rises: they get accused of “breaking promises”. Guess what happens if wages rise: they get accused of failing the “test”.
Shouldn’t be too hard to knock this sub-editor’s bullshit out of the park, so I expect to see ministers doing exactly that.
Resident Paul Davie, who was behind the meeting, said he did not know whether low-level criminals, people with mental health issues or paedophiles would live at the houses.
“How’s it going to be managed and who’s going to control these people if they need controlling?”
Could ask a similar question about the wealthy assholes in your suburb
I suppose that he didn’t write enough vacuous tripe and the newspaper had to increase the space that it took up so as to garner more readers and thus four photos.
Resident Paul Davie, who was behind the meeting, said he did not know whether low-level criminals, people with mental health issues or paedophiles would live at the houses.
“How’s it going to be managed and who’s going to control these people if they need controlling?”
Could ask a similar question about the wealthy assholes in your suburb
NZ dairy Farmers are first class whiners. They think they have a right to let their cows shit and piss in waterway that suits them, and not have to pay a cent towards remediation. Despite producing almost half of our greenhouse gas emissions they demand they be exempt from any costs associated with reducing our greenhouse gas outputs.
Mycoplasma bovis arrived in NZ because their overwhelming party of choice, National, defunded MPI and biosecurity to the point of ineffectiveness allowing not just Mycoplasma into NZ but other things like Myrtle rust as well. Dairy farmers also subverted the stock movement recording scheme with unrecorded and illegal stock movements for tax dodging purposes, making it extremely difficult to track the disease spread.
The government stumps up the thick end of a billion dollars of ordinary Kiwi’s money (you know, the struggling minimum wage cleaners of Otara that National spends some much time crying crocodile tears over when it suits them) to eradicate the disease caused by their political party and their greed and all they can do is go on the telly and the radio and whinge and bitch about how hard done by they are.
Personally, I would levy an extra charge on the the dairy industry to recover every last cent of taxpayers money spent on eradication and make them pay for their own f**k ups for a change.
Sadly wish there was as much urban anxiety about the shit from people and diesel from roads we are putting in our harbours.. resulting in record beach closures this year.
There has been a lot of action by people in Auckland about the pollution closing beaches. You need to look locally, the actions by people in their neighbourhoods.
I think most people know, or the ones I know anyway, acknowledge Auckland sewage crisis is one bad storm away from shutting down the city. We have had succession of councils who have ignored the fact that pipes are old, and in (desperate, which is were we are now) need of replacement. Not a huge fan of current crop, but at least their head is not buried in the sand on this issue.
Fortunately the government is not as stupid as you want them to be.
Imagine if the government said “no compensation, and we are going to levy all farmers (or maybe just the farmers affected) the cost of eradication” how much co-operation do you think MPI would get. In fact there would be demonstrations and blockades, since the farmers would think they have nothing to lose.
On top of that imagine all the stories on TV and media of bankruptcy, farm walk offs, suicide and family tragedy.
Just because most farmers don’t vote Labour, doesn’t mean their plight would not affect other voters.
I reckon the govt would not survive even till the next election. NZ First would have to walk and form a coalition with National, if it wanted any chance at all of electoral survival.
And in any event in emergencies like this, no government makes its policies on the basis of who votes for it. Thank goodness.
Serious question Wayne. Why should a private business that is a farm get state aid for compensation after taking risky business action but not other businesses?
I’d have thought the “best” example of misplaced subsidy is that which goes to the oil industry. According to the IMF, it’s about NZ$2 billion every single year (and climbing) when health costs and environmental costs for New Zealand are factored in.
Well, seeing as how I mentioned a couple of areas that are obviously in the category of indirect subsidy, yup, I think you can safely assume I know I’m not talking only about direct subsidies.
Do we subsidise the cane sugar industry by, for example, picking up the tab for associated health costs? Of course we do.
And for industry after business after industry, that’s the nature of the game. Some people make off like bandits while society absorbs the consequences of their actions in a myriad of ways.
It’s beyond me why we fete, honour and reward their likes, and why we often hold them and their ways up as examples for our children to emulate. (shrug)
Mickysavage
That point is so right Especially the payout to the investors who bought bonds after the company first failed …
Some of the knowledgable commenters here have painted a different picture of the SCF dealings showing Hubbard in a better light, and having helped good businesses get going. I am still ignorant of most, but take the point that there are facets that haven’t had full study by the public. There is just too much happening to grasp truth from hyperbole on everything.
In dire emergencies beyond the control of any business, lots of businesses get special assistance from government.
Some examples. Quite a lot during the GFC in 2009. Also a lot of support for Christchurch businesses following the earthquakes. Same in Kaikoura and Edgecumbe. Not to the level of normal business activity, but enough for most to survive.
Given the severity of the various crisises during 2009 to 2011, that was quite a bit of the overall work of Cabinet.
In a sense it is a form of social and economic insurance provided by society as a whole, beyond what any insurance company could ever offer.
This type of “insurance” seems essential for the stability and continuity of society. In some respects it is the business equivalent of the unemployment benefit. At the end of each business are actual people, and the assistance is in reality for them.
do these other businesses that suffer adverse effects attributable to risky business are held up as special needs and special value businesses by National No Mates and do they vote reliably for National No Mates?
they don’t? Then they are moochers that need to learn the hard way how to exists of the government tit.
If only they didn’t fund and support a political party that has repeatedly sought to smash the welfare state. A party that deliberately increases income inequality. A party that attacks human rights and the rule of law.
A party that tells lies about “personal responsibility” and the “high trust model”. The National Party.
Now they want some “communism”, let’s see if any of them can muster the grace to apologise.
Which party in NZ has “repeatedly sought to smash the welfare state”? Certainly not National. It was National who introduced the first real increase in benefits in over 30 years. National borrowed over the course of the GFC to maintain WFF and a raft of other components of the welfare state. If you referring to national introducing a more robust assessment regime, that actually enhances the welfare system by making more equitable (to the taxpayer) and more sustainable.
“It was National who introduced the first real increase in benefits in over 30 years.”
Only for families and then the vast majority of them got less than the headline figure because of supplementary allowances being reduced.
Job Seekers, Supported Living got nothing extra -except harassment and vilification from the National Government
“Only for families and then the vast majority of them got less than the headline figure because of supplementary allowances being reduced.”
So there was an increase. So no one lied. Well done.
Hey Baba, so long as no one lied then eh?
You’re ok with seriously ill and disabled citizens not having their benefit rate increased?
/rhetorical- of course you are.
Me and almost every single beneficiary. Still waiting.
But of course you already know that.
Happy to be proved wrong of course- Perhaps you would like to link to evidence of this increase to ALL beneficiaries, then point out to WINZ that they’ve been mucking up our payments since the announcement?
Get a new line why don’t you, it’s not going to work here.
Serious question micky. Why should a private person get ongoing state aid (benefits, housing etc) after taking risky personal action (not going to school, not taking contraception, not looking after supplied housing etc).
One might say that at least the majority of farmers are net taxpayers.
what benefits are available to other small business owner that loose their businesses to greed and general stupidity and support from National no Mates?
non. they can close shop, file for bankruptcy and go on the dole to be told “your Partner earns enough to feed you”.
so are these benefits only available to farmers or all businesses. cause if they are farming only then that would make the farmers more special and more deserving then anyone else.
One might also say that the taxes collected aren’t equal to the damage done by this current crop. After all, businesses fail all the time and the economy (and the associated tax take) carries on.
I note that the incentive to ignore NAIT is tax evasion. Business owners who cheat on their taxes belong in prison, or at the very least, out of business.
That’s what productive, non-polluting, successful operators call “a gap in the market”, so the sky will not fall, Chicken Little, no matter how many businesses change hands.
While playing golf with some farmers years ago, they said that NZ must understand that Farmers are the backbone of NZ. “Maybe so,” I said. “But are you farming for the good of the country or because you like the lifestyle and have good taxfree income from it?”
Ooops!
I saw it that they felt that we owe them a living.
Certainly compromise is needed to prevent rural revolt, no matter where the fault lies. Tom makes some very good points though; he talks about National’s failure to implement NAIT properly and that’s a significant factor in the present dire situation. His conclusion reflects his anger, and fair enough.
what percentage of the rural population actually works in dairy farming?
As fulltime paid workers with benefits? And how many of these are Kiwis or on a working visa?
Why do you expect a rural revolt, when as of now the unemployed and disregarded population of the rural areas are not revolting?
Are you speaking of a farmers revolt? Cause as i live rural now the only ones that are marching with stupid signs while living of the government tit receiving working for families are the farmers that we are now have to bail out due to their stupidity, willful stupidity, ignorance, willful ignorance, disregard for the land, disregard for their larger community and greed.
btw, can these rural non revolting people that are unemployed and disregarded actually afford butter, milk or mince?
Wayne, you are using alarmism to defend the status quo here and completely missing the wider problems with lightly regulated/enforced dairy intensification practices.
personal responsibilities is for single women and their children.
Farmers are poor humans that are hard done by and must be coddled and waddled in cotton at all times lest they have to pay the bill for the mess they created.
Imagine if the government said “no compensation, and we are going to levy all farmers (or maybe just the farmers affected) the cost of eradication” how much co-operation do you think MPI would get.
Imagine if those farmers not cooperating were sent to jail and lost everything for obstruction of justice.
In fact there would be demonstrations and blockades, since the farmers would think they have nothing to lose.
We can ensure that they lose everything.
Should give them plenty of ‘incentive’. Isn’t that what National’s ‘tough on crime’ is all about?
They can’t strike like nurses so the DHBs continue to exploit those caring for disabled.
Who else wants to work as a Support Carer?
If she was hesitant, I was astonished. The maximum rate, $64.50 for 24 hours, works out to be $2.69 per hour. Yes, you read that right – and as I recall has barely changed in over 30 years.
…
The Support Carer is still unable to claim mileage. So a return trip of 30k, at the IRD rate of 73c per kilometre allowed for mileage expenses, works out at a $21.90 cost to myself.
To add further insult, IRD requires the hourly $2.69 to be taxable. For a five day week working 24 hours with no breaks, the total payment is a taxable $312.50.
“If you don’t want to have affordable housing or quality density housing in your neighbourhood, you go and live in Pokeno or Dairy Flat,” he said.
Ok so its fair to say that National still haven’t quite cottoned to the fact they’re the opposition but its equally fair to say Labour and more specifically Twyford haven’t realised that what they could say and do in opposition is different to what you can say and do when you’re in power
Jude isn’t in power, Twyford is which means his words have power so he needs to stop taking a “us v them” mentality and realise hes working for all NZers
Rather then be deliberately confrontational he could explain why its happening unless the only reason he can think of is ideological
“Cleaning up the appalling mess National left the country” is a powerful weapon for Labour to wield; they’d be foolish not to wave it around all over the place, lopping off Natty heads, left, right and centre.
The only mess is in your mind. The only reason Labour can spend so much is because they have inherited a strong economy and a healthy balance sheet. From National.
Baba – I think your comment needs filling out a little.
As In: “The only reason Labour can spend so much is because they have inherited a falsely represented economy from a balance sheet faked through shameless underfunding of social services to create a false surplus as well as an ailing, unhealthy society.” But filling it out to reflect the truth makes nonsense of your comment, doesn’t it?
So long as they’re out of touch with you, authoritarian centrist followers and sociopaths, I’m not too concerned: Judith has that constituency covered quite well.
It would be a welcome gesture if farmers could show their appreciation for what the Government and New Zealanders (via their taxes) are doing to attempt to eradicate this biosecurity breach that they have brought upon themselves. Instead of holding up banners about a “pretty communist”. Ironic that “communism/state aid” is now going their way – which it should of course at a time like this.
Farmers will hopefully realise they can’t operate like Wild West Cowboys and society as a whole has to work together for the benefit of all.
During night time talkback it was good to hear a National voter express his admiration for Jacinda’s handling of the whole situation and for how well informed she was.
“We are, at last, navigating out of the “meth contamination” debacle
“Testing for low levels of methamphetamine in residential properties in New Zealand has come at a very high cost,” reads the report of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman into the national panic over the alleged meth contamination of thousands of properties, which was published today.”
Yes thumbs up to the Government on sorting this sorry state of affairs out.
“Several hundred state homes sitting needlessly empty would be put back into use within weeks, and Housing New Zealand would save up to $30m a year on testing, Twyford said.
“The great majority is testing and remediation was completely unnecessary,” Twyford said.
A review into how the standards were set would also be carried out by Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi.
“Very significant sums of money have been spent on testing and decontamination of houses that are thought to have been contaminated by methamphetamine. Housing New Zealand alone in the last fours years has spent $100m on testing and remediation,” Twyford said.
“Large numbers of homes thought to have been contaminated were left empty in the middle of a housing crisis.”
At last we get some sense on this issue – the question everyone should be pondering is why did it take so long and why wasn’t something done sooner? The wastage from this mess is unbelievable.
‘National’s housing spokeswoman Judith Collins said it was time for Housing Minister Phil Twyford to face the facts.’
“You’ve had builders, academics, the Treasury, Reserve Bank, MBIE, economists and media commentators all pointing out the serious flaws in his policy, and saying the Government won’t deliver on its promises, in spite of Phil’s ‘Hear No Evil’ approach to his responsibilities.”
“And today it’s the Salvation Army urging Phil to accept he’s not up to it and calling on the Government to bring in the experts to deliver more houses,” she said in a statement.
@PR, who are the experts, Fletchers, Master builders, China construction bank and the Ozzie banks, Phil Goff, the council cronies that can’t even put a legal argument in for the unitary plan, the Sallies, illegal/semi legal labourer’s and their exploiters, Tilers????
At least they have got a few hundred empty state houses back into production.
But Labour are still heavily neoliberal is their approaches and more people still coming into NZ than going out.
When both the MBIE, Treasury and the Sallies are telling you its not looking good and the only person who thinks its going well is the reflection in the mirror then you might have some issues
But don’t worry when kiwibuild fails i’m sure National won’t remind everyone of the promises made and failed to be kept
Be great if Twyford fails eh PR?
More untaxed capital gain for you and me (I’m at $1.4M and going up whoopee) and more people sleeping in cars but they’ve made bad decisions so who cares? I’m a fan of personal responsibility you see. And excellence too. I put the doubling of the ‘value’ of my properties in 10 years entirely down to my personal excellence in every respect. And my brilliant decision-making – I decided to be born to professional parents. I think I’m pretty fantastic in every respect and my money is evidence of that.
Earth – meet scum of.
Failing miserably because you can’t or won’t take advice is no better than trying nothing since the result is the same but at least he can get some nice feelz for “trying”
Maybe if he took some advice then instead of failing he might actually make it work
It seems like the outcome is that the committee attended to criticisms and decided they were without merit: especially with regard to ISDS issues.
They say they are working on consultation with Māori over treaty issues.
So the Committee Recommends:
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committeehas conducted
the international treaty examination of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The committee recommends that the House take note of its report and note that the Government intends the treaty to be implemented through a bill.
I suspect the committee was stacked with pro-CPTPPA supporters. I think we need to ask for an independent analysis, as did some submitters.
Simon O’Connor (Chairperson)
Hon Gerry Brownlee (until 21 March 2018)
Golriz Ghahraman
Hon Willie Jackson
Hon Tim Macindoe (from 21 March 2018)
Hon Todd McClay
Hon Mark Mitchell (until 21 March 2018)
Christopher Penk (from 21 March 2018)
Louisa Wall
Dr Duncan Webb
@Carolyn_Nth, Oh what a surprise, they listened to the submissions. Probably more like ‘listening’ aka surveilling the submitters, while telling themselves it will all be ok.
Sad and predictable result explaining Labour and NZ First’s positions in the polls. And Greens very weak on their position of this farce, against the government.
I get so frustrated with the flack coming from all corners about Twyford not achieving his goals in Kiwibuild. Maybe he won’t reach the targets he set, but at least he is DOING SOMETHING !
I get so frustrated that a promise that was made to help win an election isn’t being lived up to and probably won’t even get close to succeeding because Twyford is so arrogant to think he has all the answers
But its ok because hes “doing something”, how about instead of him wasting millions/billions we just give him a gold star sticker and tell him hes special
Or maybe instead he takes advice, puts his ego in check and actually works through the problems to get this sorted, like hes supposed to
I don’t like that National lost the election, I think National would be doing a much better job and if we’re all lucky this will only be a one term government
That being said Twyford said they’d build 100 000 houses, it was a big plank of their election campaign, it was “proof” that Labour cares, cares so much more than National so i don’t think anyone should have a problem with wanting Labour to actually carry out their promises
Should the Labour-led government reach out to the opposition National party for assistance in dealing with the housing crisis?
John Key campaigned on addressing the growing housing crisis over ten years ago, so National must have ‘built’ up considerable expertise during nine years in power, and were poised to ‘Act’. They just needed three more years to ‘turn’ things around – so cruel.
The reality is that if National was still in power, then they would be continuing to do SFA – fiddling while NZ churns.
“The Man in the Panama Hat would love nothing more than staying indoors.”
Nice story on the Radio New Zealand website about the change in government thinking on the dodgy Meth testing practices that became common under National and cost Tax Payers and a lot of people unnecessary problems while also making the housing crisis worse all so a few dodgy firms that owned both meth testing and cleaning companies could rake in big money for unnecessary work.
The country’s top scientists say New Zealand has been gripped by hysteria and are recommending people do not test their homes for meth – unless the Police specifically indicate it was a meth lab.
A new report by the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman found there’s never been a documented case of someone getting sick from third-hand exposure to meth.
Mr Twyford said the moral panic around meth has led to needless clean-ups and evictions.
“A hundred million dollars in the case of Housing New Zealand, goodness knows how much in the private sector – so money’s been wasted,” Mr Twyford said.
…And
”However in several news stories at the time Bennett and English said they approved of the Housing NZ regime. English said the agency was “rightly taking a firm stance on the health risks posed by meth, and will continue to do so for as long as it is detected in its properties” in 2016, and Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was “no evidence” Housing NZ were evicting tenants unfairly.’
The WH are exposed thanks to brave people like @EvaKBartlett and @VanessaBeeley. First I saw the electrodes in the centre. On the phone I see they are placed quite correctly. I did not lie. I made a mistake! I apologise. Will the WH and others too?
A heartwarming story about the trials (literally) of those hardworking rich folks…
‘Elizabeth Huljich alleges her son Christopher Huljich and her grandson Peter Huljich failed to comply with the conditions of a $750,000 loan agreement she organised for them….
‘In 2011 Peter Huljich and his company Huljich Wealth Management was convicted and ordered to pay $447,000 for undermining public confidence in the KiwiSaver investment market and misleading investors by using his own money to artificially inflate the performance of the company’s KiwiSaver fund.’
Good morning The AM Show can’t you see this was a drilibrit move to cause a housing crisis shuttering houses because of PEEEEE. PEEEEE test was also a gravy train for some retired people who think that there views are the only ones that count. As for Sir Peter Gluckman The Labour lead coalition government top science advisor if the boss say stay out of the debate we’ll that’s what he did we know who the boss was.
How many houses have been condemned because of this con job.Maybe there should be a law pasted that the people who were running the government at the time should pay te tangata compensation A.
I was going to include the Rose Anne shoe in one of my post it does show you how hard poor people have it in America I did not no she was a racist trump admire I wonder if he is going to stop printing money this action actually takes wealth from the rest of the Papatuanukue.
The last bonus I got was 11 years ago I used the money to buy my truck that was when Farmers value there workers before shonky decided to change the laws immigration and employment. It did not take long for some farmers to start treating workers like——- now its a shame people laugh at you when you say that you are a dairy farm worker because of the – – – – – way tangata have been treated bad Karma bites NO.
Mark calm down its not your fault that all nationals shitty secrets are coming to light 400 million to irrigate land that would have stay in the low intensity farming with out the gift of millions billy boy A looking after his m8 You made all the wrong moves Ka kite ano
The AM Show Duncan don’t try and blame the scientists just look at the human caused global warming debacle If a government does not want to use common sense there is no way OUR scientist are going to change there views thru a lens of $$$$$$ bills No. you know the old saying. Ka kite ano
I think it’s bull that those retired civil servants the people from the PEEEEE testing industry are commenting on this subject don’t you think its a conflict of interest just like the Alcohol lobbying group commenting on Alcohol issues a conflict of interest No so don’t listen to the bull that comes from people like them. An toa kai Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub the sandflys are not happy with my post this morning they are doing the same here in Auckland sending actor to try and – – – with ECO MAORI but know effect arrr why don’t they find someone worthy of their attention they obviously got to much time to waste intimidating me.
Good on the Tall Black playing in Rotorua soon it will be good for Aotearoa Basketball if Steven Adams plays for the Tall Blacks.
Ingrid I hope we are going to get some warmer weather soon.
Ka kite ano. P.S Ill have to put a TV in the Truck lol its Matariki on the first of June ECO MAORI will be celebrating this event
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Sometimes you see your friends making the case so well on social media you think: just copy and share.On acceptance and decency, from Michèle A’CourtA notable thing about anti-trans people is they way they talk about transgender women and men as though they are strangers “over there” when in fact ...
Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
Comparing (and switching) electricity providers has become easier, but bundling power up with broadband and/or gas makes it more challenging. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā TL;DR: The new Consumer Advocacy Council set up as a result of the Labour Government’s Electricity Price Review in 2019 has called on either ...
Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products has put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here. A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon may be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but he could be tapping into a rich political vein in describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining, with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
Morning mate, how you going?Well, I was watching the news last night and they announced this scientific report on Climate Change. But before they got to it they had a story about the new All Blacks coach.Sounds like important news. It’s a bit of a worry really.Yeah, they were talking ...
Always a bailout: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Government would fully guarantee all savers in all smaller US banks if needed. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: No wonder an entire generation of investors are used to ‘buying the dip’ and ‘holding on for dear life’. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposés ...
Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are weshortchanged democratically by the way ...
RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is to meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang where she might have to call on all the diplomatic skills at her command. Almost certainly she will face questions on what role ...
TL;DR:The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
Buzz from the Beehive New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
Nick Matzke writes – Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
Buzz from the Beehive The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...
With calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...
As large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says. ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges. Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment. “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff (right) is now the only non-Labor leader at federal or state level.Mick Tsikas/AAP When Dominic Perrottet gave a gracious concession speech after ...
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 Dean Lewins/AAPThis article was updated March 26. With 36% of enrolled voters counted in today’s New South Wales ...
Coated in two spices and ready in five minutes. Easy as.I first heard of marsala chicken when I moved to New Zealand as a 15-year-old. The dish confused me as it didn’t have any spices in it except for garlic. In my head I had confused it with the ...
Author Marty Smith writes from her home, the flood-damaged region of Hawke’s Bay, excavating the extraordinary facets of life amid a disaster.Wednesday 22 February 22, eight days after the flood.It’s easy to drive down Puketitiri Rd: diggers cleared silt and slips on the second day. Looters slide at ...
My trainer said she was happier than she’d ever been. I wanted that.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Illustrations by Note: This essay discusses and describes disordered eating. Please take care.Just 10 burpees to go.I threw myself against the carpet. ...
Bard Billot on the bumbling BaronRace for the Polls Baron Luxon speeds across the polar wastes aboard his electric blue jet sled “Titanic.” The sky is cloudless and the way is clear and the Baron is well in the lead. In his toasty warm fine mink cossack hat ...
Māori women are the backbone of the Warriors and always have been, writes Briar Pomana.Since before I can remember, my mum has been a Warriors fan. Her and other wāhine Māori I know are some of the staunchest supporters out and, in my opinion, are the true face of ...
Reports have described the protest held at Albert Park on Saturday as angry, chaotic and ugly. This attendee found it to be joyful, life-affirming and full of love.Climbing the stairs up to Saturday’s counter-rally where anti-trans activist Posie Parker was meant to speak, my husband and I were hit ...
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 Dean Lewins/AAP With 36% of enrolled voters counted in today’s New South Wales state election, the Poll Bludger’s results currently ...
A former entertainment mecca in the middle of Auckland is up for grabs. The problem? It’s been run into the ground. Have you got spare cash sitting around? Do you want to buy something grand, something special? How does a nine-storey complex covering 3,486 square metres in the middle of ...
Posey Parker appeared in Auckland today for a brief few moments, but it was clear that she was going to have a hard time being heard above thousands of people exercising their own right to free speech The streets of Auckland’s city centre were thick today with the noise of tubas, ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was knocked to the ground by a motorcyclist who appeared to fail to stop at a pedestrian crossing after today's counter-protest against Posie Parker. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was struck by a passing motorcycle this morning as she protested Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s rally event at Albert Park. Davidson was standing on Princes St holding a sign reading “trans solidarity” when a band of motorcyclists, there in support of Brian and Hannah Tamaki’s Vision NZ, ...
By Krishneel Nair in Suva“The most important thing from my perspective is a strategic partnership — a partnership where the media should not be seen as the enemy or a nuisance.” This was the view of the Communications Fiji Ltd news director and Fijian Media Association executive Vijay Narayan ...
The noise began long before Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (AKA Posie Parker) arrived. Despite an 11am scheduled start time to her planned rally to “speak for women”, the Albert Park rotunda was surrounded by 10.30. But the crowd was not there to see or hear her. A truck parked at the entrance ...
Chris Schulz on the nearly three-hours of joy Keanu Reeves’ latest non-stop orgy of violence brings. This is an excerpt from our pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday here. Keanu Reeves has annihilated the place. In what appears to be ...
Teacher unions have criticised National's curriculum plan, but the party was targeting concerned parents and his political opponent, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. ...
Don’t underestimate the significance of TVNZ’s new documentary series about Kai Kara-France, a fighter acclaimed on the world stage but still criminally underrated at home, writes Don Rowe. In 2015, when I first profiled Kai Kara-France for the now-defunct Mana magazine, he told me he’d never wanted to sign with ...
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 Justin Lloyd/AAP The New South Wales state election is today. Polls close at 6pm AEDT. Votes cast on election day ...
If current trends continue, by 2053 half of retirement-age New Zealanders will be renters. Right now, options for over-65s who don’t own their own home are limited.This story was first published on Stuff. What’s life like when you reach retirement age, but don’t own a home of your own? Most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Feigin, Postdoctoral Fellow in Genomics and Evolution, The University of Melbourne Anom Harya/ShutterstockShoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land on the next tree. Many groups of mammals seem to have taken this evolutionary advice to ...
When a big corporate is alarmed about possible law changes, it asks its well-connected lobbyist to intervene. A text message exchange between a Cabinet Minister and his lobbyist "mate" follows. ...
"He imagines the rattling windows of his bach": a sad seaside saga by Majella Cullinane Màiri watches him as he walks down the hill next to her house. The man appears gradually – first his head covered in a tweed cap and earphones, then the unkempt hair and beard, ...
Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories. This week, we looked at how our top authors make a living writing books, the sky-high fares coming from independent taxi drivers, how the people of Muriwai are putting their lives back together post-Cyclone Gabrielle, why a Levin chocolate maker is ...
Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories. This week, we looked at how our top authors make a living writing books, the sky-high fares coming from independent taxi drivers, how the people of Muriwai are putting their lives back together post-Cyclone Gabrielle, why a Levin chocolate maker is ...
The popularity of stories about unhappy rich people says more about our need to view them that way than it does about how they experience their livesOpinion:Succession is returning to Aotearoa’s television screens. It joins other portrayals of the emotional traumas that come from having far, far too ...
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This is The Detail's Long Read - one in-depth story read by us every weekend This week, it's What's Up With ADHD?, written by Mirjam Guesgen and published in North & South's April 2023 issue. You can find the full article, with illustrations by Rachel Salazar, in this month’s issue of North & South. Once a condition ...
This is The Detail's Long Read - one in-depth story read by us every weekend This week, it's What's Up With ADHD?, written by Mirjam Guesgen and published in North & South's April 2023 issue. You can find the full article, with illustrations by Rachel Salazar, in this month’s issue of North & South. Once a condition ...
"He imagines the rattling windows of his bach": a sad seaside saga by Majella Cullinane Màiri watches him as he walks down the hill next to her house. The man appears gradually – first his head covered in a tweed cap and earphones, then the unkempt hair and beard, ...
Not content with transforming KiwiSaver, Simplicity is now planning to out-build Kāinga Ora. Duncan Greive meets a pair of of unlikely revolutionaries trying to fix housing – a task which seems impossible, even for the state itself.In September of 2020, a builder named Shane Brealey sat down and typed ...
The Auckland Writers Festival has just launched its 23rd programme, the first since Covid to include its signature line-up of visiting international writers. With 160 events to choose from, here’s books editor Claire Mabey’s top 10 to help you navigate your way through the lit fest universe.Straight Up: Ruby ...
Taking her her young family around the world as she rows is a key factor in Emma Twigg's decision to defend her Olympic single sculls title at next year's Paris Olympics. And, Andy Hay writes, the next Emma Twigg could be waiting in the wings at the Maadi Cup next week. ...
The Fijian Drua will need to start and finish well, while Moana Pasifika’s coach wants to see a full 80-minute performance this weekend as the two regional teams continue their Super Rugby Pacific campaigns. The Drua tackle the Highlanders in Dunedin today and Pasifika face the Hurricanes at Mt Smart ...
By Todagia Kelola in Port Moresby A number of small contractors in Papua New Guinea are still waiting for positive feedback for money owed to them by government agencies after 12 years. A 2015 Post-Courier front page picture showed a man, David Goli, who chained himself at the then headquarters ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Beryl Exley, Professor, Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Griffith University Shutterstock Last August, the federal government set up an expert panel to look at the continuous improvement agenda in teacher education in Australia. The panel, led by ...
The New Zealand First leader took to the altar of an East Auckland church today to set out his 2023 election agenda. It was, as Stewart Sowman-Lund found out, pretty much what you’d expect. Winston Peters rolled into Howick today with a state of the nation speech that, he claimed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University Shutterstock Earlier this week, Australian retail giant Woolworths announced a move into health-care delivery via development of its subsidiary HealthyLife’s online portal. Through this portal, Australians can book a same-day ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters - eyeing a political comeback - has used a scene-setting speech in Auckland warning against a "conceited, conniving, cultural cabal". ...
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Analysis - The Greens lay down a challenge as the minor parties approach an election in which both National and Labour are going to need coalition partners to form a government, writes Peter Wilson. ...
By Arieta Vakasukawaqa in Suva Communications Fiji Ltd (CFL) chair William Parkinson has called for a repeal of Fiji’s Media Industry Development Act 2010 and more discussion on the proposed Media Ownership and Registration Bill 2023. He said this during a public consultation on the review of MIDA Act 2010 ...
High Court Justice David Gendall regretfully allows anti-trans activist to enter New Zealand, but warns the expression of her views may be harmful to our vulnerable rainbow community. Jonathan Milne does his best to be civil.Opinion: Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull calls herself Posie Parker. And that's what I'm going to call her. Because she is ...
It’s about time somebody made a wacky TV show about how bonkers spelling is. Enter comedian Guy Montgomery and his Guy Mont Spelling Bee. The three years since Covid-19 began have been pretty rocky, but one of the best things to come out of the chaos was Guy Montgomery’s Guy ...
Te Rōpū Mātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa, The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) stands beside LGBTQIA+ and Takatāpui communities rallying against anti-trans rhetoric in light of the impending visit of Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (Posie Parker). We are ...
Earlier this month, everybody’s favourite Monster of the Week series Married at First Sight Australia toppled 1News to become the highest rating television show for New Zealand viewers aged 25-54. The controversial reality series garnered an average audience of 137,000, or 6.7% audience share from March 5 until March 11. ...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for feijoa lovers – here’s how to make the most of it.Fragrant and sweet, with a delicate jelly centre surrounded by gritty, tangy flesh, all encased in a green sour skin. My parents’ feijoa tree has just dropped its first fruit, ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathy Buntting, Director, Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research, University of Waikato Getty Images Less than a fortnight after teachers staged a national strike, education was back in the headlines with the National Party’s release of its curriculum policy – ...
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Attempts by rainbow groups to stop an anti-trans campaigner entering the country have failed. The High Court has dismissed a judicial review application from Gender Minorities Aotearoa, InsideOUT Kōara and Auckland Pride, aimed at the immigration minister for allowing Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull into New Zealand. As part of the application, the ...
The High Court is this morning considering an interim order that would prevent an anti-trans campaigner from making it into New Zealand. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull is expected to arrive on our shores today ahead of two planned rallies in Auckland and Wellington over the weekend. After immigration officials deemed her safe ...
I was disappointed to see yesterday afternoon’s announcement that Auckland has chosen to leave Local Government NZ (LGNZ). Hamilton’s membership of LGNZ is one of collaboration and sharing. Being a member gives us important views from other ...
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Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nuclear submarines The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The ...
Secondary teachers will strike again next week after an agreement on improved pay and working conditions was not reached. The strike will take place on Wednesday, less than two weeks after thousands of educators took to the streets across the country. “PPTA Te Wehengarua members have shown they are serious ...
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission is encouraging organisations and individuals to share their views on human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand for the government’s upcoming report to the United Nations. The report informs a process ...
Secondary and area school teachers around the country have voted overwhelmingly in favour of more industrial action, including a one day national strike next Wednesday, in support of their collective agreement negotiations. “PPTA Te Wehengarua members ...
At a time when our need for collective action is stronger than ever, Auckland Council has opted out to save each of its residents just 25c a year, writes former Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins.I grew up in rural Southland, in the shadows of the Cut The Cable movement. In ...
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Morning Report - RNZ and Newsroom's political editors consider National's education pitch, and the political responses to lobbying revelations and Posie Parker. ...
The Free Speech Union will be an intervener this morning as the High Court considers whether Immigration New Zealand's decision to allow Posie Parker (Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull) entry into New Zealand was legal, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free ...
For over a decade, Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club has come under fire for denying entry to people wearing religious headwear. Despite the Human Rights Commission getting involved, it seems the rule remains unchanged.One of the definitions given by the Oxford dictionary for the word cosmopolitan is: “including people from many ...
Chris Hipkins’ dump of Ardern-era policy has potentially jeopardised a major part of the government’s climate change response. In this week’s episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey talks to climate policy expert Christina Hood from Climate Compass to find out why this month’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction failed and ...
The head of Local Government NZ, the group representing councils across the country, has hit back at claims made by Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. It was his casting vote that saw Auckland Council leave the representative group yesterday evening, with councillors divided on whether or not it was the right ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Al-Tamini Tapu, Geoscientist, The University of Queensland Warrumbungle national park.colinslack/Shutterstock Our new study published in Nature Geoscience on an ancient chain of Australian volcanoes is helping to change our understanding of “hotspot” volcanism. You may be surprised to learn eastern ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University There’s been a lot of recent shouting about Australia’s national security policy. It began with the Nine newspapers’ “Red Alert” extravaganza, spread over multiple articles. Featuring a graphic of warplanes ...
Sub-editor at Stuff trying to set up a bullshit ‘gotcha’ narrative.
Headline: Test for Labour Government as France stands firm against strikes.
Article’s position on local wages/industrial relations: After years of relatively anaemic wage growth, I certainly don’t begrudge workers rattling the cage for a top-up to their take-home pay.
The article goes on to describe a rancorous mess in France and makes no mention of any sort of “test” for our government.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Labour the Greens and NZF emphasised the need for higher wages. Guess what happens if there are no wage rises: they get accused of “breaking promises”. Guess what happens if wages rise: they get accused of failing the “test”.
Shouldn’t be too hard to knock this sub-editor’s bullshit out of the park, so I expect to see ministers doing exactly that.
Lol Aucklander
Resident Paul Davie, who was behind the meeting, said he did not know whether low-level criminals, people with mental health issues or paedophiles would live at the houses.
“How’s it going to be managed and who’s going to control these people if they need controlling?”
Could ask a similar question about the wealthy assholes in your suburb
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104193297/phil-twyford-rules-out-statesponsored-gentrification-in-auckland
He is a former Conservative Party candidate who thinks that child abuse is ok as long as they do not touch the face …
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/96120907/allow-light-smacks-but-leave-the-face–conservative-candidate
Looks like he borrowed Seymour’s dog whistle …
And his write up is so fulsome and with four photos no less. What the…
I suppose that he didn’t write enough vacuous tripe and the newspaper had to increase the space that it took up so as to garner more readers and thus four photos.
Looks like you don’t know what child abuse is.
dumb, dumb, dumb…
As far as stupid comments go, I think todays winner is baba yaga. For more idiocy, you will see more comments below.
I would rather not live in the community of Paul Davie, thank you.
Unlike him or his neighbours – we do not know whether they are high-level criminals or paedophiles.
Lol Aucklander
Resident Paul Davie, who was behind the meeting, said he did not know whether low-level criminals, people with mental health issues or paedophiles would live at the houses.
“How’s it going to be managed and who’s going to control these people if they need controlling?”
Could ask a similar question about the wealthy assholes in your suburb
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104193297/phil-twyford-rules-out-statesponsored-gentrification-in-auckland
NZ dairy Farmers are first class whiners. They think they have a right to let their cows shit and piss in waterway that suits them, and not have to pay a cent towards remediation. Despite producing almost half of our greenhouse gas emissions they demand they be exempt from any costs associated with reducing our greenhouse gas outputs.
Mycoplasma bovis arrived in NZ because their overwhelming party of choice, National, defunded MPI and biosecurity to the point of ineffectiveness allowing not just Mycoplasma into NZ but other things like Myrtle rust as well. Dairy farmers also subverted the stock movement recording scheme with unrecorded and illegal stock movements for tax dodging purposes, making it extremely difficult to track the disease spread.
The government stumps up the thick end of a billion dollars of ordinary Kiwi’s money (you know, the struggling minimum wage cleaners of Otara that National spends some much time crying crocodile tears over when it suits them) to eradicate the disease caused by their political party and their greed and all they can do is go on the telly and the radio and whinge and bitch about how hard done by they are.
Personally, I would levy an extra charge on the the dairy industry to recover every last cent of taxpayers money spent on eradication and make them pay for their own f**k ups for a change.
Great comment. Spot on!
Sadly wish there was as much urban anxiety about the shit from people and diesel from roads we are putting in our harbours.. resulting in record beach closures this year.
There has been a lot of action by people in Auckland about the pollution closing beaches. You need to look locally, the actions by people in their neighbourhoods.
I think most people know, or the ones I know anyway, acknowledge Auckland sewage crisis is one bad storm away from shutting down the city. We have had succession of councils who have ignored the fact that pipes are old, and in (desperate, which is were we are now) need of replacement. Not a huge fan of current crop, but at least their head is not buried in the sand on this issue.
+111
Tom
Fortunately the government is not as stupid as you want them to be.
Imagine if the government said “no compensation, and we are going to levy all farmers (or maybe just the farmers affected) the cost of eradication” how much co-operation do you think MPI would get. In fact there would be demonstrations and blockades, since the farmers would think they have nothing to lose.
On top of that imagine all the stories on TV and media of bankruptcy, farm walk offs, suicide and family tragedy.
Just because most farmers don’t vote Labour, doesn’t mean their plight would not affect other voters.
I reckon the govt would not survive even till the next election. NZ First would have to walk and form a coalition with National, if it wanted any chance at all of electoral survival.
And in any event in emergencies like this, no government makes its policies on the basis of who votes for it. Thank goodness.
Serious question Wayne. Why should a private business that is a farm get state aid for compensation after taking risky business action but not other businesses?
“Why should a private business …get state aid for compensation after taking risky business action ”
South Canterbury Finance.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7066704/SCF-bailout-means-lessons-not-learnt
SCF is perhaps the best example of misplaced state aid. Especially the payout to the investors who bought bonds after the company first failed …
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/some-big-winners-south-canterbury-collapse-129218
I’d have thought the “best” example of misplaced subsidy is that which goes to the oil industry. According to the IMF, it’s about NZ$2 billion every single year (and climbing) when health costs and environmental costs for New Zealand are factored in.
That’s not a direct subsidy Bill and it can be questioned at being called one at all. Are we subsidising the cane sugar industry?
Well, seeing as how I mentioned a couple of areas that are obviously in the category of indirect subsidy, yup, I think you can safely assume I know I’m not talking only about direct subsidies.
Do we subsidise the cane sugar industry by, for example, picking up the tab for associated health costs? Of course we do.
And for industry after business after industry, that’s the nature of the game. Some people make off like bandits while society absorbs the consequences of their actions in a myriad of ways.
It’s beyond me why we fete, honour and reward their likes, and why we often hold them and their ways up as examples for our children to emulate. (shrug)
Mickysavage
That point is so right Especially the payout to the investors who bought bonds after the company first failed …
Some of the knowledgable commenters here have painted a different picture of the SCF dealings showing Hubbard in a better light, and having helped good businesses get going. I am still ignorant of most, but take the point that there are facets that haven’t had full study by the public. There is just too much happening to grasp truth from hyperbole on everything.
In dire emergencies beyond the control of any business, lots of businesses get special assistance from government.
Some examples. Quite a lot during the GFC in 2009. Also a lot of support for Christchurch businesses following the earthquakes. Same in Kaikoura and Edgecumbe. Not to the level of normal business activity, but enough for most to survive.
Given the severity of the various crisises during 2009 to 2011, that was quite a bit of the overall work of Cabinet.
In a sense it is a form of social and economic insurance provided by society as a whole, beyond what any insurance company could ever offer.
This type of “insurance” seems essential for the stability and continuity of society. In some respects it is the business equivalent of the unemployment benefit. At the end of each business are actual people, and the assistance is in reality for them.
Thanks Wayne.
What about businesses that suffer adverse effects attributable to risky business behavior?
do these other businesses that suffer adverse effects attributable to risky business are held up as special needs and special value businesses by National No Mates and do they vote reliably for National No Mates?
they don’t? Then they are moochers that need to learn the hard way how to exists of the government tit.
see that was easy.
Come on mickysavage call it what it is in this case – criminal behaviour.
If only they didn’t fund and support a political party that has repeatedly sought to smash the welfare state. A party that deliberately increases income inequality. A party that attacks human rights and the rule of law.
A party that tells lies about “personal responsibility” and the “high trust model”. The National Party.
Now they want some “communism”, let’s see if any of them can muster the grace to apologise.
Which party in NZ has “repeatedly sought to smash the welfare state”? Certainly not National. It was National who introduced the first real increase in benefits in over 30 years. National borrowed over the course of the GFC to maintain WFF and a raft of other components of the welfare state. If you referring to national introducing a more robust assessment regime, that actually enhances the welfare system by making more equitable (to the taxpayer) and more sustainable.
So you admit it.
No I am refuting it.
I know exactly what you mean by “enhances”, Wormtongue.
Liar!!
“It was National who introduced the first real increase in benefits in over 30 years.”
Only for families and then the vast majority of them got less than the headline figure because of supplementary allowances being reduced.
Job Seekers, Supported Living got nothing extra -except harassment and vilification from the National Government
“Only for families and then the vast majority of them got less than the headline figure because of supplementary allowances being reduced.”
So there was an increase. So no one lied. Well done.
Hey Baba, so long as no one lied then eh?
You’re ok with seriously ill and disabled citizens not having their benefit rate increased?
/rhetorical- of course you are.
” It was National who introduced the first real increase in benefits in over 30 years.”
Ho hum… been saying it often enough so I guess you believe it.
You’re saying they didn’t?
Me and almost every single beneficiary. Still waiting.
But of course you already know that.
Happy to be proved wrong of course- Perhaps you would like to link to evidence of this increase to ALL beneficiaries, then point out to WINZ that they’ve been mucking up our payments since the announcement?
Get a new line why don’t you, it’s not going to work here.
Of course, this isn’t actually a dire emergency and their own practices caused it.
And all the finance companies should have collapsed during the GFC rather than getting bailed out.
And only provided to National’s rich mates. The poor got kicked again and again.
At the end of a failed business is the unemployment benefit – just like everyone else. What they shouldn’t be getting is government bailouts.
The unemployed are also people but you seem to forget that easily enough.
Serious question micky. Why should a private person get ongoing state aid (benefits, housing etc) after taking risky personal action (not going to school, not taking contraception, not looking after supplied housing etc).
One might say that at least the majority of farmers are net taxpayers.
Because social security is a safety net to prevent people sliding into penury? Benefits are available for farmers if their businesses fail.
what benefits are available to other small business owner that loose their businesses to greed and general stupidity and support from National no Mates?
non. they can close shop, file for bankruptcy and go on the dole to be told “your Partner earns enough to feed you”.
so are these benefits only available to farmers or all businesses. cause if they are farming only then that would make the farmers more special and more deserving then anyone else.
One might also say that the taxes collected aren’t equal to the damage done by this current crop. After all, businesses fail all the time and the economy (and the associated tax take) carries on.
I note that the incentive to ignore NAIT is tax evasion. Business owners who cheat on their taxes belong in prison, or at the very least, out of business.
That’s what productive, non-polluting, successful operators call “a gap in the market”, so the sky will not fall, Chicken Little, no matter how many businesses change hands.
A crappy little deflection based upon the’ we’re deserving – they’re not argument.
Except for the fact that they’re not. What they are is a bunch of bludgers.
Are you comparing the bailing out of business malpractice to the bailing out of kids wagging school and mums who can’t afford to nourish their kids?
While playing golf with some farmers years ago, they said that NZ must understand that Farmers are the backbone of NZ. “Maybe so,” I said. “But are you farming for the good of the country or because you like the lifestyle and have good taxfree income from it?”
Ooops!
I saw it that they felt that we owe them a living.
Certainly compromise is needed to prevent rural revolt, no matter where the fault lies. Tom makes some very good points though; he talks about National’s failure to implement NAIT properly and that’s a significant factor in the present dire situation. His conclusion reflects his anger, and fair enough.
what percentage of the rural population actually works in dairy farming?
As fulltime paid workers with benefits? And how many of these are Kiwis or on a working visa?
Why do you expect a rural revolt, when as of now the unemployed and disregarded population of the rural areas are not revolting?
Are you speaking of a farmers revolt? Cause as i live rural now the only ones that are marching with stupid signs while living of the government tit receiving working for families are the farmers that we are now have to bail out due to their stupidity, willful stupidity, ignorance, willful ignorance, disregard for the land, disregard for their larger community and greed.
btw, can these rural non revolting people that are unemployed and disregarded actually afford butter, milk or mince?
Wayne, you are using alarmism to defend the status quo here and completely missing the wider problems with lightly regulated/enforced dairy intensification practices.
Not to mention his measure of personal responsibilty for the entire situation.
personal responsibilities is for single women and their children.
Farmers are poor humans that are hard done by and must be coddled and waddled in cotton at all times lest they have to pay the bill for the mess they created.
+111
Imagine if those farmers not cooperating were sent to jail and lost everything for obstruction of justice.
We can ensure that they lose everything.
Should give them plenty of ‘incentive’. Isn’t that what National’s ‘tough on crime’ is all about?
They can’t strike like nurses so the DHBs continue to exploit those caring for disabled.
Who else wants to work as a Support Carer?
If she was hesitant, I was astonished. The maximum rate, $64.50 for 24 hours, works out to be $2.69 per hour. Yes, you read that right – and as I recall has barely changed in over 30 years.
…
The Support Carer is still unable to claim mileage. So a return trip of 30k, at the IRD rate of 73c per kilometre allowed for mileage expenses, works out at a $21.90 cost to myself.
To add further insult, IRD requires the hourly $2.69 to be taxable. For a five day week working 24 hours with no breaks, the total payment is a taxable $312.50.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12059985
Thanks for putting this up AWW….and a very good article too. Some slight errors, and maybe later I’ll expand a bit on the information.
Needless to say, as per usual the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services will not emerge covered in glory.
CSS is a fine example of why I truly believe MOH;DSS hate disabled people and their family carers.
Anything for this in the Budget?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104193297/phil-twyford-rules-out-statesponsored-gentrification-in-auckland
“If you don’t want to have affordable housing or quality density housing in your neighbourhood, you go and live in Pokeno or Dairy Flat,” he said.
Ok so its fair to say that National still haven’t quite cottoned to the fact they’re the opposition but its equally fair to say Labour and more specifically Twyford haven’t realised that what they could say and do in opposition is different to what you can say and do when you’re in power
Right, because that’s what Judith Collins does 🙄
Jude isn’t in power, Twyford is which means his words have power so he needs to stop taking a “us v them” mentality and realise hes working for all NZers
Rather then be deliberately confrontational he could explain why its happening unless the only reason he can think of is ideological
And how did she behave when she was in power? Totes non-confrontational, eh.
Not to mention Bill “lazy, stoned” English.
Raise the double standard, Puck.
Good then don’t complain when the same charges of being arrogant and out of touch are levelled at Labour
…and so soon in their tenure.
“Cleaning up the appalling mess National left the country” is a powerful weapon for Labour to wield; they’d be foolish not to wave it around all over the place, lopping off Natty heads, left, right and centre.
The only mess is in your mind. The only reason Labour can spend so much is because they have inherited a strong economy and a healthy balance sheet. From National.
Baba, ya ditzy ol’ granny, you!
Baba – I think your comment needs filling out a little.
As In: “The only reason Labour can spend so much is because they have inherited a falsely represented economy from a balance sheet faked through shameless underfunding of social services to create a false surplus as well as an ailing, unhealthy society.” But filling it out to reflect the truth makes nonsense of your comment, doesn’t it?
Our responses to Baba are practically identical, IV!
Creepy!
So long as they’re out of touch with you, authoritarian centrist followers and sociopaths, I’m not too concerned: Judith has that constituency covered quite well.
It would be a welcome gesture if farmers could show their appreciation for what the Government and New Zealanders (via their taxes) are doing to attempt to eradicate this biosecurity breach that they have brought upon themselves. Instead of holding up banners about a “pretty communist”. Ironic that “communism/state aid” is now going their way – which it should of course at a time like this.
Farmers will hopefully realise they can’t operate like Wild West Cowboys and society as a whole has to work together for the benefit of all.
During night time talkback it was good to hear a National voter express his admiration for Jacinda’s handling of the whole situation and for how well informed she was.
“We are, at last, navigating out of the “meth contamination” debacle
“Testing for low levels of methamphetamine in residential properties in New Zealand has come at a very high cost,” reads the report of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman into the national panic over the alleged meth contamination of thousands of properties, which was published today.”
https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/we-are-at-last-navigating-out-of-the-meth/
That’s very good
A.
Yes thumbs up to the Government on sorting this sorry state of affairs out.
“Several hundred state homes sitting needlessly empty would be put back into use within weeks, and Housing New Zealand would save up to $30m a year on testing, Twyford said.
“The great majority is testing and remediation was completely unnecessary,” Twyford said.
A review into how the standards were set would also be carried out by Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi.
“Very significant sums of money have been spent on testing and decontamination of houses that are thought to have been contaminated by methamphetamine. Housing New Zealand alone in the last fours years has spent $100m on testing and remediation,” Twyford said.
“Large numbers of homes thought to have been contaminated were left empty in the middle of a housing crisis.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/rental-meth-panic-over
At last we get some sense on this issue – the question everyone should be pondering is why did it take so long and why wasn’t something done sooner? The wastage from this mess is unbelievable.
I thought Curran might be the best Labour MP National has but now I’m convinced its Twyford…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12060251
As the first lady of NZ politics puts it
‘National’s housing spokeswoman Judith Collins said it was time for Housing Minister Phil Twyford to face the facts.’
“You’ve had builders, academics, the Treasury, Reserve Bank, MBIE, economists and media commentators all pointing out the serious flaws in his policy, and saying the Government won’t deliver on its promises, in spite of Phil’s ‘Hear No Evil’ approach to his responsibilities.”
“And today it’s the Salvation Army urging Phil to accept he’s not up to it and calling on the Government to bring in the experts to deliver more houses,” she said in a statement.
@PR, who are the experts, Fletchers, Master builders, China construction bank and the Ozzie banks, Phil Goff, the council cronies that can’t even put a legal argument in for the unitary plan, the Sallies, illegal/semi legal labourer’s and their exploiters, Tilers????
At least they have got a few hundred empty state houses back into production.
But Labour are still heavily neoliberal is their approaches and more people still coming into NZ than going out.
When both the MBIE, Treasury and the Sallies are telling you its not looking good and the only person who thinks its going well is the reflection in the mirror then you might have some issues
But don’t worry when kiwibuild fails i’m sure National won’t remind everyone of the promises made and failed to be kept
@PR – oh I agree with you about Kiwibuild failure, but probably for different reasons.
To be fair, Sallies were only saying that people were being unsettled by reports that it might not deliver.
In other words, the undermining has been going well.
But Kiwibuild has clear objectives. If they are not met, the minister will be held responsible. That is what a government with integrity looks like.
Be great if Twyford fails eh PR?
More untaxed capital gain for you and me (I’m at $1.4M and going up whoopee) and more people sleeping in cars but they’ve made bad decisions so who cares? I’m a fan of personal responsibility you see. And excellence too. I put the doubling of the ‘value’ of my properties in 10 years entirely down to my personal excellence in every respect. And my brilliant decision-making – I decided to be born to professional parents. I think I’m pretty fantastic in every respect and my money is evidence of that.
Earth – meet scum of.
Failing miserably because you can’t or won’t take advice is no better than trying nothing since the result is the same but at least he can get some nice feelz for “trying”
Maybe if he took some advice then instead of failing he might actually make it work
Today, I got an email with links to the select committee report on the CPTPPA, because I made a submission.
report can be accessed here.
It seems like the outcome is that the committee attended to criticisms and decided they were without merit: especially with regard to ISDS issues.
They say they are working on consultation with Māori over treaty issues.
So the Committee Recommends:
I suspect the committee was stacked with pro-CPTPPA supporters. I think we need to ask for an independent analysis, as did some submitters.
The Foreign Affairs, defence and Trade Committee has 1 GP 3 Labour, and 4 Nat MPs.
Listed on P8 of the Report:
@Carolyn_Nth, Oh what a surprise, they listened to the submissions. Probably more like ‘listening’ aka surveilling the submitters, while telling themselves it will all be ok.
Sad and predictable result explaining Labour and NZ First’s positions in the polls. And Greens very weak on their position of this farce, against the government.
I came across this quote – it seems relevant at present.
Shocking. Profits first.
The number of Maui dolphins in the world is continuing to drop, with only a few dozen now left alive.
I get so frustrated with the flack coming from all corners about Twyford not achieving his goals in Kiwibuild. Maybe he won’t reach the targets he set, but at least he is DOING SOMETHING !
I get so frustrated that a promise that was made to help win an election isn’t being lived up to and probably won’t even get close to succeeding because Twyford is so arrogant to think he has all the answers
But its ok because hes “doing something”, how about instead of him wasting millions/billions we just give him a gold star sticker and tell him hes special
Or maybe instead he takes advice, puts his ego in check and actually works through the problems to get this sorted, like hes supposed to
And yet you never made a peep about the completely useless Nick Smith.
We are all touched by your concern.
I don’t like that National lost the election, I think National would be doing a much better job and if we’re all lucky this will only be a one term government
That being said Twyford said they’d build 100 000 houses, it was a big plank of their election campaign, it was “proof” that Labour cares, cares so much more than National so i don’t think anyone should have a problem with wanting Labour to actually carry out their promises
and pointing out when they break those promises
Should the Labour-led government reach out to the opposition National party for assistance in dealing with the housing crisis?
John Key campaigned on addressing the growing housing crisis over ten years ago, so National must have ‘built’ up considerable expertise during nine years in power, and were poised to ‘Act’. They just needed three more years to ‘turn’ things around – so cruel.
The reality is that if National was still in power, then they would be continuing to do SFA – fiddling while NZ churns.
“The Man in the Panama Hat would love nothing more than staying indoors.”
Nice story on the Radio New Zealand website about the change in government thinking on the dodgy Meth testing practices that became common under National and cost Tax Payers and a lot of people unnecessary problems while also making the housing crisis worse all so a few dodgy firms that owned both meth testing and cleaning companies could rake in big money for unnecessary work.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/358454/meth-house-contamination-debunked-by-pm-s-science-advisor
…And
”However in several news stories at the time Bennett and English said they approved of the Housing NZ regime. English said the agency was “rightly taking a firm stance on the health risks posed by meth, and will continue to do so for as long as it is detected in its properties” in 2016, and Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was “no evidence” Housing NZ were evicting tenants unfairly.’
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/rental-meth-panic-over
National claimed to be reviewing it – basically 2 years ago with no action even with people sleeping in cars.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81548539/Officials-reviewing-P-contamination-guidelines-as-expert-says-risk-overstated
Thank you new government with new Housing Minister.
Fake News: Or, some people just like fascism
https://arcdigital.media/how-one-doctors-false-claim-was-used-to-erase-atrocities-in-syria-d76459ffa4e2
The swansong of the Assadist.
Where would fascism be without useful idiots?
Indeed
Peas in a pod squad.
Where would fascism be without cynical hypocrites ? … https://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/4273/8695/original.jpg
A Genuine Little girl wishing for fascists to stop shooting 3mins.20 secs https://www.bitchute.com/video/H44EYHitZM4q/
A heartwarming story about the trials (literally) of those hardworking rich folks…
‘Elizabeth Huljich alleges her son Christopher Huljich and her grandson Peter Huljich failed to comply with the conditions of a $750,000 loan agreement she organised for them….
‘In 2011 Peter Huljich and his company Huljich Wealth Management was convicted and ordered to pay $447,000 for undermining public confidence in the KiwiSaver investment market and misleading investors by using his own money to artificially inflate the performance of the company’s KiwiSaver fund.’
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/104247358/squabbling-within-one-of-new-zealands-richest-families-plays-out-in-high-court
the party is over.
time for the speaker to crack the whip and bring this inept mediocre nationals rump to heel.
happy holiday.
Good morning The AM Show can’t you see this was a drilibrit move to cause a housing crisis shuttering houses because of PEEEEE. PEEEEE test was also a gravy train for some retired people who think that there views are the only ones that count. As for Sir Peter Gluckman The Labour lead coalition government top science advisor if the boss say stay out of the debate we’ll that’s what he did we know who the boss was.
How many houses have been condemned because of this con job.Maybe there should be a law pasted that the people who were running the government at the time should pay te tangata compensation A.
I was going to include the Rose Anne shoe in one of my post it does show you how hard poor people have it in America I did not no she was a racist trump admire I wonder if he is going to stop printing money this action actually takes wealth from the rest of the Papatuanukue.
The last bonus I got was 11 years ago I used the money to buy my truck that was when Farmers value there workers before shonky decided to change the laws immigration and employment. It did not take long for some farmers to start treating workers like——- now its a shame people laugh at you when you say that you are a dairy farm worker because of the – – – – – way tangata have been treated bad Karma bites NO.
Mark calm down its not your fault that all nationals shitty secrets are coming to light 400 million to irrigate land that would have stay in the low intensity farming with out the gift of millions billy boy A looking after his m8 You made all the wrong moves Ka kite ano
The AM Show Duncan don’t try and blame the scientists just look at the human caused global warming debacle If a government does not want to use common sense there is no way OUR scientist are going to change there views thru a lens of $$$$$$ bills No. you know the old saying. Ka kite ano
I think it’s bull that those retired civil servants the people from the PEEEEE testing industry are commenting on this subject don’t you think its a conflict of interest just like the Alcohol lobbying group commenting on Alcohol issues a conflict of interest No so don’t listen to the bull that comes from people like them. An toa kai Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub the sandflys are not happy with my post this morning they are doing the same here in Auckland sending actor to try and – – – with ECO MAORI but know effect arrr why don’t they find someone worthy of their attention they obviously got to much time to waste intimidating me.
Good on the Tall Black playing in Rotorua soon it will be good for Aotearoa Basketball if Steven Adams plays for the Tall Blacks.
Ingrid I hope we are going to get some warmer weather soon.
Ka kite ano. P.S Ill have to put a TV in the Truck lol its Matariki on the first of June ECO MAORI will be celebrating this event