"It is no accident that in the comedies of Shakespeare, people go into the greenwood to grow, learn and change"
Just yesterday spent time with a gang member suggesting he needs some time out in the bush. We get so caught up in trivial strivings we lose our stillness, that ability to clearly ponder a thing without a hundred other thoughts crowding in. Mindfulness is merely a band aid for the disconnection from nature, natures quiet is the real deal.
That being said I could do with some time out myself. Sitting here staring at this screen I recall the days of youth with a mountain as my back yard and a waterfall at base camp. Negotiating the tracks and streams on moonlit night, hunting eel and possum with tomahawk. The morepork calls out sharply then only the stream can be heard, but listening, in the distance, the relentless soft thundering of waves on the beach.
The background noise today is the motorway. Progress…
If you search the meaning of sotto voce and click on the little speaker icon to hear how it's pronounced but forget to turn your laptop speakers down a little, you get a surprise that will make you laugh.
Can anyone tell me what the Teacher's union end game is today? I don't get it. The NZEI seems to have determinedly talked themselves into a corner and now seem utterly intent on forcing a showdown with a government that is offering them a lot more than National ever did.
The NZEI were gutless wonders when Key was the PM.
But now they are behaving like flat track bullies who think they can force a winner-takes-all showdown, the most likely result of which be a loss of public support at their intransigence and government that may just decide that the teachers are not worth the bother, and join National in union busting law changes?
The private sector are concerned and don't want the Government setting precedent in public sector wage rounds. Seems the Government are listening to those concerns.
Defaulting to neo-liberalism because they are unable to represent their constituencies democratically doesn't give the unions much legitimacy – sustainable foundations for more progressive outcomes to them are only possible through positive contributions to ( & possessing the necessary attributes for) the democratic processes that good govt. is based on.
A government offering them a lot more than National ever did?
Maybe the union attitude would be different if there weren't the same National Party bullshit.
An impression has been created that teachers are all (by and large) to get $10,000 a year extra. The implication is that the greedy bastards on $65,000 are striking when they've been offered $75,000 a year.
The labels like 'gutless wonders,' and 'flat track bullies' are easy to throw around. Maybe 'weasely bastards' (for the politicians) and 'sucked in simpletons' (for some of the public) are easy to use too. And as equally justified and accurate.
Ali should be heading both the wage "discussions" with the govt and media as the NZEI rep.
Well done. And our Minister stated on Q&A that strike action was not justified. Thank you Minister for your wee part in the continual repression of pay for hard working Kiwi workers, and your govts mis representation of the pay demands of teachers.
I hope todays actions are not overtaken by other events. Thanks Trev and Simon for this (Both should go )
My take on the 'Whale Oil' book – it's about far more than just the blog and Cameron Slater.
It is primarily about a campaign of harassment against Matt Blomfield and his family over many years. At it's worst it involve an armed attack on them in their home. But it also involved many attacks online, and via text, with threats.
It is also about the concerning lack of action by police.
It also has wider interest in the prevalence of bullying online – this is one of the worst cases imaginable, but it is a big and topical issue.
The troubling behaviour of Customs officials towards Felix Geiringer and the manuscript needs explaination as well, because the evidence is mounting up to what looks a lot like some sort of conspiracy to protect Slater, presumably originating from an operational level within our state security organs.
here is an attractive conspiracy theory – Slater was, in my opinion, clearly getting money from the Israelis to run a hard line pro-Israel line on his site. Our "deep state" operators in the likes of the GCSB or SIS who like to think they are important players in the security of the "west" conspired at the behest of Israeli interests to try and shield Slater from be discredited as a slanderer and a fraud.
It has been confirmed that it was Matt and his family who were detained by Customs for several hours when they returned to the country.
From NZH:
<blockquote>A conspiracy under the name "Operation Bumslide" saw the former business partner Warren Powell supply Slater and others with a decade of Blomfield's personal and financial records which were then used in an attempt to destroy his reputation.
The blog posts were then backed up by complaints from "Operation Bumslide" members to a host of government enforcement agencies, leading to Blomfield being described as "one of New Zealand's most investigated people".</blockquote>
Yes, there is another story to be told about how some sections of the establishment behaved throughout the Slater years. Take for example the former director of the SIS, Warren Tucker supplying Cameron Slater with a top secret document containing what turned out to be false/incorrect information about then Labour leader, Phil Goff. Slater used it to discredit Goff on his blog-site Whale Oil.
There was something rotten going down in the land of milk and honey!
During the reign of the quite strange Pm, Sir John Key, National gathered massive detail about us, the citzens of New Zealand.
His little Shadow, Mr English – did his bit to please John Key.
It is remarkable, that high and mighty National can put its chilling hands on any Information it wants.
It will need to explain to the Citizens of New Zealand how they can wave any document they want – at any time they want – for the benefit of national corrupt politics.
A lobbyist was involved in choosing who became ministers in this government and what portfolios they got. And he got paid for it. Months later he went straight back to his role as a director of his lobbying firm, free to lobby those very same ministers.
Seems (going off the lack of response) most here are comfortable with it. And it seems the defenders have opted for the ignoring it tactic in the hope it will fade away.
By in large we are a strange lot here on the left. If this was National doing this, there would be a major outcry from the left. Yet, when it’s our side that is playing up, the outcry on here seems to be minimal.
This failure to hold our on side to account plays a leading role in why Labour aren't delivering more and are getting away with pulling crap like this.
At present, on just counting through the listed comments available,. Gosman shows with 45 and Sam with 17 I think. This is just two of the RW who infest inflict haunt the site.
Horrifically, this corpse has risen from the grave to haunt us again. One of the most hapless talk radio tragics is still polluting the airwaves
Peter Williams on Magic Talk, some time after 11 a.m., Wed. 29 May 2019
I'm sorry to have to confess that, yes, I found myself listening this morning for five or so minutes to Magic Talk. The host Peter Williams wasn't talking much on this occasion; instead the air was filled with the whining, insistent drone of an elderly male caller.
As soon as I heard him, I instinctively shivered; I'd heard that voice somewhere before. Where was it? It was the captious, hectoring tone of a small town bore holding forth to some captive audience—the long-suffering "missus", perhaps, or a few extremely bored and indulgent "mates"— in some dying lounge bar in some small town, or lecturing a trapped nephew at some godforsaken family barbecue, or …. [insert your most hellish social situation here]. In a short time, he sounded off against teachers, commented, without any special insights, on the prospects of the Black Caps and then capped it off by calling Masterton a "bit of a hick town" and claiming that the CEO of Air New Zealand is Chris Liddell. Peter Williams, to his credit, corrected him: "Chris Luxon."
I'd heard that caller's voice before, long in the past. Who WAS it? Thankfully, he was eventually stopped from talking any further, because the host intervened:
PETER WILLIAMS: Okay, we've got to go for a break now. That was Kieran Smyth, "The Man in the Stand".
The Man in the Stand!!?!?!? Oh, God, no! No, NO-O-O-O-O-O!!!
Any sensible person who had been humiliated in public like he was in 2003 would not ever have raised his head above the parapet again. But "The Man in the Stand" is clearly not a sensible person….
Ardern has pointed any responsibility for the security of the Budget documents to the Treasury, yet Treasury wasn't the only ones to have access to the Budget information. Thus fail to see how she can come to that conclusion. Unless, of course, she is linking the hack as the sole source of National's info.
With National denying it came from a hack, and with no evidence at this stage showing so, shouldn't Jacinda be taking more responsibility to determine how this major breach occurred instead of washing her hands of it?
Poverty, mental health, and family violence are all interrelated, poverty being a driver and in some cases a consequence of the latter two. Therefore, increasing benefits is a quick fire way for the Government to help assist all three. Opposed to spending money (and nothing on benefits) addressing the growing aftermath instead of addressing a root cause.
Hence, we all should be questioning the Government’s acumen.
How can you be so sure that if we throw more money at bad it will work this time? If it's the root cause you wish to address why begin at the end users and not at land disposition. So why?
It needs to be said that the “means of production” is “privately owned” and we know what they will say about productivity gains going into the welfare state. hooray for democracy.
John Key brought in major PPP reforms, sold the last of the state assets. As Iv mentioned before. Want benefits to rise, I mean we just don't have the State Own Enterprises to be able to fund it otherwise we end up with a situation where the government borrows for operation expenditure.
So a decent starting point for a comparative study on welfare would be Esping-Andersen's Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, which is the kind of broad brush comparative study of Western welfare states it seems you should look into. It's a bit dated, but you should be able to easily move on from there to more specialised texts or direct policy research so to ask more specific and correct questions.
You'd be surprised how much of the welfare spend actually ends up back in the hands of businesses. Therefore, a benefit increase is good for their returns. Not to mention the productivity gains made from the savings spent on social ills.
The Government doesn't have to borrow, they have ample options. Plus you forget there will be mass savings as a offsetting result of the initial outlay.
Yeah, and R+L won't equal benefit increases come the next election cycle because democracy, hooray.
In Denmark, the only state-owned companies are those that are seen as vital for the state to work, like DSB who runs trains and the different bus companies.
The main energy company also used to be state-owned and but the government there was heavily criticized for selling that one.
We have a chance to underwrite our own state finances and economic sovereignty with the pricing of the Carbon and the Pollution, and if some are extra carful to compensate beneficiaries at the same time.
Get it right. I'm not against the notion. But against the way the Government has gone about it – i.e. resulting in rent increases. Largely defeating the benefits.
Re increasing benefits, the Government and their experts all agree it's required and long overdue. Albeit, the Government won't move at pace to get the job done.
Since we're talking about you (Chair), and since you're "more left than most", I'm going to hazard a guess that many who comment and/or read here are suspicious of your true motives because you seem to target most of your criticism at left-leaning political parties, regardless of whether they are in Government or in opposition.
And sure, that criticism may often be justified and/or constructive, but even so I reckon folk would feel a little more comfortable if you occasionally put the boot into National.
You wouldn't even have to do it that often – maybe start by proffering just one National/ACT critique for every four or so of your comments critical of Labour and/or the Greens.
Only thing I was suspect on Chairmen about was the amount he'd desire to raise benefits. Iv always suspected he'd wish to raise it above the 60% outline in the recent welfare working group. But hey, it's just a suspension, it could be 200% increase.
It also takes a particular person to be able to concede to the devil what belongs to the devil. What I mean by that is could you name a National or Act policy and give a quick speak about it with out googling it. Love the left or hate the left. No matter how one eyed people are of the left, those who are fixated on the left, are probably left.
The bit that most normal people miss is about the state is this longing for some old, something blue, something new and something used. In reality the state has two major monopolies today, money and violence. Which is more powerful? I'd argue money. To see why look at who outlasted who in the Cold War. Military hegemony vs Economic hegemony. The economic one is still going.
The former Labour Deputy Prime Minister believed external hackers would also not be interested in the information.
"It's not quite clear why any 'state actor' would have a particular interest in what our spending was going to be on Thursday."
"The only people who have an interest in getting at that stuff quickly are either people interested in market advantage or it was political, to embarrass."
I shake my head at the thought of anyone trying to gain a financial advantage out of trading sensitive information like that. There are so many other ligit ways to make more money than betting on forex or some dumb shit. I mean why wouldn't they just short the U.K. Pound for free??? It makes no sense.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, is claiming he knows how National got the ‘leaked’ documents but not revealing details.
He told reporters what they were saying was wrong – the facts were different.
“Are you saying the cleaner got hold of stuff, I don’t think so … the facts are different to that. The facts are very, very bad for the National party.”
“The information came to them in circumstances where the behaviour was totally illegal and they should have known it. That’s all I can say right now … it’s my job to know.”
He said Bridges was being “thoroughly unethical” and cashed in on the material.
“He has been found out and made a right fool of himself.”
Bridges should have called up Minister of Finance Grant Robertson to warn him about the documents and tell him something untoward was going on, Peters said.
“He’s [Bridges] gone-burger now because of this. He had a chance to show that he had ethical views, that he was fit to be a leader …”
He had no doubt the police would investigate.
Live from the Stuff news site.
The over-the-top press stand-up by Simon B this morning convinces me Winnie’s got it in one.
Vietnam vets new book by Australian about going as a teenager.
My Vietnam War Dave Morgan NEW Free ShippingCondition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781922132772
Author(s): Dave Morgan
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Year: 2014
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
Pages: 296
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In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo says, “Addressing violence and abuse remains New Zealand’s most significant human rights issue affecting women. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Symons, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Michael Schiffer / Unsplash Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth ...
One woman’s quest to watch Challengers without ruining her body clock. Every Saturday morning, I wake up with a screaming demon inside my head urging me to “Do. Something. This. Weekend.” I run through the possibilities in my head in a defensive mental crouch, reminiscent of that one time I ...
The PSA is alarmed that ACC is proposing to shed 309 jobs including 29 dedicated injury prevention jobs at a time when the number and cost of injuries is rising. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Baker, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images As local and regional councils struggle with inadequate infrastructure and unsustainable costs, New Zealand will be hearing a lot more about the potential solution offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Sacks, Professor of Public Health Policy, Deakin University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock In recent years, there’s been increasinghype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods. But new evidence published this week found not all “ultra-processed” foods are linked ...
Fears that New Zealand is relying too heavily on low-cost forests to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions have been reignited by a report from the OECD. ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed the total dollar savings target from public sector cuts has been met, but the reductions have not been felt evenly across public agencies. Government departments were told to make savings set at 6.5 percent or 7.5 percent where headcount had grown by more than ...
She doesn’t have a single kind word for me and it’s getting under my skin.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,I have two amazing friends that I absolutely adore. Grace (all names have been changed) and I lived together across 2023 and Olivia moved in with us this ...
Can Western science and Māori science work together to support our well-being? The Te Ohu Mō Papatūānuku (TOMP) Trials Project was a landmark case for healing the land and people with the guidance of Māori science and leadership. This is what happened when Papatūānuku (Earth) was contaminated by toxic discharge, ...
The District Plan is a blueprint for a bigger, better Wellington, through tens of thousands of new apartments and townhouses and a new approach to urban growth. Joel MacManus lays out the vision. The process of putting together Wellington’s new District Plan has been long and excruciating. As a city, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Williams Veazey, ARC DECRA Research Fellow, University of Sydney DavideAngelini/Shutterstock In the 2007 film The Bucket List Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohan Singh, Professor of Agri-Food Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Melbourne., The University of Melbourne Tanja Esser/Shutterstock Australia’s vital agriculture sector will be hit hard by steadily rising global temperatures. Our climate is already ...
The Acumen Edelman Trust barometer reported that New Zealand’s political trust score now sits below the global average, a topic explored in a recent discussion paper by Maxim Institute. ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman says, "The Fast-Track Bill is the most damaging piece of environmental legislation any Government has introduced in living memory. People are angry, and it’s time to march." ...
The school lunches programme has been retained – and will be extended to some preschoolers. So how is it going to cost $107 million less? To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The minister with many hats David Seymour wears a number of hats, but this week ...
“Show us the bird,” I found myself muttering at times while reading Hard by the Cloud House by Peter Walker, a deeply thoughtful, often hilarious, at times rambling – but somehow delightfully so – search for the story of a big bird. But not just any bird: the bird. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition DPVUE .images/Shutterstock Your home was probably designed for a climate that no longer exists. As long as humanity continues to burn fossil fuel, padding the heat-trapping blanket of gases in Earth’s atmosphere, the ...
A senior lawyer has filed a complaint about tikanga becoming a required law school module. Law lecturer Carwyn Jones explains what he’s getting wrong. “…the first law of Aotearoa, a law that served the needs of tangata whenua for a thousand years before the arrival of tauiwi.”– Ani Mikaere ...
In 2019, an Auckland woman woke up from surgery to find that she had undergone a treatment she didn’t consent to. She tells Alex Casey about her experience. From her very first period at the age of 14, Laura experienced “debilitating” levels of pain that forced her to withdraw from ...
Comment: Concerns about the state of the economy are creeping up to the top of firms’ list of challenges. That’s evident in both surveys and the tone of our recent client discussions. Skimming the past few weeks of eco-news, it’s not hard to see why. – Retail card spending fell ...
Opinion: Could former co-leader James Shaw still make a difference to working with National? The post How the Greens could be contenders appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: What if we got rid of our existing drug laws and replaced them with a new law that legalised and carefully regulated all psychoactive substances, from cannabis to MDMA, methamphetamine and LSD to magic mushrooms? And which also included legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. “Wow,” you might ...
"American killed when hit by car"….
"A car flung at his house by a tornado".
When are they gonna realise their chump in chief will see them all crushed.
Leaves or Lincolns
the answers my friend, are blowing in the wind.
I wonder, WTB, if this is your cup of tea; it is mine:
https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2019/05/hard-by-a-great-forest.html
In the opening comments
"It is no accident that in the comedies of Shakespeare, people go into the greenwood to grow, learn and change"
Just yesterday spent time with a gang member suggesting he needs some time out in the bush. We get so caught up in trivial strivings we lose our stillness, that ability to clearly ponder a thing without a hundred other thoughts crowding in. Mindfulness is merely a band aid for the disconnection from nature, natures quiet is the real deal.
That being said I could do with some time out myself. Sitting here staring at this screen I recall the days of youth with a mountain as my back yard and a waterfall at base camp. Negotiating the tracks and streams on moonlit night, hunting eel and possum with tomahawk. The morepork calls out sharply then only the stream can be heard, but listening, in the distance, the relentless soft thundering of waves on the beach.
The background noise today is the motorway. Progress…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/390772/national-party-leader-and-finance-minister-in-standoff-over-budget-leak
If you search the meaning of sotto voce and click on the little speaker icon to hear how it's pronounced but forget to turn your laptop speakers down a little, you get a surprise that will make you laugh.
Can anyone tell me what the Teacher's union end game is today? I don't get it. The NZEI seems to have determinedly talked themselves into a corner and now seem utterly intent on forcing a showdown with a government that is offering them a lot more than National ever did.
The NZEI were gutless wonders when Key was the PM.
But now they are behaving like flat track bullies who think they can force a winner-takes-all showdown, the most likely result of which be a loss of public support at their intransigence and government that may just decide that the teachers are not worth the bother, and join National in union busting law changes?
And here:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/teachers-face-two-enemies/
The private sector are concerned and don't want the Government setting precedent in public sector wage rounds. Seems the Government are listening to those concerns.
Defaulting to neo-liberalism because they are unable to represent their constituencies democratically doesn't give the unions much legitimacy – sustainable foundations for more progressive outcomes to them are only possible through positive contributions to ( & possessing the necessary attributes for) the democratic processes that good govt. is based on.
A government offering them a lot more than National ever did?
Maybe the union attitude would be different if there weren't the same National Party bullshit.
An impression has been created that teachers are all (by and large) to get $10,000 a year extra. The implication is that the greedy bastards on $65,000 are striking when they've been offered $75,000 a year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmqZACfyqZw
The labels like 'gutless wonders,' and 'flat track bullies' are easy to throw around. Maybe 'weasely bastards' (for the politicians) and 'sucked in simpletons' (for some of the public) are easy to use too. And as equally justified and accurate.
Ali should be heading both the wage "discussions" with the govt and media as the NZEI rep.
Well done. And our Minister stated on Q&A that strike action was not justified. Thank you Minister for your wee part in the continual repression of pay for hard working Kiwi workers, and your govts mis representation of the pay demands of teachers.
I hope todays actions are not overtaken by other events. Thanks Trev and Simon for this (Both should go )
Dave Kennedy's post on the issue might help answer your questions, Sanctuary.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-teacher-strikes-and-fiscal-cap.html
My take on the 'Whale Oil' book – it's about far more than just the blog and Cameron Slater.
It is primarily about a campaign of harassment against Matt Blomfield and his family over many years. At it's worst it involve an armed attack on them in their home. But it also involved many attacks online, and via text, with threats.
It is also about the concerning lack of action by police.
It also has wider interest in the prevalence of bullying online – this is one of the worst cases imaginable, but it is a big and topical issue.
https://yournz.org/2019/05/29/so-what-is-the-whale-oil-book-about/
The troubling behaviour of Customs officials towards Felix Geiringer and the manuscript needs explaination as well, because the evidence is mounting up to what looks a lot like some sort of conspiracy to protect Slater, presumably originating from an operational level within our state security organs.
here is an attractive conspiracy theory – Slater was, in my opinion, clearly getting money from the Israelis to run a hard line pro-Israel line on his site. Our "deep state" operators in the likes of the GCSB or SIS who like to think they are important players in the security of the "west" conspired at the behest of Israeli interests to try and shield Slater from be discredited as a slanderer and a fraud.
Just throwing it out there for any novelists… 😉
Felix Geiringer and the manuscript and Customs officials- it was the Margie Thomson book?
yes.
Here are the Geiringer tweets.
https://yournz.org/2019/05/28/nz-customs-accused-of-abusing-powers-ahead-of-blomfield-book-launch/
It has been confirmed that it was Matt and his family who were detained by Customs for several hours when they returned to the country.
From NZH:
<blockquote>A conspiracy under the name "Operation Bumslide" saw the former business partner Warren Powell supply Slater and others with a decade of Blomfield's personal and financial records which were then used in an attempt to destroy his reputation.
The blog posts were then backed up by complaints from "Operation Bumslide" members to a host of government enforcement agencies, leading to Blomfield being described as "one of New Zealand's most investigated people".</blockquote>
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12235063
Yes, there is another story to be told about how some sections of the establishment behaved throughout the Slater years. Take for example the former director of the SIS, Warren Tucker supplying Cameron Slater with a top secret document containing what turned out to be false/incorrect information about then Labour leader, Phil Goff. Slater used it to discredit Goff on his blog-site Whale Oil.
There was something rotten going down in the land of milk and honey!
Credit to you too Pete for sticking to the story and insisting on publishing details. The acknowledgment of you last night was very appropriate.
Yes well done Mr George.
indeed…
Sorry , Police have become a weapon for this government so I have no faith in their ability to be impartial.
National – Knows everything
During the reign of the quite strange Pm, Sir John Key, National gathered massive detail about us, the citzens of New Zealand.
His little Shadow, Mr English – did his bit to please John Key.
It is remarkable, that high and mighty National can put its chilling hands on any Information it wants.
It will need to explain to the Citizens of New Zealand how they can wave any document they want – at any time they want – for the benefit of national corrupt politics.
They remind me of low life…
Hager must be writing another book. https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/113055687/live-national-party-claims-its-got-leaked-budget-details
Comfortable with this?
https://mailchi.mp/criticalpolitics/political-roundup-should-we-worry-about-lobbyists-influence-on-the-government
Don't pay it any mind TC…The Hacked Budget Scandal is front and centre now.
SSDD.
Having said that….the Ardern fan club hereabouts should be working overtime to explain this….I'll go make toast.
It will be interesting to see who will be the first to front and what excuses they will make.
Don't think….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZHj_YZQlUM
Seems (going off the lack of response) most here are comfortable with it. And it seems the defenders have opted for the ignoring it tactic in the hope it will fade away.
By in large we are a strange lot here on the left. If this was National doing this, there would be a major outcry from the left. Yet, when it’s our side that is playing up, the outcry on here seems to be minimal.
This failure to hold our on side to account plays a leading role in why Labour aren't delivering more and are getting away with pulling crap like this.
Thanks Chairman
I am not Comfortable with Lobbyist open sesame deals
Thanks for alerting me Chairman.
It would be helpful if all Lobbyists were Licensed and checked By Auditors every six months.
Be aware of the fast talking PR Lobbyist. !
Dave Cull standing down.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113081048/longserving-dunedin-mayor-dave-cull-to-stand-down
At present, on just counting through the listed comments available,. Gosman shows with 45 and Sam with 17 I think. This is just two of the RW who
infest inflicthaunt the site.Horrifically, this corpse has risen from the grave to haunt us again. One of the most hapless talk radio tragics is still polluting the airwaves
Peter Williams on Magic Talk, some time after 11 a.m., Wed. 29 May 2019
I'm sorry to have to confess that, yes, I found myself listening this morning for five or so minutes to Magic Talk. The host Peter Williams wasn't talking much on this occasion; instead the air was filled with the whining, insistent drone of an elderly male caller.
As soon as I heard him, I instinctively shivered; I'd heard that voice somewhere before. Where was it? It was the captious, hectoring tone of a small town bore holding forth to some captive audience—the long-suffering "missus", perhaps, or a few extremely bored and indulgent "mates"— in some dying lounge bar in some small town, or lecturing a trapped nephew at some godforsaken family barbecue, or …. [insert your most hellish social situation here]. In a short time, he sounded off against teachers, commented, without any special insights, on the prospects of the Black Caps and then capped it off by calling Masterton a "bit of a hick town" and claiming that the CEO of Air New Zealand is Chris Liddell. Peter Williams, to his credit, corrected him: "Chris Luxon."
I'd heard that caller's voice before, long in the past. Who WAS it? Thankfully, he was eventually stopped from talking any further, because the host intervened:
PETER WILLIAMS: Okay, we've got to go for a break now. That was Kieran Smyth, "The Man in the Stand".
The Man in the Stand!!?!?!? Oh, God, no! No, NO-O-O-O-O-O!!!
Any sensible person who had been humiliated in public like he was in 2003 would not ever have raised his head above the parapet again. But "The Man in the Stand" is clearly not a sensible person….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/did-any-of-you-see-this-ugly-violent.html
Very colourful evocative comment Morrissey.
Thanks very much, Mr Shark. Keep an eye out for Part 2 of my Noelle McCarthy dissection (from last Saturday's show).
http://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/05/noelle-mccarthy-displays-her-ignorance.html
Ardern has pointed any responsibility for the security of the Budget documents to the Treasury, yet Treasury wasn't the only ones to have access to the Budget information. Thus fail to see how she can come to that conclusion. Unless, of course, she is linking the hack as the sole source of National's info.
With National denying it came from a hack, and with no evidence at this stage showing so, shouldn't Jacinda be taking more responsibility to determine how this major breach occurred instead of washing her hands of it?
Here's a quick thought
Poverty, mental health, and family violence are all interrelated, poverty being a driver and in some cases a consequence of the latter two. Therefore, increasing benefits is a quick fire way for the Government to help assist all three. Opposed to spending money (and nothing on benefits) addressing the growing aftermath instead of addressing a root cause.
Hence, we all should be questioning the Government’s acumen.
How can you be so sure that if we throw more money at bad it will work this time? If it's the root cause you wish to address why begin at the end users and not at land disposition. So why?
When lack of money (and not budgeting) is the problem, there are two solutions, lower costs (which tend to come via subsidies) or increase incomes.
It's worked in the past and there is no reason it won't work now.
Not sure on your question re land disposition, can you clarify?
It needs to be said that the “means of production” is “privately owned” and we know what they will say about productivity gains going into the welfare state. hooray for democracy.
John Key brought in major PPP reforms, sold the last of the state assets. As Iv mentioned before. Want benefits to rise, I mean we just don't have the State Own Enterprises to be able to fund it otherwise we end up with a situation where the government borrows for operation expenditure.
So a decent starting point for a comparative study on welfare would be Esping-Andersen's Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, which is the kind of broad brush comparative study of Western welfare states it seems you should look into. It's a bit dated, but you should be able to easily move on from there to more specialised texts or direct policy research so to ask more specific and correct questions.
You'd be surprised how much of the welfare spend actually ends up back in the hands of businesses. Therefore, a benefit increase is good for their returns. Not to mention the productivity gains made from the savings spent on social ills.
The Government doesn't have to borrow, they have ample options. Plus you forget there will be mass savings as a offsetting result of the initial outlay.
Yeah, and R+L won't equal benefit increases come the next election cycle because democracy, hooray.
In Denmark, the only state-owned companies are those that are seen as vital for the state to work, like DSB who runs trains and the different bus companies.
The main energy company also used to be state-owned and but the government there was heavily criticized for selling that one.
We have a chance to underwrite our own state finances and economic sovereignty with the pricing of the Carbon and the Pollution, and if some are extra carful to compensate beneficiaries at the same time.
Not much point in throwing money at beneficiaries if they live in damp, cold houses because all that extra money goes out the window, literally.
Better to fix the houses first (something which you have constantly fought against on this site).
Get it right. I'm not against the notion. But against the way the Government has gone about it – i.e. resulting in rent increases. Largely defeating the benefits.
Re increasing benefits, the Government and their experts all agree it's required and long overdue. Albeit, the Government won't move at pace to get the job done.
I have it right, son. You're not against anything, except Labour and the Greens.
Don't be paranoid, I'm more left than most of you. But here we are again, talking about me. Funny that.
Woke, brothers and sisters. Woke.
Since we're talking about you (Chair), and since you're "more left than most", I'm going to hazard a guess that many who comment and/or read here are suspicious of your true motives because you seem to target most of your criticism at left-leaning political parties, regardless of whether they are in Government or in opposition.
And sure, that criticism may often be justified and/or constructive, but even so I reckon folk would feel a little more comfortable if you occasionally put the boot into National.
You wouldn't even have to do it that often – maybe start by proffering just one National/ACT critique for every four or so of your comments critical of Labour and/or the Greens.
It's only a suggestion – why not give it a go?
Only thing I was suspect on Chairmen about was the amount he'd desire to raise benefits. Iv always suspected he'd wish to raise it above the 60% outline in the recent welfare working group. But hey, it's just a suspension, it could be 200% increase.
It also takes a particular person to be able to concede to the devil what belongs to the devil. What I mean by that is could you name a National or Act policy and give a quick speak about it with out googling it. Love the left or hate the left. No matter how one eyed people are of the left, those who are fixated on the left, are probably left.
The bit that most normal people miss is about the state is this longing for some old, something blue, something new and something used. In reality the state has two major monopolies today, money and violence. Which is more powerful? I'd argue money. To see why look at who outlasted who in the Cold War. Military hegemony vs Economic hegemony. The economic one is still going.
Not seen it here today but well done egg boy for giving 100k to the cc terror attack victims.
Just saw that on Stuff.
Well done indeed.
Yep, what a kid. There's hope for Australia yet.
This has to be a joke. According to National, they already have the Budget and have been going through the documents for the last two days!
And as for respecting the lock-up, well, they've shown they can't be trusted with confidential information at all.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12235454
No problem. We could write National's predictable response for them:
"rubbish, failed, broken promises, poor little kids with rotten teeth, tanks not teeth, misleading, disappointing, same old nothing new …."
Sir Michael Cullen's view re leak/hack.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/113092600/budget-hack-political-games-to-embarrass-the-government–michael-cullen
I shake my head at the thought of anyone trying to gain a financial advantage out of trading sensitive information like that. There are so many other ligit ways to make more money than betting on forex or some dumb shit. I mean why wouldn't they just short the U.K. Pound for free??? It makes no sense.
Winston Peters’ view and I quote in full:
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, is claiming he knows how National got the ‘leaked’ documents but not revealing details.
He told reporters what they were saying was wrong – the facts were different.
“Are you saying the cleaner got hold of stuff, I don’t think so … the facts are different to that. The facts are very, very bad for the National party.”
“The information came to them in circumstances where the behaviour was totally illegal and they should have known it. That’s all I can say right now … it’s my job to know.”
He said Bridges was being “thoroughly unethical” and cashed in on the material.
“He has been found out and made a right fool of himself.”
Bridges should have called up Minister of Finance Grant Robertson to warn him about the documents and tell him something untoward was going on, Peters said.
“He’s [Bridges] gone-burger now because of this. He had a chance to show that he had ethical views, that he was fit to be a leader …”
He had no doubt the police would investigate.
Live from the Stuff news site.
The over-the-top press stand-up by Simon B this morning convinces me Winnie’s got it in one.
Vietnam vets new book by Australian about going as a teenager.
My Vietnam War Dave Morgan NEW Free ShippingCondition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781922132772
Author(s): Dave Morgan
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Year: 2014
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing
Pages: 296
https://www.trademe.co.nz/books/nonfiction/history/other/listing-2164086576.htm?rsqid=10ed25c71804446e896a3b15ace548ff-003
Vietnam War