Well if you read the article all the way to the bottom, you will find that between Labour, National and ACT they all seem to have issues in their advertising. They all seem to advertise about 90 % the truth and 10 % a misconception about the truth, and they all seem to pull their ads? Maybe its a thing ALL political parties do? But i agree with the complainant, a. J.A did not say the words as in the ad, and it should probably be Grant in that picture as i assume him to make the decision about the taxes and J.A is the 'communicator' of the team.
But can you imagine the ads National / Act will run in 2023 when they will simply state that they will axe both the 39% taxrate on 2% of the public (500 million the poor dears) and re-instate the write of of interest for property holder.
The ASA gave ACT the opportunity to correct but they backed down obviously knowing they’d got it wrong.
It was horrible to see ACT use images of children in their lie. They are a party of low morals and just don't seem to get what decent people want.
Rimmer must be very confident of securing the remainder of the disgruntled and paranoid racists from the National Party, but he won't swing any middle voters at all.
I have heard people comment that that approach has worked marvelously for the current Government when they talk about how well their Covid 19 policies are working.
I'll comment on the matter. New Zealand's Covid response is the envy of the entire world. Our unemployment rate is low and our growth forecast is high compared to other OECD countries. We are once again at the top of the Covid resilience rankings.
The government's Covid-19 policies are working very well and I'm not sure what metric anyone would be using to say otherwise.
The fact that it hurts some people is a real worry though.
"What is it about the alt-right and their murky relationship with the truth?"
Many, many years ago when I was young my Dad told me to be wary of Tories (he was English and regarded all right wing parties as Tories) because they're nasty. He reckoned you could never trust them to tell the truth.
So, it gets passed down the line from parents to children. They think it is normal behaviour and they presume everybody else does it too. Maybe some do, but most don’t.
It is why they come up with all the silly theories about Jacinda Ardern because they can't accept she's straight and honest and actually means what she says.
"It is why they come up with all the silly theories about Jacinda Ardern because they can't accept she's straight and honest and actually means what she says"
Jacinda is a politician, all politicians lie, the first lie she told as leader was in the Christchurch leaders debate in 2017 when she said she would not lie"
Please give one example of a Jacinda Ardern lie, and back it up with indisputable fact.
You will never get such an example. Not a true one anyway.
As me old Dad said:
They're nasty and they don't tell the truth.
I must qualify that by saying that your ordinary Nat voter are not necessarily nasty or liars. I count among my friends over the years a number of them who are not interested in politics and they vote National because their parents did and their parents before them.
Tax Payers Union showing their class again, backing a Ratepayers Alliance with some rude members. Various right wingers criticising the behaviour but avoiding the R word.
Very similar to the "Christian" women who yelled "Speak English!" during the karakia at the United Women's Conventions organized by the new Labour government in 1984. Hilariously, many (perhaps most) of those extremists who could not handle a few words in Te Reo Māori were practitioners of "speaking in tongues."
OK Morrissey – those speaking in 'tongues', do you know that or are you just throwing that in as a possibility.
I am concerned at the power that religions like the Exclusive Brethren and other religio-business models may have over this uncontrolled business and profit- oriented economy. Are you keeping an eye and ear open for that thing?
People of strong religious views are in the Labour government, just as they were in the National government. It's hard to quantify just how much influence they have.
It’s when the religious-political nexus is brazen that I start to worry. Thankfully we have no Billy T.K. or Colin Craig in parliament right now, but we’ve had a number of right wing so-called “Christians” there in the past—people like this thoroughly nasty piece of work…
I was appalled to hear John Tamihere a few years ago boasting of how he made a point of attending a Washington “prayer breakfast” along with a host of right wing Democratic and (predominantly) Republican “lawmakers”.
I had the idea that under neolib people's wishes were supposed to have more weight than previously under More government. Why shouldn't people, having agreed and made a case for it, be able to amalgamate with another local authority as here.
Residents of the two towns requested a boundary alteration in October 2018, saying they felt neglected by Horowhenua District Council. Residents felt more connected to Palmertston North, where they work, shop and go to school.
While the Local Government Commission acknowledged residents' strong ties to Palmerston North, it ruled the move would not provide benefits on the scale required to make a change.
It sounds very parental to me – no dear you can't have that seemingly sensible thing you want because it doesn't meet my cost efficiency code.
Nekminit, little towns everywhere are linking up with local cities and demanding the district councils they've abandoned do something about the shocking roads they commute on and holiday along. Spiffing.
Sounds good. You never get anywhere these days by going along with yesterday's methods – now you go straight to the best offer. That's how things get done these days or you just sit there like a good little whatever and be sidelined.
A short but good article on Stuff today from Mike Joy about the limits of growth, or limits of green growth to give it current terminology. Essentially he comments on the EROI – energy return on investment of 'green' energy sources. What he says is not new and a number of contributors and readers on this blog know it well already. Australian permaculturalist have been expressing ideas of a necessary energy decline for 2 or 3 decades. It is quite rare however to see that discussion make it's way into main stream media.
so we have a significant piece of legislation coming up that will allow anyone to gender self I D. In a vote compass poll just before last election, the majority of voters did not support it. There was a large number of undecideds, 20%, that suggests there is a need for more information on the pros and cons. A feminist group, Speak up for Women, wanted to hold a public meeting to put their side of the debate. Christchurch, now Dunedin library have cancelled their bookings. This is a serious breech of people being able to exercise their democratic rights. The group is concerned with the interests of women and girls.
I know there are mixed views on this blog about gender, but at least we have the debate.
Good piece by Thomas Manch. It's about the tension between NZ and AUS over long standing issues like rights for Kiwis and defence spending, but mainly explores the differences in approach to China.
ANALYSIS: The second-class treatment of New Zealanders in Australia remains a “pebble in the shoe”. The insistence on deporting criminals continues to corrode. And China’s rise remains the major conundrum for the New Zealand-Australia relationship.
On defence:
(Dr Anna Powles, a senior lecturer in security studies at Massey University) said Canberra’s distrust about New Zealand’s commitment to defence and security goes back to the split of the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s, and the current rift over China had been brewing for a few years.
“New Zealand’s low defence spending has long been a source of frustration across the Tasman. This has frustrated officials on both sides.”
Our defence spending is reflective of our geographical position. Our location is our competitive advantage with regard to defence; military/political aggression, and pandemic alike. It is also to our detriment; high export/import costs and remoteness from key markets, so it is natural to want to use our advantage and not have to redundantly spend on defence according to the desires of an increasingly paranoid and belligerent nation like Australia.
(Victoria University professor David Capie) said Dutton’s appointment to the defence portfolio in Australia would be challenging for New Zealand.
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton stands in parliament, alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison, sitting on the left.
"It's extremely likely that he's going to take a sharper line on Australia's defence in the region. And I think that's going to highlight some differences with New Zealand.
And,
Australian National University professor Dr Brendan Taylor said Australia had become progressively more hawkish, or aggressive in its foreign affairs, since as far back as the Kevin Rudd Government in 2009.
However, a turning point occurred early in 2020. Taylor said there was now a “much stronger emphasis on values … seeing the world in terms of democracy versus authoritarian regimes”.
“That's probably why you're noticing a real drift away from the New Zealand position … Australia has really shifted and is continuing to shift.”
This was partly due to the “key personalities” within the Morrison Government who hold strong ideological views, he said. The pragmatic, interests-based approach to foreign policy was giving way to these views.
Identity politics, anyone? These two strategic analysts clearly point to fundamentalist, ideological personalities within AUS politics sculpting that country's aggressive overtures. I happen to think Peter Dutton is one of the most evil men in he world and is largely responsible for the deterioration in the NZ-AUS relationship. What damage is he yet to do to our region?
Taylor said New Zealand officials understood their Australian counterparts much better than the other way around. There was not a lot of expertise about New Zealand within universities and think tanks across the Tasman.
"My sense is the Australian Government has been struggling to understand the New Zealand Government's approach.”
New Zealand’s approach to China resembled that of some South East Asian nations, he said – Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s speech to the New Zealand China Council last month was comparable to speeches given by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"The Australian Government could probably learn a bit from looking at speeches like that.”
This is interesting. Although it is felt “Wellington has long had to show it’s relevant and reliable to Canberra", it is apparent Canberra has little regard for Wellington and have a very poor understanding of New Zealand. This is reflected in the way they treat their closest neighbour and friend.
But the persisting issues – such as the deportations of criminals to New Zealand – could limit how willing New Zealand would be to co-operate on Pacific issues that arise, at a time when China was seeking to expand its influence.
Indeed. Conservative Australia cannot have it both ways.
"The second-class treatment of New Zealanders in Australia remains a “pebble in the shoe”
I regularly raise the erosion of the Special Category Visa whenever I am in communication with people I know Australia. Overwhelmingly they just don't want to discuss it. Plenty of ostriches in Australia
Why should they want to discuss it? They think it is a great idea and think their Government is right to kick out what they see as ratbags.
Try discussing with New Zealanders the deportation of Pasifika people from New Zealand. We are doing just the same thing to them that Australia is doing to New Zealand people over the ditch.
This story is from a couple of years ago but I doubt that things have changed much since it was written in 2019. Just a few quotes.
"A police spokesperson said 1664 people were deported to New Zealand from Australia between January 1, 2015 and February 22, 2019."
"Meanwhile, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) figures show in the past five years 1040 people have been deported to the Pacific from New Zealand." That would seem to be the 5 years up to March 2019, given the date of the story.
"Newsroom was unable to verify anecdotal reports of people being deported after being in New Zealand since childhood, but was told in one case a man deported to Tiuvalu in 2017 after release from prison had been in New Zealand since he was two years old.".
My comments aren't merely along the lines of "They did it too"
For what it is worth I'll give you my own views. They are based on having lived there for 7 years and, in the quarter century since then, having visited Australia typically twice a year. That unfortunately stopped at the beginning of last year and I haven't been over there since October 2019 but I don't think the situation has changed.
I think the following situation applies. No Australian Government really cares very much about New Zealand and no Government is going to change this deportation system. It doesn't matter whether it is a Coalition or a Labour Government.
The reason they won't change is because the Australian public are overwhelmingly in favour of it. Their attitude is that they don't see why they should have to allow people with even fairly minor criminal records staying there when they can be deported.
Trying to debate with them, as Noel wants to do, is completely pointless. They simply aren't going to change their views. Having our Government trying to persuade their Government to alter the policy is equally pointless in terms of getting any change. I think the New Zealand Government knows that but they think it may get them a few more New Zealand votes. This they are interested in doing. Admitting they are powerless and that Australia doesn't care? Not likely!
Therefore if you think that people shouldn't be deported to somewhere that they are strangers to, it is totally pointless to try and achieve anything in Australia. It might give you a warm fuzzy feeling but your efforts will achieve nothing. Absolutely nothing.
At least you may, and it is only a may, get some results if you try and get a New Zealand Government to change its ways. Here at least you can vote and most politicians pay at least some heed to what voters want. If you want to spend time on this topic do it where you have at least some chance of getting something to happen.
A New Zealand resident who cannot vote in Australia but who opposes a policy that most Australians approve of has much less or a chance of getting some action than I would have if I started a campaign to get Parliamentary salaries back to the level they were 50 years ago. That was when an MP was paid about as much as a HoD teacher. Would Parliament go back to that? Not a chance. Even that would be much better odds than those that attach to the proposition that Australia will change its deportation policy because some New Zealanders don't like it.
It Isn't Going To Happen. Spend you time where you might be able to do some good. Work on New Zealand problems.
I’m quite sure you’re right on almost everything you said. However, this doesn’t mean that NZ Government has to like it, agree with it, accept it, and say nothing and just let it go. This is not how politics work, this is not how humans work. That said, I don’t think it is a hill they want to die on, politically speaking, but it is now a NZ problem.
As for uprooting people from their community and even ripping apart families and whanau, for whatever reason, I think this should not be done lightly, as it can lead to (more) stigmatisation, social isolation, and alienation – you know that this does not end well. It is actually a harsh penalty in any context. It tends to create big(ger) problems elsewhere, which has an element of NIMBYism. Shifting a problem doesn’t solve it.
Banishment and exile are as old as society. Would we be as concerned if Australia had exceedingly long prison sentences or even reintroduced the death penalty for some crimes that impacted NZ born residents?….I suspect much less so.
"Immigration New Zealand (INZ) figures show in the past five years 1040 people have been deported to the Pacific from New Zealand"
You conflate that with deportations to New Zealand from Australia
Got any breakdown on how many deportations from New Zealand to the pacific were simply for overstaying visas? – Your quoted figures are meaningless without it.
Well, he is one of those… toss em all into jail and throw away the key types. Or better still… leave em on a desert island in shark infested waters. 😉 And he does make a song and dance about it.
The issue is a little more nuanced than his simplistic stance suggests, so he can't complain if they respond with what are no doubt empty threats.
Not that I am condoning their behaviour, but Simeon does ask for it.
What do you mean by “Shaw played the victim well”? He was a victim. He gave a victim impact statement to the Court for the Trial.
At an earlier hearing a judge found Harris threw two punches to Shaw's face, one of which fractured his right eye socket and then when Shaw was on the ground, threw three or four more.
The judge was not satisfied that there had been any kicking.
…
"It was pretty solid. I haven't been punched that hard previously."
The attack stopped when two people intervened.
"Initially I went to work because I did not think it was that bad but I started bleeding from the nose and then went to ED."
The main injury was to his eye socket with a lot of bruising and a scan showing a fracture.
My initial point at 10 above was, I don't believe any politician should have themselves or their families threatened of violence or being killed as per the "Your gonna get popped without knowing it you peanut".
I find it gob smacking that some commenters on here from the tone of their comments at 10.1.2, 10.1.3.1 and 10.1.1 seem to think its all ok and Simeon is fair game. That's why I asked at 10.1.1.1 to try and find out if they felt the same way if a similar threat was made to a Labour (or any other party for that matter).
Addressing the binary “us” and “them” of populism between academics and other citizens also requires diversity in universities. Academia that is reflective of wider society will change the scope and nature of teaching and research, improving research engagements with communities, and broadening the demographics of student bodies.
Academics can be real ignorant snobs when it comes to acknowledging that much of the heavy lifting in tertiary education institutions is done by non-academic staff and non-academics in general, including post-graduate students and so on. This divide is sharp, cutting, and hurtful to all those non-academics who work extremely hard and bend over backwards, especially during the Covide-19 pandemic, and make a huge but under-appreciated contribution to the experience of all in those institutions and, by extension, to our society. It is similar at schools, particularly secondary schools, where support staff do an amazing job, for little pay, and some have the highest academic qualifications (i.e. PhD).
I strongly resisted turning this into an epic rant …
I can get behind the article in general, academics literally are paid to know about the topic. But… Heh. University of Otago.
The institution that did a multi-year "support services review" because the vice chancellor thought it had too many general staff. Made dozens redundant, and had to hire back 10% of them. For literally years people would walk into the tea room not knowing if a someone in there had received a redundancy notice. It was fucking cruel.
And they forgot about all the general staff who actually do research: analysts, writers, technicians… "forgot", as in "nobody heard from the review committee unless they specifically asked if they were 'in scope'". Silly billies, you never stick your head above the parapet.
But the review got done, whatever bureaucratic nightmares it caused were probably overshadowed by the dent they put in the holiday pay and rendundancy liabilities the HR balance sheet faced, and the vice chancellor has pissed off to a uni three times the size of otago (her plane no doubt held aloft by the laurels of her bold and innovative restructuring).
Oh well McFlock the top bananas are hired because they are from another country, known to be rottweilers and can be let loose on the institution/council without ripples affecting all the other CEOs in NZ. They are hired guns, and know how to shoot execution-style.
Democracy under threat?……looks more like outright war.
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Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
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 ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
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 ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
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 ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
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 ...
In the gloom following director-general Al Morrison’s job cuts in 2013, the Department of Conservation restructured its operations arm. Eleven conservancy districts were whittled into six new “conservation delivery” regions, under which the Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands area, comprising 40 scattered islands more than 800km east of Christchurch, was tethered to the ...
One of th e country’s top litigation lawyers says New Zealand is seeing a lift in court action between companies. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham, who oversees a team of around 80 litigation specialists, says the courts are now so log-jammed that it’s taking over two years to get cases ...
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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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
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ACT caught spreading fake news again. What is it about the alt-right and their murky relationship with the truth?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/05/act-s-we-ll-tax-you-harder-ad-featuring-jacinda-ardern-removed-after-complaint-it-was-misleading.html
Arnold Rimmer's big marketing drive will come to nought if he keeps lying like this.
If you inhabiit an alternative universe it’s easy to find 'alternative facts'.
Kellyanne Conway’s illogical defenses of Trump will live on in the GOP – The Washington Post
Well if you read the article all the way to the bottom, you will find that between Labour, National and ACT they all seem to have issues in their advertising. They all seem to advertise about 90 % the truth and 10 % a misconception about the truth, and they all seem to pull their ads? Maybe its a thing ALL political parties do? But i agree with the complainant, a. J.A did not say the words as in the ad, and it should probably be Grant in that picture as i assume him to make the decision about the taxes and J.A is the 'communicator' of the team.
But can you imagine the ads National / Act will run in 2023 when they will simply state that they will axe both the 39% taxrate on 2% of the public (500 million the poor dears) and re-instate the write of of interest for property holder.
The ASA rejected the complaints against both National and Labour party adds.
and yet, people took offense. 🙂
So yeah, all of these parties will go as far as the public and watchdogs are letting them go.
ACTs falsehood is that the very high income earners ' are hard working'
Tell that to the people on low wages while those driving high priced cars under tax free notational purchases wizz by.
The ASA never ruled against ACT. ACT decided to remove the ad and the ASA then never got round to considering it.
ACT by then had got all the publicity for they wanted. Indeed they got far more than if no complaint had ever been raised.
The ASA gave ACT the opportunity to correct but they backed down obviously knowing they’d got it wrong.
It was horrible to see ACT use images of children in their lie. They are a party of low morals and just don't seem to get what decent people want.
Rimmer must be very confident of securing the remainder of the disgruntled and paranoid racists from the National Party, but he won't swing any middle voters at all.
Good luck to him.
There may be more votes amongst the euthanasia enthusiasts than you think.
True. Single issue parties can do very well to a point.
Do they really need publicity that paints them as devious lying little shits though?
I have heard people comment that that approach has worked marvelously for the current Government when they talk about how well their Covid 19 policies are working.
I really couldn't comment on the matter though.
I have heard people say some pretty bonehead stuff too.
I'll comment on the matter. New Zealand's Covid response is the envy of the entire world. Our unemployment rate is low and our growth forecast is high compared to other OECD countries. We are once again at the top of the Covid resilience rankings.
The government's Covid-19 policies are working very well and I'm not sure what metric anyone would be using to say otherwise.
The fact that it hurts some people is a real worry though.
One of the biggest threats to our enviable position is complacency.
No need to scan in because *insert weak excuse*, or 'my privacy, I will not leave name and address'.
Arrogance will get us.
"What is it about the alt-right and their murky relationship with the truth?"
Many, many years ago when I was young my Dad told me to be wary of Tories (he was English and regarded all right wing parties as Tories) because they're nasty. He reckoned you could never trust them to tell the truth.
So, it gets passed down the line from parents to children. They think it is normal behaviour and they presume everybody else does it too. Maybe some do, but most don’t.
It is why they come up with all the silly theories about Jacinda Ardern because they can't accept she's straight and honest and actually means what she says.
FFS
"It is why they come up with all the silly theories about Jacinda Ardern because they can't accept she's straight and honest and actually means what she says"
Jacinda is a politician, all politicians lie, the first lie she told as leader was in the Christchurch leaders debate in 2017 when she said she would not lie"
Please give one example of a Jacinda Ardern lie, and back it up with indisputable fact.
Definition of lie
intransitive verb
1 : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
I don't believe anyone will be holding their breath for long……………..
You will never get such an example. Not a true one anyway.
As me old Dad said:
They're nasty and they don't tell the truth.
I must qualify that by saying that your ordinary Nat voter are not necessarily nasty or liars. I count among my friends over the years a number of them who are not interested in politics and they vote National because their parents did and their parents before them.
all politicians lie,
No they don't. What lies did Jeanette Fitzimons, Russel Norman or Nandor Tanczos tell? You are making an unsubstantiated slur and should withdraw it.
You can add Laila Harre and Sue Bradford to that list.
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/node/559
Three types of lie….and everybody, including politicians, partakes…some more egregiously than others.
+1
Nod to solkta here.
Those politicians that don't lie are only economical with the truth.
Grant Robertson is too definitive. "We will not be extending the bright line test".
Nek minnit, the bright line test will go from 5 to 10 years.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300259542/housing-grant-robertson-says-he-was-too-definitive-when-he-ruled-out-a-change-to-the-brightline-test-judith-collins-says-he-lied
Or their inaction/silences on certain issues speaks volumes/tells lies..
(c.f…green party inaction on cannabis law-reform post tanczos to chloe..the long years of silence…)
which made their policies/promises on this issue..lies..surely..?..)
Whenever the issue of advertising and the dodgy morality surrounding it comes up, I can't help but hear D Boon hollering the first lines of this song.
Only 1 1/2 mins of pallatable American punk, The Minutemen:
Tax Payers Union showing their class again, backing a Ratepayers Alliance with some rude members. Various right wingers criticising the behaviour but avoiding the R word.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/05/tauranga-crowd-jeers-at-speaker-addressing-them-in-te-reo-m-ori.html
Simon and Peter could have done better to call it what it was.
Very similar to the "Christian" women who yelled "Speak English!" during the karakia at the United Women's Conventions organized by the new Labour government in 1984. Hilariously, many (perhaps most) of those extremists who could not handle a few words in Te Reo Māori were practitioners of "speaking in tongues."
OK Morrissey – those speaking in 'tongues', do you know that or are you just throwing that in as a possibility.
I am concerned at the power that religions like the Exclusive Brethren and other religio-business models may have over this uncontrolled business and profit- oriented economy. Are you keeping an eye and ear open for that thing?
OK Morrissey – those speaking in 'tongues', do you know that or are you just throwing that in as a possibility.
It was the great Fran Wilde who made that comment after those foolish and linguistically challenged "Christian" women made their protest.
Thanks hadn't seen that.
But what say you to the other point, Are your eagle eyes surveying the role that the ir-religious play or would like to, in gummint?
People of strong religious views are in the Labour government, just as they were in the National government. It's hard to quantify just how much influence they have.
It’s when the religious-political nexus is brazen that I start to worry. Thankfully we have no Billy T.K. or Colin Craig in parliament right now, but we’ve had a number of right wing so-called “Christians” there in the past—people like this thoroughly nasty piece of work…
https://assets.thespinoff.co.nz/1/2019/07/alexb.jpg
I was appalled to hear John Tamihere a few years ago boasting of how he made a point of attending a Washington “prayer breakfast” along with a host of right wing Democratic and (predominantly) Republican “lawmakers”.
"The clowns at MSNBC didn't have a clue."
I had the idea that under neolib people's wishes were supposed to have more weight than previously under More government. Why shouldn't people, having agreed and made a case for it, be able to amalgamate with another local authority as here.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443601/horowhenua-towns-bid-for-boundary-move-to-palmerston-north-fails
The Horowhenua towns of Ōpiki and Tokomaru have been denied their requests to ditch the district and become affiliated with Palmerston North City.
Residents of the two towns requested a boundary alteration in October 2018, saying they felt neglected by Horowhenua District Council.
Residents felt more connected to Palmertston North, where they work, shop and go to school.
While the Local Government Commission acknowledged residents' strong ties to Palmerston North, it ruled the move would not provide benefits on the scale required to make a change.
It sounds very parental to me – no dear you can't have that seemingly sensible thing you want because it doesn't meet my cost efficiency code.
Nekminit, little towns everywhere are linking up with local cities and demanding the district councils they've abandoned do something about the shocking roads they commute on and holiday along. Spiffing.
Sounds good. You never get anywhere these days by going along with yesterday's methods – now you go straight to the best offer. That's how things get done these days or you just sit there like a good little whatever and be sidelined.
A short but good article on Stuff today from Mike Joy about the limits of growth, or limits of green growth to give it current terminology. Essentially he comments on the EROI – energy return on investment of 'green' energy sources. What he says is not new and a number of contributors and readers on this blog know it well already. Australian permaculturalist have been expressing ideas of a necessary energy decline for 2 or 3 decades. It is quite rare however to see that discussion make it's way into main stream media.
Good to see the fundamentals being more widely expressed but the logical conclusion remains unsaid
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2021/05/28/free-speech-union-condemns-ban-of-feminist-group/
so we have a significant piece of legislation coming up that will allow anyone to gender self I D. In a vote compass poll just before last election, the majority of voters did not support it. There was a large number of undecideds, 20%, that suggests there is a need for more information on the pros and cons. A feminist group, Speak up for Women, wanted to hold a public meeting to put their side of the debate. Christchurch, now Dunedin library have cancelled their bookings. This is a serious breech of people being able to exercise their democratic rights. The group is concerned with the interests of women and girls.
I know there are mixed views on this blog about gender, but at least we have the debate.
Good piece by Thomas Manch. It's about the tension between NZ and AUS over long standing issues like rights for Kiwis and defence spending, but mainly explores the differences in approach to China.
On defence:
Our defence spending is reflective of our geographical position. Our location is our competitive advantage with regard to defence; military/political aggression, and pandemic alike. It is also to our detriment; high export/import costs and remoteness from key markets, so it is natural to want to use our advantage and not have to redundantly spend on defence according to the desires of an increasingly paranoid and belligerent nation like Australia.
And,
Identity politics, anyone? These two strategic analysts clearly point to fundamentalist, ideological personalities within AUS politics sculpting that country's aggressive overtures. I happen to think Peter Dutton is one of the most evil men in he world and is largely responsible for the deterioration in the NZ-AUS relationship. What damage is he yet to do to our region?
This is interesting. Although it is felt “Wellington has long had to show it’s relevant and reliable to Canberra", it is apparent Canberra has little regard for Wellington and have a very poor understanding of New Zealand. This is reflected in the way they treat their closest neighbour and friend.
Indeed. Conservative Australia cannot have it both ways.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/125010133/can-the-rift-be-healed-beneath-the-tension-in-the-new-zealandaustralia-relationship
"The second-class treatment of New Zealanders in Australia remains a “pebble in the shoe”
I regularly raise the erosion of the Special Category Visa whenever I am in communication with people I know Australia. Overwhelmingly they just don't want to discuss it. Plenty of ostriches in Australia
Why should they want to discuss it? They think it is a great idea and think their Government is right to kick out what they see as ratbags.
Try discussing with New Zealanders the deportation of Pasifika people from New Zealand. We are doing just the same thing to them that Australia is doing to New Zealand people over the ditch.
This story is from a couple of years ago but I doubt that things have changed much since it was written in 2019. Just a few quotes.
"A police spokesperson said 1664 people were deported to New Zealand from Australia between January 1, 2015 and February 22, 2019."
"Meanwhile, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) figures show in the past five years 1040 people have been deported to the Pacific from New Zealand." That would seem to be the 5 years up to March 2019, given the date of the story.
"Newsroom was unable to verify anecdotal reports of people being deported after being in New Zealand since childhood, but was told in one case a man deported to Tiuvalu in 2017 after release from prison had been in New Zealand since he was two years old.".
Now tell me. Are you protesting about the actions of our Government? If not why not, given that you seem to think that Australia is wrong when they do the same thing?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/is-nzs-deportation-stance-hypocritical
#whatabout and #theydidittoo
Now tell me, is this the best you can do? I know some here cannot, but surely you can argue better than this level of boys in a schoolyard …
My comments aren't merely along the lines of "They did it too"
For what it is worth I'll give you my own views. They are based on having lived there for 7 years and, in the quarter century since then, having visited Australia typically twice a year. That unfortunately stopped at the beginning of last year and I haven't been over there since October 2019 but I don't think the situation has changed.
I think the following situation applies. No Australian Government really cares very much about New Zealand and no Government is going to change this deportation system. It doesn't matter whether it is a Coalition or a Labour Government.
The reason they won't change is because the Australian public are overwhelmingly in favour of it. Their attitude is that they don't see why they should have to allow people with even fairly minor criminal records staying there when they can be deported.
Trying to debate with them, as Noel wants to do, is completely pointless. They simply aren't going to change their views. Having our Government trying to persuade their Government to alter the policy is equally pointless in terms of getting any change. I think the New Zealand Government knows that but they think it may get them a few more New Zealand votes. This they are interested in doing. Admitting they are powerless and that Australia doesn't care? Not likely!
Therefore if you think that people shouldn't be deported to somewhere that they are strangers to, it is totally pointless to try and achieve anything in Australia. It might give you a warm fuzzy feeling but your efforts will achieve nothing. Absolutely nothing.
At least you may, and it is only a may, get some results if you try and get a New Zealand Government to change its ways. Here at least you can vote and most politicians pay at least some heed to what voters want. If you want to spend time on this topic do it where you have at least some chance of getting something to happen.
A New Zealand resident who cannot vote in Australia but who opposes a policy that most Australians approve of has much less or a chance of getting some action than I would have if I started a campaign to get Parliamentary salaries back to the level they were 50 years ago. That was when an MP was paid about as much as a HoD teacher. Would Parliament go back to that? Not a chance. Even that would be much better odds than those that attach to the proposition that Australia will change its deportation policy because some New Zealanders don't like it.
It Isn't Going To Happen. Spend you time where you might be able to do some good. Work on New Zealand problems.
Good comment, thank you.
I’m quite sure you’re right on almost everything you said. However, this doesn’t mean that NZ Government has to like it, agree with it, accept it, and say nothing and just let it go. This is not how politics work, this is not how humans work. That said, I don’t think it is a hill they want to die on, politically speaking, but it is now a NZ problem.
As for uprooting people from their community and even ripping apart families and whanau, for whatever reason, I think this should not be done lightly, as it can lead to (more) stigmatisation, social isolation, and alienation – you know that this does not end well. It is actually a harsh penalty in any context. It tends to create big(ger) problems elsewhere, which has an element of NIMBYism. Shifting a problem doesn’t solve it.
Banishment and exile are as old as society. Would we be as concerned if Australia had exceedingly long prison sentences or even reintroduced the death penalty for some crimes that impacted NZ born residents?….I suspect much less so.
The only thing similar in the Deportation review tribunal was a Tuvalu man manslaughter conviction 2 years 'after' getting a residence permit
"Immigration New Zealand (INZ) figures show in the past five years 1040 people have been deported to the Pacific from New Zealand"
You conflate that with deportations to New Zealand from Australia
Got any breakdown on how many deportations from New Zealand to the pacific were simply for overstaying visas? – Your quoted figures are meaningless without it.
It seemed tp me when I was in Oz that they were mainly materialistic and run on commonsense lines with short term horizons.
This is good news. No matter which side of the political spectrum you support, no politician should have their life or families lives threatened.
Man arrested after alleged threats against MP Simeon Brown | Stuff.co.nz
Awful for Brown – apparently the second threat this month. Don't understand why he should be such a "death threat magnet".
Good to see young people interested in politics, though.
Would you have the same blase attitude if it was a threat against Hipkins or Ardern?
Not Pee-wee Herman fans?
Well, he is one of those… toss em all into jail and throw away the key types. Or better still… leave em on a desert island in shark infested waters. 😉 And he does make a song and dance about it.
The issue is a little more nuanced than his simplistic stance suggests, so he can't complain if they respond with what are no doubt empty threats.
Not that I am condoning their behaviour, but Simeon does ask for it.
Brown carries the victim mantle with pride; mission accomplished.
So did James Shaw when he was punched.
There’s a lot of similarity between the Shaw and Brown cases. Yeah, nah.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/117198101/man-who-attacked-james-shaw-got-jail-because-he-would-not-agree-to-home-detention
Not a lot of similarity in the cases, but Shaw played the victim well.
What do you mean by “Shaw played the victim well”? He was a victim. He gave a victim impact statement to the Court for the Trial.
I’m starting to wonder what is your point.
My initial point at 10 above was, I don't believe any politician should have themselves or their families threatened of violence or being killed as per the "Your gonna get popped without knowing it you peanut".
National MP Simeon Brown receives more death threats from Mongrel Mob after criticising funeral procession | Newshub
I find it gob smacking that some commenters on here from the tone of their comments at 10.1.2, 10.1.3.1 and 10.1.1 seem to think its all ok and Simeon is fair game. That's why I asked at 10.1.1.1 to try and find out if they felt the same way if a similar threat was made to a Labour (or any other party for that matter).
That’s a good point well made, thank you. No politician should have a target on their back.
@ drowsy..
'don't know why'..
um..!..possibly because he is a jingoistic right-wing dickwad..?
(just guessing here..)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/125270923/the-pandemics-reminded-me-why-im-proud-to-be-an-academic
Academics can be real ignorant snobs when it comes to acknowledging that much of the heavy lifting in tertiary education institutions is done by non-academic staff and non-academics in general, including post-graduate students and so on. This divide is sharp, cutting, and hurtful to all those non-academics who work extremely hard and bend over backwards, especially during the Covide-19 pandemic, and make a huge but under-appreciated contribution to the experience of all in those institutions and, by extension, to our society. It is similar at schools, particularly secondary schools, where support staff do an amazing job, for little pay, and some have the highest academic qualifications (i.e. PhD).
I strongly resisted turning this into an epic rant …
Lawyer.
Not all lawyers!
I can get behind the article in general, academics literally are paid to know about the topic. But… Heh. University of Otago.
The institution that did a multi-year "support services review" because the vice chancellor thought it had too many general staff. Made dozens redundant, and had to hire back 10% of them. For literally years people would walk into the tea room not knowing if a someone in there had received a redundancy notice. It was fucking cruel.
And they forgot about all the general staff who actually do research: analysts, writers, technicians… "forgot", as in "nobody heard from the review committee unless they specifically asked if they were 'in scope'". Silly billies, you never stick your head above the parapet.
But the review got done, whatever bureaucratic nightmares it caused were probably overshadowed by the dent they put in the holiday pay and rendundancy liabilities the HR balance sheet faced, and the vice chancellor has pissed off to a uni three times the size of otago (her plane no doubt held aloft by the laurels of her bold and innovative restructuring).
Oh well McFlock the top bananas are hired because they are from another country, known to be rottweilers and can be let loose on the institution/council without ripples affecting all the other CEOs in NZ. They are hired guns, and know how to shoot execution-style.
Jonathan Pie's latest. Dominic Cummings' about-turn has bemused him and he's not feeling himself.
Democracy under threat?……looks more like outright war.
"A mayoral candidate has been killed in Mexico, bringing to 34 the total number of candidates murdered nationwide ahead of June 6 legislative elections that will fill thousands of local seats and nearly half of the country’s governors."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/26/another-candidate-assassinated-in-mexico-ahead-of-june-6-vote
Mum and Dad investors, this is your future.
Landlords and tenants struggle with the pandemic eviction moratorium – The Washington Post