Open mike 29/06/2023
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- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.
The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...1 hour ago - Buried deep
Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...5 hours ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.
Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...23 hours ago
- Leadership for Dummies
If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...1 day ago - Home again
1 day ago - Dead even tie for hottest August ever
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...1 day ago - The Hoon around the week to Sept 7
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...1 day ago
- Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?
An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...2 days ago - Councils reject racism
Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...2 days ago - Homage to Simeon Brown
2 days ago
- Government of deceit
When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...2 days ago
- The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all
Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...2 days ago - Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024
Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...2 days ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.
Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading ...2 days ago
- A Hole In The River
There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...2 days ago - Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...
My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...2 days ago - Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis
As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024
Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...3 days ago - Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.
I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading ...3 days ago
- How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?
Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...3 days ago - A missed opportunity
The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...3 days ago
- Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy
Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...3 days ago - Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies
The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...3 days ago - The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...3 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.
The notion of geopolitical “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading ...3 days ago
- Venus Hum
Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...3 days ago - I Went to a Creed Concert
Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...3 days ago - Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses
The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...3 days ago
- A Time For Unity.
Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...4 days ago - Climate Change: Failed again
National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...4 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.
A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading ...4 days ago
- Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation
Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...4 days ago - Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession
The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...4 days ago
- What if we freed up our streets, again?
This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...4 days ago
- No Alarms And No Surprises
A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...4 days ago - Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...4 days ago
- No new funding for cycling & walking
Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...4 days ago - 99
Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...5 days ago - Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership
One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...5 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.
This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading ...5 days ago
- Tea and Toast
When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...5 days ago - NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects
Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...5 days ago
- Can Brown deliver his roads
The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...5 days ago
- New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X
Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...6 days ago
- Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”
In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...6 days ago
- Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil
A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...6 days ago - Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?
On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...6 days ago
- Israeli Lives Matter
There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...6 days ago - Luxon Cries
Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...6 days ago
- Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland
A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...6 days ago - Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?
This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...6 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...7 days ago
- An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...
And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...7 days ago - Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears
I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...1 week ago - When Do We Look Away?
Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...1 week ago - The decades just fly by
You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...1 week ago - 2024 Reading Summary: August
Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...1 week ago - Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...1 week ago
- White Noise
Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...1 week ago - The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.
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- Claims and Counter-Claims.
Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...1 week ago
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- The Principles of the Treaty
Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...1 week ago - The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.
An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...1 week ago
- A Big F U to this Right Wing Government
Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...1 week ago - Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off
One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...1 week ago
- Gravity
Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...1 week ago - Ditch the climate double speak and get real
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...1 week ago
- The Hoon around the week to August 30
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...1 week ago
- This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes
Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...1 week ago - Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024
Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...1 week ago
- Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
“That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...1 week ago
- Big Norm and Chris Hipkins
It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024
Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...1 week ago
- Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi
Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...1 week ago
- Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...19 hours ago - Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...2 days ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...3 days ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...3 days ago - ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...4 days ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission. ...4 days ago
- Release: Rainbow youth neglected in mental health funding
Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...5 days ago
- Release: Transport in NZ has to be more than just roads
As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...5 days ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds Building Nations 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa, Thank you for your warm welcome and for having my colleagues and I here today. Earlier you heard from the Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins, on our vision for the future of infrastructure. I want to build on his comments and provide further detail on some key elements ...5 days ago
- Govt transport plan deepens fossil fuel fix
The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond
The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction. ...6 days ago
- Building consents data bad news for construction
News that the annual number of building consents granted for new homes fell by more than 20 percent for the year ended July 2024, is bad news for the construction industry. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi ...1 week ago
- Release: Gaps still to be addressed in callouts response
The Government must guarantee New Zealanders will not be at risk after making changes to the way mental health callouts are handled. ...1 week ago
- Poroporoaki: Kiingi Tuheitia passing
Haere e te Kīngi o te kotahitangi Haere ki o nui, ki o rahi I te pō ...1 week ago
- Green Party pays respects to Kiingi Tuuheitia
The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. ...1 week ago
- Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees
Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. ...1 week ago
- Release: National restricts access to disability care homes
With disability communities still reeling from the diminishing of Whaikaha, a leaked document now reveals another blow with National restricting access to residential care homes. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt must help save 230 manufacturing jobs
Labour is calling on the Government and Mercury Energy to find a solution to the proposed Winstone Pulp mill closure and save 230 manufacturing jobs. ...1 week ago
- Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori
The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today. ...1 week ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...1 week ago - Release: PM fails in constitutional role and leadership
The failure of the Prime Minister to condemn his Minister for personally attacking the judiciary is another example of this Government riding roughshod over important constitutional rules. ...1 week ago
- Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member of Parliament for Waiariki, which includes Rotorua, has written to Rotorua Lakes Councillors requesting they immediately stop sewerage piping works at Lake Rotokākahi in Rotorua. “Mana whenua have been urging Rotorua Lakes Council to stop works and look at alternative plans to protect the ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Patient care at risk from redundancies
Patient care could suffer as a result of further cuts to the health system, which could lose thousands of staff who keep our hospitals and clinics running. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call on Govt to wake up on child poverty
The Green Party says the latest statistics on child poverty in this country highlight the callous approach that the Government is taking on this issue of national shame. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Police are off the beat under National
Foot patrols around the country have decreased 15 percent since National took office, despite National’s Mark Mitchell claiming otherwise. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Climate denial is an insult to Pacific leaders
Winston Peters’ climate denialism at the Pacific Islands’ Forum is an embarrassing new low. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must end solitary confinement
The Green Party is urging the Government to end the use of solitary confinement within our prisons after new research revealed some prisoners have been held in confinement for more than 900 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuels never the answer in climate crisis
The Government’s moves to enable the import of Liquefied Natural Gas is another step away from the sustainable and affordable energy network that this country needs. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must respect Court’s Uber employee decision
Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uber court decision recognises workers’ rights
The Court of Appeal decision that Uber drivers are entitled to employee rights such as minimum wage, sick leave, holiday pay and collective bargaining is welcome news for the drivers involved and their unions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to divest from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to tell the two major wealth funds, the NZ Super Fund and ACC, to withdraw investments from companies listed by the United Nations as complicit in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt backtrack on fast-track still not enough
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Our environment remains at risk despite the Government's proposed changes to its controversial fast-track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
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- Release: Chris Hipkins’ Speech to Local Government New Zealand
...2 weeks ago
- Release: Regional deals can’t leave ratepayers picking up the bill again
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- Release: Govt in thrall to tobacco lobbyists
The National Government has put the interests of tobacco lobbyists ahead of New Zealanders and their health. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt overreach on councils an assault on local democracy
The Government’s move to enforce austerity measures on councils is an assault on local democracy. ...3 weeks ago
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- Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer
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- Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul
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- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea
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- Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland
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- Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland
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- Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay
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- Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne
A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...6 days ago
- Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury
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- Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...6 days ago
- Getting transport back on track in Auckland
A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...6 days ago
- Record investment to get transport back on track
A record $32.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport network through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more reliable and efficient transport network that boosts economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, ...6 days ago
- Consultation is open on gambling harm strategy
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What is it with women these days?
https://twitter.com/rugbyintel/status/1673826425936441344
Another short gem from Christopher Luxon! You can almost hear him grinding his teeth!
And from General Debate yesterday:
https://twitter.com/rugbyintel/status/1673912345234673664
Apparently, ChrisPenkMP retweeted this parody account as genuine!
Excellent Veitchy…these should all be shown again a week before voting starts.
A response from the first twitter link:
When the story broke the same day Hipkins left for China, my reaction was:
These stories about 'inappropriate' conduct by govt. ministers is an attempt at character assassination for public consumption a few months out from the election.
Some people have been very busy sifting through paper work. How do we know whether all of them were legally obtained?
I put nothing past National and ACT.
I think this story pretty much sums it up… a storm in a teacup.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/cabinet-minister-kiri-allan-confirms-relationship-break-up-with-mani-dunlop-returns-to-parliament-after-mental-health-break/EMPHKSGC5RFJTFV7SV4OYE37RU/
Jealousy, racism, misogyny, spite and a generous helping of dirty politicking. I didn't think they would stoop so low as to rub the target's nose in the muck during a very difficult personal time.
They'll go as low as they possibly can to win the election.
The cunliffe smear etc.
Yet again RNZ shows it's no longer trustworthy.
On the RNZ news just now I got the gist of their view: smoke but no fire. No formal complaints means the discord didn't reach the threshold for action.
I guess a public servant has to balance the likelihood that they may reduce their employability if they complain, against their perception of harm done to them personally – as in trauma.
If so, the system incentivises leaking of discord to the Opposition in such instances. Abuse cannot be proven without supportive witnesses, and colleagues have to balance the threat to their own career from supporting victims. That said, all this is hypthetical since the system prevents transparency…
From Anne's link, posted @1.2.1
“But I’ve never, ever had any allegations put to me that I’ve had to deal with on a staffing front – none.”
Yeah I know – I thought it a good idea to scout out the reasons why staffers might be too scared to complain. We can only speculate because the system is designed to prevent them issuing such explanations themselves.
An experienced staffer of many years would not be scared to speak out.
Well now reporters know how Luxon will treat their questions.
And those “creating news have had a failure imo.
Penk has form for punching down against people of colour, and that includes someone having a mental health break. .
Many of National's policies seem to be focused on creating another housing bubble rather than funneling capital into productive investment.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/132432229/national-would-scrap-reserve-banks-sustainable-house-price-requirements
"Economist Shamubeel Eaqub was critical of National’s plan, saying the requirements made it explicit that sustainable house prices were integral to a stable financial system, and that the Reserve Bank had an obligation to take house prices into consideration."
Space bus passing close by tomorrow – 100 times closer than the moon:
I blame Klandathu. Must we wait until Buenos Aires is destroyed before we act?
Buy the T-shirt here: https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/89117908/im-from-buenos-aires-and-i-say-kill-em
Hmmm do they move the satellites out of the way of it's flight path to reduce the risk of impact with one?
Never heard of such tech capability being designed into their systems so I suspect it's just a lottery. Bit like a pinball machine, eh? Space rock hits satellite, is orbitally deflected onto a new trajectory, then hits New York (or Beijing or Moscow). Bugger.
They can certainly shift the orbit of satellites, including the Space Station to avoid collisions with space debris. They have done it quite a lot.
You need a very accurate knowledge of the orbit of the space debris to do it though which they probably wouldn't have for this asteroid.
Here is a collection of Q&A on the topic
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/FAQ_Frequently_asked_questions
Oh yeah, good one: "As of 2021, each of ESA’s Earth-orbiting satellites is conducting, on average, two collision avoidance manoeuvres per year."
Automated evasion? Primitive AI? Or subject to ground control? One can imagine the controller's job title: Space Invader Evasion Officer.
Liang Shi has failed their ue exam 27 times over that 40 year period, so the state ought to give him an award for perseverance. Excellent role model!
Speaking of UE exams.
EileenJoy
@swintersections
I'm going to say this really slowly – there is NO university entrance 'exam'. And as someone who is involved in secondary education (Board) and tertiary education, if there was I'd say Luxon himself would fail it due to lack of preparation for … well just about anything.
https://twitter.com/swintersections/status/1673890483112902656
And the vampiric NZ media go with the main story nothing happened a year ago! Heck of a job…
The (National Party dominated) MSM could not allow Hipkins to have a diplomatic triumph in China so close to the election so they had to concoct something.
Shame on RNZ for joining in though.
Are they paying Allen back for her comments at her ex fiancees leaving do?
This is a very weird story I agree. Is there more to come? We will have to wait and see
RNZ just reported (about 12.14pm) that Allan told National to "put up or shut up" and she said that the Nats had been on a "fishing expedition". RNZ said Allan was arguing that there was "nothing to see here".
So refreshing this. So feisty.
But of course all Luxon wanted was to distract from Hipkins’ fine performance in China, and the compliant MSM did the job for him.
@bg..
Yes .a 'fine performance' would be one way of describing hipkins in china..
Others may use more salty terms… involving butts and the kissing of…
But yes..it was a 'performance'..
It followed a tight script… with all the difficult subjects covered in the meeting of mahuta..and her chinese counterpart…
All that was left to do was the waltz of happiness ..
And are you saying you don't feel at all uncomfortable with hipkins' 'performance'..?
No elephants also on the dance floor…?
Phillip….as I think you know I vote Green…. Hipkins is not really of my ilk…he has axed a few green things and I agree it is scandalous that he didn't give human rights a higher profile in China….but he is eloquent and a bit of a thug and not a rich prick so he should make mincemeat of Luxon in the campaign….I just hope the Greens get ten per cent
I think it is an easy prediction for both the greens and the maori party to do well..
I think the greens could well pick up some soft tory voters..who may well be as scared of act as any sensible biped would be…
And I am cheered by the reports of seme serious movement from the general role to the maori roll..
I see those votes going to the maori party…(a very different maori party from the last iteration..).
And my hope is that they will together give labour a spine…
Agree all of that
This is what Allan said:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/492831/kiri-allan-rejects-claims-she-treated-staff-badly
A well balanced article imo. Better than what else I have seen.
Thanks for that Anne and I agree.
I feel that Allan may be suffering from the association with both Nash and Wood who said 'nothing to see here, move on' only to turn out to have been hiding significant issues all along.
The more she protests her innocence (as they did), the more people wonder what she is hiding.
The put up or shut up option, is realistically the only one she has (and IMO she's using it effectively). She should pro-actively request that whichever department holds the email, release it, immediately. Of course, redacting any names or personal information of any staffers concerned.
Anker…you have run away with the conspiracy theory of the day award…
And you had stiff opposition..
Well done..!
I posed the question was Radio NZ paying Allen back for having a go at them at her ex fiancees leaving do.
I suggested this possiblity because the story doesn't make much sense i.e why is a work relations issue a year after the event.
You can call that a conspiracy theory if you like. Usually conspiracy theorists believe 100% what they postulate. But don't let that get in your way
@bg..
re you seriously suggesting that there was some sort of conspiracy by the msm…to kneecap hipkins in china..?
Got any evidence that claim is anything more than an orifice-pluck on your part..?
Did you not read Dirty Politics? Don't you keep up with the right's well documented continuing shenanigans on the dirty political front?
Read my link at 1;03pm. It might help.
Phillip, don't be naive. Some reporters love "gotcha" and any clickbait, even 12 month old stuff.
I'm not saying they don't love gotcha stories..but that is a bulls roar away from some conspiracy on the part of that media..to 'get' hipkins on his China trip…
If true..that would be the much bigger story..
I think, as Allan has said, they went "fishing" and once they had found something that the compliant media would report (even if there really was nothing to see) they made sure it was released during Hipkins' China trip.
I don't think the Nats have changed their spots by dumping Collins as leader.
A few people are making the comments (in that Twitter feed, here and elsewhere) that when Todd Muller and Jamie Lee Ross took time for "mental health", they were lauded by the media, the opposition, everyone. Kiri Allan does it and she gets shit and derision from all corners, including authors on here.
What's the difference? Woman? Left wing? Brown? Surely not a difference in credibility (ahem JLR).
Yes Ad's comments on TS were well out of line IMHO. See my post re Kiri Allan on RNZ above.
@bg..
Is that your rnz conspiracy that you speak of..?
Have you given it a name/acronym yet..?
Your new conspiracy..?
@ r c..
I don't recall any 'derision' being directed at allan..
The discussion has been about historical issues in her interactions with staff/consultants..with allegations of bullying..
And this story being broken by a doc official who had been seconded to allen's office..and who bailed early 'cos of toxic culture…
And you will note…no msm/nats in sight..
The propensity of some here to leap at shadows/see conspiracies everywhere..is laughable..
Phillip, toxic? I did not read that anywhere…???
Why else would she leave early…and then raise it with ministerial services…and now in the media…?..if it were not some variation on a toxic culture…bullying or whatever..?
Perhaps ? A guess then? Where is imo? For that is it really from your orifice
Have you skin in the game of pin the Minister? Do you know the Doc person?
Ben Thomas, hardly a Labour supporter, spoke on RNZ this afternoon about some people seconded to a parliamentary office being unsuited to the hotbed atmosphere. They move on pretty quickly.
And that, it appears, is all it is.
A quick glance at Dirty Politics would convince even the most sceptical that a lowlife like Cam Slater is quite capable of going on a fishing expedition and holding onto a snippet of information to release it at the most opportune moment.
Don't be naive, Phillip. It's election year and the Natz feel entitled!
Good news!
Political scientist reckons it's Kiri's third strike:
Nifty framing from the youngster but maybe premature. Folks oughta keep in mind that mentally-challenged politicians aren't abnormal, that Hitler was democratically elected and Trump likewise. Democracy has no inherent bias against mental illness.
"Nifty", well that is one way of describing bile and bias I guess. More like “Shifty” imo
How is the matter anywhere a strike offence?
If this is how three strikes works, then its one based on malice and lack of due process.
How is the matter anywhere a strike offence?
It may not be. That's why it seemed nifty to me. Perception rules reality in politics. If media and political scientists frame things a particular way, it's because they believe such framing will be in accord with common views of a situation.
When players in the political game spin things, they expect that spin to acquire immediate traction. It works via resonance. Folks resonate with the notion. Doesn't mean things will play out accordingly, just that it becomes more likely they will…
Frank replace "spin" with "conspire" and you get stuff from the orifice Phillip mentioned. So sh…. perceptions
They are hardly even handed.
Does anybody still believe Edwards' shallow, consistently anti-left, rants have credibility?
Allan looks like a talent to me….could go far.
I heard Ben Thomas mention on RNZ's The Panel that she was going through a "break up". I don't know if this is true but anybody who has been in a break-up situation knows that it can be incredibly stressful.
Another lesson in highway robbery.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1674069163986366466.html
Power companies have been paying out billions more in dividends than they've been making in profits, driving up electricity prices, union researchers have found.
The report – co-authored by First Union, the Council of Trade Unions, and climate group 350 – calls for the payouts to instead be channelled into building renewable generating capacity.
From 2014 to 2021, Contact, Genesis, Mercury and Meridian paid shareholders $8.7 billion in dividends, the report said. That's despite recording a total profit of just $5.35b over that period.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/478672/household-power-bills-driven-up-by-retailers-paying-excessive-dividends-union
And shifting the cost from businesses to householders at the same time.
The report, released this morning, said residential electricity prices had increased by 79 per cent but commercial rates dropped by 24 per cent in the past three decades.
The purge begins.
Russian General Sergei Surovikin has been arrested, The Moscow Times' Russian service reported Wednesday, citing two sources close to the Defense Ministry who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Defense Ministry has yet to comment on the alleged arrest of Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since Saturday, when Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion against Russia's military leadership.
[…]
“Apparently, he [Surovikin] chose Prigozhin’s side during the uprising, and they’ve gotten him by the balls,” the source said.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/06/28/russian-general-arrested-following-wagner-mutiny-mt-russian-a81685
There is a global problem with the health workforce, Shortages are adding to the problem.
A problem only eased by more staff.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66047270
This is only anecdata, I know, but our workplace (around 100 staff) has had the worst winter, ever, for staff absences due to respiratory infections.
Very few are Covid (or not being claimed as such), but colds and other respiratory infections are at levels well above pre-Covid heights for staff sick leave. I've just had a week off work, myself, with a chest and sinus infection.
While some of this may be due to the Covid effect of 'if you're sick, stay home and don't infect anyone else' – a lot seems to be that people are getting sicker for longer with what used to be routine sniffles. It doesn't seem to be 'flu (or at least not a lot of it). Our workplace offers free 'flu vaccinations which have been taken up by more than 90% of staff (with many of the others getting a free vaccination at their GP, due to age or other medical conditions).
I have no clinical explanation – but it's interesting to note an on-the-ground parallel to the NHS data.
Virus infections leave markers in the body. Covid weakens the immune system, so yes more infections this winter. Hope you are over that Belladonna.
The perfect storm.
Anthony Costello
@globalhlthtwit
·
We are underestimating the impact of both global heating and Covid on the risk of inflation. Euro Central Bank analysis suggests that a one-degree temperature increase during El Niño historically raised global food prices by more than 6% after one year (1)
@globalhlthtwit
Eurostat and Germany data shows average hours worked has not recovered since pre-pandemic, sick leave has gone up, 60% attributed to Covid and other respiratory infections from insurance fund data. https://ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2023/html/ecb.sp230619_1~2c0bdf2422.en.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
(2)
https://twitter.com/globalhlthtwit/status/1673992931684896770
Plot thickens, reported by Andrea Vance:
Fun & games. Mandarin uses Muldoon's law to stymie the Nats!
Any bureaucratic investigation can be prolonged till after the election, right? Apparently it's vital for the public service to prove that non-transparency rules over false Labour claims to the contrary…
When I see 'Simeon Brown' my mind immediately sees 'Slimy.' He's on his campaign to prove he would be a great Minister in Government after October.
He would say he's just doing what an effective opposition politician should be doing. I see slimy.
Good news for Labour:
Accidentally creating the wrong impression in the minds of others is normal for humans. Looks like the committee has deemed the minister negligent despite this. The high degree they cite isn't quantified: how long is a piece of string? Do they mean 8 or 9 out of 10 or only 7.5?? The PM will consider options: are the rest of the motley crew likely to do any better? I suspect he will roll his eyes & keep her on.
So they managed to do some quantifying on that point, and it's a relief that parliament is seemingly viewed by the committee as the last remaining bastion of truth.
That is a very welcome decision for the Government. Not guilty of contempt. Who would have anticipated it? It is almost as if the Government and its "running dogs", in Mao's wonderful phrase, had a majority on the Committee.
I wonder what the vote was? 5-3 perhaps? Did they say?
https://selectcommittees.parliament.nz/v/6/93a5dceb-337c-4eb7-de47-08db781492a7
To quote the report (p13):
Seems to have been unanimous in finding that while Minister Tinetti misled the House, she did not intentionally mislead the House.
Ah, now I get it. Jan Tinetti was merely grossly incompetent. The PM can keep her on then.
Different accountability line. The Privileges Committee has decided it wasn't contempt of Parliament but found that she should apologise for misleading Parliament.
Now that's complete, the PM gets to think about whether there should be any other consequences and balance that with the need to fill the portfolio close to the election.