I certainly recall….(having had lower echelon connectivity with Southern Polytechnic’s) The VERY Lucrative remuneration of same CEO’s. Also Ms Penny Simmonds…..Nat mp in waiting role. I’d say Mr Phil….Ker would be very similar politically..
Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker had an increase.
His pay was $330,000 to $339,999, compared with $320,000 to $329,999 the previous year.
In Invercargill, Southern Institute of Technology chief executive Penny Simmonds received $270,000 to $279,999, up from $250,000 to $259,999 the previous year.
We have to decide what our tertiary institutions are for. This government has signalled it wants polytechnics to provide a skilled workforce for building housing, infrastructure and health. They should not be a vessel for harvesting foreign cash with dodgy courses, a means to ship in cheap labour. They should train Kiwis old, new, and pending to do the jobs NZ needs them to do.
The chiefs of some of these "personal fiefdoms' will have been hooked on Steven Joyce's corrupt backdoor to residency model. Now they are throwing their toys out of the cot.
Simmonds was selected as the National Party candidate for Invercargill in May 2020 following Sarah Dowie's decision to retire. Dowie had originally been selected to run again in September 2019. Simmonds had been rumoured as a potential candidate for about fifteen years prior.
Hi Muttonbird…and fkn Aye ! Keerist it was past time that Labour sorted this and other shit out. Good on them for pulling the comfy blanket remuneration away from some of these CEO's. I , as maybe you, see the Apprenticeships (Labour restarting ) and all other things in process to get young NZ a Future.
The (now departed) CEO of the new organization, Te Pūkenga was getting $688,235 – one of the highest public sector salaries in the country – and he appointed 6 deputies – on salaries higher than the incumbent polytechnic CEOs (all of whom were retained on the books).
The total wages bill is now over $11 million (figures from 2021 – when they weren't fully operational – so expect it to be higher now) for 139 FTE staff.
When my wife was studying at the local polytech less than 50% of her class were even turning up to class. Half the courses were for jobs that weren't there – e.g. travel agents. Lucrative cash generators but of little practical use given the low volume of jobs in that particular area and even lower vacancies due to hardly any turnover.
I would however like to see a return to the community college concept as well with all the delight educating and training in artistic and practical skills that community colleges used to provide. Second chance learning. Needs to be back to fully utilise secondary schools as well which should be a broader community asset.
“I would however like to see a return to the community college concept as well with all the delight educating and training in artistic and practical skills that community colleges used to provide. Second chance learning. Needs to be back to fully utilise secondary schools as well which should be a broader community asset.”
Absolutely. That… disappeared under Mr …Ker's "Leadership" and of course the sir Key Nat govt.
No need to ask whether I fought against….
Hence my pissed off at his and Penny's comments now.
I can only speak from my experience watching the heartbreaking destruction of Unitec under the incompetent leadership of Rick Eade. If that was any guide then polytech CEO leadership has been long afflicted by an over supply of mediocre talent that has gigantic egos and an even bigger sense of hubris.
Unitec Council Chair, Dr Lee Mathias said: “I want to thank Rick for his tremendous contribution to Unitec’s transformation, which includes significant progress towards the redevelopment of our Mt Albert campus, the introduction of new industry partnerships and a strong foundation to deliver more flexible, work-integrated teaching models that our future students and employers will demand. In his time at Unitec, Rick has also raised the profile of contemporary applied learning in New Zealand.”
"Has the bully boy been intimidated by an articulate and forceful minister?"
Of course he has. Bully boys (and bully girls for that matter) are not usually very bright. Their one source of power is to harass and intimidate those they perceive to be vulnerable. In the case of bully boys, women who have an ethnic background (ie. darker skin) are generally easy targets. He's going to have to call on his 'mates' inside the Police Force to keep him abreast of any meaty stories – don't have to be true – that he can hit Hipkins with in due course.
So it turns out organic AI is already working quite smoothly and efficiently in service of the state as we speak…just watch the host of this show mechanically outline what she has been told to say and think about Unions and Workers….then for the next eighteen minutes, no matter what is said or explained to her, come back again and again and again to her original programming….unluckily for her she is sitting next to Eddie Dempsey from the RMT….watch and enjoy.
It’s a bit like reading The Guardian on Western foreign interventions or real progressive change..trained human bots spewing propaganda endlessly in service of power.
Eddie Dempsey nicely brings the media position in the UK on workers striking into sharp focus at about 12 minutes in….if you don't want to watch all 18 minutes.
"You took the money though and didn't give it back"
"Its a bit of a cheek saying the trade unions are being greedy asking for a pay rise when the profits of the footsie top 350 companies have gone up 73% since 2019. When are we going to ask are they being greedy"
"Companies taking huge profits out to tax havens" while workers wages continue to decline in real terms.
Meanwhile Starmer has sacked a frontbench MP who joined the picket line:
The Guardian understands Tarry was told he was sacked as shadow minister for buses and local transport for saying that it was “not acceptable to offer below inflation pay rises” because it would be a real-terms pay cut for workers.
Of course The Guardian are in no position to take the moral high ground on this (or anything I can think of), no can or should forget that it was The Guardian who actively led the charge to undermine and destroy Jeremy Corbyn, that has now given the UK that piece of shit Centrist Liberal, Starmer…and it goes without saying that Corbyn would have been on the picket lines with his progressive MP's had he still been leader of the Labour Party.
Sure, however I think the Forde report outlines the factionalism inside the party was more responsible than a newspaper.
Both UK Labour and the NZ Labour party have a crisis of ideology:
Mr Corbyn also said the Forde report showed Labour needed to "decide what it is for".
"Are we a democratic socialist party, run by members and affiliated unions, that aims for a fundamental transfer of wealth and power from the few to the many?" he asked. "Or are we something else?"
Corbyn should have purged all the Centrist out…but he was and is too much of a inclusionist to ever do that, I guess he didn't realize that Centrists are as fundamentalist about their ideology as any communist ever was about theirs….still it was probably his biggest mistake IMO.
Funny the BBC reporting on it, as they, at the time, were some of the most openly biased against him……
Agreed Adrian…the Guardian's reporting of the anti-semitic issue was scandalous. This and its less than friendly reporting on Corbyn's Brexit position condemned Labour to lose the last election, which is presumably the outcome the Guardian wanted-Boris instead of Jeremy.
"Labour need Dempsey as leader not Smarmy Starmer"…Yes they do, either him or Mick Lynch…then we would instantly get to see The Guardian and all other so called 'Liberal' press show their real colours, and do the job they are their for..undermining real progressive change (that and selling Western Imperialist wars and interventions as the moral high ground to the Liberal class)…
How The Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn But The Last Vestiges Of British Democracy
The Guardian was despicable in its Corbyn takedown, especially that awful Jonathan Freedland. After every anti-Corbyn article, I went looking for the anti-semitism he was supposed to have engaged in, and could never find anything more than puerile conjecture and upsetting the Israeli govt.
The thing that really grind my gears about The Guardian is that, even after being exposed time and again as being nothing more than Free Market Imperialist Trojan horse that more than any other news source really undermines any serious progressive movement…yet so many 'Lefties' still take it seriously and trust it as a news source….put it this way…there hasn't been a Western intervention the Guardian hasn't supported since Iraq…enough said!!
Interim Cass report indicated changes would be coming for the UK's primary gender clinic, the Tavistock.
Yesterday it was announced the treatment of minors would be transferred to two regional centres, where a comprehensive set of professional support services would be utilised.
. The regional centres should be experienced providers of tertiary paediatric care to ensure a focus on child health and development, with strong links to mental health services. They should have established academic and education functions to ensure that ongoing research and training is embedded within the service delivery model. The centres should have an appropriate multi-professional workforce to enable them to manage the holistic needs of this population, as well as the ability to provide essential related services or be able to access such services through provider collaborations. These should include, but not be limited to: mental health services; services for children and young people with autism and other neurodiverse presentations; and for the subgroup for whom medical treatment may be considered appropriate, access to endocrinology services and fertility services. There should also be expertise in safeguarding, support of looked-after children and children who have experienced trauma. Staff should maintain a broad clinical perspective by working across related services within the tertiary centre and between tertiary and secondary centres in order to embed the care of children and young people with gender-related distress within a broader child and adolescent health context.
For those that have been following these reviews, this appears to be another significant move away from the "affirming healthcare" model we have for minors here in NZ.
Following that announcement, the Telegraph has published a personal account from a detransitioner. Link below to non-paywalled copy:
Detransition followed the deradicalisation. As the politics fell away, so did the desire to transition. I began to address with a therapist and gynaecologist – a good one this time – everything that had led me to the point of wanting surgical sterilisation. I was diagnosed with PMDD (an obscure and little known hormonal intolerance) and several learning disorders, including autism – a co-morbidity common to a disproportionate number of girls turning up in gender clinics.
It's great news for evidence-based care and a potential return to sanity for gender-confused youth in England and Wales. Finally, a proper review of the outcome for youth on puberty blockers and hormones and some decent clinical trials to be done on these off-label drugs. The sloppiness of care for young people for whom notes were not properly kept and outcomes not measured is astounding.
The big question I have is, will this be reported in New Zealand media?
Will the Ministry of Health finally admit that puberty blockers are not "safe and reversible"?
When will the government call for a similar review of gender-affirming care, in line with the concerning findings of the Cass Review?
A couple of thoughts. First, these anti-vax types are clearly capable of a terrorist outrage. This guy is being held for doing something very serious – otherwise he'd be out on bail. Look at the recent bomb threats to schools, apparently robocalls from an overseas location making bomb threats in relation to mask mandates. I don't know about you, but I would have thought an offshore account making bomb threats to schools would pretty much complete the bingo card to make sure you end up on the Five Eyes Kanban board "Work in Progress" column. These people are idiots, but they are dangerous idiots.
Secondly, recent events have shown how monumentally stupid Geoffrey Palmer's reforms repeal of the sedition laws were. In some respects a high water mark of globalist, neoliberal anti-statist law making it has really, really hobbled an effective state response to the anti-vax movement and the rise of seditious behaviour. The repeal of the sedition laws were informed by an ideology that saw the state as a sunset institution that was no longer deserved to be protected by archiac laws.
Well, we definitely need some sort of sedition law if only to protect those arrested from being charged with more serious offenses under anti-terror laws.
To be fair to Geoffrey Palmer, in the 1980s I don't think he could have envisaged the current state of play around the world today and the rise of despotic presidents together with their collective millions of loopy and braindead followers – some of which live in NZ.
In some respects a high water mark of globalist, neoliberal anti-statist law making it has really, really hobbled an effective state response to the anti-vax movement and the rise of seditious behaviour.
The best description yet from the fallout of neoliberalism. Roger and Ruth should be hanging their heads in shame.
Domino effect persists in UK,as housing restrictions on new builds are in effect,due to lack of grid capacity for electricity supply,due to demand from energy hungry data centres,Heat pumps and EV charging.
Australian electricity consumers can expect Nightmare bills as wholesale markets rocket.The grid upgrades and carbon taxes will further increase electricity costs going forward,add to inflation hence increased consumer costs,and transfer of jobs to lower cost manufacturing economies such as NZ.
Well they could just burn some more coal for all their much needed gadgets and stuff.
And if they wanted to appear as Green and considerate for the planet, they could like us not mine themselves but import coal from countries that are far away from us and where we don't care ab9out the pollution cause it is there and not here near by.
Well it appears that they will have to import more coal, or start mining again themselves.
Fwiw, our Hydro Dams are looking good thanks to the relentless rain that we had. That gives me a big happy. Points still stands, we are importing cheap Indonesian coal to generate electricty.
blablabla, we should not laugh at people whilst we are sharing the same boat.
We the People / He Tangata must make a decision to cut on electricity consumption, one way or another. Energy Wars, Water Wars all that stuff is happening already, its creeping into our 'save western first highly advanced' world, and should no longer delude ourselfs that us doing as they do is lesser or better. It is not.
I make funny noises about E – Cars not because I don't like driving. I grew up in Germany and driving on a good road with no speed limit and a car/bike is awesome fun. So is riding a bike. Or walking. Or taking the train.
I make these noises because we already don't generate the Energy we want to consume, we supplement with fossil fuels because of that 'want' and we He Tangata need to bend our mind around that we need to Want less.
E-cars, Heat Pumps, electronic storage/gadgets use energy. That energy needs t o come from somewhere and we should finally get honest and candid about where it is going to come from. Cause those E-cars don't drive without the E.
More an ESG thing which causes a transfer of demand (unquantified) like high immigration makes us have the highest cost housing,rents,a substantive infrastructure quagmire etc.
the UK is the use transformation ,from making things to data centres,and electrification of bus fleets etc.
Here we are producing and consuming the same amount of electricity,it is only the generation type mix that is changed ( gas replaced 50% by wind) consumption has transformed from industry and primary production (decrease) to residential and commercial use (the latter being blingy signs at the mall)
You also need to remember that a huge amount of FF is used in transporting FF,40% of shipping for example.The 2 largest population country's,are mostly dependent of FF for energy,and more importantly for food, food transport and transformation.
Australia with a substantive renewable (solar,wind .hydro) has problems with actually getting it into the grid when needed,and which to reorient the systems (with go round availability ) is close to 22B.
They also have problems with their pumped hydro,due to there being too much water (overfill dams)
The countries it affects FIRST are the developing countries….always going to be the case as a bidding war begins….then we move to national interest as the countries with the resources hold on to them (or dispense them for political gain)…anyone spring to mind?
A quick look around the globe reveals that the 'first world' are somewhat energy (and minerally) challenged.
High prices also see demand destruction (the US saw gasoline volumes decrease 3%).Europe diesel is well down in consumption.
Australia is not renewing its fuel subsidy,here we kept it decrease inflationary pressures ( and interest rates down) If we removed the subsidy on fuel and RT would we see an uptake on PT? Auckland PT use is the worst in years (excluding lockdown).
Youre still thinking local…..we import (currently, the time will come when that option disappears) virtually everything we need to maintain our economy….many western economies are similarly placed, with the addition of the fact they are net food importers.
Households are working more towards living within their means,with larger repayments in their mortgage debt (front loading) and increased household savings 17 billion in the last year,2.1 billion in the last month.
High prices see householders move to a war footing fast,and not so much revenge vacationing as Europe and the US.
a lot of the inflation is in Shelter (rent and housing building cost) and utilities such as rates (which are out of control) which does add to rent costs.
One of the Fed analysts said the problem was not so much employment (an indicator) but mor about high shelter costs with new build costs increasing 17% y on y (familiar) and increased interest rates will see both a decrease in housing prices and costs.
There has been also a move out of corporate residential housing purchases in the US,and the decrease in finacialization ( speculators) has seen a decrease in commodity prices as they return to value stocks.
"Last week, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in more than eight months. It’s a warning sign foreshadowing what’s to come. Jobless claims for the week ending July 15 increased to 251,000, representing the most significant spike since the pandemic time period of November 13 last year, when 265,000 Americans applied for benefits. The Department of Labor also pointed out that employers advertised fewer jobs in May, another signal of a declining job market, which the Fed is hoping for."
True,not good for land agents here (they will have more articles in herald etc)
GDP figures (and inflation) coming out of Europe now,with strong gdp in Italy,Spain,France. Germany just broke even at .1% Attribution is west,south Europe is from Tourism.
West / spain /portugal/ France ( mostly med though)
Italy lost a good PM ,he had reduced reliance on Russian gas,with increased supply from Algeria (and deal coming with israel) The big fail with the italian economy was the Euro which constrained growth,they are whist indebted the housing market (like spain has been stable) Germany had a large increase in housing cost (value)
Greece is also insulated from Russian gas,as it gets supplied from Azerbaijan.
Powerdown is an intentional strategy. This looks more like decades of ignoring the limits of growth merging with the covid/brexit/climate crisis. Be good if we looked at a sustainable and resilient response rather than chasing green BAU.
The EU has started the single largest intentional energy use reduction we've seen since the 1979 oil crisis. Doesn't have to fit anyone's specific definition. Certainly won't run as any prophet foretold.
This is nothing like Business As Usual for nearly 500 million people and for all EU governments as well as the UK, and it is as permanent as the eye can see. COVID and the Ukraine War is the acceleration of change that's been waiting to happen.
9 of the top 10 countries leading an energy transition are already in Europe or the EEA:
When Florida Power & Light faced a spate of bad publicity and political blowback, a small but ambitious news website called the Capitolist sprang to the public utility’s defense.
[…]
While portraying itself as a feisty independent outlet, the Capitolist — which aims its content directly at Tallahassee decision makers — was bankrolled and controlled by executives of the power company through a small group of trusted intermediaries from an Alabama consulting firm, according to an investigation by the Miami Herald, based on a massive leak of documents. The internal communications, contracts and financial records show how a team of elite communications experts consulting for FPL plucked the Capitolist from obscurity and used it as part of an elaborate, off-the-books political strategy to advocate for rate hikes, agitate for legislative favors, slam political opponents and eliminate anything — even home solar panels — that the publicly traded utility worried might undermine its near monopoly on selling power in the Sunshine State.
The arguments are complex in the US,as the generation mix changes are dependent on tax breaks (accelerated depreciation) and subsidy replacing what is effectively low carbon generation.
In the inflation bill introduced the US has recognized the importance of E=mc2,and brought in taxbreaks for existing infrastructure,and subsidy for the grid upgrades necessary for intermittent power such as wind ad solar ( need to modulate frequency)
"TOKYO — People in a southwestern Japanese city have come under attack from monkeys that are trying to snatch babies, biting and clawing at flesh, and sneaking into nursery schools.
The attacks — on 58 people since July 8 — are getting so bad Yamaguchi city hall hired a special unit to hunt the animals with tranquilizer guns."
As the cost of living soars, people are struggling to make ends meet with one in six New Zealanders saying they’ve experienced homelessness.
And 4% of New Zealanders also said they had to sleep rough in the past year.
A survey from Orange Sky – a not-for-profit organisation that provides free mobile laundry and shower services to people experiencing homelessness – and market research company YouGov also found that 14% of the population say they have been unable to pay living costs such as rent and bills in the past year.
And of the more than 1000 people surveyed, 54% said they were nervous about their financial security and 23% admitted they were scared about losing their homes due to financial struggles.
The Greens are trying to pressure the Government to extend eligibility for the Cost of Living payment to those on benefits and pensions:
The eligibility criteria for the Government's cost of living payment is too narrow, says the Green Party, which wants New Zealanders who receive a benefit or the pension to also get the $350 support.
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March says the urgent need to provide lower-income Kiwis with more support is highlighted by figures released last week showing an increase in the number of New Zealanders receiving weekly payments from the Ministry of Development (MSD) to cover the costs of essential items.
"What it shows is that people are further behind in meeting those basic essentials and that they need additional top-ups just to be above the bread line," he says.
But extending the cost of living payment to those receiving a benefit is also just a "short-term intervention", the MP says, and more "permanent solutions" are needed.
…
"Unless we increase benefits, those figures regarding the amount that people need for hardship grants and the debt that people are getting into won't be decreasing any time soon," the Green MP said.
He said it "makes no sense" for MSD to spend money and resources delivering temporary supports and hardship grants "when they could simply be increasing benefits to livable levels and not be pushing people constantly to their call centre just to get some extra top-ups just to make ends meet".
I would like to apologize for my angry rants on this site for the last year or two, especially the long ones.
I've been allowing my mental health and cynicism to get the better of me and attacking fellow progressives because I just see everything getting worse for poorer people, I also really care about the left and want it to be successful and sometimes that passion can sometimes turn into near hatred of things I support.
Anyway, I'm not going to comment on here or other sites for awhile and I’m going try to avoid politics in general for awhile while I work on my mental health, hopefully I can learn to love politics and be hopeful and engage in discourse in a healthy and kind way in future.
All the best to everyone on this blog and solidarity with you all.
A horrific video posted online on Thursday appears to show a Ukrainian prisoner of war being castrated by his Russian captors.
[…]
The victim in the video wears Ukrainian-style camouflage fatigues and is shown gagged, his hands tied behind his back. He lies helpless on the floor as the man in a Russian uniform, which features a “Z” patch, uses a box cutter to cut off his clothes and then appears to castrate him while shouting degrading insults in Russian. At least two other men who appear to be Russian soldiers can be seen in the video.
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“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 look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – 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 (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
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 ...
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 New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
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. ...
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 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
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”, ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
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Well theres a Silver lining ! : )
I certainly recall….(having had lower echelon connectivity with Southern Polytechnic’s) The VERY Lucrative remuneration of same CEO’s. Also Ms Penny Simmonds…..Nat mp in waiting role. I’d say Mr Phil….Ker would be very similar politically..
Sour grapes from natfans…IMO.
Be sure that these were topics of intense discussion for lower echelon Staff !
We have to decide what our tertiary institutions are for. This government has signalled it wants polytechnics to provide a skilled workforce for building housing, infrastructure and health. They should not be a vessel for harvesting foreign cash with dodgy courses, a means to ship in cheap labour. They should train Kiwis old, new, and pending to do the jobs NZ needs them to do.
The chiefs of some of these "personal fiefdoms' will have been hooked on Steven Joyce's corrupt backdoor to residency model. Now they are throwing their toys out of the cot.
Penny Simmons, National Party MP, ex-chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology?
There was never much doubt of Penny’s political …ambition
Whatever happened to Sarah?
I see Hamish is big in Queenstown real estate nowadays.
Todd fled to London, afaik.
“Hamish Walker is out of the House and into the housing market.
The disgraced former Clutha-Southland MP has announced he is joining Harcourts as a real estate salesman in Queenstown.
Walker said he had qualified and worked in real estate before entering Parliament, and was now returning to his roots.
In July, the then-National MP announced he would not seek re-election after being found to have leaked private Covid-19 patient information to several media outlets.
Walker said this week he was looking forward to helping connect people to property and spending more time at home.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/123310399/former-mp-hamish-walker-launches-real-estate-career-in-queenstown
looking forward to helping connect people to property
Ric…VERY Rich People…to Very Expensive Property : )
Ah the Gravy Train…….there is a better quality of Gravy with..the RIGHT Connections : )
Hi Muttonbird…and fkn Aye ! Keerist it was past time that Labour sorted this and other shit out. Good on them for pulling the comfy blanket remuneration away from some of these CEO's. I , as maybe you, see the Apprenticeships (Labour restarting ) and all other things in process to get young NZ a Future.
Doesn't seem to be much blanket pulling going on.
The (now departed) CEO of the new organization, Te Pūkenga was getting $688,235 – one of the highest public sector salaries in the country – and he appointed 6 deputies – on salaries higher than the incumbent polytechnic CEOs (all of whom were retained on the books).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/122774439/nzs-new-mega-polytech-to-pay-six-deputy-chief-executives-250k-to-400k-each
The total wages bill is now over $11 million (figures from 2021 – when they weren't fully operational – so expect it to be higher now) for 139 FTE staff.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/126785490/staff-wage-bill-for-tertiary-education-provider-te-pkenga-is-11m-boss-tells-mps
Hipkins wanted the organization to be:
In July, Hipkins said he expected NZIST would be “nimble” and not “another layer of management”.
Not seeing much sign that he's got what he wanted.
lol…..Mkay….. Belladonna. Happy now? : )
When my wife was studying at the local polytech less than 50% of her class were even turning up to class. Half the courses were for jobs that weren't there – e.g. travel agents. Lucrative cash generators but of little practical use given the low volume of jobs in that particular area and even lower vacancies due to hardly any turnover.
I would however like to see a return to the community college concept as well with all the delight educating and training in artistic and practical skills that community colleges used to provide. Second chance learning. Needs to be back to fully utilise secondary schools as well which should be a broader community asset.
“I would however like to see a return to the community college concept as well with all the delight educating and training in artistic and practical skills that community colleges used to provide. Second chance learning. Needs to be back to fully utilise secondary schools as well which should be a broader community asset.”
Absolutely. That… disappeared under Mr …Ker's "Leadership" and of course the sir Key Nat govt.
No need to ask whether I fought against….
Hence my pissed off at his and Penny's comments now.
There is a recurring theme here…..we appear incapable of reforming anything at all.
Sadly…some truth in that. BUT…we have to fight to try and make a difference. As ever.
For sure those at the "top" are fighting hard to maintain their Status…Quo.
"For sure those at the "top" are fighting hard to maintain their Status…Quo."
As ever was….ultimately futilely….the real problem is what form the change takes.
I can only speak from my experience watching the heartbreaking destruction of Unitec under the incompetent leadership of Rick Eade. If that was any guide then polytech CEO leadership has been long afflicted by an over supply of mediocre talent that has gigantic egos and an even bigger sense of hubris.
So..I assume that glowing brown nose….also steamed like a freshly laid cow turd on a winters morn : ) ?
Liam Sloan resigned from NMIT to become the CEO at ARA in Christchurch. Not really to be counted as a dis-allusioned CEO surely?
Just an observation:
Mercenary Mitchell has been very quiet during QT in the house lately.
Is it because he finds he can't puff and sneer quite so readily about Chris Hipkins as Police Minister as he thought he could against Poto?
Has the bully boy been intimidated by an articulate and forceful minister?
Poto is a nice woman. They are quite often the target du jour of the mercen..bull… Ah nat mp type.
They come unstuck against the likes of Jacinda. Who can eviscerate quite..nicely. As in their guts (?) are spilled…all nicely of course.
Chris would easily have the measure of these type of shitheads…also : )
"Has the bully boy been intimidated by an articulate and forceful minister?"
Of course he has. Bully boys (and bully girls for that matter) are not usually very bright. Their one source of power is to harass and intimidate those they perceive to be vulnerable. In the case of bully boys, women who have an ethnic background (ie. darker skin) are generally easy targets. He's going to have to call on his 'mates' inside the Police Force to keep him abreast of any meaty stories – don't have to be true – that he can hit Hipkins with in due course.
In his electorate he is known as being lazy. Without an easy mark, he can’t cut it.
So it turns out organic AI is already working quite smoothly and efficiently in service of the state as we speak…just watch the host of this show mechanically outline what she has been told to say and think about Unions and Workers….then for the next eighteen minutes, no matter what is said or explained to her, come back again and again and again to her original programming….unluckily for her she is sitting next to Eddie Dempsey from the RMT….watch and enjoy.
It’s a bit like reading The Guardian on Western foreign interventions or real progressive change..trained human bots spewing propaganda endlessly in service of power.
Eddie Dempsey nicely brings the media position in the UK on workers striking into sharp focus at about 12 minutes in….if you don't want to watch all 18 minutes.
Ms Widdecomb didn't disappoint.
https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1132895182247084037
Brilliant-thanks for that Adrian.
"You took the money though and didn't give it back"
"Its a bit of a cheek saying the trade unions are being greedy asking for a pay rise when the profits of the footsie top 350 companies have gone up 73% since 2019. When are we going to ask are they being greedy"
"Companies taking huge profits out to tax havens" while workers wages continue to decline in real terms.
Labour need Dempsey as leader not Smarmy Starmer.
Meanwhile Starmer has sacked a frontbench MP who joined the picket line:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/27/sam-tarry-sacked-labour-frontbench-rail-strike-picket-line-keir-starmer
Funny AND True
Of course The Guardian are in no position to take the moral high ground on this (or anything I can think of), no can or should forget that it was The Guardian who actively led the charge to undermine and destroy Jeremy Corbyn, that has now given the UK that piece of shit Centrist Liberal, Starmer…and it goes without saying that Corbyn would have been on the picket lines with his progressive MP's had he still been leader of the Labour Party.
Sure, however I think the Forde report outlines the factionalism inside the party was more responsible than a newspaper.
Both UK Labour and the NZ Labour party have a crisis of ideology:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-62226042
Corbyn should have purged all the Centrist out…but he was and is too much of a inclusionist to ever do that, I guess he didn't realize that Centrists are as fundamentalist about their ideology as any communist ever was about theirs….still it was probably his biggest mistake IMO.
Funny the BBC reporting on it, as they, at the time, were some of the most openly biased against him……
Agreed Adrian…the Guardian's reporting of the anti-semitic issue was scandalous. This and its less than friendly reporting on Corbyn's Brexit position condemned Labour to lose the last election, which is presumably the outcome the Guardian wanted-Boris instead of Jeremy.
"Labour need Dempsey as leader not Smarmy Starmer"…Yes they do, either him or Mick Lynch…then we would instantly get to see The Guardian and all other so called 'Liberal' press show their real colours, and do the job they are their for..undermining real progressive change (that and selling Western Imperialist wars and interventions as the moral high ground to the Liberal class)…
How The Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn But The Last Vestiges Of British Democracy
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2008/S00085/how-the-guardian-betrayed-not-only-corbyn-but-the-last-vestiges-of-british-democracy.htm
The Guardian was despicable in its Corbyn takedown, especially that awful Jonathan Freedland. After every anti-Corbyn article, I went looking for the anti-semitism he was supposed to have engaged in, and could never find anything more than puerile conjecture and upsetting the Israeli govt.
Ken Loach says it better than anyone else:
https://youtu.be/PVP6PlX_UUA
The thing that really grind my gears about The Guardian is that, even after being exposed time and again as being nothing more than Free Market Imperialist Trojan horse that more than any other news source really undermines any serious progressive movement…yet so many 'Lefties' still take it seriously and trust it as a news source….put it this way…there hasn't been a Western intervention the Guardian hasn't supported since Iraq…enough said!!
Interim Cass report indicated changes would be coming for the UK's primary gender clinic, the Tavistock.
Yesterday it was announced the treatment of minors would be transferred to two regional centres, where a comprehensive set of professional support services would be utilised.
https://cass.independent-review.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cass-Review-Letter-to-NHSE_19-July-2022.pdf
For those that have been following these reviews, this appears to be another significant move away from the "affirming healthcare" model we have for minors here in NZ.
Following that announcement, the Telegraph has published a personal account from a detransitioner. Link below to non-paywalled copy:
https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2F2022%2F07%2F28%2Fhad-gone-gender-transition-would-have-committed-suicide%2F
It's great news for evidence-based care and a potential return to sanity for gender-confused youth in England and Wales. Finally, a proper review of the outcome for youth on puberty blockers and hormones and some decent clinical trials to be done on these off-label drugs. The sloppiness of care for young people for whom notes were not properly kept and outcomes not measured is astounding.
The big question I have is, will this be reported in New Zealand media?
Will the Ministry of Health finally admit that puberty blockers are not "safe and reversible"?
When will the government call for a similar review of gender-affirming care, in line with the concerning findings of the Cass Review?
Especially after this week, when the FDA put out a warning that puberty blockers may cause serious side effects, it seems irresponsible for the Ministry to still be pushing these drugs are "safe" and "irreversible" when these drugs have not undergone clinical trials to prove such an assertion (https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/20636/Risk-of-pseudotumor-cerebri-added-to-labeling-for?autologincheck=redirected).
Or is political virtue signalling more important than evidence-based care of vulnerable youth?
post up now, would love to hear your further thoughts if you have time.
https://thestandard.org.nz/why-is-the-uks-only-youth-gender-identity-clinic-closing-and-what-does-this-mean-for-new-zealand/
I guess he's FO what happens when you FA.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/taupo-man-graham-philip-charged-with-sabotage-believed-to-be-first-in-new-zealand-history/ZHOBLOZT5JG5HI4UGXGUQUUHJ4/
A couple of thoughts. First, these anti-vax types are clearly capable of a terrorist outrage. This guy is being held for doing something very serious – otherwise he'd be out on bail. Look at the recent bomb threats to schools, apparently robocalls from an overseas location making bomb threats in relation to mask mandates. I don't know about you, but I would have thought an offshore account making bomb threats to schools would pretty much complete the bingo card to make sure you end up on the Five Eyes Kanban board "Work in Progress" column. These people are idiots, but they are dangerous idiots.
Secondly, recent events have shown how monumentally stupid Geoffrey Palmer's
reformsrepeal of the sedition laws were. In some respects a high water mark of globalist, neoliberal anti-statist law making it has really, really hobbled an effective state response to the anti-vax movement and the rise of seditious behaviour. The repeal of the sedition laws were informed by an ideology that saw the state as a sunset institution that was no longer deserved to be protected by archiac laws.Well, we definitely need some sort of sedition law if only to protect those arrested from being charged with more serious offenses under anti-terror laws.
To be fair to Geoffrey Palmer, in the 1980s I don't think he could have envisaged the current state of play around the world today and the rise of despotic presidents together with their collective millions of loopy and braindead followers – some of which live in NZ.
The best description yet from the fallout of neoliberalism. Roger and Ruth should be hanging their heads in shame.
Mr Kemara has thoughts.
https://twitter.com/Te_Taipo/status/1552763988085092352
I was eating a magnum in parliament and wanted to throw away the wrapper. At that moment Christopher Luxon rounded the corner.
Me (holding up magnum wrapper): Where's ya bin?
Christopher: I've been in Te Puke. Thanks for asking.
Me: No no. Where's ya wheelie bin?
Christopher: Oh. I've really been in Hawaii, but I tell people Te Puke.
That is like the old joke about New Zealanders:
Kiwi person #1: "What's a Hindu?"
Kiwi person #2: "It lays iggs."
Luxon is a better handyman than his mentor then: Key couldn't hammer a nail, but Luxon can round a corner.
About that Kamala Harris introduction everyone's piling in on.
https://twitter.com/Johanna_Ann/status/1552471527500775424
own goal from the GC people this week. So fucking stupid.
Domino effect persists in UK,as housing restrictions on new builds are in effect,due to lack of grid capacity for electricity supply,due to demand from energy hungry data centres,Heat pumps and EV charging.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeNHammond/status/1552552547474456578
Australian electricity consumers can expect Nightmare bills as wholesale markets rocket.The grid upgrades and carbon taxes will further increase electricity costs going forward,add to inflation hence increased consumer costs,and transfer of jobs to lower cost manufacturing economies such as NZ.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-29/aemo-reports-record-wholesale-power-price-customer-nightmare/101279554
Well they could just burn some more coal for all their much needed gadgets and stuff.
And if they wanted to appear as Green and considerate for the planet, they could like us not mine themselves but import coal from countries that are far away from us and where we don't care ab9out the pollution cause it is there and not here near by.
Actually Asia and Europe are using coal in record amounts as global gas prices skyrocket.(as does OZ)
Here we only import coal for the Rankine units at huntly.Industrial use is all local production and being replace by heat pump boilers.
Well it appears that they will have to import more coal, or start mining again themselves.
Fwiw, our Hydro Dams are looking good thanks to the relentless rain that we had. That gives me a big happy. Points still stands, we are importing cheap Indonesian coal to generate electricty.
this is from last year: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-importing-record-amount-of-coal-to-power-homes-and-businesses/3ZLXNQYGRXIOAEWAA5XWF344JM/#:~:text=%22Coal%20imported%20during%202020%20was,tonnes%20consumed%20for%20electricity%20generation.%22
The government: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-statistics-and-modelling/energy-statistics/coal-statistics/
more statistics:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1084011/new-zealand-coal-import-volume/
blablabla, we should not laugh at people whilst we are sharing the same boat.
We the People / He Tangata must make a decision to cut on electricity consumption, one way or another. Energy Wars, Water Wars all that stuff is happening already, its creeping into our 'save western first highly advanced' world, and should no longer delude ourselfs that us doing as they do is lesser or better. It is not.
I make funny noises about E – Cars not because I don't like driving. I grew up in Germany and driving on a good road with no speed limit and a car/bike is awesome fun. So is riding a bike. Or walking. Or taking the train.
I make these noises because we already don't generate the Energy we want to consume, we supplement with fossil fuels because of that 'want' and we He Tangata need to bend our mind around that we need to Want less.
E-cars, Heat Pumps, electronic storage/gadgets use energy. That energy needs t o come from somewhere and we should finally get honest and candid about where it is going to come from. Cause those E-cars don't drive without the E.
Is this the 'power down' thing?
More an ESG thing which causes a transfer of demand (unquantified) like high immigration makes us have the highest cost housing,rents,a substantive infrastructure quagmire etc.
I'd go more with energy decline rather than governance and social license….remembering that all the demanded infrastructure requires yet more energy.
the UK is the use transformation ,from making things to data centres,and electrification of bus fleets etc.
Here we are producing and consuming the same amount of electricity,it is only the generation type mix that is changed ( gas replaced 50% by wind) consumption has transformed from industry and primary production (decrease) to residential and commercial use (the latter being blingy signs at the mall)
Globally….remember the bulk of our energy is sourced from fossil…which will not be replaced by electricity anytime soon….and likely never.
You also need to remember that a huge amount of FF is used in transporting FF,40% of shipping for example.The 2 largest population country's,are mostly dependent of FF for energy,and more importantly for food, food transport and transformation.
Australia with a substantive renewable (solar,wind .hydro) has problems with actually getting it into the grid when needed,and which to reorient the systems (with go round availability ) is close to 22B.
They also have problems with their pumped hydro,due to there being too much water (overfill dams)
Not just transporting FF, but also extracting, refining and transporting minerals (materials)…without which none of the infrastructure can occur.
The reducing availability of energy is going to force some very difficult decisions.
The countries it affects most are developing.
Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Pakistan,India,Laos,Myanmar.
https://twitter.com/SStapczynski/status/1552587708446707712?cxt=HHwWgMDUye-S84srAAAA
The countries it affects FIRST are the developing countries….always going to be the case as a bidding war begins….then we move to national interest as the countries with the resources hold on to them (or dispense them for political gain)…anyone spring to mind?
A quick look around the globe reveals that the 'first world' are somewhat energy (and minerally) challenged.
High prices also see demand destruction (the US saw gasoline volumes decrease 3%).Europe diesel is well down in consumption.
Australia is not renewing its fuel subsidy,here we kept it decrease inflationary pressures ( and interest rates down) If we removed the subsidy on fuel and RT would we see an uptake on PT? Auckland PT use is the worst in years (excluding lockdown).
https://at.govt.nz/about-us/reports-publications/at-metro-patronage-report/
Youre still thinking local…..we import (currently, the time will come when that option disappears) virtually everything we need to maintain our economy….many western economies are similarly placed, with the addition of the fact they are net food importers.
I was thinking more in terms of peak money,as we are a debtor nation and how we can pay down our commitments,b4 we totally munt our economy.
Thats a problem facing everyone…the old adage of not needing to outrun the bear may apply.
Households are working more towards living within their means,with larger repayments in their mortgage debt (front loading) and increased household savings 17 billion in the last year,2.1 billion in the last month.
High prices see householders move to a war footing fast,and not so much revenge vacationing as Europe and the US.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/registered-banks/banks-liabilities-deposits-by-sector
Yep, had seen that…is worth remembering thats aggregate data…those who can are, many are unable.
Wage increases have also added over a billion to employees over the last yr
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/employment-indicators-june-2022/
https://www.stats.govt.nz/topics/labour-market
Youth employment going up .
15–19 years – up 16.9 percent (19,180 jobs)
a lot of the inflation is in Shelter (rent and housing building cost) and utilities such as rates (which are out of control) which does add to rent costs.
Yep and until that employment rate/ remuneration falls the RBNZ will keep hiking (unless the FED reverses first)
One of the Fed analysts said the problem was not so much employment (an indicator) but mor about high shelter costs with new build costs increasing 17% y on y (familiar) and increased interest rates will see both a decrease in housing prices and costs.
There has been also a move out of corporate residential housing purchases in the US,and the decrease in finacialization ( speculators) has seen a decrease in commodity prices as they return to value stocks.
https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1552130138804047873
Scroll down for NZ.
"Last week, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in more than eight months. It’s a warning sign foreshadowing what’s to come. Jobless claims for the week ending July 15 increased to 251,000, representing the most significant spike since the pandemic time period of November 13 last year, when 265,000 Americans applied for benefits. The Department of Labor also pointed out that employers advertised fewer jobs in May, another signal of a declining job market, which the Fed is hoping for."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/07/22/why-the-fed-needs-to-crush-the-economy-and-job-market-to-save-it/?sh=15b86afe43b9
(Unable to scroll twitter as I dont have account.)
Central Banks have one blunt tool to curb inflation (when credibility lost)….and it induces unemployment.
Glass half full with employment data,as the open available vacancies fell to 11.3 million ( update next week)
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
Fast food position in California is no good to redundant mortgage broker from New York…x 1000s
True,not good for land agents here (they will have more articles in herald etc)
GDP figures (and inflation) coming out of Europe now,with strong gdp in Italy,Spain,France. Germany just broke even at .1% Attribution is west,south Europe is from Tourism.
If Italy keeps that up they may return their economy to the size it was pre GFC.
and attribution is west means?
West / spain /portugal/ France ( mostly med though)
Italy lost a good PM ,he had reduced reliance on Russian gas,with increased supply from Algeria (and deal coming with israel) The big fail with the italian economy was the Euro which constrained growth,they are whist indebted the housing market (like spain has been stable) Germany had a large increase in housing cost (value)
Greece is also insulated from Russian gas,as it gets supplied from Azerbaijan.
Powerdown is an intentional strategy. This looks more like decades of ignoring the limits of growth merging with the covid/brexit/climate crisis. Be good if we looked at a sustainable and resilient response rather than chasing green BAU.
The EU has started the single largest intentional energy use reduction we've seen since the 1979 oil crisis. Doesn't have to fit anyone's specific definition. Certainly won't run as any prophet foretold.
This is nothing like Business As Usual for nearly 500 million people and for all EU governments as well as the UK, and it is as permanent as the eye can see. COVID and the Ukraine War is the acceleration of change that's been waiting to happen.
9 of the top 10 countries leading an energy transition are already in Europe or the EEA:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/these-countries-are-leading-the-transition-to-sustainable-energy/#:~:text=Sweden%2C%20Norway%20and%20Denmark%20have,Energy%20Transition%20Index%20(ETI).
Yeah but only Norway,Iceland,and NZ are non nuke.Norway also has one of the highest consumption rates in the world ,
Right now real time production is 14.68 gw, local consumption is 11.24 rest exported.
And a heck of a lot of Norway's internal green energy consumption is funded by their North Sea oil exports.
https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/articles/norway-s-new-oil-bonanza-holds-lessons-for-britain
They also lost over 200 billion in investment value in their wealth fund,due to investment in meme stock.
But are UK and Australian owners following suit and trying to limit alternative generation?
https://twitter.com/hcrystal/status/1552265815105339392
https://www.yahoo.com/news/leaked-us-power-companies-secretly-110017016.html
When Florida Power & Light faced a spate of bad publicity and political blowback, a small but ambitious news website called the Capitolist sprang to the public utility’s defense.
[…]
While portraying itself as a feisty independent outlet, the Capitolist — which aims its content directly at Tallahassee decision makers — was bankrolled and controlled by executives of the power company through a small group of trusted intermediaries from an Alabama consulting firm, according to an investigation by the Miami Herald, based on a massive leak of documents. The internal communications, contracts and financial records show how a team of elite communications experts consulting for FPL plucked the Capitolist from obscurity and used it as part of an elaborate, off-the-books political strategy to advocate for rate hikes, agitate for legislative favors, slam political opponents and eliminate anything — even home solar panels — that the publicly traded utility worried might undermine its near monopoly on selling power in the Sunshine State.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article263757423.html
The arguments are complex in the US,as the generation mix changes are dependent on tax breaks (accelerated depreciation) and subsidy replacing what is effectively low carbon generation.
https://twitter.com/lenhe_j/status/1552646381155692550?cxt=HHwWjMClqYnqjYwrAAAA
In the inflation bill introduced the US has recognized the importance of E=mc2,and brought in taxbreaks for existing infrastructure,and subsidy for the grid upgrades necessary for intermittent power such as wind ad solar ( need to modulate frequency)
"TOKYO — People in a southwestern Japanese city have come under attack from monkeys that are trying to snatch babies, biting and clawing at flesh, and sneaking into nursery schools.
The attacks — on 58 people since July 8 — are getting so bad Yamaguchi city hall hired a special unit to hunt the animals with tranquilizer guns."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/japanese-city-alarmed-by-biting-clawing-attacking-monkeys/2022/07/27/a9e9ddec-0d8c-11ed-88e8-c58dc3dbaee2_story.html
Shocking survey findings:
https://www.renews.co.nz/1-in-6-nzers-have-experienced-homelessness-new-study-finds/
The Greens are trying to pressure the Government to extend eligibility for the Cost of Living payment to those on benefits and pensions:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/07/greens-want-cost-of-living-payment-extended-to-kiwis-on-benefit-more-permanent-solutions-to-address-inequality.html
Enacting the recommendations of WEAG report when?
What's the word on the street on Tuiono?
Does he have enough backing to put his name in the ring by Thursday?
Be serious.
I would like to apologize for my angry rants on this site for the last year or two, especially the long ones.
I've been allowing my mental health and cynicism to get the better of me and attacking fellow progressives because I just see everything getting worse for poorer people, I also really care about the left and want it to be successful and sometimes that passion can sometimes turn into near hatred of things I support.
Anyway, I'm not going to comment on here or other sites for awhile and I’m going try to avoid politics in general for awhile while I work on my mental health, hopefully I can learn to love politics and be hopeful and engage in discourse in a healthy and kind way in future.
All the best to everyone on this blog and solidarity with you all.
I will miss your posts Corey
Best wishes from a glass half-empty fellow traveller – go well.
Now imagine the crimes they’re not recording and posting.
https://twitter.com/vokiratas/status/1552759641104334848
A horrific video posted online on Thursday appears to show a Ukrainian prisoner of war being castrated by his Russian captors.
[…]
The victim in the video wears Ukrainian-style camouflage fatigues and is shown gagged, his hands tied behind his back. He lies helpless on the floor as the man in a Russian uniform, which features a “Z” patch, uses a box cutter to cut off his clothes and then appears to castrate him while shouting degrading insults in Russian. At least two other men who appear to be Russian soldiers can be seen in the video.
https://news.yahoo.com/horrifying-footage-appears-to-show-russian-captors-castrating-a-ukrainian-prisoner-of-war-221414554.html