I've decided to vote green thanks to james pointing out that lf labour slips a few more points lower and the greens don't make it back we could get an act nat government.
I just hope the greens are practical in dealing with agriculture.
'Rio Tinto is welcoming the latest party promise to work out transmission costs during its wind-down period.
Pacific operations managing director Kellie Parker said it was ‘‘recognition’’ from the Labour Party the smelter had ‘‘been paying too much for transmission costs’’.'
RIP Stephen F. who was one of the few free thinking public academic intellectuals remaining to help damp down the war mongering hysteria that has unfortunately infected large parts of the liberal left…
Very good. Cohen hits on the point we completely overlook, that Russian's judge Putin based on their own historical record, and by that measure he's the best leader they've ever had. Putin's success in stabilising Russia after it's betrayal by the West and collapse in the 90's is remarkable. He should be congratulated on this.
But the land is many ways is cursed; consisting of vast tracts of moderate to low productivity land stretched over 11 time zones with minimal internal waterways of use, and difficult transport. A long and tough winter keeps the growing seasons short. The Siberian steppes are prone to both flooding and fire. It has decent mineral and oil resources, but that's about it. In every other strategic respect, the landscape is a disaster.
On top of this the people themselves, after centuries of mis-rule, face a demographic collapse. Birth rates are appallingly low and life expectancies are somewhere between declining and outright grim.
The other aspect of Russia that we also fail to understand is just how difficult a country it is to defend. The vast, wide open steppes and river plains with no natural features or boundaries mean that traditionally the warring hordes could sweep over them at will. This has shaped their thinking deeply, more than anything else the Kremlin is obsessed with protecting their sovereignty, but faces difficult odds in doing so.
At present the Russians lack well defined geographic borders and may well be motivated to expand somewhat to meet natural features they might mount and effective defense on, but the idea they want to attack Europe or the USA is as Cohen put's it, is totally ludicrous. Their military may have some nice hardware, but utterly lack the industrial depth or demographics to support military adventure at any scale.
Literally since the Americans voted out GH Bush, their relationship with Russia has been on a downward trajectory. Trump at least came to the role as President with somewhat less of the usual Pentagon Cold War hysteria than any of his predecessors, but ultimately regardless of Trump's hopeless and botched attempts at doing a deal with Putin … the destination was always going to be the same, US alienation, isolation and withdrawal from it's post WW2 global trade order.
And this in turn leaves Russia eyeing local powers on it's immediate borders, like Germany, Turkey and China, that are now relatively free to impose their own expansionist agenda's … with considerable concern.
@RedLogix, I agree with nearly all of your assessment of Cohen’s position except your last couple of paragraphs, namely in Trumps dealings with Russia (and I am not saying he was going to do a great job on this front btw), but any good intentions or instincts around Russia/Putin he might have had have been completely distorted and undermined by the frankly unhinged Russia phobia that has been stirred up by Democratic party (on steroids since their loss in 2016) and gleefully stocked by the US military industrial complex aided in no small part by the CIA externally and the FBI internally (Russia gate).
I think you misread me a bit, because I largely agree with what you write above.
My view is that while the Americans may have won the Cold War (and no mean feat that was) … they've elected a series of Presidents since who really had very little vision about what to do with this victory.
Instead we've seen an incoherent series of betrayals, blunders and moral failures, that have resulted in the US led post-WW2 trade order to become a fragile shell of it's former self. Trump and COVID between them are going about kicking down anything left standing.
A Clinton administration would have gotten us to exactly the same destination, but more slowly and with prettier powerpoint presentations.
And yes the unhinged Russo-phobia from the Democrats is simply proof of this assertion.
The current bump in birth rates is effectively a generational echo of the baby bust they had in the 70's and 80', but it will never reach the peak it did then.
And if, as the Kremlin does, look at the data for the Russian population only, setting aside other substantial minority groups who regard themselves as separate and hostile to Moscow, the data is only worse.
good couple of posts, redlogix, also have to factor in how many millions left when soviet union collapsed , and people were allowed to leave. people who only look at overall statistics dont really get russia, they dont realise how many different races and areas there are. life expectancy in different areas are the shortest AND longest on the planet.
"Why in the world would Putin want to invade Latvia & Estonia?"
Invasion is usually good for domestic polling, the Russo-Japanese War being the best political hope of the prerevolutionary Russian government – the notoriously unsuccessful 'short victorious war'.
The reinvasion of Chechnya was the policy that brought Putin to power in the first place, and Georgia and the Ukraine can attest to his bellicosity. But his rationalizations for invading are less important than his military capacity and intentions.
One might as well ask "Why in the world would Hitler want to invade Russia?" The reasoning was not as relevant as the fact.
Yes I think Cohen gets it a bit wrong on this; I do believe there are good military reasons for Putin to expand Russia somewhat in order to establish more defensible borders.
In terms of their Siberia and Central Asian borders there is fuck all they can do about them, just too vast and open for any conceivable conventional response. All they can do is is what Putin has already made clear … put one Chinese boot into Russia and there will be no tanks or troops to meet the invasion. Just nuclear annihilation.
But European Russia, to the west of the Urals the situation is more delicate and dangerous. A complex mix of hostile groups like the Chechnya, the loss of the Baltic sea-border, the almost disastrous loss of access to the Black Sea, and the lack of any mountains to slow down invaders means the Kremlin looks to the west with considerable strategic angst. They definitely have no wish to invade Europe, but would dearly love to nudge their assets westward to borders they can defend.
I think that the Ukraine is the last of the easier cherries for Putin to pluck, but it is also much easier for the West to support, whether that be liberal democratic support, or military industrial.
The low countries of Eastern Europe are a logistical trap, frankly, which goes some way to explain why Putin has not taken them already. They are relatively low yielding, and not particularly supportive of a Russian reinvasion. The Ukraine is closer to being the industrial powerhouse Russia lost in East Germany, and they know they won't be getting that back.
Chechnya has the oil pipelines, but it is also a traditional Russian scapegoat, the terrain having allowed the locals to defeat multiple Russian conscript armies over the last few centuries. My sister-in-law was a journalist on the ground during the Chechen invasion – a very risky business.
Russian aggression is likely to continue to focus on the Ukraine, and possibly Turkey, for which they have a long religious based antipathy. But Putin is nothing if not creative, and support of various discontented groups in the sandpit, like various Yemeni factions will continue to yield disproportionate dividends – at least until the new Saudi king grows canny.
Yes a good analysis Stuart. I agree the Russian's are looking to project their power westward but it’s not going to be easy for them. Hence the uneasy tension between rhetoric and indecisive action we’re seeing.
The thinking maybe goes like this in the Kremlin: occupying and absorbing all the countries to Russia’s immediate west (except maybe Finland) would lodge Russian power against the triple barriers of the Baltic Sea, the Carpathian Mountains, and the Black Sea. Toss in the eastern half of Poland, and Russia’s open frontage would shrink by three-quarters, and that is a line the Russian army could work with.
At least that would be what might motivate them to invade, but to label this as boundless aggression comparable to Hitler's invasion of Russia, isn't a helpful comparison either. I believe the Kremlin's intentions are first and foremost defensive. And understanding this is the first step to dealing effectively with them. If nothing else there is a lot NATO could do to stop stoking Russian paranoia.
I believe the Kremlin's intentions are first and foremost defensive.
I'm not sure that I agree, but it's partly a matter of world view. Russia views the Ukraine as historically being part of their territory. Inconveniently, they have it backwards, Russia was historically part of the Ukraine.
It is more political and economic independence that goes to the heart of the matter however. With Glasnost, Russia attempted to catch up on the long season of underdevelopment that saw Russian sailors in my time taking sewing machines back to their country in triumph. Though there were fancy new startups by the truckload, the poor bore the brunt of the reforms, and there wasn't much of a state safety net. Yeltsin's coup saw the reinstatement of the old party bureaucracy who reaped the benefits of soviet empire, and Putin is their man.
Although a good argument can be made for a degree of economic nationalism, Putin immediately restarted the cold war intelligence apparatus, of which he had been part, but this time to counter predatory financiers and foreign competitors. This was to some degree laudable – but the wholesale theft of state assets carried out by Chernomyrdin (the Russian Roger Douglas) went into the pockets of Putin's associates.
The popular democracy movement did not suit the oligarchs at all, and journalists were killed, and political movements decapitated. Traditionally the US would strongly protest despotic innovations of this kind, but the Iraq invasion kept the US busy, while it utterly destroyed America's global moral authority. While that cat was away, Putin was able to gobble up a number of former satellites who preferred not to be Kremlin colonies.
It is improbable that Russia means to invade Eastern Europe at this time – but that is a function of the forces arrayed against such a possibility, not a lack of ambition on Putin's part. If cold war institutions like NATO withered and died, he would likely exploit the resulting opportunity – as can be seen from the Kremlin-backed interference in Belarus.
Thanks – Caspianreport is surprisingly fact-laden – he's become an exception to my usual avoidance of the region for its troll density.
China tends to play a long game, but Xi, though powerful at home, is much less successful abroad than Hu was. I would characterise China's efforts as a lapsed but not abandoned diplomatic and economic initiative.
If and when China's economy perks up, the effort will likely be restored, and in the meantime there will be some academic exchange. There may have been an agreement of some kind however. China moved away from its traditionally frosty relations with Russia, and gazumped a gas pipeline that had been headed for the Koreas.
They may have agreed to not contest areas of interest economically, a form of competition to which Russia is particularly susceptible, that being how they lost the first cold war after all.
" Invasion is usually good for domestic polling," as far as I know Putin has never had any problems with his domestic polling numbers whatsoever, but more importantly comparing anyone to Hitler is an automatic disqualification in any debate, so you lose…..try harder.
If you knew a bit more about Putin you wouldn't dismiss the parallel so quickly.
It's tragic really, how this murderous totalitarian picks up useful idiots on both the Left and Right, and dodgy journalists and marginal academics to support his aggression. But of course these are always the groups that pin their hopes on change, so it is natural to some extent.
How can anyone believe the news generated by Putin's bot army.
It's a numbers game. At its height there were over 2 million people in the KGB. They may not have been especially well resourced, and most of them were no Karlas, but it lent a heft to their operations that the smaller operations of their western colleagues sometimes struggled against.
The disinformation campaign that appears to have captured Billy TK may seem trivial – but another 10% and his faction would have decisive influence in parliament – no laughing matter. I'm not sure how many folk we have countering that influence, but not terribly many.
Tamihere has had enough of the left & right trying to out-bland each other.
The Māori Party would set up a separate Māori Parliament among other constitutional changes as outlined in its Mana Motuhake policy. Party co-leader John Tamihere announced the policy, which focuses on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, this morning at Waitangi.
Tamihere said it was a 25-year strategy, and the party's policies were aiming to break Māori out of welfare dependency and build a Māori middle class.
Long-term political strategy is incomprehensible to mainstream politicos, so expect much shock/horror from binary folk. I thought the guy was lightweight – maybe I got him wrong.
Tapping into the Māori middle class is hardly bold. And Tamihere is best judged on a 25 year timeframe when events may have caught up with his flapping gums.
Yeah because she's too young to realise that falling asset prices are a disaster of another kind. Banks don't lend, owners lose their equity and builders stop building. People stop spending, businesses go under and the poor get poorer. In the meantime a small minority of cashed up investors go on a bargain buying spree.
Anyone who imagines that collapsing house prices is the silver bullet to our housing crisis just hasn't been around long enough to understand.
A long laundry list of things. Off the top of my head:
Allowing local govt to get back into the subdivision game
Fund BRANZ to aggressively pursue smarter and more cost efficient building processes. Encourage continuity and skills retention in the building game, avoid boom and bust if at all possible.
Reform the RMA to streamline reasonable intensification and more efficient land use zoning
Govt puts up a $25k gift for all new home builds (as they do in Australia) and another $15k for first home buyers.
Tighter RBA limits on how much can be lent on the value of the land (as distinct from the value of the improvements)
Less emphasis on bank lending criteria around serviceability. Let people have more say in how much repayment commitment they want to take on to better account for how people work these days
Encourage multi-generational property ownership, recognise that many parents are keen to assist their children in some fashion.
More flexible occupancy types. At the moment we really have only three, owning, renting private or social housing. Overseas there are other options including group housing, and housing associations of various types that suit many people really well.
A Commission of Enquiry into costs in the building supply chain.
Allow all home owners to claim mortgage interest costs as a tax deductable to put them on an even footing with investors. (As in the USA for example.)
A more intelligent and controlled immigration policy. Good old fashioned demand vs supply remains the single largest factor driving prices.
This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list, just some items that I can quickly come up with a view to improving the efficiency of the NZ housing market.
This reads to me like a series of band-aids. Instead we need a fundamental shift away from using housing as an investment vehicle, which is what economist Steve Keen suggests. I thought you might be supportive of his stance.
Just before Midnight last night, their neighbour returns swearing violently along their fenceline & then outside his house, just 4 or 5 metres from their bedroom: "F*king Ct !!!, Fking come here, you Fking Ct !!!, Fking Move, you Fking Ct !!!" at the top of his voice. Out of control abusing mate or girlfriend (who had presumably walked along road with him, lagging behind) – with clear underlying threat of violence. Went on & on outside their house in this vein for 45 mins "Fking Ct, Fking Ct"– constant very loud violent swearing & sporadic body slams into front porch wall near their bedroom … real atmosphere of impending violence. Then went off … only to return after 1:30am with stereo up full volume, thumping base with aggressive hip-hop 'Motherfucker' lyrics inside & frequent slams & bangs into internal walls until they finally headed off again around 3am.
My Mother recently turned 90, my father has just turned 89. They've lived in their house for almost 60 years … always with nice, older & middle-age neighbours … highly sociable area … never a violent neighbourhood in any way … my Mother's the sort of person with real courage who would go outside late at night if she heard someone – a child, a woman – needing help … pretty fearless … but is now very scared to go out at all. She was in the bathroom when this waste-of-space arrived home and got a real fright when someone suddenly started violently swearing straight outside their house. They rang me & I could hear this psychopathic little prick down the phone … his aggressive swearing effortlessly cut right through the heavy wind outside.
And this incident is actually relatively minor compared to the violent intimidation & severe sleep deprivation they've had to put up with for hours throughout the early morning over the past 3 years, including this guy running onto their property at 2 in the morning & smashing their fence & letterbox back in December, shouting threats, along with a whole lot more on a very frequent basis. The degree of stress & severe sleep deprivation it's caused them (esp) & for nearby neighbours as well.
Just want to thank the Labour Govt for unceremoniously dumping the most out-of-control uber-violent tenants (the ones landlords rightly avoid at all costs) on unsuspecting neighbourhoods & for the callous, bordering on sadistic No Eviction policy … cheers for turning my Elderly Parents' life into a Nightmare, two long-term Labour activists, sort of people who give to charity even when they can't afford it, always focus on other people's needs, putting themselves last, never complaining and apologetic when they're absolutely forced to … & cheers to Kris Faafoi … when you were thanking them for helping you out on election days in the past, Kris, wouldn't it have been the decent thing to let them know you were planning to dump a massive violent social problem on the other side of their bedroom wall with precisely zero chance of relief. Playthings for a Psychopath.
Yes swordfish. Redlogix is right. That is exactly what should be done. To begin with, the resultant publicity would force the landlord/lady or Winz to remove him saspo.
Secondly, I think this situation is more prevalent than most people know. There are 48 social housing apartments currently being built close to where I live. Locals are rightly fearful of the impact this might have on our neighbourhood. I'm sure the bulk of the tenants will prove to be good neighbours but it is inevitable there will be trouble makers. There is currently no easy way to have these problems solved.
Playing back would just invite threats, retaliation, violence. The chap is a nutter obviously, and there needs to be a prison where people who are anti-social like this live permanently and are kept on what would be a prison farm so they have controls on their life.
Well, you could try a citizen's arrest. Might have to join ACT, get a gun & licence first though, eh?
Every one who witnesses a breach of the peace is justified in interfering to prevent its continuance or renewal, and may detain any person committing it, in order to give him or her into the custody of a constable: provided that the person interfering shall use no more force than is reasonably necessary for preventing the continuance or renewal of the breach of the peace, or than is reasonably proportionate to the danger to be apprehended from its continuance or renewal.
Having recently been through similar, swordfish, I sympathise with your parents.
In the end, calling the police was the only thing that interrupted the behaviour. Police advice to record the incidents – and then refusal to accept the recordings – made their advice a waste of time. Actually the stress levels went drastically up when having to ensure that the interactions were being recorded
The suggestion to video the incidents was rejected by us, because of the not inconsiderable concern that openly filming incidents would both escalate and focus the aggression on the person holding the camera.
In the end, the Tenancy Tribunal hearing mediator actually advised us not to present our recordings, log or transcripts of some incidents for abusive behaviour because that would likely be overturned, and suggested that we accept the end of tenancy for failure to pay rent. When we asked how that would benefit other landlords who would look for any past incidents with the tenant, he told us not to worry about it. Did we want them out or not?
If someone can stay with your parents for a while, then call the police – even if it is more than once a day, until the tenant understands that any incident will result in a visit, and your parents have the benefit of having someone else in the house to make that decision and call.
As we were both neighbours and landlords, I was aware that the situation for any neighbour would have been the same. At least, it was only impacting on us. But, it was already difficult to get any practical action from the police, who regarded verbal abuse as not violent enough to prosecute. We were told he actually had to physically "get in your face and make threats".
Sounds like he did as much due diligence about this issue as he did when he obediently and thoughtlessly backed that insane plan to destroy Concert FM earlier this year.
Least impressive cabinet member by a considerable distance.
The type of situation you have raised is upsetting as your parents are elderly and no one should have to live like that. Were your parents not so frail the pig would not get away with it.
Some sort of action needs to be taken by a third party. Go to the local MP with your parents and take some cell phone recordings.
I have lived in fear of neighbours before and I could not wait for the day when they left.
The woman who the man is a pig to she probably fears for her life.
Guilt is bipartisan: both mainstream parties have been weakening the cops steadily the past 30 years or so. Originally that had wide public support due to paranoia about a police state, but things have slid to the opposite ridiculous extreme…
dont forget we also have polies wanting to allow more free speech and personal freedoms, and rip up RMA, which all contibute to the problem of bad neighbours . private property values versus free speech, with common decency caught in the middle. there is no easy answer , and blaming the polie you hate the most isnt a solution. blaming it on weakening police powers(?)(since when) is a sideshow. bad neighbours, like barking dogs, have always been a problem, since we all lived in adjoining caves. I know of instances(sister) where these cretins own there houses, so running to winz isnt an option. it really is a case by case problem. many of these neighbours from hell have mental health problems, addiction problems etc, so ,sometimes DHB is the best place to go. having lived in a deadend(in both meanings) street with a junkie for a neighbour , that was interesting. he kept all of the nearby villians away , and was scared of our dog, so we were good, but all the rest in the street hated him and our dog(us).
"Weakening the cops"? What do you mean by that, Dennis? Do you not consider that the police need to be monitored and controlled?
This awful case involving swordfish's parents is the sort of thing the police should be sorting out; instead they have wasted thousands of hours harassing—selectively harassing—people for marijuana possession, forcing Peter Ellis (R.I.P.) to regularly "check in" with the Christchurch police, and harassing journalists like Nicky Hager.
By weakening I meant the effect of funding constraints. Thus the feeble excuse the cops routinely give for failing to deal with such situations (“not enough resources”).
I agree re appropriate police tasks. Unfortunately the command/control hierarchy remains free to choose prosecuting cannabis users instead of responding to pleas for help from members of the public who are being victimised by others.
The noise in the wee hours is a straight out council noise control issue, and they will respond better if there is a clear pattern of behaviour. Documenting each incident clearly with time and date is where I would start, and play the long game.
Documenting each incident clearly with time and date is where I would start, and play the long game.
You would think so, wouldn't you. But after advising us to do so, both the police and the Tenancy Tribunal wanted nothing to do with the documentation and recordings.
The noise in the wee hours is a straight out council noise control issue, and they will respond better if there is a clear pattern of behaviour.
The tenant must have known about how the response works, because he would blast music for about 20-30 minutes then quieten down for a few hours and then repeat the pattern. Ensuring that if noise control was called, by the time they arrived all would be quiet.
Because the tenants were in a granny flat on our property we weren't able to use the noise control officer at Auckland Council. Noise control only responds to complaints made about another property.
Other neighbours are actually fairly loathe to get involved because of the quite real fear of reprisal.
On the flip side, the experience of a neighbour down the road who has battled with local council regarding an existing resource consent for a small rural venue, has neighbours (with strong local board and council links) putting in noise control complaints every time (once a month) when they have guests. Despite meeting all resource consent requirements and closing before 11pm, the council issues notices despite sound level recordings showing noise levels are well below guidelines. In our neck of the woods, the old boys network plays fast and loose with the regulations.
that's a different situation than I was commenting on. There's no guarantee that councils will do what we want, but that process of having dates and times and details is what they need to act.
I was thinking more of the age of swordfish's parents, and the escalation of stress involved in making sure all the documentation and everything is up to date. In my case, following this advice increased the already hyper-vigilance that was in place, and having that information may not be as conclusively beneficial as you would think.
They have the issue of being neighbours to someone who will likely respond negatively to the noise complaints, and any council prosecution. And even a successful prosecution might not be enough to allow the landlords to terminate the tenancy so that the neighbours were no longer there.
So there they remain. Sitting ducks for the retaliatory behaviour of the tenant.
The government and the police need to sort the loophole out when it comes to noise when drunk and disorderly behaviour occurs in a home which impacts on the neighbours. This is intimidating and a form of harassment.
ACT is nothing more than a bunch of ultra right wing white supremacists. They started out with potential – albeit well to the right on economic policies – but they ended up being taken over by the right's loony element who originally lived with National.
They're thinking is dangerously simplistic and ideologically stupid. They really should not be allowed near parliament. Seymour on his own is relatively harmless but if he brings some of the crackpots into parliament with him there will be problems.
And btw, I had some interaction with them in the mid to late 1990s so I know what I’m talking about.
Hey just wondering if anyone can help. I need to submit a link to TVNZ of the first tv debate for my complaint.
I am having difficulty doing this. I have joined tv on demand, but can't get the link to copy and have looked through various news websites including a quite glance at the Standard, but to no avail.
Nat supporters in the SFO management would have figured out the right time to kneecap Winston long ago. Labour supporters within would have adopted the Pontius Pilate stance. Morality in governance is a matter of (in)convenience…
ACT has dropped two of its more controversial policies: lowering the minimum wage and adding interest back onto student loans. Both the policies could still be found on the party’s website as of Tuesday morning, but ACT leader David Seymour said they were no longer active election policies.
So policies can now be either active or inactive. You can imagine this being enabled for public viewing of party websites: a red light for inactive policies, and a green light attached to those which are active. User-friendly for binary folk.
Health spokesperson Chris Hipkins announced the party's health policy in Auckland this morning, saying it had invested record amounts into DHBs, hospitals and mental health "after nine years of neglect under National".
Labour would:
Provide mental health support for all primary and intermediate students
The dental grant is good news. As long as the criteria is not changed for eligibility this is great news for when there is a start date. I have already been turned down twice by the DHB this year. It pays to shop around for a quote.
With the level of bias that exists in our media what guarantee does the public have that the questions being put to the PM in the debate are fair and Judith Collins has to account for her own record ?
Patrick Gower is well known for his right wing bias after his treatment of David Cunliffe in 2014 so what guarantee does the public have that this debate is fair and balanced.
I sincerely hope that any pressure from the National party wont effect the rules of the debate.
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Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
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Shaw sounding quite reasonably buoyed this morning on RNZ by the polls last night.
Now is the time for Green voters swept up in Jacindamania in 2017 to go back.
I've decided to vote green thanks to james pointing out that lf labour slips a few more points lower and the greens don't make it back we could get an act nat government.
I just hope the greens are practical in dealing with agriculture.
Why are this pair still in business?…or not in prison?
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/09/29/casual-cruelty-destroys-young-mums-boss-demands-35000-to-prevent-dismissal-more-evil-than-we-thought/
Interesting Youth leaders debate last night. Chloe knocked it out of the park as expected.
Yes Maui, and the format drew out some good answers. Some answers were questioned further. Jack does a good job.
Young Voters Debate. Starts after about 10 minutes. No ads!
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/live-stream-young-voters-debate
'Rio Tinto is welcoming the latest party promise to work out transmission costs during its wind-down period.
Pacific operations managing director Kellie Parker said it was ‘‘recognition’’ from the Labour Party the smelter had ‘‘been paying too much for transmission costs’’.'
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/decision-2020/rio-tinto-welcomes-labour-pledge
WTF ?!
Having Rio Tinto operate in this country is like having tapeworms.
If a business isn't paying the same amount as a residential place then it's not paying enough.
RIP Stephen F. who was one of the few free thinking public academic intellectuals remaining to help damp down the war mongering hysteria that has unfortunately infected large parts of the liberal left…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUoJwXtMue4
Very good. Cohen hits on the point we completely overlook, that Russian's judge Putin based on their own historical record, and by that measure he's the best leader they've ever had. Putin's success in stabilising Russia after it's betrayal by the West and collapse in the 90's is remarkable. He should be congratulated on this.
But the land is many ways is cursed; consisting of vast tracts of moderate to low productivity land stretched over 11 time zones with minimal internal waterways of use, and difficult transport. A long and tough winter keeps the growing seasons short. The Siberian steppes are prone to both flooding and fire. It has decent mineral and oil resources, but that's about it. In every other strategic respect, the landscape is a disaster.
On top of this the people themselves, after centuries of mis-rule, face a demographic collapse. Birth rates are appallingly low and life expectancies are somewhere between declining and outright grim.
The other aspect of Russia that we also fail to understand is just how difficult a country it is to defend. The vast, wide open steppes and river plains with no natural features or boundaries mean that traditionally the warring hordes could sweep over them at will. This has shaped their thinking deeply, more than anything else the Kremlin is obsessed with protecting their sovereignty, but faces difficult odds in doing so.
At present the Russians lack well defined geographic borders and may well be motivated to expand somewhat to meet natural features they might mount and effective defense on, but the idea they want to attack Europe or the USA is as Cohen put's it, is totally ludicrous. Their military may have some nice hardware, but utterly lack the industrial depth or demographics to support military adventure at any scale.
Literally since the Americans voted out GH Bush, their relationship with Russia has been on a downward trajectory. Trump at least came to the role as President with somewhat less of the usual Pentagon Cold War hysteria than any of his predecessors, but ultimately regardless of Trump's hopeless and botched attempts at doing a deal with Putin … the destination was always going to be the same, US alienation, isolation and withdrawal from it's post WW2 global trade order.
And this in turn leaves Russia eyeing local powers on it's immediate borders, like Germany, Turkey and China, that are now relatively free to impose their own expansionist agenda's … with considerable concern.
@RedLogix, I agree with nearly all of your assessment of Cohen’s position except your last couple of paragraphs, namely in Trumps dealings with Russia (and I am not saying he was going to do a great job on this front btw), but any good intentions or instincts around Russia/Putin he might have had have been completely distorted and undermined by the frankly unhinged Russia phobia that has been stirred up by Democratic party (on steroids since their loss in 2016) and gleefully stocked by the US military industrial complex aided in no small part by the CIA externally and the FBI internally (Russia gate).
Adrian Yeah right what a load.
Sycophantic diatribe.
I think you misread me a bit, because I largely agree with what you write above.
My view is that while the Americans may have won the Cold War (and no mean feat that was) … they've elected a series of Presidents since who really had very little vision about what to do with this victory.
Instead we've seen an incoherent series of betrayals, blunders and moral failures, that have resulted in the US led post-WW2 trade order to become a fragile shell of it's former self. Trump and COVID between them are going about kicking down anything left standing.
A Clinton administration would have gotten us to exactly the same destination, but more slowly and with prettier powerpoint presentations.
And yes the unhinged Russo-phobia from the Democrats is simply proof of this assertion.
"Birth rates are appallingly low"
Russia
The current birth rate for Russia in 2020 is 12.194 births per 1000 people,
Europe
Birth rate 9.5 births per 1,000 (2020 est.)
The US
The current birth rate for U.S. in 2020 is 11.990 births per 1000 people,
Maybe we need to redefine appalling
Life expectancy in Russia continues to rise
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041395/life-expectancy-russia-all-time/
65.48 years (2000)
The current life expectancy for Russia in 2020 is 72.57 years
Fair enough I was a bit less than accurate there. The story is complicated.
The current bump in birth rates is effectively a generational echo of the baby bust they had in the 70's and 80', but it will never reach the peak it did then.
And if, as the Kremlin does, look at the data for the Russian population only, setting aside other substantial minority groups who regard themselves as separate and hostile to Moscow, the data is only worse.
good couple of posts, redlogix, also have to factor in how many millions left when soviet union collapsed , and people were allowed to leave. people who only look at overall statistics dont really get russia, they dont realise how many different races and areas there are. life expectancy in different areas are the shortest AND longest on the planet.
"Why in the world would Putin want to invade Latvia & Estonia?"
Invasion is usually good for domestic polling, the Russo-Japanese War being the best political hope of the prerevolutionary Russian government – the notoriously unsuccessful 'short victorious war'.
The reinvasion of Chechnya was the policy that brought Putin to power in the first place, and Georgia and the Ukraine can attest to his bellicosity. But his rationalizations for invading are less important than his military capacity and intentions.
One might as well ask "Why in the world would Hitler want to invade Russia?" The reasoning was not as relevant as the fact.
Yes I think Cohen gets it a bit wrong on this; I do believe there are good military reasons for Putin to expand Russia somewhat in order to establish more defensible borders.
In terms of their Siberia and Central Asian borders there is fuck all they can do about them, just too vast and open for any conceivable conventional response. All they can do is is what Putin has already made clear … put one Chinese boot into Russia and there will be no tanks or troops to meet the invasion. Just nuclear annihilation.
But European Russia, to the west of the Urals the situation is more delicate and dangerous. A complex mix of hostile groups like the Chechnya, the loss of the Baltic sea-border, the almost disastrous loss of access to the Black Sea, and the lack of any mountains to slow down invaders means the Kremlin looks to the west with considerable strategic angst. They definitely have no wish to invade Europe, but would dearly love to nudge their assets westward to borders they can defend.
I think that the Ukraine is the last of the easier cherries for Putin to pluck, but it is also much easier for the West to support, whether that be liberal democratic support, or military industrial.
The low countries of Eastern Europe are a logistical trap, frankly, which goes some way to explain why Putin has not taken them already. They are relatively low yielding, and not particularly supportive of a Russian reinvasion. The Ukraine is closer to being the industrial powerhouse Russia lost in East Germany, and they know they won't be getting that back.
Chechnya has the oil pipelines, but it is also a traditional Russian scapegoat, the terrain having allowed the locals to defeat multiple Russian conscript armies over the last few centuries. My sister-in-law was a journalist on the ground during the Chechen invasion – a very risky business.
Russian aggression is likely to continue to focus on the Ukraine, and possibly Turkey, for which they have a long religious based antipathy. But Putin is nothing if not creative, and support of various discontented groups in the sandpit, like various Yemeni factions will continue to yield disproportionate dividends – at least until the new Saudi king grows canny.
Yes a good analysis Stuart. I agree the Russian's are looking to project their power westward but it’s not going to be easy for them. Hence the uneasy tension between rhetoric and indecisive action we’re seeing.
The thinking maybe goes like this in the Kremlin: occupying and absorbing all the countries to Russia’s immediate west (except maybe Finland) would lodge Russian power against the triple barriers of the Baltic Sea, the Carpathian Mountains, and the Black Sea. Toss in the eastern half of Poland, and Russia’s open frontage would shrink by three-quarters, and that is a line the Russian army could work with.
At least that would be what might motivate them to invade, but to label this as boundless aggression comparable to Hitler's invasion of Russia, isn't a helpful comparison either. I believe the Kremlin's intentions are first and foremost defensive. And understanding this is the first step to dealing effectively with them. If nothing else there is a lot NATO could do to stop stoking Russian paranoia.
I believe the Kremlin's intentions are first and foremost defensive.
I'm not sure that I agree, but it's partly a matter of world view. Russia views the Ukraine as historically being part of their territory. Inconveniently, they have it backwards, Russia was historically part of the Ukraine.
It is more political and economic independence that goes to the heart of the matter however. With Glasnost, Russia attempted to catch up on the long season of underdevelopment that saw Russian sailors in my time taking sewing machines back to their country in triumph. Though there were fancy new startups by the truckload, the poor bore the brunt of the reforms, and there wasn't much of a state safety net. Yeltsin's coup saw the reinstatement of the old party bureaucracy who reaped the benefits of soviet empire, and Putin is their man.
Although a good argument can be made for a degree of economic nationalism, Putin immediately restarted the cold war intelligence apparatus, of which he had been part, but this time to counter predatory financiers and foreign competitors. This was to some degree laudable – but the wholesale theft of state assets carried out by Chernomyrdin (the Russian Roger Douglas) went into the pockets of Putin's associates.
The popular democracy movement did not suit the oligarchs at all, and journalists were killed, and political movements decapitated. Traditionally the US would strongly protest despotic innovations of this kind, but the Iraq invasion kept the US busy, while it utterly destroyed America's global moral authority. While that cat was away, Putin was able to gobble up a number of former satellites who preferred not to be Kremlin colonies.
It is improbable that Russia means to invade Eastern Europe at this time – but that is a function of the forces arrayed against such a possibility, not a lack of ambition on Putin's part. If cold war institutions like NATO withered and died, he would likely exploit the resulting opportunity – as can be seen from the Kremlin-backed interference in Belarus.
Interesting, you make good points there.
And at a tangent, here may well be another factor complicating matters …China's growing attempts gain influence in Eastern Europe.
Thanks – Caspianreport is surprisingly fact-laden – he's become an exception to my usual avoidance of the region for its troll density.
China tends to play a long game, but Xi, though powerful at home, is much less successful abroad than Hu was. I would characterise China's efforts as a lapsed but not abandoned diplomatic and economic initiative.
If and when China's economy perks up, the effort will likely be restored, and in the meantime there will be some academic exchange. There may have been an agreement of some kind however. China moved away from its traditionally frosty relations with Russia, and gazumped a gas pipeline that had been headed for the Koreas.
They may have agreed to not contest areas of interest economically, a form of competition to which Russia is particularly susceptible, that being how they lost the first cold war after all.
" Invasion is usually good for domestic polling," as far as I know Putin has never had any problems with his domestic polling numbers whatsoever, but more importantly comparing anyone to Hitler is an automatic disqualification in any debate, so you lose…..try harder.
If you knew a bit more about Putin you wouldn't dismiss the parallel so quickly.
It's tragic really, how this murderous totalitarian picks up useful idiots on both the Left and Right, and dodgy journalists and marginal academics to support his aggression. But of course these are always the groups that pin their hopes on change, so it is natural to some extent.
Especially with Putins connections to the russian mafia/KGB .
Democracy has been usurped Putin is a Dicktator.Trump wants to emulate him.
Putin is now much richer than Trump.
How can anyone believe the news generated by Putin's bot army.
How can anyone believe the news generated by Putin's bot army.
It's a numbers game. At its height there were over 2 million people in the KGB. They may not have been especially well resourced, and most of them were no Karlas, but it lent a heft to their operations that the smaller operations of their western colleagues sometimes struggled against.
The disinformation campaign that appears to have captured Billy TK may seem trivial – but another 10% and his faction would have decisive influence in parliament – no laughing matter. I'm not sure how many folk we have countering that influence, but not terribly many.
Tamihere has had enough of the left & right trying to out-bland each other.
Long-term political strategy is incomprehensible to mainstream politicos, so expect much shock/horror from binary folk. I thought the guy was lightweight – maybe I got him wrong.
Tapping into the Māori middle class is hardly bold. And Tamihere is best judged on a 25 year timeframe when events may have caught up with his flapping gums.
Tamahere has used up all his capital a last gasp.
The Maori Parties connection to the National Party has done irreparable damage.
Tamahere is no fool. He is a qualified lawyer and has done the hard yards.
Bomber's incoherent review of the youth leader's debate features this emote:
Grammar & spelling are ever so 20th century, so he's mastering postmodern style…
I understand the only youth leader that agreed house prices needed to drop was Chloe Swarbrick.
‘Tame asked the candidates a yes or no answer question: Should house prices go down?
Swarbrick was the only one who played ball with a direct answer – yes, she said, they should.
The rest couldn’t give a straight answer.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/427149/politicians-try-to-woo-young-voters-in-fiery-debate
Revealing
Yeah because she's too young to realise that falling asset prices are a disaster of another kind. Banks don't lend, owners lose their equity and builders stop building. People stop spending, businesses go under and the poor get poorer. In the meantime a small minority of cashed up investors go on a bargain buying spree.
Anyone who imagines that collapsing house prices is the silver bullet to our housing crisis just hasn't been around long enough to understand.
"Anyone who imagines that collapsing house prices is the silver bullet to our housing crisis just hasn't been around long enough to understand."
Perhaps you should tell Nobel prize winning 93 year old behavioural economist Vernon Smith hes too young to understand then
Maybe Waring was also "too young" to realise some things as a first-term MP, but she was a fast learner – reckon Swarbrick might be too.
So what would be your answers to housing affordability issues?
A long laundry list of things. Off the top of my head:
This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list, just some items that I can quickly come up with a view to improving the efficiency of the NZ housing market.
And CGT on all residential property speculation ie on all but the family home.
And get stuck in to a STATE house building programme.
This reads to me like a series of band-aids. Instead we need a fundamental shift away from using housing as an investment vehicle, which is what economist Steve Keen suggests. I thought you might be supportive of his stance.
Update on my Parents
Just before Midnight last night, their neighbour returns swearing violently along their fenceline & then outside his house, just 4 or 5 metres from their bedroom: "F*king Ct !!!, Fking come here, you Fking Ct !!!, Fking Move, you Fking Ct !!!" at the top of his voice. Out of control abusing mate or girlfriend (who had presumably walked along road with him, lagging behind) – with clear underlying threat of violence. Went on & on outside their house in this vein for 45 mins "Fking Ct, Fking Ct"– constant very loud violent swearing & sporadic body slams into front porch wall near their bedroom … real atmosphere of impending violence. Then went off … only to return after 1:30am with stereo up full volume, thumping base with aggressive hip-hop 'Motherfucker' lyrics inside & frequent slams & bangs into internal walls until they finally headed off again around 3am.
My Mother recently turned 90, my father has just turned 89. They've lived in their house for almost 60 years … always with nice, older & middle-age neighbours … highly sociable area … never a violent neighbourhood in any way … my Mother's the sort of person with real courage who would go outside late at night if she heard someone – a child, a woman – needing help … pretty fearless … but is now very scared to go out at all. She was in the bathroom when this waste-of-space arrived home and got a real fright when someone suddenly started violently swearing straight outside their house. They rang me & I could hear this psychopathic little prick down the phone … his aggressive swearing effortlessly cut right through the heavy wind outside.
And this incident is actually relatively minor compared to the violent intimidation & severe sleep deprivation they've had to put up with for hours throughout the early morning over the past 3 years, including this guy running onto their property at 2 in the morning & smashing their fence & letterbox back in December, shouting threats, along with a whole lot more on a very frequent basis. The degree of stress & severe sleep deprivation it's caused them (esp) & for nearby neighbours as well.
Just want to thank the Labour Govt for unceremoniously dumping the most out-of-control uber-violent tenants (the ones landlords rightly avoid at all costs) on unsuspecting neighbourhoods & for the callous, bordering on sadistic No Eviction policy … cheers for turning my Elderly Parents' life into a Nightmare, two long-term Labour activists, sort of people who give to charity even when they can't afford it, always focus on other people's needs, putting themselves last, never complaining and apologetic when they're absolutely forced to … & cheers to Kris Faafoi … when you were thanking them for helping you out on election days in the past, Kris, wouldn't it have been the decent thing to let them know you were planning to dump a massive violent social problem on the other side of their bedroom wall with precisely zero chance of relief. Playthings for a Psychopath.
Time to start telling a few home truths …
Record it. Get it on video. Take it to the media. It's right before an election.
Similar situation last year in USA: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12296654
Yes swordfish. Redlogix is right. That is exactly what should be done. To begin with, the resultant publicity would force the landlord/lady or Winz to remove him saspo.
Secondly, I think this situation is more prevalent than most people know. There are 48 social housing apartments currently being built close to where I live. Locals are rightly fearful of the impact this might have on our neighbourhood. I'm sure the bulk of the tenants will prove to be good neighbours but it is inevitable there will be trouble makers. There is currently no easy way to have these problems solved.
Record the noise and playback very loud at 7am next day for several hours
Yea dont think that would help much. Its the Police' job to get involved. So they should.
Yeah probably But payback sometimes is fun.
Playing back would just invite threats, retaliation, violence. The chap is a nutter obviously, and there needs to be a prison where people who are anti-social like this live permanently and are kept on what would be a prison farm so they have controls on their life.
Well, you could try a citizen's arrest. Might have to join ACT, get a gun & licence first though, eh?
An intolerable situation.
I would make suggestions, but I am sure you have tried them all, or at least thought about them.
I completely understand your feelings on this one.
Some people deserve to be shipped off to an island and left to fend for themselves.
Having recently been through similar, swordfish, I sympathise with your parents.
In the end, calling the police was the only thing that interrupted the behaviour. Police advice to record the incidents – and then refusal to accept the recordings – made their advice a waste of time. Actually the stress levels went drastically up when having to ensure that the interactions were being recorded
The suggestion to video the incidents was rejected by us, because of the not inconsiderable concern that openly filming incidents would both escalate and focus the aggression on the person holding the camera.
In the end, the Tenancy Tribunal hearing mediator actually advised us not to present our recordings, log or transcripts of some incidents for abusive behaviour because that would likely be overturned, and suggested that we accept the end of tenancy for failure to pay rent. When we asked how that would benefit other landlords who would look for any past incidents with the tenant, he told us not to worry about it. Did we want them out or not?
If someone can stay with your parents for a while, then call the police – even if it is more than once a day, until the tenant understands that any incident will result in a visit, and your parents have the benefit of having someone else in the house to make that decision and call.
As we were both neighbours and landlords, I was aware that the situation for any neighbour would have been the same. At least, it was only impacting on us. But, it was already difficult to get any practical action from the police, who regarded verbal abuse as not violent enough to prosecute. We were told he actually had to physically "get in your face and make threats".
& cheers to Kris Faafoi…
Sounds like he did as much due diligence about this issue as he did when he obediently and thoughtlessly backed that insane plan to destroy Concert FM earlier this year.
Least impressive cabinet member by a considerable distance.
The type of situation you have raised is upsetting as your parents are elderly and no one should have to live like that. Were your parents not so frail the pig would not get away with it.
Some sort of action needs to be taken by a third party. Go to the local MP with your parents and take some cell phone recordings.
I have lived in fear of neighbours before and I could not wait for the day when they left.
The woman who the man is a pig to she probably fears for her life.
@ 9 …Wow sympathy…I'm presuming Police were called? Not sure you can blame Labour ?
Guilt is bipartisan: both mainstream parties have been weakening the cops steadily the past 30 years or so. Originally that had wide public support due to paranoia about a police state, but things have slid to the opposite ridiculous extreme…
dont forget we also have polies wanting to allow more free speech and personal freedoms, and rip up RMA, which all contibute to the problem of bad neighbours . private property values versus free speech, with common decency caught in the middle. there is no easy answer , and blaming the polie you hate the most isnt a solution. blaming it on weakening police powers(?)(since when) is a sideshow. bad neighbours, like barking dogs, have always been a problem, since we all lived in adjoining caves. I know of instances(sister) where these cretins own there houses, so running to winz isnt an option. it really is a case by case problem. many of these neighbours from hell have mental health problems, addiction problems etc, so ,sometimes DHB is the best place to go. having lived in a deadend(in both meanings) street with a junkie for a neighbour , that was interesting. he kept all of the nearby villians away , and was scared of our dog, so we were good, but all the rest in the street hated him and our dog(us).
"Weakening the cops"? What do you mean by that, Dennis? Do you not consider that the police need to be monitored and controlled?
This awful case involving swordfish's parents is the sort of thing the police should be sorting out; instead they have wasted thousands of hours harassing—selectively harassing—people for marijuana possession, forcing Peter Ellis (R.I.P.) to regularly "check in" with the Christchurch police, and harassing journalists like Nicky Hager.
By weakening I meant the effect of funding constraints. Thus the feeble excuse the cops routinely give for failing to deal with such situations (“not enough resources”).
I agree re appropriate police tasks. Unfortunately the command/control hierarchy remains free to choose prosecuting cannabis users instead of responding to pleas for help from members of the public who are being victimised by others.
The situation has history. And isn't Labour proposing to make it harder to remove bad tenants? Seems highly relevant.
Welll..I'm pretty sure the POLICE are still in charge of
https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-31-police-powers/being-arrested-or-detained-held-by-the-police-their-powers-and-your-rights/
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM331230.html
And keep calling them….
Oh and surely this is also the Landlords responsibility too? Some would give 2 fks as long as the rent was paid…)
I don't think advice was being asked for. And you've heard of how intimidation works when limp authorities are called in by neighbours?
whatever…
The noise in the wee hours is a straight out council noise control issue, and they will respond better if there is a clear pattern of behaviour. Documenting each incident clearly with time and date is where I would start, and play the long game.
Documenting each incident clearly with time and date is where I would start, and play the long game.
You would think so, wouldn't you. But after advising us to do so, both the police and the Tenancy Tribunal wanted nothing to do with the documentation and recordings.
The noise in the wee hours is a straight out council noise control issue, and they will respond better if there is a clear pattern of behaviour.
The tenant must have known about how the response works, because he would blast music for about 20-30 minutes then quieten down for a few hours and then repeat the pattern. Ensuring that if noise control was called, by the time they arrived all would be quiet.
What did the council do?
Because the tenants were in a granny flat on our property we weren't able to use the noise control officer at Auckland Council. Noise control only responds to complaints made about another property.
Other neighbours are actually fairly loathe to get involved because of the quite real fear of reprisal.
On the flip side, the experience of a neighbour down the road who has battled with local council regarding an existing resource consent for a small rural venue, has neighbours (with strong local board and council links) putting in noise control complaints every time (once a month) when they have guests. Despite meeting all resource consent requirements and closing before 11pm, the council issues notices despite sound level recordings showing noise levels are well below guidelines. In our neck of the woods, the old boys network plays fast and loose with the regulations.
that's a different situation than I was commenting on. There's no guarantee that councils will do what we want, but that process of having dates and times and details is what they need to act.
I understand.
I was thinking more of the age of swordfish's parents, and the escalation of stress involved in making sure all the documentation and everything is up to date. In my case, following this advice increased the already hyper-vigilance that was in place, and having that information may not be as conclusively beneficial as you would think.
They have the issue of being neighbours to someone who will likely respond negatively to the noise complaints, and any council prosecution. And even a successful prosecution might not be enough to allow the landlords to terminate the tenancy so that the neighbours were no longer there.
So there they remain. Sitting ducks for the retaliatory behaviour of the tenant.
The government and the police need to sort the loophole out when it comes to noise when drunk and disorderly behaviour occurs in a home which impacts on the neighbours. This is intimidating and a form of harassment.
Evil fucks.
https://twitter.com/richardhills777/status/1310468565980516353
ACT is nothing more than a bunch of ultra right wing white supremacists. They started out with potential – albeit well to the right on economic policies – but they ended up being taken over by the right's loony element who originally lived with National.
They're thinking is dangerously simplistic and ideologically stupid. They really should not be allowed near parliament. Seymour on his own is relatively harmless but if he brings some of the crackpots into parliament with him there will be problems.
And btw, I had some interaction with them in the mid to late 1990s so I know what I’m talking about.
Hey just wondering if anyone can help. I need to submit a link to TVNZ of the first tv debate for my complaint.
I am having difficulty doing this. I have joined tv on demand, but can't get the link to copy and have looked through various news websites including a quite glance at the Standard, but to no avail.
Any ideas/
This it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96WMzTofHyA
edit:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/live-updates-first-leaders-debate-jacinda-ardern-v-judith-collins
Thanks so much Joe90
https://www.twitter.com/TovaOBrien/status/1310764782081826816
https://www.twitter.com/TovaOBrien/status/1310767419137220608
I've no time for NZF, but for any party to have this hanging over them in an election campaign is just wrong.
SFO should either have said "no decision before election" or made that decision about charges long ago.
Nat supporters in the SFO management would have figured out the right time to kneecap Winston long ago. Labour supporters within would have adopted the Pontius Pilate stance. Morality in governance is a matter of (in)convenience…
Peters should have known better and structured party finances in a way which would not go before the SFO.
Looks like NZF could suck the Kumara this time around ?
ACT gets real for a change: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300119429/election-2020-act-sheds-two-controversial-policies-as-david-seymours-star-rises
So policies can now be either active or inactive. You can imagine this being enabled for public viewing of party websites: a red light for inactive policies, and a green light attached to those which are active. User-friendly for binary folk.
Good news about social welfare from Labour on Radionz.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/427162/labour-health-policy-mental-health-for-school-children-mobile-dental-clinics
Health spokesperson Chris Hipkins announced the party's health policy in Auckland this morning, saying it had invested record amounts into DHBs, hospitals and mental health "after nine years of neglect under National".
Labour would:
The party has also already signalled it would implement reforms recommended by the Heather Simpson health and disability report, including establishing a Māori health authority and national public health agency, reducing the number of DHBs from 20 to between eight and 12, and abolishing DHB elections.
The dental grant is good news. As long as the criteria is not changed for eligibility this is great news for when there is a start date. I have already been turned down twice by the DHB this year. It pays to shop around for a quote.
The teeth are actually a very important part of the human anatomy.
Oh dear Winston
An open letter to Mediaworks.
With the level of bias that exists in our media what guarantee does the public have that the questions being put to the PM in the debate are fair and Judith Collins has to account for her own record ?
Patrick Gower is well known for his right wing bias after his treatment of David Cunliffe in 2014 so what guarantee does the public have that this debate is fair and balanced.
I sincerely hope that any pressure from the National party wont effect the rules of the debate.
Regards
Just cancels out Campbell tbh.
Ying and Yang and all that.
Sounds a bit like you don't actually know which is witch in any case..
Nat list MP Yang has called it quits (quite good of him really) – not sure about ‘Ying‘.
The teeth are actually a very important part of the human anatomy.