Open mike 29/09/2024
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6:00 am, September 29th, 2024 - 81 comments
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- Bullying a Chess Bot: More Martinian Shenanigans
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...3 hours ago - Indian Summer
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...9 hours ago - Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 23
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy: Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...11 hours ago - Making sense of it all
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...15 hours ago - A Response to ACT’s MRA-Style Rant
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...1 day ago - Spread a Little Happiness
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...1 day ago - Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Saturday, March 22
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...2 days ago - Siding with the Right Of the Right
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...2 days ago - Jam tomorrow, butter next week
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb. Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...2 days ago - Why Do Cryptocurrencies Appear to Be So Valuable?
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...2 days ago - Awful optics: political fighting in Taiwan stalls part of defence budget rise
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...2 days ago - The Independent Intelligence Review is finally out, and it’s a worthy sequel
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...2 days ago
- Law, culture, and the OIA
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...2 days ago - A new US humanitarian agency must operate without political blinders
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...2 days ago
- Worming Through Dangerous Times
2 days ago - Why is the Govt so afraid of borrowing?
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...2 days ago - The future of the Combined Space Operations initiative
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...2 days ago
- Dave’s Cats
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...2 days ago - Friday 21 March
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...2 days ago - Weekly Roundup 21-March-2025
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...2 days ago - A special Hoon with Michael Wolff, author of four books on Donald Trump
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview. Hoon: Trumpism ...2 days ago - Hoon: Trumpism dies with Trump says Wolff
3 days ago
- The ADF reserve system is obsolete. We need a dramatically expanded force
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within days—not decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...3 days ago
- Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Friday, March 21
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...3 days ago - Against All Reason: William Blake and the Private Fantasy Mythology
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #12 2025
Open access notables The severe 2020 coral bleaching event in the tropical Atlantic linked to marine heatwaves, Rodrigues et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Marine heatwaves can amplify the vulnerabilities of regional marine ecosystems and jeopardise local economies and food resources. Here, we show that marine heatwaves in the tropical ...3 days ago - Elbridge Colby’s vision: blocking China
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...3 days ago
- China’s military spending rises should prompt regional budget responses
China’s defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...3 days ago
- Pressure grows for commonsense correction on safe local speeds
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...3 days ago
- Luxon’s Guests.
Speilmeister: Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...3 days ago - S&P downgrades 18 councils, blaming Govt
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest: Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...3 days ago - Recession ends – Economic challenges remain
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...3 days ago
- Maybe there’s a connection?
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...3 days ago
- I, too, got a few things wrong
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...3 days ago
- Commandments & Cures
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...3 days ago - Australia needs greater defence self-reliance, and extra funding
Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...4 days ago
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According to RNZ’s embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Peters’ talks in Washington this week “cannot be overstated.” Right. “Exceptionally important.” said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesn’t seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our “concern” to the Americans about a series of issues that ...4 days ago - Climate Fresk – a neat way to make the complexity of climate change less puzzling
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...4 days ago
- Japan and Australia can fill each other’s defence gaps
Japan and Australia talk of ‘collective deterrence,’ but they don’t seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...4 days ago
- Submission on the Draft Biometric Processing Privacy Code
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPC’s decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...4 days ago
- Eggs in more baskets: diversify Australian agricultural exports away from US
Australia’s export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on ...4 days ago
- The Fisheries Reform Scam – Sam Woolford
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system. Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by the High Court ruling that the ...4 days ago - Climate Change: Failed again
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...4 days ago
- Trump’s tariffs challenge India’s economic balance
US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffs—matching other countries’ tariffs on American goods—will go into effect on 2 April, ...4 days ago
- NZ’s First #MeToo Case Wants To Practise Law Again
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...4 days ago - Climate sceptic ACT MP attacks National
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...4 days ago - Libertarian Jesus
Now I've heard there was a secret chordThat David played, and it pleased the LordBut you don't really care for music, do you?It goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor falls, the major liftsThe baffled king composing HallelujahSongwriter: Leonard CohenI always thought the lyrics of that great song by ...5 days ago - People matter—especially when frigate crews are too small
People are getting carried away with the virtues of small warship crews. We need to remember the great vice of having few people to run a ship: they’ll quickly tire. Yes, the navy is struggling ...5 days ago
- Auckland’s Western Line: Walking and cycling catchments
This is a guest post by Peter Bisley. It previously appeared on his substack, and is republished here by kind permisison. How can active transport connections maximise City Rail Link benefits City Rail Link successfully ran a test train last month on the 3.45km line under central Auckland, ahead ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Wednesday, March 19
Mōrena. Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, ...5 days ago - Unity is the answer to Europe’s defence woes
US President Donald Trump’s hostile regime has finally forced Europe to wake up. With US officials calling into question the transatlantic alliance, Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, recently persuaded lawmakers to revise the country’s debt ...5 days ago
- Australian politics needs clearer national security boundaries
We need to establish clearer political boundaries around national security to avoid politicising ongoing security issues and to better manage secondary effects. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed on 10 March that the Dural caravan ...5 days ago
- Government must act decisively and ban engineered stone
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have reiterated their call for Government to protect workers by banning engineered stone in a submission on MBIE’s silica dust consultation. “If Brooke van Velden is genuine when she calls for an evidence-based approach to this issue, then she must support a full ban on ...5 days ago
- Tuesday 18 March
The Labour Inspectorate could soon be knocking on the door of hundreds of businesses nation-wide, as it launches a major crackdown on those not abiding by the law. NorthTec staff are on edge as Northland’s leading polytechnic proposes to stop 11 programmes across primary industries, forestry, and construction. Union coverage ...5 days ago
- First-person view drones: transitioning from sport to battle
It’s one thing for military personnel to hone skills with first-person view (FPV) drones in racing competitions. It’s quite another for them to transition to the complexities of the battlefield. Drone racing has become a ...5 days ago
- ‘There are no exemptions. Just eat it.’
Seymour says there will be no other exemptions granted to schools wanting to opt out of the Compass contract. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories shortest: David Seymour has denied a request from a Christchurch school and any other schools to be exempted from the Compass school lunch programme, saying the contract ...5 days ago - Nuclear Ukraine: Budapest Memorandum – what it says and is it relevant?
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. President Bill Clinton, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, and British Prime Minister John Major signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in ... 5 days ago - A Palate Cleanser
Edit: The original story said “Palette Cleanser” in both the story, and the headline. I am never, ever going to live this down. Chain me up, throw me into the pit.Hi,With the world burning — literally and figuratively — I felt like Webworm needed a little palate cleanser at the ...6 days ago
- Do Americans really want urban sprawl?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler (Image credit: Antonio Huerta) Growing up in suburban Ohio, I was used to seeing farmland and woods disappear to make room for new subdivisions, strip malls, and big box stores. I didn’t usually welcome the changes, but I assumed others ...6 days ago
- Myanmar’s desperate condition: fragmentation, drugs, money-laundering and more
Myanmar was a key global site for criminal activity well before the 2021 military coup. Today, illicit industry, especially heroin and methamphetamine production, still defines much of the economy. Nowhere, not even the leafiest districts ...6 days ago
- The Hardest Word
What've I gotta do to make you love me?What've I gotta do to make you care?What do I do when lightning strikes me?And I wake up and find that you're not thereWhat've I gotta do to make you want me?Mmm hmm, what've I gotta do to be heard?What do I ...6 days ago - Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Tuesday, March 18
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, The Economist-$ ...6 days ago - Gordon Campbell On Luxon’s Survival Chances, And The India FTA
Whenever Christopher Luxon drops a classically fatuous clanger or whenever the government has a bad poll – i.e. every week – the talk resumes that he is about to be rolled. This is unlikely for several reasons. For starters, there is no successor. Nicola Willis? Chris Bishop? Simeon Brown? Mark ...6 days ago
- It’s been done before: pay for more defence spending with debt
Australia, Britain and European countries should loosen budget rules to allow borrowing to fund higher defence spending, a new study by the Kiel Institute suggests. Currently, budget debt rules are forcing governments to finance increases ...6 days ago
- Feedback on work with engineered stone and materials containing crystalline silica
The NZCTU remains strongly committed to banning engineered stone in New Zealand and implementing better occupational health protections for all workers working with silica-containing materials. In this submission to MBIE, the NZCTU outlines that we have an opportunity to learn from Australia’s experience by implementing a full ban of engineered ...6 days ago
- Big deal
The Prime Minister has announced a big win in trade negotiations with India.It’s huge, he told reporters. We didn't get everything we came for but we were able to agree on free trade in clothing, fabrics, car components, software, IT consulting, spices, tea, rice, and leather goods.He said that for ...6 days ago - A Return to a US Gilded Age?
I have been trying to figure out the logic of Trump’s tariff policies and apparent desire for a global trade war. Although he does not appear to comprehend that tariffs are a tax on consumers in the country doing the tariffing, I can (sort of) understand that he may think ...6 days ago - France is prominent in efforts to shape Syria’s future, again
As Syria and international partners negotiate the country’s future, France has sought to be a convening power. While France has a history of influence in the Middle East, it will have to balance competing Syrian ...6 days ago
- “Capital poor”
One of the eternal truths about Aotearoa's economy is that we are "capital poor": there's not enough money sloshing around here to fund the expansion of local businesses, or to build the things we want to. Which gets used as an excuse for all sorts of things, like setting up ...6 days ago
- Pictures Tell The Story
National held its ground until late 2023 Verion, Talbot Mills & Curia Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)If we remove outlier results from Curia (National Party November 2023) National started trending down in October 2024.Verion Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)Verian alone shows a clearer deterioration in early ...6 days ago - High-impact climate risks, low-probability? Think again
In a recent presentation, I recommended, quite unoriginally, that governments should have a greater focus on higher-impact, lower-probability climate risks. My reasoning was that current climate model projections have blind spots, meaning we are betting ...6 days ago
- Daddy
Daddy, are you out there?Daddy, won't you come and play?Daddy, do you not care?Is there nothing that you want to say?Songwriters: Mark Batson / Beyonce Giselle Knowles.This morning, a look at the much-maligned NZ Herald. Despised by many on the left as little more than a mouthpiece for the National ...6 days ago - Monday 17 March
Employers, unions and health and safety advocates are calling for engineered stone to be banned, a day before consultation on regulations closes. On Friday the PSA lodged a pay equity claim for library assistants with the Employment Relations Authority, after the stalling of a claim lodged with six councils in ...6 days ago
- Luxon announces start of India trade deal talks
Long stories shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy: Christopher Luxon surprises by announcing trade deal talks with India will start next month, and include beef and dairy. Napier is set to join Whakatane, Dunedin and Westport in staging a protest march against health spending restraints hitting their hospital services. Winston Peters ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt’s continued lack of action on Gaza condemned
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...2 days ago - Release: National at sea over Defence jobs
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...3 days ago
- Release: National standards returning by stealth
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...3 days ago
- Release: Kiwis still struggling as economy stumbles along
Kiwis aren’t feeling any better off despite figures showing a very slight growth in GDP in the December quarter. ...3 days ago
- Greens call for compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...4 days ago - Another failed ETS auction, another indictment on the Govt’s climate credibility
The ETS auction’s failure today is yet another clear sign that the Government is failing us all on climate action. ...4 days ago
- Release: Luxon quick to give away principled position on nukes
Christopher Luxon seems to have thrown New Zealand’s principled anti-nuclear advocacy under a bus. ...4 days ago
- NZ must act on Israel’s slaughter of children
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...4 days ago
- Release: Still no certainty for disability communities
One year on from the Government’s abrupt and callous changes to disability funding, the community still has no idea what the future holds. ...5 days ago
- Green Party backs volunteer firefighters in their call for ACC recognition
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...5 days ago
- Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...5 days ago
- MP Views: Living Strong, The Economy, Servicing Our Nation, The Golden Egg, and 4 Year Terms
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...6 days ago - Shane Jones has no shame
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...1 week ago
- Release: National botches health funding numbers
Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that the Government has put $16.68 billion into the health system over three years is wrong. ...1 week ago
- Government tramples on the rights of disabled migrant children
The Green Party is condemning the Government’s move to tighten access to visas for disabled children. ...1 week ago
- Release: Auckland needs second harbour crossing
Labour supports Minister Chris Bishop’s call for input on the second Waitematā Harbour crossing. ...1 week ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds’ speech to NZ Investment Summit 2025
I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you today about how we make overseas investment work for all New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour does not support PPPs for prisons
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...1 week ago
- Dunedin Futures report should be a wake-up call
The newly released report on the South Dunedin Future Programme must be a wake-up call for our Government. ...1 week ago
- Release: Members’ Bill makes wage theft a crime
Workers will now be able to go to the Police and report their employer if they are not being paid wages they’re owed. ...2 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports sanctions against Israel’s illegal occupation
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt procurement plan cuts wages and trashes the environment
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Procurement proposals pose risk to people and planet
The Green Party is concerned by the impact the Government’s proposed changes to procurement processes could have on people and planet. ...2 weeks ago
- Just six Government MPs needed to pass Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour’s approach to Māori economy benefits all
Under Labour, the Māori economy went from strength to strength according to the latest report released by MBIE. ...2 weeks ago
- 20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party launches petition to allow Pacific whānau visa-free access
The Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to extend visa-free travel to visitors from Pacific Island nations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes reinstatement of Heath NZ board
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ’s Public Health system dealt yet another blow
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins’ State of the Nation address
Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Introduces Bill to Remove Woke ‘DEI’ Regulations from Public Service
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour outlines priorities of next Govt
The next Labour Government will prioritise jobs, health and homes so Kiwis and Kiwi businesses have the opportunity to thrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Refreshed team to drive Labour’s 2026 priorities
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has unveiled a new economic team as part of a caucus reshuffle. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for end to police referrals to Destiny programmes
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...2 weeks ago
- Good Riddance: Prebble Resigns from Waitangi Tribunal
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to condemn Israel’s aid blockade
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Meh, little wonder they require the on-line public to have WIFI modems in the home.
Next they will reveal they can sound surveillance the homes as well (and not just via Alexa when selected for research).
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a42575068/scientists-use-wifi-to-see-through-walls/
Israeli strategy
1.Defeat Hamas.
2.Move to the use of Hezbollah to justify the WB occupation – based on it being an non state actor armed by Iran (which is basically out to eliminate the state of Israel).
The war against Hezbollah
The meeting in south Beirut
Iraq
Iran
Iran's leader, far from indicating a formal Iranian response, says Hezbollah cannot be defeated by Israel
Lebanon
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c981g8mrl8lt
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-09-28/ty-article/senior-iran-guards-general-died-in-israeli-strike-that-killed-hezbollah-leader/00000192-390c-d93a-a5b6-3d6e58fa0000
Evidently 1.0 million Israeli's have left Israel in the past year obviously not happy with Netanyahu's objectives and ongoing relationship's with his neighbours ???
Not sure where your 1 million figure comes from.
Here's an emigration breakdown.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/data-shows-post-oct-7-emigration-surge-from-israel-which-has-since-stabilized/
It seems to show a spike immediately after the October terrorist attack by Hamas, followed by return to levels similar to the previous year.
I would say that they feel more threatened by rocket attacks than Netanyahu.
The Israeli butchers are the interlopers in the Mid East region–the created state being set up on the basis of ethnic cleansing of certain areas in 1948.
If regional solidarity ensues to finally slap down the IDF and Zionists in the Knesset, much of the world will cheer it on. Israel is a vastly failed state in human terms and will not recover from the slaughter and destruction they have inflicted.
It is a pity, no Palestinian state was established in 1948 in the WB and Gaza after they were ethnically cleared of all Jews. But the occupying nations, Jordan and Egypt, did not set one up and then leave.
Hopefully though, they will help to free Lebanon from its Hezbollah cancer.
The facts.
Britain stole Palestine in 1919 as a trophy of war.
The Jews illegally invaded Palestine in 1948 backed by Britain and France.
The legitimate Palestinians were removed in a brutal wave of ethnic cleansing.
The USA then built a massive military base in the land illegally occupied by the
Jews to dominate 400 million Muslims.
There is actually no war in Gaza.
The Jewish American military is carrying out massive invasion + ethnic cleansing
and theft of land on the false premise that they are fighting a war.
But The Palestinians have no army no airforce and no navy.
The terrorists in Palestine will always be the British , Jews and the Americans
Same thing happened with the invasion of the Waikato and Taranaki .
Whites carried out ethnic cleansing and the theft of millions acres of land
under the false premise that they were fighting a war.
But the reality was the Whites simply invaded because Maori would not sell.
When is the White court going to retrospectively prosecute George Grey
and General Duncan Cameron for ordering and carrying out the illegal invasion
and murder of the rightful Maori owners,
Probably the same time that the Jews are kicked out of the middle East
and go live with their mates in North Dakota.
White, Western Christian ignorance prejudice and power knows no bounds.
Like +100%
Denying 3000 years of history. Interesting.
They seem to forget everything they were taught in Sunday School about the "Crusades", the supposed "reclaiming" of the "Holy Lands" from the "Infidels".
The lands of Palestine were among many which were captured by the Rashidun Caliphate which was at its greatest extent circa 654CE. These were Arab peoples.
The Crusades were largely a failure.
If you think that the Rashidun Caliphate or any of the succeeding ones up until the Ottoman caliphate were Palestinian Arabs, you are seriously mistaken.
Those in Palestine were not Arabs until they spoke Arabic. They then were Jewish Arabs, Christian Arabs and Moslem Arabs.
Generally those in Palestine were northern Semites, and Arab culture was southern. Some former Hamitic language and Berber also became Arabs, as did those of Syria (Aramean and “European”) and Mesopotamia (“western” semites and others).
Some groups kept apart a little, such as Copts in Egypt and Kurds by retaining a separate language.
But of course “Arabians” did inter-marry with others.
Well, they certainly were not Jews.
Plenty of Jews in Palestine prior to 1948.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Jews
How many more of these migrant scams are there out there?
Nail salons are the dodgiest of businesses, clearly many are migrant mills. I wondered how they ever made money, now I know.
A classic case, selling (5 year visa jobs) and then the company – presumably without the knowledge of those it was sold to.
How could 'nail technician' ever be a job classification for migrant importation?
Apparently it happened. And more, their partners had visas attached to them.
If their visas are challenged, what happens to their partners visas?
So did the million Whites who invaded these lands from 1840 have work visas?
No they did not.
So that makes all the White descendents of the original invasion
illegal over tayers.?
Maybe send the Whites back to pommie land.
Won't miss them
Gosh, did the Maori invading Aotearoa have work visas? Perhaps we'd better send them back to their point of origin as well.
\sarc\
Don't think Maaori's had a Custom's and Immigration Department in the 1840's.
Neither did the government of NZ (when it was actually part of the British Empire) in the 19th century.
Most countries didn't even have passports until the 20th century. Britain didn’t until 1915. And even then many people didn’t need one (not for travelling within the Empire)
Trying to equate immigration across hundreds of years is an entirely futile exercise. The economic and technological environments are totally different.
Passports are just there to shit on working people.
Didn't do bugger all to stop Saudi Nationals from preforming 911 either.
So Belladona my question is, do you think working people should enter the country and should they be protected? And if so, do you agree we could do it with strong unions and no passports?
Passports exist to control the movement of population. No (comparatively) wealthy country wants to be flooded with low-wage migrants. I doubt that you can point to a single first world country which doesn't require passports for legal entry.
The Left in NZ has been vehement on the need to restrict migrants to protect jobs and wages (and indeed housing).
Unions can do nothing about preventing people legally in NZ acquiring jobs. Doesn't matter how 'strong' they are. All that could happen is an illegal economy, with the migrants being exploited.
So, do I think that people with minimal qualifications should be automatically be entitled to migrate to NZ? Absolutely not.
Do I think that people with qualifications which are badly needed in NZ (and who are not political nutcases – since you brought up 9/11) – should gain residency and eventually citizenship? Absolutely.
These lands were empty so Maori had every right to live here.
Its like saying the Americans needed visas to go to the moon.
Typical racist White garbage comment
It's "white" laws that make it "lawful" for Māori to have the "right" to live here because it was empty when they arrived here. Do you get the irony?
Your ideas (and spelling) seem to come from a very European mindset.
Just like the White Man with their justification for the occupation and settling of Australia and the theft of Aboriginal Lands.
Yes. And your point is what?
How does a Stay at Home Mum become Minister of Finance ???
No idea who you're referring to. Perhaps you could clarify.
Check Minister of Finance National Party
Nicola Willis:
She entered parliament in 2018.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Willis
Not that I think there is anything wrong with being a SAHM – but you don't seem to have your facts correct in this case.
Not that I think there is anything wrong with being a SAHM – but you don't seem to have your facts correct in this case.
Quite right. But what about this:
New Zealand Initiative, a pro-free-market public-policy Atlas Network linked think tank,
I don't think that would be appropriate for a progeessive finance minister.
Another Atlas Network Disciple. Looks like the Atlas Network and Hobson's Pledge are well entrenched in this NACT1st Government.
But not a SAHM.
If you want to criticize, get your facts right.
Heaps of em, Hospo, Construction labour and Massage shops spring to mind.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/waikato-news/news/extortion-of-immigrants-exposed-as-hamilton-restaurant-ordered-to-pay-99k-in-damages/6IVQLJ5JYFF2HNCIXS3XN54VPY/
Interesting that the NZ Herald today gives little or no coverage to the massive demo in Dunedin yesterday.
This is a seriously out-of-touch government, and its backers are seriously out-of-touch too.
I wonder if Winston will read the runes and pull the plug when Seymour becomes deputy PM, citing the ferries, Dunedin hospital etc etc?
The mid term Deputy PM handover to Act always seemed a pinch point for CoC.
The Māori world has a degree of unity not seen for years, and the wider community is starting to get its act together as the magnificent Dunedin turnout showed. I am wondering about the planned Whangārei hospital, approved on then Labour MP Emily Henderson’s watch being compromised or ditched also–with Dr Cigaretti being the local MP.
Even lower paid tories, of which there are many including the boomer bubble on pensions, need public health care and the option to viably travel inter Island.
I doubt that Peters would blow up the coalition that early. His talent is for reading the public mood and swimming with the tide in order to remain almost permanently on the governing side. It is only from Government that he gets the rewards he wants (see Sanctuary at 6 below). He will be watching the polls, hearing what people are saying and keeping his powder dry for the right moment. And if that moment doesn't arrive, he'll stay right where he is.
Polling shows that this government has not increased or decreased in popularity since the election – at some point I'd expect it to start moving one way or the other. Peters will be watching for that movement and his usually superb political instinct will kick in.
I dislike Peters and his thoroughly self-serving politics – however, I think you are absolutely right about his unmatched political survival instincts.
Seems to be plenty of coverage from NZH and RNZ – and no doubt other news forums.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-mayor-backs-thousands-marching-against-hospital-project-cuts/YY3GMHBLTVFDXNKPEP2EJI3TQQ/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/529302/biggest-protest-in-dunedin-in-decades-as-up-to-35-000-rally-against-hospital-cuts
Bella-I went to the Herald site today, about 10 am this morning, and could see nothing in the headlines or further down the page in relation to the massive protest in Dunedin…that is my point.
I'm sure if you were willing to spend some time looking for it you would have found it.
My point is that it should have been top of the list of headlines screaming something like "Huge demonstration in Dunedin against National U-turn on hospital development".
A demonstration of this size, brought together in a couple of days, is amazing.
I went to the demo in Wanaka which was organised in one day and 300 people attended. This is unheard of in Wanaka.
It took one Google search.
Well done.
Of course they wouldn't BG – at the other end of the country, out of sight, out of mind to them. They did have a very snarky, vindictive (par for the course) op ed by their fav Heather du Plessis-Allan about the Commissioner of Police's early retirement. Completely predictable from her, she is obviously a great fan of 'Mercinary Mark Mitchell', who in her words will do the right thing and make sure a 'suitable' successor to Andrew Coster is appointed. It's a thoroughly pathetic piece of writing, which is behind the Herald's paywall. There are today 260 comments on the article and fortunately, not all of them are singing from the same hymn sheet, which is a refreshing change from the same old, same old NACT accolytes who regularly sing the praises of this Government, while, of course deriding everything the last Government did.
Well said Jilly.
NZ Herald is Right Wing Tory Rag they are not going to publish anything which will upset their paying subscribers.
Clearly this coverage didn't upset their paying subscribers, then.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-mayor-backs-thousands-marching-against-hospital-project-cuts/YY3GMHBLTVFDXNKPEP2EJI3TQQ/
And some perceptive follow-up, along the lines of various NZ news services.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/guy-bodys-cartoons-september-1-30/POLSXBLBWNGLPPS4ZKXPJZOPOY/
The problem for Winston is if he pulls the plug, where does that leave him and NZ First? His entire political project is about the treasures and pleasures that accrue from power and being wooed by interest groups and industry suitors.
Labour's path back to government, at least as long as Peter's remains in politics, is through NZ First and the Greens. The only way Peter's and Labour can conceivably contrive a credible rapprochement would be for Labour to first get a new leader who can pretend they had nothing big to do with the Ardern era and is way more popular than Hipkins.
For the past 75 years NZ has had a very predictable voting pattern .
Governments are voted out by voters believing the incumbent Government
has lost the plot and the opposition have all the answers.
Stupid yes but that's just how it is,
National has got 9 years minimum and Labour a mix of 3 years (twice) 6 years
(twice ) and 9 years once,
I believe that pattern will change slightly with National getting just 6 years this time.
So Labour will win back power in a landslide in 2029.
NZ First wont' be needed and will probably be defunct by then any way.
Room for another right wing nutter party to fill the void
maybe born again Christians or a disenfranchised White male hunting rifle party.
So what to do in opposition for another five years?
The Maori hate and minority bashing will remain but have less impact.
Gradually shift the blame for all problems onto the coalition.
Promise easy quick painless solutions for every thing.
People never ask for details they just see the goodies.
So the way I see it Labour walks to victory in 2029 and reverses
all of Nationals evil policies.
So between now and then just sit back grab a beer/wine and watch the
coalition slowly and inexorably self destruct.
Hell yeah
Wouldnt hold your breath on Labour reversing anything.
Can't see Labour making any changes until 2029, they appear to be rudderless at present.
Dear me, do you see TPM as entirely pointless? They seem to have no place in your political analysis.
TMP need to focus on the broader General Public and get their message across that they are a Party for all New Zealanders not just Left Wing Radical Maaori's which the NZ Press portray them as, some good well educated people within TMP.
Tbh of late based on their mps comments theyre more or less a seperatist party. I dont feel that they offer a way foward for all the people who now call NZ home. Understandable on one hand depressing on the other.
The left used to unite us now it feels like it it focuses more on our differences than what we have in common
National ACT NZF Labour Greens are entirely pointless. Full of racist whites
TPM the only party for Non Racist New Zealander's white, brown, black, yellow, pink and all the different shades in between ???
I don't think the School Boy Sausage Roll Salesman is cutting the mustard.
Now why did this suddenly come to mind?
Winston and NZ1st need to get their act's together otherwise NZ is stuffed, Winston despite being part Maaori needs to back off on his racist anti-Maaori agenda. He is still bitter over the NZF Maaori Tight Five who abandoned him in 1990's, which caused the collapse of the National/NZF Coalition Government. Maaori supported NZF in the First MMP Election however have since abandoned him with his racist anti-Maaori agenda.
"part Maori" Really? Shall we start the stupid blood quantum argument again?
You don't get to deny someone's ancestry simply because you disagree with their politics.
Peters is a white ar## licker and can not speak a word of Te Reo
Im Maori speak Maori and grew up with Maoritanga.
Are you a fluent maori speaker?
Given the generation he grew up and went to school in I wouldnt hold it against him.
Oh, well then, if the only people who are allowed to be 'Maori' are those who speak Maori, grew up with Maoritanga, and vote the way you want them to – the numbers of 'Maori' in NZ are about to take a serious dive.
Winston is the one who frequently uses the word "blood quantum's" I believe.
But Koina appears to agree with him.
Winston and NZ1st will be history if he pulls the plug too early, he needs to position himself as a moderate David Seymore to attract the Right White Vote & the anti Covid Vaccine Nutter's, his traditional main support base over 70's are mostly pushing up the daisies.
Which is likely to happen, regardless of whatever political situation NZF find themselves in. So long as the new leader isn't part of the senior leadership team from the Ardern years, everyone can forget they were part of the government (just as they did with Clark being part of the Lange/Douglas cabinet)
The government has just announced plans to reform NZ's "cumbersome" system of building consents. One suggestion is to reduce the number of building consent authorities around the country.
I can see the sense in consolidating the structure if that leads to consistency of decision-making and better enforcement of required standards. However, everything depends on how the system is administered (remote inspections being one area that could give problems).
The question of liability for defective work will also be looked at.
Anyone remember the Leaky Homes Saga ??? What an organized Cock Up that was, hopefully we don't have a repeat ???
Leaky buildings have never gone away there is Merchant Quarter " Full extent of defects in New Lynn’s high-rise Merchant Quarter (built 2014): Building is leaky, has structural defects, corroded steel work, a "significant" crack on a pre-cast floor unit, issues with the roof and decks, deterioration on fixtures holding exterior panels and fire protection defects " https://www.reddit.com/r/auckland/comments/1e481hs/full_extent_of_defects_in_new_lynns_highrise/?rdt=42770
The council still gives code of compliance to silicone flashings. And decks level with inside floors
Obviously our Building Industry is not learning anything from our previous mistakes OMG, we really are going down a slippery slope.
Another reason why people are justifiably cautious about buying into apartment developments.
Yes and information is hard to find, real estate advertising is a reward not to be jeopardised. Although the use of "Award Winning" is a pretty reliable red flag.
Yep I got stung by hidden info basically non minuted commitee meetings and luckily got out early enough that it wasnt completely fatal. 5 years later theres still plastic up and costs went from around 50k to 150k per unit. Cant touch the people who hid the issues as the bc committee is an unpaid roll so very limited if any liability. When I sold I gave the agent everything I had to cover my arse down the line.
We need a national register of potentially leaky buildings, maybe? That will never happen, of course, so it's buyer be very wary indeed.
The fire safety aspect is also an issue. One media report suggests apartments built from 1995 to 2005 never complied with regulations at all: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/major-apartment-fire-hazards-revealed/2H7XZPALXD4QKCLD3VMLUCU6G4/
Not saying this is a bad idea. But, given the outrage over the Councils recording climate change risks on LIMs, and the fuss there has been over the EQ downgrades in Wellington – it would be a major political fight.
The way that developers just wind up the development company after the project is completed – removing all possibility of them being held accountable, is a really, really bad idea in the construction industry.
I'd like to see mandatory build insurance – as they have in Switzerland. The development company and/or builders are required to take out insurance against poor quality building practices. Given the legendary hard-headedness of insurance companies, developers/builders who are poor risks, can't get insurance, and go out of business. Gets rid of a whole lot of fly-by-night developers, putting up crap buildings as cheaply as possible, in order to pocket the maximum profit.
If I were in the buying game (which I'm not), I'd only consider apartments from a very few, highly reputable developers. Of course, everyone else does the same – so these apartments are much higher priced.
A fine of $305,900 has been imposed after a Waikato farming company and its officers were convicted of dumping dairy effluent in a waterway.
That sort of behaviour kind of destroys the warm, environmentally friendly image Country Calendar tries to create, doesn't it?
Tbh thats same arguement that the right use against benifits.