I spent a couple of hours last night listening and watching him on utube last night.
We listened to him in the car in the great trip up north last weekend.
Truly an inspiring man, living a replete life.
Hone should demand at question time, that Key resign for not getting a penny out of him for being absent. Call Key weak over and over. Then bring up Dunne and how weak Key was to catch the leak.
However there was great fact that came out. Hone has been up and down the country touching skin, just like Peters who worked the rooms from North to South.
Those who are buying into the PM’s nonsense about MPs being absent and skivving off, have obviously not been watching Parliament since National took office.
If the sums being paid are the issue, the House of Representatives is where the criticism should be focused. The behaviour of the Government benches is a good place to start. We could begin with the PM himself.
The Prime Minister is the only representative who whilst sitting in the House, made a throat slitting gesture towards the opposition. This is a man whose own rampant absenteeism is for what? Photo ops and roundtable reach-arounds. A PM who has repeatedly refused to answer direct questions with direct answers. All the while being accommodated by a Speaker whose allowance to Ministers not to answer questions at all, makes Lockwood Smith’s loose interpretations of Ministers’ answers look responsible and fair.
Whoever does take the reigns later this year has to begin our nation’s recovery by reforming the behaviour of the House of Representatives. Without that vital step, even the best policy will flounder and our nation will continue to fail. We are better than the bleating of the backbenches. We are stronger than the rubber spine of our Speaker. We are a nation that once lead the world towards democracy and equality. New Zealand did not destroy that dream, politicians did.
This year, your vote has never been more important. Do not waste it on wishes. Offer it the care with which you would handle any taonga and hand it to someone you respect, someone you trust and someone you believe will build again the great nation of Aotearoa.
Labour should AXE the super toll motorways proposed by John Key ( no one wants them except John Key and his ‘ Chosen’ cronyist Capitalist mates….to line their pockets
…eg from what I have heard at least one of these motorways is proposed to be constructed by an Australian company ….AXE them !
…….. and and put the money into:
1.) free university education for young New Zealanders up to and including PhD level ( these young people are NZ’s future!)
2.)…..reinstating Continuing Education around the country( a great way for adults..from school leavers to 90 year olds….from Maori to Pakeha….from country to city….from new- comer immigrants to generational NZers to learn new skills and meet people…. and make life -long friends)
( John Key’s NACT axed Continuing Education!….. and gave the $90 million dollars directly to private schools… SHAME ON THEM!)
3)…..Free polytech education, apprenticeships and internships ( we owe it to our young to look after them and help them into employment…before allowing in workers from overseas)
( Hear that Winston….no dirty deals with the Key NACT desperate Banksters…as John Armstrong suggests!)
4) pour money into our starved STATE SCHOOLS ( better pay for All teachers not just John Key’s Ponzi few bullshit so called ‘excellent’ Principals)…Bring back the State School Inspectorate with very little extra cost ….Make all NZ schools genuinely run and funded by the State! ….not done on the cheap by unqualified, struggling and stressed parents
….Teaching is a Profession like Law and Medicine …..TREAT EDUCATION and TEACHERS with the RESPECT they deserve.!!!!!…this will raise education attainment levels to world class as in Finland)
These policies would be a huge vote winner for Labour/Greens from young New Zealanders ( our future) and their parents….as well as every other New Zealander who values education and social cohesion.
New Zealand has a proud record in Education which has been undermined by monetarism , Neo Liberal economics and John Key and his mates who would split it, undermine teachers and unions ……and privatise it a la USA charter school businesses and religious organisations…..This is not the New Zealand way! Hands off our New Zealand State Secular education system for ALL New Zealanders! ( the unions should be fighting for this)..
Crikey dick, she moves in mysterious ways alright.
After freeing up our most accomplished politician for wonderful world-serving roles at the UN, our wee interim manager is cracking glorious home goals (Hone 68 days off, the Keyster…..81!) and thus ensuring the ascendance of a genuine human for our leader once again.
And all at the very reasonable cost this time of only a few billions from workers and the poor to the rich, and a level of immiserating victim-bashing almost benign by historical tory standards.
Hone calls Slippery the Prime Minister ‘petty’ for His ridiculous attack,(obviously a hypocrite as well), i think Hone is being far too reserved in His riposte to the ‘used car salesman in charge’…
There was a wide-ranging embargo in place against Japan back then. Lack of domestic energy sources was one of the reasons they embarked on military expansion. Post WWII, that lack of oil, gas etc was behind the US and the UK slapping up nuclear power stations there…
Court cases defending defamation, a web-site that He has been unable to make work for 24 hours, and death threats from those close to a young man who tragically died while the back-seat passenger in a car,
Hell we could almost feel sorry for ‘Wail Oils’ Blubber boy, yes what the hell am i saying, as far as i can see Cameron Slater is simply getting the rewards of His own feral behavior in the vein of the old old adage ”you reap what you sow”,
It appears that there are many out in the real world who have had enough of Slater’s ugliness and feral attacks on those who havn’t the means of public reply,
In saying that we here at the Standard cannot support criminal behavior of any sort(said with a snigger)…
Slater’s sewage pond has tarnished all NZ blogs and his constant media appearances for opinion demonstrates how lazy and devoid of substance our news media is. If Labour do anything, our intrepid reporters go out and interview a deranged slob who sits online all day in his underwear eating chips and whose life is paid for by daddykins.
One day we might see a reporter interviewing real people affected by National’s sociopathic policies. But after National’s chilling response to the child poverty doco near the last election, our tired hack reporters are probably all scared of being sued or fired.
WhaleOffal is a nasty little man, when the Christchurch earthquakes were mentioned he goes (verbatim, to me) “Fuck Christchurch” and raves on about how they are freeloaders subsidised by Auckland. There is no logical response to this sort of wilful malice.
I”m guessing Slater said something incredibly rude and offensive (as usual) to offend the whole West Coast community.
Yes he did. A young man was killed in a car accident where his mate was driving. He’s the third and last son in that family to die (one was killed as a boy by a drunk driver, the other died in Pike River mine). Slater’s response to this was an article headlined “Feral dies in Greymouth, did world a favour”.
SCOOP:
Foreign power demands right to harpoon Whale boil for experimental purposes. “It is the only living example of an organisn with a zero blubber/ integrity ratio and needs further exploration” a foreign minsistry spokesman explained.
Can someone take David Clark aside and then swiftly lock him in a cupboard? Firstly, we had Clare Curran talking absolute nonsense on anything to do with technology and now we have David Clark threatening to ban websites like Facebook, Amazon and Google.
Firstly, it’s ridiculous. You can’t ban them. People get around it with ease. Secondly, really? That is such an easy hit for National now. The problem of these companies not paying tax is an important one to solve. And instead Labour suggests a stupid fix, which will also be mocked by National for the next few months.
I sighed too, but more at Clark’s media ineptness.
“Firstly, it’s ridiculous. You can’t ban them. People get around it with ease”
I get really sick of people saying this. It might be easy for some people to get around, but not all.
When the NZ Police raided Tuhoe and others, the Ao Cafe website got taken down. It’s never returned, and there is no trace of it in the Internet Archive (how is that possible?). Generic statements like ‘you can’t ban the internet’ are just as ridiculous as what Clark did.
While I agree with NRT that comparisons with child porn were stupid, it’s also stupid to use the example of child porn to say you can’t control the internet. It’s harder to access child porn now than if it was just left as a free for all.
Would also like to know the source of “2.2 million users in New Zealand” for FB. I’m guessing that it’s more like 2.2 million NZ based accounts, which is not the same thing.
Anyone got a link to the Labour press release that NRT refers to? Can’t find it on Labour’s website.
I think you may find that many in the IT sector would not agree everything Clare Curran said on technology was absolute nonsense considering that she worked closely with them on several issues…
lprent
Has the system changed from any comment that refers to another’s name showing up in that person’s archives? I have always used my archives to check on comments directed to or referring to me. Lately there have been none so perhaps no-one is bothering to read what I have written. It is interesting to see who is commenting within a numbered comment on a thread, but I haven’t got time to scroll through looking at each.
It actually is difficult as a double click on the thread for the particular comment in the list doesn’t take me to the actual comment position, just to the head of the site. To find the comment I have to go back to the list and click on the same place. But sometimes I can’t find where the comment is listed again.
I haven’t changed anything (but here is a reply to test with).
I had the code for the “Replies” section (next to comments) working two weeks ago. But it won’t go in until I have a holiday at home (Yay!!!!) next week. I have to tune the database so that it doesn’t chew too much CPU.
You may (haven’t tested it for anyone else) get the same effect by logging in using a wordpress.com account. Then the dashboard (under Site Admin on my screen) will have a little orange chat box highlighted. That shows people replying to you across a range of wordpress sites.
hi, while you are on tech issues, im using firefox & for some reason my standaRD page is tiny, the lettering is small, its like the margins are squeezed into the middle. other web page sites are normal size, just seems to be when i visit the standard. any idea what could be happening to my text? any remedies? thank you.
lprent
And here was I thinking it was all fun times for you. My son was sent over to France for his firm to assist with something in transition, and he said looking at his photos of Paris, doesn’t it look good, we were in that high, modern building which looks somehow luxurious.
And then showed us their working room. One of many that closed off on each side of a bare corridor, with 6-8 chairs and computers down each side of the room and just a narrow alley between the people in the chairs from the window one end to the door at the other, and blank concrete walls. Didn’t have any Matisses, or the Mona Lisa, or reproductions of anything.. inspiring. And walking along the corridor, all that could be seen was closed doors.
He did get to see a bit of Paree, but mostly it was soulless stuff. So if that was old times, you probably can get a lot done, but it isn’t too different from being in a battery hen farm.
I live in a cave at the top of a ridge. Actually a largish one bedroom apartment with a 10 ft stud and polished concrete floor.
The nice thing for a programmer is that you can place yourself so you don’t get the sun on your screens or on your eyes. It doesn’t get too hot or cold because it has near perfect insulation. If there is wind then there is always an airflow. If it is cold then the concrete by the 10ft high windows retains all heat that falls on it even in winter. I use a oil heater for maybe 30-40 days in the year. If there is no wind or it gets too muggy then there is aircond – which I usually use for about 10 days in Feburary when it goes really muggy.
I live next to the corner of Ponsonby and Newton Roads in Auckland. Right next to some major bus routes.Near enough to the motorways that I can get on them with ease.
I have had jobs in Albany and Manakau. Currently I work within 15 minutes walking distance. But I also spent 7 years working from home with monthly meetings for one company.
And if I get bored and/or stuck on whatever I was working on there was always the long streets of cafes up the road… Family tend to live pretty close apart from those offshore or my parents who retired and moved out of Auckland.
It is pretty damn comfortable for the type of lifestyle I have. Also a hell of a nice place to jump into the computer from. I can roll my set the fridge and the coffee machines! What can I say – I’m a geek
Of course having Lyn arrive into my life has caused a bit of adjustment for an “mature” bachelor like myself. Fortunately she is almost as much of a geek as I am in her own special, irritating and fun way.
But it was less of an adjustment than having to move out while the building was de-leaked and leak-proofed.
It’s a different life style working from home a lot isn’t it. You have been able to organise your own work surroundings for practical outcomes for you better than you would get probably in an office. My son lives within biking distance of his work and within child care close by for when they are both working.
So that’s pretty good too.
Thought so. When Key was using Hone as a target about absences from Parliament, he forgot the target on his own head. From Andrea Vanse on Stuff:
“Prime Minister John Key scored an embarrassing own goal yesterday after launching an attack on Hone Harawira’s attendance record.
Key accused the Mana party leader of “taking the mickey” over his frequent absences from Parliament. Mr Harawira has taken 68 days leave – all approved by the Speaker – since 2011. National, along with Labour and the Maori Party, refused yesterday to release the records of its own MPs.
However, the Green Party used Hansard, the official record of Parliament, to calculate that over the same period Mr Key was absent on 81 of 186 sitting days. Three of these were urgency days on a Friday or Saturday.
ianmac
Is that Andrea Vance A Good One then? What a jolly good piece from her.
And Hone made a dignified and reasoned and factual response to the mocking smarmy piece of political cowpat from apprentice dung beetle the Jokeyhen.
I must stop using that term perhaps my comments are so influential that he is getting a bad feedback loop or something! How one addresses people affects their response doesn’t it. So, sorry from me Mr Key. You can get on and be the good PM you always intended and I’ll withdraw from my evil influence. (Magical thinking from me.) Hah!
I have been away for a few weeks, so when I came back into “net” range I did a quick survey of the blogs etc.
Somethings caught my eye, first Max Keiser was talking about Tom Perkins, a multibillionaire who complained in the Wall St Journal that the 1% were being persecuted, Kristallnacht was invoked on their behalf…poor poor sods, so much money and so little perspective. Joe 90 was onto it, http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26012014/#comment-763280 I am surprised that this extravagant whinge elicited so little comment from Standardistas.
To top things off I read two Trotter articles, the first of which indicated that all is not well in the Labour caucus with the same old suspect neo lib leaning types doing their best to undermine Cunliffe and prop up their failed ideology. Goff and crew, must be thinking about the nice little roles they might garner post being an MP, at the WTO, or on some board of directors. Dont rock the boat…..
The second Trotter article I read pretty much confirmed the thinking of the first, that capitalism wont deliver to non capitalists because it is not meant to BUT DONT MENTION IT…and Trotter flays all of the party leaders including Cunliffe…….None of our political leaders has yet delivered an adequate response to the extraordinary statistic released by Oxfam on the eve of the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland. According to the UK based aid organisation, the world’s 85 richest individuals control a sum of wealth equal to that of the poorest half of the world’s human population – 3.5 billion people.
i am pretty sure i heard David Cunlifffe make a reference to who controlled the wealth,(in a New Zealand sense), in His reply to Slippery the Prime Minister on the opening day of the Parliament,(yesterday), and, Chris Trotter might want to pay more attention because i have heard various Green MP’s including both Metiria and Russell include such details when speaking in the Parliament,
i don’t always agree with Trotter but always find Him a good read….
Ennui
We can’t think about that stuff at present – we are too busy thumbing our nose at the execrable
Slater, who has emerged from the woodwork a sadder but not wiser blogger or pilgrim of life.
Has Imperator Fish satire leaked over to the Herald or is this issue truly what Crosby Textor have told John Key will inspire the public in an election year?
From today’s articles: PM tests water for NZ flag change. (They forgot to add: – again)
With his usual concise and decisive language… “I’d like to see a change. But one of the problems is that firstly it’s not the single … biggest issue that we as a country face. And secondly, even with those who want to change there’s not universal support for what we should change to.”…
…The Prime Minister’s personal preference was for a silver fern on a black background, but he said it would be very difficult to get a consensus on a new design….
Guessing this will be difficult to get a consensus on because of the Rugby trademark associated with his personal preference.
Shades of Susan Devoy in the final sentences of the same article – (where is she by the way?) “…Mr Key had earlier said that he hoped Waitangi Day this year would be a day of celebration instead of being marred by protests.
He wished New Zealand’s national day was similar to Australia Day, with shows of patriotism such as flag-waving..”
Why do you think they picked Dame Susan Devoy ?? Silence. She will be like the Maori Party, sitting at the table, silent and smiling, happy with the trinkets that fall her way. In her case, a very nice case of “trinkets”.
Both the PPTA and NRT have blogged on this today, but it is worth re-iterating that those guardians of fiscal responsibility in NACT have in the last year managed to piss about $14 million against the wall for their ideological charter schools project (to educate 369 students).
“Our flag.
Great emotive topic to take attention away from anything and everything.
And Jesus wept.”
+1
…particularly to distract New Zealanders from the complete hash John Key and his cohorts are making of governing this country
…and hoping to distract New Zealanders from the delightful alternative being presented to the New Zealand public by Labour & the left
Distraction tactics are about the only hope to stay in government they have left, really – well that and horribly divisive hate politics that appeal to peoples’ worst nature….
It occurred to me that neo lib direction in NZ has come from experiencing duty free advantages when they went overseas all those years ago, and got special tax free advantages. So they thought why not go overseas and have tax free advantages all the time.
So therefore, the duty free economy and country where you are free to not do your duty, if you can pay your way out of it. (Here I’m thinking of paying fair tax on earnings, the higher then more, to a reasonable degree. and sharing that portion you do pay with everyone instead of trying to capture it back.)
The flag design is to be chosen by National. I think not. No way are they going to get away with giving us the opinion of either Key’s silver on black (and as someone says that is already probably trademarked), or another one chosen by the government.
The flag is a symbolic thing to wave in the breeze and carry at events etc. and we want one that is worthwhile and represents us with something meaningful. Though it is not the sacred icon that Helen Clark’s government raised it to, making it an offence to jump on it or burn it etc. What a dopey idea, it’s far better to vent at a symbol, hang it upside down, stick holes through it than more destructive actions to buildings or people. All the same we need to have a say, not this grimy bunch of charlatans take over.
I would suggest we have an on-line consultation with people being able to send designs in, which would be added to those already held over about two months, with a vote held every fortnight.
and the residual flags put in order of popularity. Any new ones would be shown alongside so they could be compared to the top ones to see if anything offered was better. At the end of the two months, the best twenty or thirty would go up for voting for a month and then the best four would go to the referendum which would be binding. After everyone had had time to form their opinion the result would go ahead and be instituted in say 6 months.
The Maori flag if that was not chosen, would become a second official flag, with the national flag to be flown outside NZ if there was only one to be flown, and within NZ it would be flown at the same height if it was up, and at times could be the only one flying if appropriate.
Key wants to leave a legacy – excuse me while I baff . Funny while we can “vote” on a flag but not on the supposed referendum to the changes that was supposed to take place within MMP.
As Hone said, is this just a distraction to mask the real issues at the general elections. I tend to concur.
And why should John Key think he should make the decision as to which flag we should have to replace our present one, if we do decide to replace it – the man’s self entitlement knows no bounds.
Abuse by the Salvation Army in Australia? and to a woman in Ireland when she was young was the topic of news tonight. The European Commission has said that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that children are safe, and that this remains throughout the years. The Irish woman has been awarded $30,000 for what was done when she was a child.
The ongoing nature of this unmet responsibility is going to be a matter in the future as we hear things about the charter schools that will be very regrettable because they were expected before the schools began. In 20 years or so we will start hearing the cases, and they will come to light for some time as people feel strong enough to make their protest and gain some solace from delayed justice.
The Electricity Authority spokesperson Carl Hansen has been talking about how they are judging the price which should be charged for power. They allow for a 10% return to the shareholders.
So the government has sold our electricity assets, and this is the profit that gets returned to the
shareholders by us, while we continue to pay more and more to others for what we used to own ourselves. And the more we pay the more the 15% GST amount will be, and the line charge goes up regularly and arbitrarily, now we are paying about $30 a month. And so it goes on.
And if the 10% is calculated on the assets, to give a satisfactory return to the shareholders.
And the assets are revalued, according to constantly rising market value, then we will have to pay more for the same amount of electricity.
Just to keep the books right in the market system which treats the system and the returns from it as if it was God-given prognostications chiselled in stone, instead of an approach to counting things, valuing things and dealing with one another in a rational symbolic way. This is just so that we don’t have to personally take a duck to the shops, or a sack of lemons to exchange for 5 loaves of bread, or whatever the going rate would be. And perhaps no-one wants lemons that day. Trouble is along the way, it is easier to get rorted.
I have been declined speaking rights at tomorrow’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting:
(Thursday 30 January 2014
9.30am
Auckland Town Hall)
My response:
__________________________________________________________________________
29 January 2014
‘OPEN LETTER’
Dear Elaine,
Please be advised that I do NOT accept that the declining of my request for ‘speaking rights’ at the Auckland Council Governing Body upcoming meeting (to be held at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 30 January 2014) was lawful.
“3.21.3 Subjects of Public Input
Public Input is not to be used to speak to a matter:
(i) that has already been considered and determined.”
The FACT is that the (former) CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay, and his appointment of Ernst and Young to conduct this ‘Independent Review’ of Auckland Mayor Len Brown, did NOT follow the ‘due process’ as clearly outlined in the Auckland Council ‘Code of Conduct’ (s.8 Compliance), thus has NOT ‘already been considered and determined.’
Please be reminded that as an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, I attended a full-day specialist workshop on ‘How to Conduct an Inquiry’ at the recent 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
I now have a very comprehensive understanding of how such an inquiry should have been carried out, and the Ernst and Young ‘Independent Review’ was anything but, in my considered opinion.
I respectfully request that this decision to decline my speaking rights, is reconsidered as a matter of urgency.
Also, I do NOT consider it appropriate, or in keeping with the basic principles of ‘natural justice’, for Auckland Mayor Len Brown, to the one to make the ultimate decision on whether or not speaking rights should be granted in this case, for this matter, as he is a directly-affected party.
A fundamental principle of natural justice which states that no person can judge a case in which he or she is party or in which he/she has an interest.
Also known as:
nemo judex in sua causa; or
nemo debet esse judex in propria causa
__________________________________________________________
(As Auckland Mayor Len Brown has been a lawyer, I’m sure understands this fundamental principle).
Please also be reminded of the statutory duties arising from the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987:
(a)to provide for the availability to the public of official information held by local authorities, and to promote the open and public transaction of business at meetings of local authorities, in order—
(i) to enable more effective participation by the public in the actions and decisions of local
authorities; and
(ii) to promote the accountability of local authority members and officials,—
and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote good local government in
New Zealand:
(b) to provide for proper access by each person to official information relating to that person:
(c) to protect official information and the deliberations of local authorities to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy.
Compare: 1982 No 156 s 4
____________________________________________________________________________
Please also be reminded of the rights of citizens to ‘freedom of expression’ as guaranteed under the NZ Bill Of Rights Act 1990:
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
__________________________________________________________________________
Please be advised that I shall be attending this Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held tomorrow, Thursday 30 January 2014, starting as 9.30am at the Auckland Town Hall.
Please finally be reminded that I have a proven track record of successfully defending my above-mentioned lawful rights as a citizen, in Court, in the (hopefully) unlikely event of these matters being taken to the point of arrest.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
Attendee : 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
geoff over on the Note to Media post suggested we do a mail out of Blip’s List
that is a hugely expensive undertaking, so i thought there may be a better cost to publicity stream we could tap into, so i posted the following, repeating it here for general consideration.
=================================================
maybe we crowd-source a basic and sporadic poster campaign and take Blip’s List to the people
pretty sure the companies who do the paste ups would be ok with it, and we know then they are pretty safe, (although for the dedicated poster grabber they become instant collector items)
they may even cut us a good $ deal too
so to get Blip’s List public we need:
; the data – check
; Layout and formatting
– I think i just saw a couple of dozen hands go up
– perhaps they all put one together and we have Standardistas choose the preferred design
– It would be good to print the links in full under each line
– people will snap images of the poster with their phones so it is useful to include the info
; a call to Sticky Fingers to fix a contract price & terms
– i think they cover paste ups for all the main centers now
; approximately a couple of grand for printing a whole bunch of posters,
– I am guessing that price would be generously supported by the printers
– posters can be printed in whatever center that they end up in so freight is not necessary
seems pretty doable to me
I pledge $20 here and now
(which is 9% of my income this week)
I think a separate new article is needed about Key’s flag urgent red herring. Wish one of the regular article writers of this site would consider writing it.
Here is my opinion on it:
[1] For National, the Warner Bros logo may be more appropriate.
[2] Key is trying desperately to raise a red herring to distract people during this election year because he is sensing that he and his party and coalition partners are going to lose this coming election and/or, Key is trying to create an immortal legacy for himself by pushing this issue forward now and wanting a referendum on it at the election this year!
[3] During this year, people should be more focused on political party policies and leaders and not be distracted by Key’s cunning tactics of introducing what is at present an unnecessary and absolutely non urgent ‘change of flag’ issue.
[4] In my opinion, the flag issue should be raised sometime in the near or distant future when the people are ready to change to a Republic.
[5] And at that time, it would be very fair and good to incorporate some Maori cultural aspect too in the design.
errr….. what happens when it is the PRIME MINISTER who fails to uphold, and is SEEN to fail to uphold, the ‘highest ethical standards’, as required by the ‘Cabinet Manual’?
Is Prime Minister John Key going to tell himself off, or stand himself down as a Minister, over his arguably disgraceful treatment of Mana MP and Leader, Hone Harawira?
When is New Zealand going to have an enforceable ‘Code of Conduct’ for Members of Parliament – given that we’re supposed to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ …. blah blah…… ?
2.50 To protect the integrity of the decision-making process of executive government and to maintain public trust in the Executive, Ministers and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to their office. Accordingly, the guidance in paragraphs 2.52 – 2.96:
explains the standards of personal conduct expected of Ministers;
assists Ministers to identify those personal interests that might be seen to influence their decision making;
sets out options for managing conflicts of interest where necessary.
2.51 The guidance on conduct, public duty, and personal interests applies to all Ministers (inside and outside Cabinet) and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries. References to Ministers in this guidance include Parliamentary Under-Secretaries.
Conduct of Ministers
2.52 A Minister of the Crown, while holding a ministerial warrant, acts in a number of different capacities:
in a ministerial capacity, making decisions, and determining and promoting policy within particular portfolios;
in a political capacity as a member of Parliament, representing a constituency or particular community of interest; in a personal capacity.
2.53 In all these roles and at all times, Ministers are expected to act lawfully and to behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards. Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.
…Changing the flag issue is a real red herring( and note John Key wants to be the final arbiter on the flag…..what an arrogant EGO ).
…As a strategy Key is trying to shore up his credentials as a real NZer for the people , by the people, of the people by waving the flag …… when he is nothing of the sort ……He is a NACT monetarist Neo Liberal rorter of NZers assets and way of life…he cares not a fig for NZers only his rich crony Capitalist Bankster mates overseas
Lets hope other politicians from Labour and the Greens don’t fall for this…… but keep their eye on the ball and the impetus going on the REAL issues for New Zealanders!….
….for example I dont think it will do the Greens vote any good if Russell Norman falls for this and gets distracted and swings in behind Key’s agenda for changing the the flag and also brings up the Republican anti -Royal issue….as I heard him do on radio
1) Norman doesnt understand NZers attachment to their flag and Queenie…there are very very few votes in this for the Greens no matter what Norman’s personal feelings ( and Charles is a Greenie!)
2) as an Australian it will backfire badly on Norman and the Greens..it will just remind NZers that Norman is an Australian ( Winnie will be the vote winner)
3) John key will have provided a successful red herring and undermined the Labour/Greens roller coaster on real issues concerning NZers….and if this issue is allowed to gather momentum Mana will have been sidelined also on the flag issue….Key will have grabbed the flag from the Maori and done a one- up-man-ship on Hone ( which for some reason he is keen to do….maybe because Hone Harawira is a real genuine NZer and he shows Key up as a Ponzi)
imo….Let John Key swing with the flag issue….and let him hang himself out to dry …in other words he should be ignored ….so people see it for what it is…as a red herring and a distraction to the most important issues facing New Zealanders
I think it would be good idea for the leaders of opposition parties to state that Key is simply trying to distract the voters from the important and urgent issues and the voters should not fall for it at this time.
A matter such as the change of flag of a country is a serious issue and needs some time, a few years of discussion and careful consideration, different designs incorporating history, aspirations and culture. The ideal time would be when and if the nation is ready to become a Republic.
Perhaps a campaign needs to be started to thwart Key’s cunning trick by pushing the point that it is too hasty to change the flag at this time. The discussion and debate needs at least a couple of years. If Key decides to have a referendum, among others, ONE of the choices in the vote should be
(..) This is not the right time to change the flag.
The fact that John Key is pushing for this flag change exposes him as a schill for the corporates.
Just like the TPPA it is all part of the plan to sell New Zealand down the river.
Money is his only loyalty if the British ensign in the corner of our flag is getting in the way of that, get rid of it.
In a contradiction to the flag issue, John Key has invited the Royal couple and their new born member of the British aristocracy to tour the country in election year. John Key supports the political concept of having a small privileged elite that the majority should bow and scrape to, Because sees himself as member and shyster for that same global elite.
(even though he comes off as a social climber in the Basil Fawlty mold.)
Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash was sacked last night for violating Cabinet Collective Responsibility rules, when it was revealed he disclosed sensitive Government information to business supporters who had donated money to him. The breach of the Cabinet Manual was enough to land him in trouble, but the fact that it ...
Some good news last week with the Council confirming that Te Hā Noa – Victoria St Linear Park will go ahead and with construction starting on 11 April – though with a few fishhooks. Te Hā Noa, a renewed Victoria Street, is the next big project in Auckland Council’s Midtown ...
Stuart Nash’s assurances to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins that there were no further examples of him breaching the Cabinet Manual became meaningless with the release of emails from Nash sharing Cabinet discussions with business people. The Prime Minister had no choice but to sack Nash as a Minister with immediate ...
Hi,Just a quick online-only update after yesterday’s newsletter, How Michael Organ Weaponised the Family Court... and Sean Plunket. First up — wow. Thanks for all the support, and to all those who shared their own personal stories in the comments. And welcome to any new Webworm readers.I just wanted ...
Let that sink in for a moment - Christopher Luxon, who has spent the last year demonising Māori, wants Marama Davidson to apologise to white men.You will likely have seen the video, or read about it. Marama Davidson rushing along Princes St on Saturday evening, the road that runs between ...
Stuart Nash, the great-grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash, has lost his political career. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Stuart Nash was sacked for telling donors what happened in Cabinet. Wellington’s City and Regional Councils are going cold on light rail plans. Wayne Brown is under ...
NZ First Leader Winston Peters is sympathising with Stuart Nash and defending him but dodging questions on whether he would be welcome in New Zealand First. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins last night sacked Nash from the Cabinet after an email he had sent to two of his campaign donors ...
So, after interfering with the police, and then interfering with immigration decisions, Stuart Nash has finally been sacked: Stuart Nash has been sacked as a minister, after Stuff revealed he had emailed business figures, including donors, detailing private Cabinet discussions. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the people Nash emailed ...
Nearly 25% of mortgages in Auckland are deemed at risk in a 1-in-100 year flood event. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Once a year, every year, from now on, in our not-so-slow-cooking climate crisis, there will be a moment when the most important number in Aotearoa’s own personal, national ...
Item One: About a confected crisis Please bear with me for a moment, readers outside Auckland, I wish to sound the klaxon. Auckland, we have until 11pm today to have our say. About what? About this, as copied and pasted from Pippa Coom’s Facebook page:The "austerity" budget is built on ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yet again, the statement we were looking for could not be found on the Beehive website. Nor was it on the Scoop or Green Party websites. But – come to think of it – we are probably wasting our time by searching. Our quest is for the ...
The following is from a speech given by Arundhati Roy at the Swedish Academy on March 22, 2023, at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure and reprinted from Literary Hub. I thank the Swedish Academy for inviting me to speak at this conference and for affording me the privilege ...
After almost two decades of racism, Australia is finally getting off its "stop the boats" bullshit. But don't worry, racists - Michael Wood has your back!The Government wants to increase the time it can detain without a warrant people seeking asylum en masse from four days to 28 ...
Last year, the Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the government legislate for pay transparency to prevent employers from secretly discriminating. This ought to be a bread and butter issue for Labour - discrimination sees women (and particularly Māori and Pasifika women) paid significantly less than men. But since then ...
Thomas Cranmer writes – ———— An unruly mob in Albert Park has catapulted New Zealand into the global headlines with ugly images that may become iconic in the debate about the dangers of transgenderism. ———— Bravo Kellie-Jay Keen. She did the job that needed to be done. For all the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is ...
Hot on the heels of the demotion of former police Minister Stuart Nash for breaching the Cabinet Manual, Radio New Zealand has revealed the close links between lobbyists and politicians- an area of New Zealand politics that is completely unregulated. The evidence in Guyon Espiner’s series Mate, Comrade, Brother, the ...
At the Auckland Transport board meeting today a series of papers really highlight the cost of sprawl. For the last few years, the Supporting Growth work has been looking at designing the strategic transport networks for future greenfield areas in the South, Northwest, North (around Dairy flat) and in Warkworth. ...
Hi,Today’s newsletter is something I’ve wanted to report for ages, but I have been waiting on a New Zealand judge to make a ruling. That ruling has been made — so here we go.Enjoy.A scene from Mister Organ.Two Police Officers Knock on My DoorOn November 4 last year, I was ...
Only three days after Nanaia Mahuta had dinner with China’s Foreign Minister, New Zealand’s intelligence chiefs were talking about state actors interfering in New Zealand politics and using ethnic communities here for espionage purposes. Neither GSCB Director (and new SIS director) Andrew Hampton nor acting SIS CEO Phil McKee ...
In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has opened the door for a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year. Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister Li Qiang settling into office. ...
Saturday morning, we went to Albert Park.We were there to show support, to challenge words of demonisation.To repeat those words from Michèle A’Court:Making them sound “other” is a technique used by racists and homophobes to dehumanise whole groups of people who “aren’t like them”. If you dehumanise people, it is ...
Too Strong For The Law’s Web: But, if the USA is too big to punish, why isn’t the Russian Federation? Russia’s economy may be roughly the size of Italy’s, but it’s nuclear arsenal is more than capable of laying human civilisation to waste. Threatening to arrest Vladimir Putin - especially when ...
Nobody likes a fascist, except other fascist’s of course. Thankfully they were completely outnumbered in Auckland last Saturday when a supposed advocate for women’s rights, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker, tried to give a public speech about how transgender people are worthy of persecution.You can understand why Parker and her ...
On Friday I sent out a newsletter called Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights to provide information about the visit to our shores of Ms Parker. I attempted to show there were multiple points of view but on balance my sympathies were strongly with the counter protest group standing up for ...
Brian Easton writes – Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector ...
Oh, the irony. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has made a career out of inciting public hostility against the trans community, only to find herself on the receiving end of public hostility at her Auckland rally. In a further case of karmic justice, the people who brought her into the country ended up ...
In 1972, British soldiers tortured a false confession out of Liam Holden, resulting in him being given Britain's last death sentence. While it was commuted to life imprisonment, Holden was wrongly imprisoned for 17 years. Now, the courts have finally recognised that it was torture: In 1973 Liam Holden ...
Taxpayers are not only subsidising already-very-profitable private banks via the cheap ‘Funding For Lending’ loans that helped pumped up house prices in 2021, but are also paying the banks upwards of $2 billion a year in interest for cash kept with the Reserve Bank. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: ...
This weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and consequences. The figure at the centre of the clash was the British “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” Posie ...
Tomorrow the Auckland Transport board meet again. Here are some of the highlights from their board papers. The open session starts at 9am and can be watched on this Teams link. Closed Session The closed session is typically where the most interesting items are discussed. Items for Approval ...
Mutual Support: Democracy in New Zealand will not be saved by pitting Pakeha against Māori, but by joining together with every other citizen who still understands the meaning of working together to build something good that will last. Call that co-governance if you like, or call it something else – ...
Imagine being a great big business success enjoying your lavish Waiheke island property with infinity pool and ballroom and riparian rights and heli-pad. Sweeeet. But imagine, also, having to take orders from some little bureaucratic oik about how often you can land a chopper on it.I can’t, really, but it ...
Hi,New Zealand’s Life megachurch has confirmed to Webworm it was paid $10,000 by Hillsong for investigating Brian Houston’s sexual misconduct allegations.Following Webworm publishing this piece about the $10,000 payment, Life’s Corporate Communications Manager Phil Irons has confirmed what it was for:Paul [de Jong] was engaged by Hillsong to assist in ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 19, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 25, 2023. Story of the Week Q&A: IPCC wraps up its most in-depth assessment of climate change The final part of the world’s most comprehensive assessment of ...
by Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...
By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...
Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument.Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...
imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...
Come on Jess thought Mr Evans come on. He watched the large clock on the wall tick closer to 8:40am. Come on girl.In two minutes he had to submit the class attendance report and with Jess having already been late once that term it’d mean an automatic visit from the ...
This week’s UN IPCC report warned climate emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030, if warming is to be limited to 1.5°C. Bronwyn Hayward points out in The Hoon podcast how far behind NZ’s government and councils are now on climate action compared to the rest ...
Chris Hipkins, after he became prime minister, committed to defeating the cost-of- living crisis. He proceeded to make a bonfire of policies that were at the heart of Jacinda Ardern’s administration. But, as Richard Prebble pointed out this week, “the government has not just U-turned, it has repudiated the ...
There are some wellness, crystal-gazing, holistic spiritual guidance types in my disaster-hit coastal community who insist that the power of positive thinking will overcome the physical and material damages incurred by the community. They object to restrictions on road travel … Continue reading → ...
Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector is inherently unstable, like military ...
1. We see here new police minister Ginny Andersen. Which larger than life NZ political figure was her great-uncle?a. Rob Muldoonb. Bill Andersenc. Richard John Seddond. Norman Kirk2. We see here archival footage of Ginny Andersen coming out of her electorate office to ask ex-tobacco lobbyist Chris Bishop if he ...
Buzz from the Beehive Stuart Nash, speaking as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, one of his remaining portfolios after he was dropped down the Hipkins Government batting order, has drawn attention to the blue economy and its potential. Nash says the government is investing in the blue economy, or – ...
Photo by Josh Mills on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:The runs on Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank on the west coast of the United States that forced the ...
Roundup is back! We skipped last week’s Friday post due to a shortage of person-power – did you notice? Lots going on out there… Our header image this week shows a green street that just happens to be Queen St, by @chamfy from Twitter. This week (and last) in ...
After threatening Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of consequences if he dared to bar her entry, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has been given her visa, regardless. This will enable her to hold rallies in Auckland and Wellington this weekend, and spread her messages of hostility against an already marginalised trans community. Neo-Nazis may, ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as ...
Boomers voted him in, but Brown’s Trumpish moments might spook Aucklanders worried about what a change to National nationally might mean. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR:Auckland MayorWayne Brown has become our version of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, except without any of the insatiable appetite for media appearances. He ...
The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the ...
Recently you might have heard of a person called Posie Parker and her visit to Aotearoa. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. So let’s start with who this person is, why their visit is controversial, and what on earth a TERF is.Posie Parker is the super villain ...
The chair of Parliament’s Select Committee looking at the Government’s resource management legislation wants the bills sent back for more public consultation. The proposal would effectively kill any chance of the bills making it into law before the election. Green MP, Eugenie Sage, stressing that she was speaking as ...
Open access notables The United States experienced some historical low temperature records during the just-concluded winter. It's a reminder that climate and weather are quite noisy; with regard to our warming climate,, as with a road ascending a mountain range we may steadily change our conditions but with lots of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The Nanny State has scored some wins (or claimed them) in the past day or two but it faltered when it came to protecting Kiwi citizens from being savaged by one woman armed with a sharp tongue. The wins are recorded by triumphant ministers on the ...
Sometimes you see your friends making the case so well on social media you think: just copy and share.On acceptance and decency, from Michèle A’CourtA notable thing about anti-trans people is they way they talk about transgender women and men as though they are strangers “over there” when in fact ...
Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
Comparing (and switching) electricity providers has become easier, but bundling power up with broadband and/or gas makes it more challenging. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā TL;DR: The new Consumer Advocacy Council set up as a result of the Labour Government’s Electricity Price Review in 2019 has called on either ...
Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products has put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here. A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon may be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but he could be tapping into a rich political vein in describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining, with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return scheme for beverage containers. ...
The Government’s decision to introduce ‘mass arrivals’ legislation goes against the values we all share of Aotearoa as a place where all people are treated fairly, the Green Party says. ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Government has provided Police with more tools to crack down on gang offending with the passing of new legislation today which will further improve public safety, Justice Minister Kiri Allan says. The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill amends existing law to: create new targeted warrant and additional search powers ...
The Government today announced far-reaching changes to the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of waste, ushering in a new era for New Zealand’s waste system. The changes will ensure that where waste is recycled, for instance by households at the kerbside, it is less likely to be contaminated ...
New legislation passed by the Government today will make it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially from crime that causes considerable harm in our communities, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan says. Since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 came into effect police have been highly successful in ...
This evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered. In ...
Legislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...
A law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...
The Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...
The Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
A major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...
A world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges. Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Can I begin by thanking Gary Taylor, Raewyn Peart and others in the EDS team for their herculean work in support of the environment. I’d also like to acknowledge Hon Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, my parliamentary colleagues, and the many activists here who strive ...
A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment. “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
[CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā tangata katoa, o moana-nui-a-kiwa, E ngā mate, haere, haere, haere atū ra, manuia lau Malaga. Thank you for the kind introduction and opportunity to join you this morning. It is always good to be here in Aukilani, where I ...
E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi, tēnā koutou katoa. Talofa lava and thank you Catherine, for the warm welcome. I’m sorry that I can’t be there in person today but it’s great for the opportunity to contribute virtually. I’d like to start by acknowledging: Alzheimers New Zealand, ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is calling on the Government to pass a law requiring all employers to take action on gender, Māori, Pacific, and other ethnic pay gaps. Today, the Human Rights Commission released an open letter urging the Government ...
Bus drivers across the country are celebrating a significant milestone with the news of New Zealand’s first-ever initiation of a Fair Pay Agreement. Today, MBIE has given the green light to bus drivers to negotiate an FPA, in a move that will ...
Mayor Wayne Brown’s proposed 2023/24 Budget for Auckland is both morally reprehensible and financially calamitous, according to FIRST Union’s submission to Auckland Council on the Budget (attached) , which argues for an alternative route that trades Brown’s ...
A strong coalition of organisations, unions and employers across the country are calling on the Government to take immediate action to close ethnic, gender and disability pay gaps in the workplace. In support of this call, an open letter ...
Wayne Brown has given a fairly lengthy and casual interview with the Herald’s new editor-at-large Shayne Currie over lunch. It’s a wide-ranging interview, as the mayor talks about his personal life (he calls his wife “princess” and she calls him “Brownie”), his food interests (“salmon and champagne”) and, of course, ...
Some findings: New Zealanders eat a lot of McDonald’s and drink a lot of Long White RTDs.Litter has got into te taiao, detrimentally affecting the health of humans, animals and the environment. In the ocean alone, there is a staggering amount of rubbish – 5.25 trillion pieces, to be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Shutterstock If you look at where wombats deposit their poo, you realise they must be able to perform some surprising acrobatics. It has always amazed me to see wombat ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney This is the first article in our three-part series explaining Voice, Treaty and Truth. This week, the government will introduce a constitutional amendment into parliament to establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Work isn’t just about getting paid. Employment can provide a number of benefits for people in terms of health, wellbeing, social, economic and financial inclusion. It can also reduce reliance on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Herb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Your child comes home from school and tells you three classmates are teasing her constantly. One even put chewed gum in her hair as she was listening to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate lecturer, Flinders University NetflixReview: Wellmania, Netflix. What does it mean to be well? Wellmania, inspired by Brigid Delaney’s book of the same name, attempts to answer this question. Liv (Celeste Barber) is stranded in ...
David Seymour was more reflective and pragmatic than National leader Christopher Luxon last night. Luxon called on Nash to resign from parliament immediately, triggering a byelection. Luxon said the “crime” was “akin to insider trading”. Asked whether Luxon’s demand was hypocritical given National’s criticism of government spending, Seymour said his concern ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was “horrified” and in shock after being hit by a motorcycle before attending a rally against an anti-trans speaker over the weekend. For the first time, Davidson, who was this week asked to clarify comments she made at the rally about “white cis men”, has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Petousis-Harris, Associate Professor Primary Health, University of Auckland Bastiaan Beentjes/Getty Images Following the deaths of two infants, doctors and scientists worry New Zealand’s whooping cough epidemic could be the worst in years. Known as pertussis or the 100-day ...
Nash’s career is over after being sacked by the prime minister but questions about outsider access to cabinet decisions and perceptions of influence remain, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The last ...
The National Party has been quick to call for a by-election in the Napier electorate after Stuart Nash was sacked as a minister over a breach of Cabinet rules. ...
Daily traffic chaos is the norm on one of the city’s major arterial routes. This week, it got even worse. About a week ago, almost all the overhead signs heading into Auckland on the northwestern motorway disappeared. Covered by what appeared to be thick green tape, anyone using State Highway ...
Pacific child poverty rates haven’t budged since 2019, despite government attention. A new report suggests some key areas to focus on.The Pacific population in Aotearoa New Zealand is young. A third of Pacific people are under the age of 15, compared to 20% of the total population of New ...
Australia has drawn closer to traditional allies the US and UK by inking its nuclear submarine deal. Meanwhile our foreign minister's just returned from China where some delicate diplomacy has been deployed. The geopolitical chess game in the Indo-Pacific has become increasingly complicated in recent weeks. In the latest ...
Only 10 percent of the Red Cross relief fund for post-Gabrielle recovery in Hawkes Bay has been given out - so what’s the hold-up? Matthew Scott finds out. Volunteer organisers in the post-cyclone Hawkes Bay recovery are asking where the millions of dollars donated to the recovery effort is going as people are ...
Chris Hipkins spent a huge amount of political capital when he gave Stuart Nash a fourth chance in his Cabinet. Now the Prime Minister faces big questions as to how much confidential Cabinet information has been leaked and the influence it’s had. Political editor Jo Moir explains. It has barely ...
Who are the middle classes and what do they want? The book launch for Megan Nicol Reed's novel One of Those Mothers was not the kind of quiet, low-key, scantily catered book launch that takes place in quiet, low-key, scantily catered ways every week in New Zealand publishing. ...
Mandating domestic violence training for family court judges to ensure they have the evidence-based expertise to do their jobs appropriately does not threaten judicial independence - it enhances it, argues Carrie Leonetti Opinion: Since their inception about 50 years ago, family courts around the world have been subject to the nearly universal ...
Emma Godwin aims to be just the second Kiwi female from the provinces to swim at a senior long course world champs, and become an Aquablack. And she's determined to get to the Paris Olympics, but not to move to a big city to do so. It’s not often a swimmer from ...
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By Gorothy Kenneth in Port Moresby Private security companies are currently holding Papua New Guinea together with the largest workforce of 29,445 and supporting the police in managing law and order issues. There are only 6832 policemen and women serving the country currently, according to reports. Internal Security Minister Peter ...
By Gorothy Kenneth in Port Moresby Private security companies are currently holding Papua New Guinea together with the largest workforce of 29,445 and supporting the police in managing law and order issues. There are only 6832 policemen and women serving the country currently, according to reports. Internal Security Minister Peter ...
US President Joe Biden (right) meets with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) during the AUKUS summit at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego California on 13 March 2023. Image: RNZ Pacific/Jim Watson/AFP “But it is what it is,” he said of the tripartite arrangement. ‘Escalation of ...
US President Joe Biden (right) meets with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) during the AUKUS summit at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego California on 13 March 2023. Image: RNZ Pacific/Jim Watson/AFP “But it is what it is,” he said of the tripartite arrangement. ‘Escalation of ...
Procurement professional Ankit Bansal has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate in Palmerston North for the 2023 General Election. “I’d like to thank our local party members for endorsing me to campaign in Palmerston ...
Executive Manager of Te Mahia Community Village Rima Nakhle has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate in Takanini for the 2023 General Election. “The Takanini electorate is my home and I’m really excited to have the opportunity ...
Property management company director Dr Carlos Cheung has been selected as National’s candidate in Mt Roskill for the 2023 General Election. “Mt Roskill is my home and I’m grateful for the opportunity to campaign here for a National Government that ...
The Chairperson of the Governance and Administration Committee is calling for submissions on the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill The Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill is the second bill in response to Cyclone Gabriel. The ...
Prime minister Chris Hipkins’ full statement, as shared to media, on the decision to remove Stuart Nash from cabinet: This evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart ...
Four strikes and Stuart Nash has been ousted from cabinet. It follows revelations this evening that he shared private cabinet discussions with business leaders and criticised decisions made in a 2020 email, according to reporting by Stuff. In the email, Nash set out his opposition to a decision cabinet had ...
The future of Stuart Nash, recently demoted to the bottom rung of cabinet, hangs in the balance following reports that he shared private cabinet discussions with business leaders and criticised decisions made in a 2020 email, according to reporting by Stuff. It follows Nash losing his police portfolio for breaching ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Labor and the Greens on Monday announced a deal to strengthen a key climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, by introducing a hard cap on industrial sector emissions. But the ...
The native parrot the kea is under siege from aerial spread 1080 poison drops says a West Coast wildlife advocate Laurie Collins of Westport. While it is accepted that a good proportion of New Zealanders are opposed to aerial 1080 poison drops used ...
West Coasters might have a taste for the gung-ho but pragmatism has taken a turn for the cautious at an extraordinary Greymouth council meeting Outspoken West Coast Regional Council chair Allan Birchfield has been rolled by his colleagues in a bid to make peace with the government and stem the ...
By Tim Wilson, Executive Director, Maxim Institute* What does politics produce when mixed with violence and intimidation? Sadly nothing constructive, plus a humungous helping of anger, division, recrimination, spleen and confusion. Oh, and headlines. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Senator Lidia Thorpe’s defection from the Greens changed the power dynamic in the Senate. Now the government needs two crossbenchers (and the Greens) to pass legislation opposed by the Coalition. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Labor and the Greens on Monday announced a deal to strengthen a key climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, by introducing a hard cap on industrial sector emissions. But the ...
Security guards have made their voices heard and now have enough signatures to initiate a Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for workers in their occupation. Since the Fair Pay Agreements Bill was passed in October 2022, more than 1000 security guards across Aotearoa New ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Fileborn, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The University of Melbourne ShutterstockThe following article discusses sexual violence, self-harm and suicide. Gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQ+) people experience disproportionately high levels of sexual violence, but we still know very little about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse J. Fleay, Republic Constitutional Scholar, Federalist, Co-Author of the Uluru Statement, University of Notre Dame Australia Australia is preparing for a referendum to decide on the proposed Voice to parliament for First Nations people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated the ...
Toni Collette and John Leguizamo tell Tara Ward about the electric drama set in a world where gender equality becomes a sudden and shocking reality.There’s a moment halfway through in The Power when it seems Toni Collette could be channeling Jacinda Ardern. A mysterious medical event is sweeping the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona Charlson, Conjoint NHMRC Early Career Fellow, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprised of the world’s most esteemed climate experts, delivered its sixth report and “final warning” about the climate crisis. It ...
The government's national security arm says it is working on how to address the spread of disinformation and this is not directed specifically at the general election. ...
Poet Ash Davida Jane talks with poet Andrew Johnston about his Selected Poems, which spans 23 years of his published work. I’ve started writing this review in the notes app on my phone from the backseat of my friend’s car, which feels a far cry from the world of Andrew ...
National is demanding Marama Davidson apologise to cis white men over her comments from Saturday. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he considers the matter closed. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Manlik, Casual Academic and PhD Candidate, Macquarie University ABC The recent ABC mini-series, In Our Blood, offers a fictionalised account of Australia’s response to AIDS, focusing on the development of a partnership between impacted communities, health professionals and government. ...
Aucklanders – it’s your last chance to have a say on the council’s upcoming budget. Submissions close at 11pm tonight, after which they will be collated and considered by councillors before a final proposal’s released by the end of June. As my colleague Tommy de Silva explained earlier this month, ...
Aucklanders – it’s your last chance to have a say on the council’s upcoming budget. Submissions close at 11pm tonight, after which they will be collated and considered by councillors before a final proposal’s released by the end of June. As my colleague Tommy de Silva explained earlier this month, ...
After breaking a years-long gap between New Zealand ministerial visits to China, Nanaia Mahuta says the relationship is in good shape but the Government will keep discussing differences of opinion between the countries - including support for Ukraine New Zealand will keep pushing China to use its influence to help end ...
The government has commissioned an inquiry after forestry waste caused widespread devastation in Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. But records show experts have been sounding the alarm for decades – why did no one hear them?This story was first published on Stuff. Ten minutes into the grey wasteland of the Mangatokerau ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Oliver A.H. Jones, Professor, RMIT University Shutterstock You might have noticed many skin and haircare products are advertised as “paraben-free”, or come across online influencers warning parabens are terrible for your health. But what is a paraben? And could a ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson should apologise to white men over the “sweeping generalisation” she made ahead of the Posie Parker counter-protest on Saturday. That’s according to National’s leader Christopher Luxon who was questioned on the comments this morning at parliament. Davidson was caught on camera blaming “cis white men” ...
Candida auris is more likely to infect those who are already ill or immunocompromised and is fatal for 30-60% of those infected.What is Candida auris?Candida auris (also known as C. auris) is a type of fungus called a yeast. It was first identified in 2009 from the ear ...
Lorde’s always been mysterious and her latest newsletter to fans does nothing to change that. The New Zealand singer has just wrapped up her lengthy Solar Power tour in support of her third album released at the height of the delta Covid wave back in 2021. And while reports have ...
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Other items of interest and importance todayPOSIE PARKER RALLY The Facts: New Zealanders are world leaders in respecting transgender men and women Chris ...
sue moroney was on tvone breakfast..
..and she did a good job..
phillip ure..
She always does a good job ,Phillip .Most likely the hardest working MP in the house. Cabinet post after the election a certainty .
pete seeger..sonny terry..and brownie mcghee..
‘down by the riverside’..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9eDU045u_E
..and this will take you to a pete seeger playlist..
phillip ure..
I spent a couple of hours last night listening and watching him on utube last night.
We listened to him in the car in the great trip up north last weekend.
Truly an inspiring man, living a replete life.
Hone Harawira got it so right in his reponse to Key’s “taking the mickey’ comments about his (Harawira’s) speaker approved absences from Parliament:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11193245
He said Mr Key’s remarks were “just a continuation of his petty bickering about my going to South Africa.”
Clearly John Key still smarts about the fool he looked rushing off to South Africa with two architects of the anti-Anti-Tour Movement whom he chose.
Little Churchill asprayshins fucked up again.
Any way Key and English seemed to be missing on every Thursday in the last period.
Mandate
Hone should demand at question time, that Key resign for not getting a penny out of him for being absent. Call Key weak over and over. Then bring up Dunne and how weak Key was to catch the leak.
However there was great fact that came out. Hone has been up and down the country touching skin, just like Peters who worked the rooms from North to South.
Those who are buying into the PM’s nonsense about MPs being absent and skivving off, have obviously not been watching Parliament since National took office.
If the sums being paid are the issue, the House of Representatives is where the criticism should be focused. The behaviour of the Government benches is a good place to start. We could begin with the PM himself.
The Prime Minister is the only representative who whilst sitting in the House, made a throat slitting gesture towards the opposition. This is a man whose own rampant absenteeism is for what? Photo ops and roundtable reach-arounds. A PM who has repeatedly refused to answer direct questions with direct answers. All the while being accommodated by a Speaker whose allowance to Ministers not to answer questions at all, makes Lockwood Smith’s loose interpretations of Ministers’ answers look responsible and fair.
Whoever does take the reigns later this year has to begin our nation’s recovery by reforming the behaviour of the House of Representatives. Without that vital step, even the best policy will flounder and our nation will continue to fail. We are better than the bleating of the backbenches. We are stronger than the rubber spine of our Speaker. We are a nation that once lead the world towards democracy and equality. New Zealand did not destroy that dream, politicians did.
This year, your vote has never been more important. Do not waste it on wishes. Offer it the care with which you would handle any taonga and hand it to someone you respect, someone you trust and someone you believe will build again the great nation of Aotearoa.
Labour should AXE the super toll motorways proposed by John Key ( no one wants them except John Key and his ‘ Chosen’ cronyist Capitalist mates….to line their pockets
…eg from what I have heard at least one of these motorways is proposed to be constructed by an Australian company ….AXE them !
…….. and and put the money into:
1.) free university education for young New Zealanders up to and including PhD level ( these young people are NZ’s future!)
2.)…..reinstating Continuing Education around the country( a great way for adults..from school leavers to 90 year olds….from Maori to Pakeha….from country to city….from new- comer immigrants to generational NZers to learn new skills and meet people…. and make life -long friends)
( John Key’s NACT axed Continuing Education!….. and gave the $90 million dollars directly to private schools… SHAME ON THEM!)
3)…..Free polytech education, apprenticeships and internships ( we owe it to our young to look after them and help them into employment…before allowing in workers from overseas)
( Hear that Winston….no dirty deals with the Key NACT desperate Banksters…as John Armstrong suggests!)
4) pour money into our starved STATE SCHOOLS ( better pay for All teachers not just John Key’s Ponzi few bullshit so called ‘excellent’ Principals)…Bring back the State School Inspectorate with very little extra cost ….Make all NZ schools genuinely run and funded by the State! ….not done on the cheap by unqualified, struggling and stressed parents
….Teaching is a Profession like Law and Medicine …..TREAT EDUCATION and TEACHERS with the RESPECT they deserve.!!!!!…this will raise education attainment levels to world class as in Finland)
These policies would be a huge vote winner for Labour/Greens from young New Zealanders ( our future) and their parents….as well as every other New Zealander who values education and social cohesion.
New Zealand has a proud record in Education which has been undermined by monetarism , Neo Liberal economics and John Key and his mates who would split it, undermine teachers and unions ……and privatise it a la USA charter school businesses and religious organisations…..This is not the New Zealand way! Hands off our New Zealand State Secular education system for ALL New Zealanders! ( the unions should be fighting for this)..
+1 Chooky. When I read your posts, I feel as if I am reading my own thoughts exactly.
Crikey dick, she moves in mysterious ways alright.
After freeing up our most accomplished politician for wonderful world-serving roles at the UN, our wee interim manager is cracking glorious home goals (Hone 68 days off, the Keyster…..81!) and thus ensuring the ascendance of a genuine human for our leader once again.
And all at the very reasonable cost this time of only a few billions from workers and the poor to the rich, and a level of immiserating victim-bashing almost benign by historical tory standards.
Well done that wairua!
Hone calls Slippery the Prime Minister ‘petty’ for His ridiculous attack,(obviously a hypocrite as well), i think Hone is being far too reserved in His riposte to the ‘used car salesman in charge’…
Agreed.
Hone should call it like it is, race-baiting and being divisive.
+1, the lazy maori meme/dog whistle. national voters are treated like idiots, can they not see that?
This just goes from bad to worse.
http://dissentingdemocrat.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/fukushima-what-fukushima-there-is-no-fukushima/
A re-armed Japan is a worry. But a re-armed Japan with this type of power – mmm 1935 anyone.
http://naturalsociety.com/dead-sea-creatures-98-percent-ocean-floor/
1935? No.
There was a wide-ranging embargo in place against Japan back then. Lack of domestic energy sources was one of the reasons they embarked on military expansion. Post WWII, that lack of oil, gas etc was behind the US and the UK slapping up nuclear power stations there…
You must be hanging out at the RSA for too long mate. We have nothing to fear from Japan.
We should really be worried about the Chinese — though they seem to be happy with using chequebooks in leiu of guns ATM.
My point was that the restriction of democratic principles and rearmament have a historical comparison with Japan military Circa 1935.
Indeed Bill the forcing of Nuclear stations on Japan was a disgusting, especially as like her, NZ is another country directly on the ring of fire.
I think the fear of Chin is pushing a lot of crap Millsy, I just don’t think a rearmed Japan is a good response.
It is the removal of the ability to question the state which is the real problem.
Court cases defending defamation, a web-site that He has been unable to make work for 24 hours, and death threats from those close to a young man who tragically died while the back-seat passenger in a car,
Hell we could almost feel sorry for ‘Wail Oils’ Blubber boy, yes what the hell am i saying, as far as i can see Cameron Slater is simply getting the rewards of His own feral behavior in the vein of the old old adage ”you reap what you sow”,
It appears that there are many out in the real world who have had enough of Slater’s ugliness and feral attacks on those who havn’t the means of public reply,
In saying that we here at the Standard cannot support criminal behavior of any sort(said with a snigger)…
Slater’s sewage pond has tarnished all NZ blogs and his constant media appearances for opinion demonstrates how lazy and devoid of substance our news media is. If Labour do anything, our intrepid reporters go out and interview a deranged slob who sits online all day in his underwear eating chips and whose life is paid for by daddykins.
One day we might see a reporter interviewing real people affected by National’s sociopathic policies. But after National’s chilling response to the child poverty doco near the last election, our tired hack reporters are probably all scared of being sued or fired.
hahahaha poor old cam says its malicious I say its delicious
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2583839
WhaleOffal is a nasty little man, when the Christchurch earthquakes were mentioned he goes (verbatim, to me) “Fuck Christchurch” and raves on about how they are freeloaders subsidised by Auckland. There is no logical response to this sort of wilful malice.
I”m guessing Slater said something incredibly rude and offensive (as usual) to offend the whole West Coast community.
Yes he did. A young man was killed in a car accident where his mate was driving. He’s the third and last son in that family to die (one was killed as a boy by a drunk driver, the other died in Pike River mine). Slater’s response to this was an article headlined “Feral dies in Greymouth, did world a favour”.
It’s called karma. He’s getting back everything he deserves.
SCOOP:
Foreign power demands right to harpoon Whale boil for experimental purposes. “It is the only living example of an organisn with a zero blubber/ integrity ratio and needs further exploration” a foreign minsistry spokesman explained.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/not-credible-solution.html
Sigh.
Can someone take David Clark aside and then swiftly lock him in a cupboard? Firstly, we had Clare Curran talking absolute nonsense on anything to do with technology and now we have David Clark threatening to ban websites like Facebook, Amazon and Google.
Firstly, it’s ridiculous. You can’t ban them. People get around it with ease. Secondly, really? That is such an easy hit for National now. The problem of these companies not paying tax is an important one to solve. And instead Labour suggests a stupid fix, which will also be mocked by National for the next few months.
I sighed too, but more at Clark’s media ineptness.
“Firstly, it’s ridiculous. You can’t ban them. People get around it with ease”
I get really sick of people saying this. It might be easy for some people to get around, but not all.
When the NZ Police raided Tuhoe and others, the Ao Cafe website got taken down. It’s never returned, and there is no trace of it in the Internet Archive (how is that possible?). Generic statements like ‘you can’t ban the internet’ are just as ridiculous as what Clark did.
While I agree with NRT that comparisons with child porn were stupid, it’s also stupid to use the example of child porn to say you can’t control the internet. It’s harder to access child porn now than if it was just left as a free for all.
Would also like to know the source of “2.2 million users in New Zealand” for FB. I’m guessing that it’s more like 2.2 million NZ based accounts, which is not the same thing.
Anyone got a link to the Labour press release that NRT refers to? Can’t find it on Labour’s website.
I think you may find that many in the IT sector would not agree everything Clare Curran said on technology was absolute nonsense considering that she worked closely with them on several issues…
Uh, ill disciplined and stupid…
lprent
Has the system changed from any comment that refers to another’s name showing up in that person’s archives? I have always used my archives to check on comments directed to or referring to me. Lately there have been none so perhaps no-one is bothering to read what I have written. It is interesting to see who is commenting within a numbered comment on a thread, but I haven’t got time to scroll through looking at each.
It actually is difficult as a double click on the thread for the particular comment in the list doesn’t take me to the actual comment position, just to the head of the site. To find the comment I have to go back to the list and click on the same place. But sometimes I can’t find where the comment is listed again.
I haven’t changed anything (but here is a reply to test with).
I had the code for the “Replies” section (next to comments) working two weeks ago. But it won’t go in until I have a holiday at home (Yay!!!!) next week. I have to tune the database so that it doesn’t chew too much CPU.
You may (haven’t tested it for anyone else) get the same effect by logging in using a wordpress.com account. Then the dashboard (under Site Admin on my screen) will have a little orange chat box highlighted. That shows people replying to you across a range of wordpress sites.
lprent
Ta and I hope you have good weather for your holiday. Enjoy!!!
hi, while you are on tech issues, im using firefox & for some reason my standaRD page is tiny, the lettering is small, its like the margins are squeezed into the middle. other web page sites are normal size, just seems to be when i visit the standard. any idea what could be happening to my text? any remedies? thank you.
Doesn’t matter. I intend to (mostly) stay inside. I have some code to write and no socialising to do….
Be like old times.
lprent
And here was I thinking it was all fun times for you. My son was sent over to France for his firm to assist with something in transition, and he said looking at his photos of Paris, doesn’t it look good, we were in that high, modern building which looks somehow luxurious.
And then showed us their working room. One of many that closed off on each side of a bare corridor, with 6-8 chairs and computers down each side of the room and just a narrow alley between the people in the chairs from the window one end to the door at the other, and blank concrete walls. Didn’t have any Matisses, or the Mona Lisa, or reproductions of anything.. inspiring. And walking along the corridor, all that could be seen was closed doors.
He did get to see a bit of Paree, but mostly it was soulless stuff. So if that was old times, you probably can get a lot done, but it isn’t too different from being in a battery hen farm.
Hope all your eggs hatch.
I live in a cave at the top of a ridge. Actually a largish one bedroom apartment with a 10 ft stud and polished concrete floor.
The nice thing for a programmer is that you can place yourself so you don’t get the sun on your screens or on your eyes. It doesn’t get too hot or cold because it has near perfect insulation. If there is wind then there is always an airflow. If it is cold then the concrete by the 10ft high windows retains all heat that falls on it even in winter. I use a oil heater for maybe 30-40 days in the year. If there is no wind or it gets too muggy then there is aircond – which I usually use for about 10 days in Feburary when it goes really muggy.
I live next to the corner of Ponsonby and Newton Roads in Auckland. Right next to some major bus routes.Near enough to the motorways that I can get on them with ease.
I have had jobs in Albany and Manakau. Currently I work within 15 minutes walking distance. But I also spent 7 years working from home with monthly meetings for one company.
And if I get bored and/or stuck on whatever I was working on there was always the long streets of cafes up the road… Family tend to live pretty close apart from those offshore or my parents who retired and moved out of Auckland.
It is pretty damn comfortable for the type of lifestyle I have. Also a hell of a nice place to jump into the computer from. I can roll my set the fridge and the coffee machines! What can I say – I’m a geek
Of course having Lyn arrive into my life has caused a bit of adjustment for an “mature” bachelor like myself. Fortunately she is almost as much of a geek as I am in her own special, irritating and fun way.
But it was less of an adjustment than having to move out while the building was de-leaked and leak-proofed.
It’s a different life style working from home a lot isn’t it. You have been able to organise your own work surroundings for practical outcomes for you better than you would get probably in an office. My son lives within biking distance of his work and within child care close by for when they are both working.
So that’s pretty good too.
Thought so. When Key was using Hone as a target about absences from Parliament, he forgot the target on his own head. From Andrea Vanse on Stuff:
“Prime Minister John Key scored an embarrassing own goal yesterday after launching an attack on Hone Harawira’s attendance record.
Key accused the Mana party leader of “taking the mickey” over his frequent absences from Parliament. Mr Harawira has taken 68 days leave – all approved by the Speaker – since 2011. National, along with Labour and the Maori Party, refused yesterday to release the records of its own MPs.
However, the Green Party used Hansard, the official record of Parliament, to calculate that over the same period Mr Key was absent on 81 of 186 sitting days. Three of these were urgency days on a Friday or Saturday.
ianmac
Is that Andrea Vance A Good One then? What a jolly good piece from her.
And Hone made a dignified and reasoned and factual response to the mocking smarmy piece of political cowpat from apprentice dung beetle the Jokeyhen.
I must stop using that term perhaps my comments are so influential that he is getting a bad feedback loop or something! How one addresses people affects their response doesn’t it. So, sorry from me Mr Key. You can get on and be the good PM you always intended and I’ll withdraw from my evil influence. (Magical thinking from me.) Hah!
I have been away for a few weeks, so when I came back into “net” range I did a quick survey of the blogs etc.
Somethings caught my eye, first Max Keiser was talking about Tom Perkins, a multibillionaire who complained in the Wall St Journal that the 1% were being persecuted, Kristallnacht was invoked on their behalf…poor poor sods, so much money and so little perspective. Joe 90 was onto it, http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26012014/#comment-763280 I am surprised that this extravagant whinge elicited so little comment from Standardistas.
To top things off I read two Trotter articles, the first of which indicated that all is not well in the Labour caucus with the same old suspect neo lib leaning types doing their best to undermine Cunliffe and prop up their failed ideology. Goff and crew, must be thinking about the nice little roles they might garner post being an MP, at the WTO, or on some board of directors. Dont rock the boat…..
The second Trotter article I read pretty much confirmed the thinking of the first, that capitalism wont deliver to non capitalists because it is not meant to BUT DONT MENTION IT…and Trotter flays all of the party leaders including Cunliffe…….None of our political leaders has yet delivered an adequate response to the extraordinary statistic released by Oxfam on the eve of the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland. According to the UK based aid organisation, the world’s 85 richest individuals control a sum of wealth equal to that of the poorest half of the world’s human population – 3.5 billion people.
Sigh, know your enemy.
i am pretty sure i heard David Cunlifffe make a reference to who controlled the wealth,(in a New Zealand sense), in His reply to Slippery the Prime Minister on the opening day of the Parliament,(yesterday), and, Chris Trotter might want to pay more attention because i have heard various Green MP’s including both Metiria and Russell include such details when speaking in the Parliament,
i don’t always agree with Trotter but always find Him a good read….
Ennui
We can’t think about that stuff at present – we are too busy thumbing our nose at the execrable
Slater, who has emerged from the woodwork a sadder but not wiser blogger or pilgrim of life.
This has niggled me for years…
The Open Mike intro ends with ‘Step right up to the mike.’ Maybe just ‘Step up to the mike’?
The ‘right’ is redundant. If the phrase was ‘Step right up…’ it might have a place but with ‘the mike’ there it’s unnecessary.
And, of course, it would be nice for a left blog not to have the word ‘right’ there.
Yes, I’m nitpicking. Yes, there are bigger problems in the world.
easy enough to fix…
+1 It’s a nice change not to have to worry about affairs of state all the time!
Has Imperator Fish satire leaked over to the Herald or is this issue truly what Crosby Textor have told John Key will inspire the public in an election year?
From today’s articles: PM tests water for NZ flag change. (They forgot to add: – again)
With his usual concise and decisive language…
“I’d like to see a change. But one of the problems is that firstly it’s not the single … biggest issue that we as a country face. And secondly, even with those who want to change there’s not universal support for what we should change to.”…
…The Prime Minister’s personal preference was for a silver fern on a black background, but he said it would be very difficult to get a consensus on a new design….
Guessing this will be difficult to get a consensus on because of the Rugby trademark associated with his personal preference.
Shades of Susan Devoy in the final sentences of the same article – (where is she by the way?)
“…Mr Key had earlier said that he hoped Waitangi Day this year would be a day of celebration instead of being marred by protests.
He wished New Zealand’s national day was similar to Australia Day, with shows of patriotism such as flag-waving..”
More confirmation that he does not read any newspapers – either here or from across the ditch, or watch tv.
Bingo: http://thestandard.org.nz/anti-democratic-tendencies/#comment-701020
Why do you think they picked Dame Susan Devoy ?? Silence. She will be like the Maori Party, sitting at the table, silent and smiling, happy with the trinkets that fall her way. In her case, a very nice case of “trinkets”.
Both the PPTA and NRT have blogged on this today, but it is worth re-iterating that those guardians of fiscal responsibility in NACT have in the last year managed to piss about $14 million against the wall for their ideological charter schools project (to educate 369 students).
http://ppta.org.nz/component/easyblog/entry/exorbitant-charter-schools-funding-revealed?Itemid=202
Does seem like a pretty useful counter against Nactional’s claims of left wing fiscal largesse?
All is good within NZ, as we must now have found a cure for the cold. Our next big issue is….
Our flag.
Great emotive topic to take attention away from anything and everything.
And Jesus wept.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9662819/Key-Silver-Fern-should-be-our-flag
@ Herodotus
“Our flag.
Great emotive topic to take attention away from anything and everything.
And Jesus wept.”
+1
…particularly to distract New Zealanders from the complete hash John Key and his cohorts are making of governing this country
…and hoping to distract New Zealanders from the delightful alternative being presented to the New Zealand public by Labour & the left
Distraction tactics are about the only hope to stay in government they have left, really – well that and horribly divisive hate politics that appeal to peoples’ worst nature….
It occurred to me that neo lib direction in NZ has come from experiencing duty free advantages when they went overseas all those years ago, and got special tax free advantages. So they thought why not go overseas and have tax free advantages all the time.
So therefore, the duty free economy and country where you are free to not do your duty, if you can pay your way out of it. (Here I’m thinking of paying fair tax on earnings, the higher then more, to a reasonable degree. and sharing that portion you do pay with everyone instead of trying to capture it back.)
The flag design is to be chosen by National. I think not. No way are they going to get away with giving us the opinion of either Key’s silver on black (and as someone says that is already probably trademarked), or another one chosen by the government.
The flag is a symbolic thing to wave in the breeze and carry at events etc. and we want one that is worthwhile and represents us with something meaningful. Though it is not the sacred icon that Helen Clark’s government raised it to, making it an offence to jump on it or burn it etc. What a dopey idea, it’s far better to vent at a symbol, hang it upside down, stick holes through it than more destructive actions to buildings or people. All the same we need to have a say, not this grimy bunch of charlatans take over.
I would suggest we have an on-line consultation with people being able to send designs in, which would be added to those already held over about two months, with a vote held every fortnight.
and the residual flags put in order of popularity. Any new ones would be shown alongside so they could be compared to the top ones to see if anything offered was better. At the end of the two months, the best twenty or thirty would go up for voting for a month and then the best four would go to the referendum which would be binding. After everyone had had time to form their opinion the result would go ahead and be instituted in say 6 months.
The Maori flag if that was not chosen, would become a second official flag, with the national flag to be flown outside NZ if there was only one to be flown, and within NZ it would be flown at the same height if it was up, and at times could be the only one flying if appropriate.
Key wants to leave a legacy – excuse me while I baff . Funny while we can “vote” on a flag but not on the supposed referendum to the changes that was supposed to take place within MMP.
As Hone said, is this just a distraction to mask the real issues at the general elections. I tend to concur.
And why should John Key think he should make the decision as to which flag we should have to replace our present one, if we do decide to replace it – the man’s self entitlement knows no bounds.
Abuse by the Salvation Army in Australia? and to a woman in Ireland when she was young was the topic of news tonight. The European Commission has said that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that children are safe, and that this remains throughout the years. The Irish woman has been awarded $30,000 for what was done when she was a child.
The ongoing nature of this unmet responsibility is going to be a matter in the future as we hear things about the charter schools that will be very regrettable because they were expected before the schools began. In 20 years or so we will start hearing the cases, and they will come to light for some time as people feel strong enough to make their protest and gain some solace from delayed justice.
The Electricity Authority spokesperson Carl Hansen has been talking about how they are judging the price which should be charged for power. They allow for a 10% return to the shareholders.
So the government has sold our electricity assets, and this is the profit that gets returned to the
shareholders by us, while we continue to pay more and more to others for what we used to own ourselves. And the more we pay the more the 15% GST amount will be, and the line charge goes up regularly and arbitrarily, now we are paying about $30 a month. And so it goes on.
And if the 10% is calculated on the assets, to give a satisfactory return to the shareholders.
And the assets are revalued, according to constantly rising market value, then we will have to pay more for the same amount of electricity.
Just to keep the books right in the market system which treats the system and the returns from it as if it was God-given prognostications chiselled in stone, instead of an approach to counting things, valuing things and dealing with one another in a rational symbolic way. This is just so that we don’t have to personally take a duck to the shops, or a sack of lemons to exchange for 5 loaves of bread, or whatever the going rate would be. And perhaps no-one wants lemons that day. Trouble is along the way, it is easier to get rorted.
FYI
I have been declined speaking rights at tomorrow’s Auckland Council Governing Body meeting:
(Thursday 30 January 2014
9.30am
Auckland Town Hall)
My response:
__________________________________________________________________________
29 January 2014
‘OPEN LETTER’
Dear Elaine,
Please be advised that I do NOT accept that the declining of my request for ‘speaking rights’ at the Auckland Council Governing Body upcoming meeting (to be held at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 30 January 2014) was lawful.
“3.21.3 Subjects of Public Input
Public Input is not to be used to speak to a matter:
(i) that has already been considered and determined.”
_____________________________________________________
The FACT is that the (former) CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay, and his appointment of Ernst and Young to conduct this ‘Independent Review’ of Auckland Mayor Len Brown, did NOT follow the ‘due process’ as clearly outlined in the Auckland Council ‘Code of Conduct’ (s.8 Compliance), thus has NOT ‘already been considered and determined.’
Please be reminded that as an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, I attended a full-day specialist workshop on ‘How to Conduct an Inquiry’ at the recent 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
I now have a very comprehensive understanding of how such an inquiry should have been carried out, and the Ernst and Young ‘Independent Review’ was anything but, in my considered opinion.
I respectfully request that this decision to decline my speaking rights, is reconsidered as a matter of urgency.
Also, I do NOT consider it appropriate, or in keeping with the basic principles of ‘natural justice’, for Auckland Mayor Len Brown, to the one to make the ultimate decision on whether or not speaking rights should be granted in this case, for this matter, as he is a directly-affected party.
http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/N/NemoJudexInParteSua.aspx
A fundamental principle of natural justice which states that no person can judge a case in which he or she is party or in which he/she has an interest.
Also known as:
nemo judex in sua causa; or
nemo debet esse judex in propria causa
__________________________________________________________
(As Auckland Mayor Len Brown has been a lawyer, I’m sure understands this fundamental principle).
Please also be reminded of the statutory duties arising from the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1987/0174/latest/DLM122283.html
4 Purposes
The purposes of this Act are—
(a)to provide for the availability to the public of official information held by local authorities, and to promote the open and public transaction of business at meetings of local authorities, in order—
(i) to enable more effective participation by the public in the actions and decisions of local
authorities; and
(ii) to promote the accountability of local authority members and officials,—
and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote good local government in
New Zealand:
(b) to provide for proper access by each person to official information relating to that person:
(c) to protect official information and the deliberations of local authorities to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy.
Compare: 1982 No 156 s 4
____________________________________________________________________________
Please also be reminded of the rights of citizens to ‘freedom of expression’ as guaranteed under the NZ Bill Of Rights Act 1990:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0109/latest/DLM225513.html
14 Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
__________________________________________________________________________
Please be advised that I shall be attending this Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held tomorrow, Thursday 30 January 2014, starting as 9.30am at the Auckland Town Hall.
Please finally be reminded that I have a proven track record of successfully defending my above-mentioned lawful rights as a citizen, in Court, in the (hopefully) unlikely event of these matters being taken to the point of arrest.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
Attendee : 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2010 Auckland Mayoral candidate
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
lprent, any chance of a button to expand/collapse comments, or a 5000 character limit??
cheers
Will do. I have code to put in a collapse for a comment or a whole comment thread.
It got stalled on how to persist this data for a individual user for some period of time.
Looks like the only effective way is via client supplied cookies.
geoff over on the Note to Media post suggested we do a mail out of Blip’s List
that is a hugely expensive undertaking, so i thought there may be a better cost to publicity stream we could tap into, so i posted the following, repeating it here for general consideration.
=================================================
maybe we crowd-source a basic and sporadic poster campaign and take Blip’s List to the people
pretty sure the companies who do the paste ups would be ok with it, and we know then they are pretty safe, (although for the dedicated poster grabber they become instant collector items)
they may even cut us a good $ deal too
so to get Blip’s List public we need:
; the data – check
; Layout and formatting
– I think i just saw a couple of dozen hands go up
– perhaps they all put one together and we have Standardistas choose the preferred design
– It would be good to print the links in full under each line
– people will snap images of the poster with their phones so it is useful to include the info
; a call to Sticky Fingers to fix a contract price & terms
– i think they cover paste ups for all the main centers now
; approximately a couple of grand for printing a whole bunch of posters,
– I am guessing that price would be generously supported by the printers
– posters can be printed in whatever center that they end up in so freight is not necessary
seems pretty doable to me
I pledge $20 here and now
(which is 9% of my income this week)
Welcome to New Keyland
The All Black’s Shirts
freedom
$20 rest don’t know
I think a separate new article is needed about Key’s flag urgent red herring. Wish one of the regular article writers of this site would consider writing it.
Here is my opinion on it:
[1] For National, the Warner Bros logo may be more appropriate.
[2] Key is trying desperately to raise a red herring to distract people during this election year because he is sensing that he and his party and coalition partners are going to lose this coming election and/or, Key is trying to create an immortal legacy for himself by pushing this issue forward now and wanting a referendum on it at the election this year!
[3] During this year, people should be more focused on political party policies and leaders and not be distracted by Key’s cunning tactics of introducing what is at present an unnecessary and absolutely non urgent ‘change of flag’ issue.
[4] In my opinion, the flag issue should be raised sometime in the near or distant future when the people are ready to change to a Republic.
[5] And at that time, it would be very fair and good to incorporate some Maori cultural aspect too in the design.
errr….. what happens when it is the PRIME MINISTER who fails to uphold, and is SEEN to fail to uphold, the ‘highest ethical standards’, as required by the ‘Cabinet Manual’?
Is Prime Minister John Key going to tell himself off, or stand himself down as a Minister, over his arguably disgraceful treatment of Mana MP and Leader, Hone Harawira?
When is New Zealand going to have an enforceable ‘Code of Conduct’ for Members of Parliament – given that we’re supposed to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ …. blah blah…… ?
http://cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/2.50
Conduct, public duty, and personal interests
General
2.50 To protect the integrity of the decision-making process of executive government and to maintain public trust in the Executive, Ministers and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to their office. Accordingly, the guidance in paragraphs 2.52 – 2.96:
explains the standards of personal conduct expected of Ministers;
assists Ministers to identify those personal interests that might be seen to influence their decision making;
sets out options for managing conflicts of interest where necessary.
2.51 The guidance on conduct, public duty, and personal interests applies to all Ministers (inside and outside Cabinet) and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries. References to Ministers in this guidance include Parliamentary Under-Secretaries.
Conduct of Ministers
2.52 A Minister of the Crown, while holding a ministerial warrant, acts in a number of different capacities:
in a ministerial capacity, making decisions, and determining and promoting policy within particular portfolios;
in a political capacity as a member of Parliament, representing a constituency or particular community of interest; in a personal capacity.
2.53 In all these roles and at all times, Ministers are expected to act lawfully and to behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards. Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Not exactly ‘leading from the front’ on this one – Prime Minister John Key?
Penny Bright
+100 Penny
+100 Clemgeopin
…Changing the flag issue is a real red herring( and note John Key wants to be the final arbiter on the flag…..what an arrogant EGO ).
…As a strategy Key is trying to shore up his credentials as a real NZer for the people , by the people, of the people by waving the flag …… when he is nothing of the sort ……He is a NACT monetarist Neo Liberal rorter of NZers assets and way of life…he cares not a fig for NZers only his rich crony Capitalist Bankster mates overseas
Lets hope other politicians from Labour and the Greens don’t fall for this…… but keep their eye on the ball and the impetus going on the REAL issues for New Zealanders!….
….for example I dont think it will do the Greens vote any good if Russell Norman falls for this and gets distracted and swings in behind Key’s agenda for changing the the flag and also brings up the Republican anti -Royal issue….as I heard him do on radio
1) Norman doesnt understand NZers attachment to their flag and Queenie…there are very very few votes in this for the Greens no matter what Norman’s personal feelings ( and Charles is a Greenie!)
2) as an Australian it will backfire badly on Norman and the Greens..it will just remind NZers that Norman is an Australian ( Winnie will be the vote winner)
3) John key will have provided a successful red herring and undermined the Labour/Greens roller coaster on real issues concerning NZers….and if this issue is allowed to gather momentum Mana will have been sidelined also on the flag issue….Key will have grabbed the flag from the Maori and done a one- up-man-ship on Hone ( which for some reason he is keen to do….maybe because Hone Harawira is a real genuine NZer and he shows Key up as a Ponzi)
imo….Let John Key swing with the flag issue….and let him hang himself out to dry …in other words he should be ignored ….so people see it for what it is…as a red herring and a distraction to the most important issues facing New Zealanders
I think it would be good idea for the leaders of opposition parties to state that Key is simply trying to distract the voters from the important and urgent issues and the voters should not fall for it at this time.
A matter such as the change of flag of a country is a serious issue and needs some time, a few years of discussion and careful consideration, different designs incorporating history, aspirations and culture. The ideal time would be when and if the nation is ready to become a Republic.
Perhaps a campaign needs to be started to thwart Key’s cunning trick by pushing the point that it is too hasty to change the flag at this time. The discussion and debate needs at least a couple of years. If Key decides to have a referendum, among others, ONE of the choices in the vote should be
(..) This is not the right time to change the flag.
Desperate Key
The fact that John Key is pushing for this flag change exposes him as a schill for the corporates.
Just like the TPPA it is all part of the plan to sell New Zealand down the river.
Money is his only loyalty if the British ensign in the corner of our flag is getting in the way of that, get rid of it.
In a contradiction to the flag issue, John Key has invited the Royal couple and their new born member of the British aristocracy to tour the country in election year. John Key supports the political concept of having a small privileged elite that the majority should bow and scrape to, Because sees himself as member and shyster for that same global elite.
(even though he comes off as a social climber in the Basil Fawlty mold.)