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.)
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
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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’..
..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.)