A very well attended and effective Labour Regional Conference in Birkenhead this weekend. “Thank you” to those MPs who stayed to listen and contribute to the long sessions on the “remits”. Some good presentations by a couple of Senior MPs.
Aye. The most interesting presentation was David Cunliffe’s clean tech presentation. This addresses what may be the most significant weakness for Labour. Last election in the wealthier areas support flooded to the greens because of perceived weaknesses with environmental policies. Labour does have good policy in the area and Cunliffe’s presentation highlighted this.
As we stumble into the future and environmental disasters start the environment will become the number one concern for the human race.
Plus for those of us who enjoy democracy as an active sport, a really clear and unanimous direction that caucus should have a strong but minority say in who is the next leader. This will make for a good and crunchy labour conference in November. Great to feel us really building up for that, which is of course the launchpad for taking this country back from this principle-free meat-cleaver weilding bunch of beslabbering trolls known as Cabinet.
Labour will never have an adequate environmental policy for people who actually care about the environment as one of their issues, and should simply concede the fact that they’ll please more people by saying their environmental policies will be developed in coalition with the Greens. 😛
Nice to hear Shearer this morning on National Radio with well-phrased opints, clean diction, and some snap to the style. I like this kind of Shearer. Particularly if it takes the Banks-like rhetorical sheen off Parata. As this site noted yesterday – National seem utterly tone deaf on education across the entire field.
His minions could learn something about social media though. They really need to start to creating the brand and pushing the image. The stuff that is out there is pretty lame.
The continual abysmal performance at forecasting by Treasury officials, and the stunning debacle in the shrinking of teacher numbers, begs two questions:
1. Why would you allow this failed Treasury department to set Education Policy?
2. Did these Treasury officials attend schools with very big class sizes?
Teachers I know are incensed. For the past few years they have been indifferent to Labour but now they are ready to roll.
Key’s setting up of a working party is an admission they stuffed this up. Their line “90% of schools will either gain a teacher or lose a teacher” is shown to be spin and is being drowned out by the horror stories coming out of Intermediate schools.
I really get the impression that they blundered here and did not understand what they were doing.
Helen would never have made such a serious mistake.
When Parata got such a grilling over how many teachers were going to lose their jobs as a result of the change, they should have stopped to think “oh, seems like we’ve hit a nerve this time” and re-considered. I guess by that point the budget had already been printed, though.
Billodress, you need to examine the real role of “economists” to our political economy. In Roman times the Ponitfex Maximus and a cotery of “priests” would divine the future by reading chicken entrails etc. All states present and past have had a preisthood who have the role of giving the system of state and its political and economic decision process the chimera of validity, by association with the all powerful (God) who is the only one who can know the future. It is highly important to all societies that legitimacy has a basis, and this is the role of todays economist.
The “Enlightenment” saw a diminution in the acceptance of the “divine” in terms of cause and effect, rational thought and the rise of scientific empiricism challenged the role of God will (interpreted by the presithood) as a justification rulers decisions. The gap had to be closed before authority and decision became individual, and to the rescue rode Adam Smith with his “invisible hand”, bringing deity back via the “market”. These artificial constructs required preists, all religions do. Economists grew out of history departments where the past was usefully being compared to predict the future, constructed theories and when asked to prove them by sceptics invented a mathematical process called econometrics. Hence the rise of the modern economist, the role to provide legitimacy to the decisions of state.
You will note I said legitimacy: to do so you have to claim rectitude on some divine basis (such as market rationalism). Being correct is something that evades economists, because like religion their rational has no empirically proven basis, it is all supposition and faith. Accuracy is entirely arbitrary and coincidental.
So to answer both your questions: reality does not matter to Treasury, that is not their role. They may have had one reality demanded of them, that of saving cash. That is a less divine peice of empiricism, it merely requires some mechanical book keeping. The real costs will not be able to be predicted by these idiots, you and I can predict the outcomes easily enough.
Economics today and, by extension, Treasury, is even worse than that, because their role is to defend why a few people are rich and everyone else is poor. To, quite simply, defend the dictatorship that results from capitalism. Everyone goes on about the invisible hand of Smith’s but the one line that stuck when I read The Wealth of Nations went something like It is the right of the rich to command the poor which, given the context of the paragraphs around it meant the right of the rich to appropriate the wealth created by the poor (labour theory of value) which is probably what really made him popular with the governing classes – they were rich after all.
Oh, and as for what Smith actually said about the invisible hand:
“As every individual … therefore, endeavours as much as he can, both to employ his capital in the support of domestic industry, and so to direct that industry that its produce maybe of the greatest value; every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the general [Smith said “public” not general] interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security, and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain; and he is in this, [as in many other cases] led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest, he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.
Yeah, not a hell of a lot about free-international trade and capitalism in there but plenty about supporting the local society though.
Yes you are right Draco, the interests of the priesthood always support that of the ruling class. In capitalist countries it is that those who own property and the means of production. In the formerly communist countries the commissars of the Party represented the nomenklatur who claimed ownership on behalf of the”people”. Interestingly both sides have a deity with prophets and terminology to reflect this.
I always laugh at Gos and the market fundamentalists when they have a go at socialism and communism: both have mirror images of each other such as the “invisible hand” and “dialectic materialism”, or Smith and Marx as prophets. The way I see it this represents both sides of the same debased coin, you might as well attack yourself, there is no difference. Even funnier is the fact that in either of these extreme models the same people will form the same privileged class of fat cats and courtiers. These are the people the priests serve and justify.
So where to? View reality first and then steer the appropriate course to your preferred destination. My destination point is called equity, fairness and compassion.
What I see as the major fault with economics today is you get armies of people who can’t think for themselves. They’re called economists but they’re not really, they’re just regurgitating what they were taught and parroting what they think their mentors would have said or done. That results in an absence of innovation and problem solving.
A good example is this present Govt. There’s a need to both stimulate the economy with carefully targeted extra spending and to cut spending but for the beancounters at Treasury the two are ideologically incompatible with each other so they can’t conceive it. In business we do that all the time but economists are so rigidly stuck to their particular dogma they can’t think outside the square. They’re an incredibly dull and uninspiring bunch.
Michael Valley who wrote on this blog a couple of times about how we should “liberate” all those countries with poor brown people would have made a great case out of the Massacre of Houla in Syria and would have no doubt volunteered the NZ army to help them poor brown Muslim people out.
Except the BBC showed pictures from Victims of the war in Iraq made after the invasion of that country by the coalition of the killing in 2003 and it turns out that it is civilian militia’s armed by the US who are doing door to door killing in Syria.
Jane Clifton wrote on The Conservative Party: Creative creationists?
The “polls” that catapulted the Conservatives into prominence barely deserve the name.
The source of the word about the poll? The Conservative Party, which had its eye on Act’s voters – such as they were by then. Then word got around of another poll, showing Craig ahead in the Rodney electorate. Source of the poll? Again, the Conservative Party. Well, good news should be shared, shouldn’t it?
In the rush of the election campaign, the provenance of the polls was never examined by the media.
There was one small poll during the election on Ohariu that precipitated reports of uncertainty. It wasn’t the only thing affecting the outcome, but it could have been significant. Was this the kneecapping of United Future?
An is this just a part of our democracy we have to accept as the way things are? Or can media be made more accountable? And can we have some moderation of election polling?
Well there certainly needs to be Pete George. The Dim Post has a great chart by Peter Green that shows the inaccuracy (particularly with National) of polling since 2005. Between the 2008 election and the last one, all but one poll has placed National higher in the polls than what they actually attained in the election.
It’s likely that some people will vote in accordance with polling, or perhaps not vote at all if it looks like a landslide. I recall the rightwing pundits claiming it would be a landslide, based on the polls. Now we’re seeing a raft of negative legislation being passed by one effing vote. That’s not democracy, that’s a bunch of devious politicians and their cohorts that have manipulated the public.
There is no doubt that National is going against what the vast majority of New Zealanders want, and their dictatorship is being reflected in recent polling… albeit still bias towards what can only be described as a failed government with too many broken promises to list.
I agree Pete, it’s disturbing how much influence the polls seem to be capable of. They’re supposed to be a measurement, not a campaign tool.
One aspect I particularly dislike is the reporting of numbers as a percentage of 100 when they are no such thing. Perhaps one step in the right direction would be to report the “undecideds” along with the “decideds” as a true percentage.
Return to the subject of student loans, moral standards, this generation’s inherited hardships.
Have met a student, on a loan, living at home and sharing his bed with girfriend. He never, makes his bed or tidys room,never washes clothes,never does any housework except washing dishes ocassionally when asked .Does not do any gardening, mow lawns etc. Does not get up in time for breakfast so buys something in town. Showers inconsistently.
I will not embarrass anyone with further detail.
Is this an acceptable norm. for the youth of today ?
You will be forgiven John72. You will find as you age it will become easier to rise from your bed. The girl will move on and you will feel loss but you will survive and as you clean yourself up, dress better and get those lawns mown a bright light will send you aglow. There is a way forward John.
You will be Born Again! Bless you John.
ianmac, please note, my first line defined the subject. this included “this generation’s inherited hardships”. 50 years ago a student did not have time to live with this weeks girlfriend. He did not have a student loan. He was always up, washed, tidy and dressed before breakfast. I was mowing the lawns at home by the time I was 14 and learning to cook my own meals.
Am I baiting you or are you baiting me?
yep. say what you like about students in the sixties, but you have to say they were always well washed, worked hard, lived clean and kept well clear of that James K Baxter chappie, who was also well turned out, well fed and did not come out of the university system no he didn’t so stop saying that.
We all bait each other here, don’t worry about it. I am constantly under the strain of the “inherited hardship” of the previous generation. All that rock n roll free love attitude, normalised in my lifetime, has made me arrogant and stupid. Pop music and advertsing born in the fifties and sixties and honed on the minds of subsequent generations has made me want to go out and enjoy myself all the time, smoke cigarettes, sunbathe on tropical islands and never ask how or why.
That is unless you and I get together and stop the rot! But first, a cup of tea.
Just this morning I was listening to Billy Corgan tear his heart out, it sounding just like it did in 1994 and I thought, “Billy, you can write some good music, but your thinking is a bit bald.” I’m getting old, you see. An uncertain future and a glorious past continually conspire to rob me of my present and my sanity. The next generation, assailed by pop culture experts like Rebecca Black and Ke$ha, don’t stand a chance.
Just kidding John. One of my family was a bit like your case but it seems that he was suffering from depression at that time and now he works hard, has been headhunted to a new firm, and totally independently chosen to not drink for two months. Agonising to watch the difficulties but it was not simply clear cut in our day 3 X score years ago either. We just choose to forget, luckily.
I must confess, I never reminisce about a misspent youth on tropical beaches or in asian brothels.
It was riding a bike to work for 30 years that fed the family. The turning point is hard and lonely.
Your family ate your bike? That’s luxury! When I was your age I had to get up an hour before I went to sleep, fed my brothers on broken glass and sliced off my feet to avoid frostbite before hobbling ten miles to work. You kids have it easy.
I so <3 morons extrapolating from one case as though it were a reflection on a whole population.
Tip – go back and do basic statistics.
Tip 2 – failure to tell the whole story here leaves me wondering if you're lying by omission, especially as the behavioural patterns are indicative of high stress or depression etc etc. Or it could just be plain old lazy parenting.
NickS: “Basic statistics” Refer to The Press May 30, Page B5. The article states that in Britian, 60 years ago, 5% of children were born to unmarried mothers. Today 47% are. I assume that figures would be similar for New Zealand, especially with the benefit for the Solo Mother. The author then states that children were happier 60 years ago. This is something that can not be measured but I am frequently seeing and hearing of children who who want to know or need to know their father. There will always be bad fathers, but the media does not give the good ones any credit, and most of them are good. Remember, good parents do not just “Happen”. It is a learning experience for Mum and Dad and the more they put into it the more they enjoy it. Hollywood and TV has created this fanciful image of “They all lived happily ever after”, which is lazy and unreal.
Life is difficult. But in acknowledging this we conquer it.
Withour danger, danger cannot be surmounted.
Life is an adventure. Go out and enjoy this life.
There will always be someone better off than you BUT there are millions worse off. ENVY will only spoil your life and make those around you unhappy. It will not earn you respect.
Before arising try and think of something pleasant to say about a friend or relation. Something different. You do not have to pass it on.
$9.95 million set aside in the last budget for hospitality at the Rugby World Cup. Yet so few dignitaries attended.
Still, the budget blew out to $15 million. WTF?
And that’s not all. Why did $6 Million come out of the foreign affairs budget to help pay for this blowout prior to the announcement of cost cutting measures in that particular department ?.
“Greek opinion polls showed voters warming to parties supporting the European Union’s bailout agreement as political leaders at home and abroad warned of economic catastrophe should the single currency fragment”
— Use of words such as catastrophe, the propaganda lies have begun again…Anyone who believes this stuff, is an imbicile!
— Institute for International Finance….Sounds convincing doesn’t it!
Mustn’t be too definite about wanting more private input to biosecurity and research. Difficult when the mantra is that government shouldn’t be involved in things yet they have been supplying this essential service to our modern, forward-moving, clever (best in the world) farmers.
A World Wildlife anti report has brought out the staunch farmers, their haloes and excuses polished, though they won’t admit that there is a nasty group that will do little about pollution or not enough to comply as required. One guy I heard about has had native shrubs planted by his creek bed then sends his animals down there to use it as fodder.
The FedFarmers say that thirty years ago they were encouraged to do things that are now frowned on, and apparently it’s too short a period to make adjustments to such swingeing change. Though dairy farmers can move quickly to overstock and tie up any water they can get hold of and import extra stock food of palm kernel matter that has come from cutting down native trees in other countries on land that’s then taken over for private plantations. They can learn quickly when there is personal gain.
My question is how could PSA get here in pollen if our systems are so good as we are regularly advised? And why has there not been a reliable marker for tuberculosis in cows developed? Recently I heard of a whole herd which had to go when one cow case was found.
The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 on May 24, 2012. As in previous years, the reports are full of over-critical remarks on the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions as well as distortions and accusations concerning the human rights cause in China. However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and kept silent about it. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 is hereby prepared to reveal the true human rights situation of the United States to people across the world and urge the United States to face up to its own doings.
Well it is standard practice to swap propaganda when you swap patron. In the defence of the US, they’re not quite as tight of censorship and disinformation as China is. You can at least still use the whole internet there.
Populuxe1 But to get the whole picture you have to work all night? And still be limited by USA censorship trying to prevent reality and unpleasant truths from emerging that don’t match the Disneyesque facade.
The US supports regimes that include Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, formerly Egypt and Libya, while maintaining countless military bases and personnel around the world.
The US is directly responsible for millions of deaths in Iraq, South and Central America, SE Asia, the Phillipines and beyond.
The WWF report cannot be ignored, especially when the government’s own Environment Commissioner supports the content. In terms of our carbon emissions, Solid Energies plans to dig up the lignite in Southland will increase them by 10-20%. Coal Action Murihiku today left a visible reminder to the Gore community of what Solid Energy plans to do on their back door! http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/coal-action-murihiku-visible-in-gore.html
I heard the Shonkster on the radio claiming vast progress through the expenditure of massive amounts to save the planet from global catastrophe. All well rehearsed snake oil, a lot of wind amounting to nothing bar a salve for the idiots who believe him. Alarmingly he had zip to say re bio diversity and the loss of species, totally oblivious or more likely deliberately disinterested.
Its getting trite to say the least and the hollow man is becoming more vacuous each time he displays his psychopathic contempt for anything not John. Keep the heat on the creep, Johnnygrad is freezing over and will surely crack.
Bored, the Greens are putting on the heat in the house, asking daily questions about the evidence or science base for National’s roading developments or lack of urgency for environmental action. the replies are full of evasions and non answers. The cracks are appearing and we are becoming aware that there is no evidence or research basis to their governance, just rough guesses, ideological faith and pure ignorance. We just need mainstream media to focus on the cracks and we will have a government revealed in all its naked glory.
This shouldn’t be happening, we’re a relatively well off, non-economic basket case nation, with a long history of trying to take care of our poor via government welfare, and yet this is still happening.
And National has the stupidity to claim they care.
And it’s nothing to do with the parents not looking after their own kids and/or not claiming all the multitude of government benefits that are available.
Not only has the machinery of our blindly watchmade brains geared us to do unspeakable things to society, Bastard, but we have pathetically succumbed to “free market” dogma while irreversibly altering planetary systems to the detriment of all but the Archaea.
We, we, we, we are bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, Bastard, so we should suffer as the machine dictates and feel guilty, guilty.
For weeks now I have been repulsed by the reporting of court proceedings of assaults and the journalists repeating the details of the charges and evidence. I have found the gruesome facts quite disturbing and wondering why I need to be hearing such detail. And now this …
And the worst part? She shouldn’t have died from HIV caused complications if she’d been given anti-retrovirals, for which some is very much at fault for not doing the bloody blood work and tests on the kid to work out what was wrong with her.
That is as maybe NickS.
I am commenting on the fact that the reporting of court room deliberations are repeated ad nauseum (usually with, in my opinion, unnecessary detail).
If a court finds a guilty verdict, then the details of the offence will be a matter of record and those interested can surely research them. But cut the daily assault on our hearing …
There is a dilemma with reporting court cases. We need justice to be seen to be done. So the courts are generally open to the public. But few people have the time or inclination to go. So the media fulfill that role.
That poses the dilemma. We see the trial not as a process but as edited highlights selected by criteria that we not informed of, by people we don’t now, in circumstances we are unaware of.
Our evaluation of what took place is hampered by seeing it through the eyes of a host of people.
Australia expels Syrian diplomats. Considering that the Syrian embassy in Canberra is also our embassy was this discusses with MFAT?
If it was, was there anyone at MFAT to answer the phone?
If they ran it passed the Minister of Buffoonery, did he tell them not to do it? In the same way he blamed Sea Shepherd for having their boat rammed?
Oh, for the days when we thought nothing of sending warships into test zones!
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A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Opinion: We’ve kicked the tyres on the perception NZ’s economy is in a parlous state compared to Australia. We take a quick tour of relative trends in GDP, housing markets, labour markets, trade, the fiscal situation, and the outlooks for inflation and interest rates. We find the cyclical positions of ...
Opinion: Making sure developers, local and central government, and landowners are all on the same page makes sense The post A new kind of city deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...
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By Russell Palmer, RNZ News digital political journalist New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting off recognition of Palestine as a state, despite opposition Labour’s formal request that he make the move. Peters said diplomatic recognition of Palestine was a matter of “when not if”, but doing so now ...
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Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure ...
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A very well attended and effective Labour Regional Conference in Birkenhead this weekend. “Thank you” to those MPs who stayed to listen and contribute to the long sessions on the “remits”. Some good presentations by a couple of Senior MPs.
Aye. The most interesting presentation was David Cunliffe’s clean tech presentation. This addresses what may be the most significant weakness for Labour. Last election in the wealthier areas support flooded to the greens because of perceived weaknesses with environmental policies. Labour does have good policy in the area and Cunliffe’s presentation highlighted this.
As we stumble into the future and environmental disasters start the environment will become the number one concern for the human race.
Plus for those of us who enjoy democracy as an active sport, a really clear and unanimous direction that caucus should have a strong but minority say in who is the next leader. This will make for a good and crunchy labour conference in November. Great to feel us really building up for that, which is of course the launchpad for taking this country back from this principle-free meat-cleaver weilding bunch of beslabbering trolls known as Cabinet.
Pinching more green party policies? Can’t he think of any of his own?
Since the Greens can’t implement their own policies, Labour can give them a kindly hand to do so.
Labour will never have an adequate environmental policy for people who actually care about the environment as one of their issues, and should simply concede the fact that they’ll please more people by saying their environmental policies will be developed in coalition with the Greens. 😛
Nice to hear Shearer this morning on National Radio with well-phrased opints, clean diction, and some snap to the style. I like this kind of Shearer. Particularly if it takes the Banks-like rhetorical sheen off Parata. As this site noted yesterday – National seem utterly tone deaf on education across the entire field.
Agreed. Shearer did well.
His minions could learn something about social media though. They really need to start to creating the brand and pushing the image. The stuff that is out there is pretty lame.
“They”, “his minions”, are not up to it. Everybody accepts that “they” got it wrong under Phil. Shearer needs to look wider for advice.
“They”, “his minions”, are not up to it. Everybody accepts that “they” got it wrong under Phil. Shearer needs to look wider for advice.
The continual abysmal performance at forecasting by Treasury officials, and the stunning debacle in the shrinking of teacher numbers, begs two questions:
1. Why would you allow this failed Treasury department to set Education Policy?
2. Did these Treasury officials attend schools with very big class sizes?
Teachers I know are incensed. For the past few years they have been indifferent to Labour but now they are ready to roll.
Key’s setting up of a working party is an admission they stuffed this up. Their line “90% of schools will either gain a teacher or lose a teacher” is shown to be spin and is being drowned out by the horror stories coming out of Intermediate schools.
I really get the impression that they blundered here and did not understand what they were doing.
Helen would never have made such a serious mistake.
i’m just waiting for Key to share how he ‘only heard about it the day before’
When Parata got such a grilling over how many teachers were going to lose their jobs as a result of the change, they should have stopped to think “oh, seems like we’ve hit a nerve this time” and re-considered. I guess by that point the budget had already been printed, though.
Billodress, you need to examine the real role of “economists” to our political economy. In Roman times the Ponitfex Maximus and a cotery of “priests” would divine the future by reading chicken entrails etc. All states present and past have had a preisthood who have the role of giving the system of state and its political and economic decision process the chimera of validity, by association with the all powerful (God) who is the only one who can know the future. It is highly important to all societies that legitimacy has a basis, and this is the role of todays economist.
The “Enlightenment” saw a diminution in the acceptance of the “divine” in terms of cause and effect, rational thought and the rise of scientific empiricism challenged the role of God will (interpreted by the presithood) as a justification rulers decisions. The gap had to be closed before authority and decision became individual, and to the rescue rode Adam Smith with his “invisible hand”, bringing deity back via the “market”. These artificial constructs required preists, all religions do. Economists grew out of history departments where the past was usefully being compared to predict the future, constructed theories and when asked to prove them by sceptics invented a mathematical process called econometrics. Hence the rise of the modern economist, the role to provide legitimacy to the decisions of state.
You will note I said legitimacy: to do so you have to claim rectitude on some divine basis (such as market rationalism). Being correct is something that evades economists, because like religion their rational has no empirically proven basis, it is all supposition and faith. Accuracy is entirely arbitrary and coincidental.
So to answer both your questions: reality does not matter to Treasury, that is not their role. They may have had one reality demanded of them, that of saving cash. That is a less divine peice of empiricism, it merely requires some mechanical book keeping. The real costs will not be able to be predicted by these idiots, you and I can predict the outcomes easily enough.
Economics today and, by extension, Treasury, is even worse than that, because their role is to defend why a few people are rich and everyone else is poor. To, quite simply, defend the dictatorship that results from capitalism. Everyone goes on about the invisible hand of Smith’s but the one line that stuck when I read The Wealth of Nations went something like It is the right of the rich to command the poor which, given the context of the paragraphs around it meant the right of the rich to appropriate the wealth created by the poor (labour theory of value) which is probably what really made him popular with the governing classes – they were rich after all.
Oh, and as for what Smith actually said about the invisible hand:
Yeah, not a hell of a lot about free-international trade and capitalism in there but plenty about supporting the local society though.
Yes you are right Draco, the interests of the priesthood always support that of the ruling class. In capitalist countries it is that those who own property and the means of production. In the formerly communist countries the commissars of the Party represented the nomenklatur who claimed ownership on behalf of the”people”. Interestingly both sides have a deity with prophets and terminology to reflect this.
I always laugh at Gos and the market fundamentalists when they have a go at socialism and communism: both have mirror images of each other such as the “invisible hand” and “dialectic materialism”, or Smith and Marx as prophets. The way I see it this represents both sides of the same debased coin, you might as well attack yourself, there is no difference. Even funnier is the fact that in either of these extreme models the same people will form the same privileged class of fat cats and courtiers. These are the people the priests serve and justify.
So where to? View reality first and then steer the appropriate course to your preferred destination. My destination point is called equity, fairness and compassion.
What I see as the major fault with economics today is you get armies of people who can’t think for themselves. They’re called economists but they’re not really, they’re just regurgitating what they were taught and parroting what they think their mentors would have said or done. That results in an absence of innovation and problem solving.
A good example is this present Govt. There’s a need to both stimulate the economy with carefully targeted extra spending and to cut spending but for the beancounters at Treasury the two are ideologically incompatible with each other so they can’t conceive it. In business we do that all the time but economists are so rigidly stuck to their particular dogma they can’t think outside the square. They’re an incredibly dull and uninspiring bunch.
Michael Valley who wrote on this blog a couple of times about how we should “liberate” all those countries with poor brown people would have made a great case out of the Massacre of Houla in Syria and would have no doubt volunteered the NZ army to help them poor brown Muslim people out.
Except the BBC showed pictures from Victims of the war in Iraq made after the invasion of that country by the coalition of the killing in 2003 and it turns out that it is civilian militia’s armed by the US who are doing door to door killing in Syria.
Armed I might add via those paragons of civil liberty the Sheik of Bahrain and the King of Saudi Arabia.
What are you actually saying here? Your point is kind of confused.
The report from the Hill is only 4 days old. Are you suggesting, what?
It’s no surprise that regional countries are making havoc in Syria. It would be surprising if they weren’t. They have interests there.
You can cry about that, or spread strange points and allegations about the place trying to muddy the picture, but to what end?
Jane Clifton wrote on The Conservative Party: Creative creationists?
There was one small poll during the election on Ohariu that precipitated reports of uncertainty. It wasn’t the only thing affecting the outcome, but it could have been significant. Was this the kneecapping of United Future?
An is this just a part of our democracy we have to accept as the way things are? Or can media be made more accountable? And can we have some moderation of election polling?
Well there certainly needs to be Pete George. The Dim Post has a great chart by Peter Green that shows the inaccuracy (particularly with National) of polling since 2005. Between the 2008 election and the last one, all but one poll has placed National higher in the polls than what they actually attained in the election.
It’s likely that some people will vote in accordance with polling, or perhaps not vote at all if it looks like a landslide. I recall the rightwing pundits claiming it would be a landslide, based on the polls. Now we’re seeing a raft of negative legislation being passed by one effing vote. That’s not democracy, that’s a bunch of devious politicians and their cohorts that have manipulated the public.
There is no doubt that National is going against what the vast majority of New Zealanders want, and their dictatorship is being reflected in recent polling… albeit still bias towards what can only be described as a failed government with too many broken promises to list.
I agree Pete, it’s disturbing how much influence the polls seem to be capable of. They’re supposed to be a measurement, not a campaign tool.
One aspect I particularly dislike is the reporting of numbers as a percentage of 100 when they are no such thing. Perhaps one step in the right direction would be to report the “undecideds” along with the “decideds” as a true percentage.
Return to the subject of student loans, moral standards, this generation’s inherited hardships.
Have met a student, on a loan, living at home and sharing his bed with girfriend. He never, makes his bed or tidys room,never washes clothes,never does any housework except washing dishes ocassionally when asked .Does not do any gardening, mow lawns etc. Does not get up in time for breakfast so buys something in town. Showers inconsistently.
I will not embarrass anyone with further detail.
Is this an acceptable norm. for the youth of today ?
You will be forgiven John72. You will find as you age it will become easier to rise from your bed. The girl will move on and you will feel loss but you will survive and as you clean yourself up, dress better and get those lawns mown a bright light will send you aglow. There is a way forward John.
You will be Born Again! Bless you John.
ianmac, please note, my first line defined the subject. this included “this generation’s inherited hardships”. 50 years ago a student did not have time to live with this weeks girlfriend. He did not have a student loan. He was always up, washed, tidy and dressed before breakfast. I was mowing the lawns at home by the time I was 14 and learning to cook my own meals.
Am I baiting you or are you baiting me?
yep. say what you like about students in the sixties, but you have to say they were always well washed, worked hard, lived clean and kept well clear of that James K Baxter chappie, who was also well turned out, well fed and did not come out of the university system no he didn’t so stop saying that.
Oh, I’m sure he had the time but the parents wouldn’t have let her stay at their place.
Well, no, they generally weren’t available then and they probably didn’t need one either.
Sounds like he still is. He’s just not having breakfast at the same time as the parents.
/golfclap
We all bait each other here, don’t worry about it. I am constantly under the strain of the “inherited hardship” of the previous generation. All that rock n roll free love attitude, normalised in my lifetime, has made me arrogant and stupid. Pop music and advertsing born in the fifties and sixties and honed on the minds of subsequent generations has made me want to go out and enjoy myself all the time, smoke cigarettes, sunbathe on tropical islands and never ask how or why.
That is unless you and I get together and stop the rot! But first, a cup of tea.
Just this morning I was listening to Billy Corgan tear his heart out, it sounding just like it did in 1994 and I thought, “Billy, you can write some good music, but your thinking is a bit bald.” I’m getting old, you see. An uncertain future and a glorious past continually conspire to rob me of my present and my sanity. The next generation, assailed by pop culture experts like Rebecca Black and Ke$ha, don’t stand a chance.
Just kidding John. One of my family was a bit like your case but it seems that he was suffering from depression at that time and now he works hard, has been headhunted to a new firm, and totally independently chosen to not drink for two months. Agonising to watch the difficulties but it was not simply clear cut in our day 3 X score years ago either. We just choose to forget, luckily.
I must confess, I never reminisce about a misspent youth on tropical beaches or in asian brothels.
It was riding a bike to work for 30 years that fed the family. The turning point is hard and lonely.
Your family ate your bike? That’s luxury! When I was your age I had to get up an hour before I went to sleep, fed my brothers on broken glass and sliced off my feet to avoid frostbite before hobbling ten miles to work. You kids have it easy.
Uturn, LOL!
I so <3 morons extrapolating from one case as though it were a reflection on a whole population.
Tip – go back and do basic statistics.
Tip 2 – failure to tell the whole story here leaves me wondering if you're lying by omission, especially as the behavioural patterns are indicative of high stress or depression etc etc. Or it could just be plain old lazy parenting.
NickS: “Basic statistics” Refer to The Press May 30, Page B5. The article states that in Britian, 60 years ago, 5% of children were born to unmarried mothers. Today 47% are. I assume that figures would be similar for New Zealand, especially with the benefit for the Solo Mother. The author then states that children were happier 60 years ago. This is something that can not be measured but I am frequently seeing and hearing of children who who want to know or need to know their father. There will always be bad fathers, but the media does not give the good ones any credit, and most of them are good. Remember, good parents do not just “Happen”. It is a learning experience for Mum and Dad and the more they put into it the more they enjoy it. Hollywood and TV has created this fanciful image of “They all lived happily ever after”, which is lazy and unreal.
Life is difficult. But in acknowledging this we conquer it.
Withour danger, danger cannot be surmounted.
Life is an adventure. Go out and enjoy this life.
There will always be someone better off than you BUT there are millions worse off. ENVY will only spoil your life and make those around you unhappy. It will not earn you respect.
Before arising try and think of something pleasant to say about a friend or relation. Something different. You do not have to pass it on.
$9.95 million set aside in the last budget for hospitality at the Rugby World Cup. Yet so few dignitaries attended.
Still, the budget blew out to $15 million. WTF?
Talk about welfare entitlements!
And that’s not all. Why did $6 Million come out of the foreign affairs budget to help pay for this blowout prior to the announcement of cost cutting measures in that particular department ?.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7006538/Rugby-World-Cup-hospitality-blowout
I saw that too but then the Herald seems to disagree with it:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/budget-2012/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503257&objectid=10809172
One thing they do agree on is the $6mill coming out of MFAT though
You might be mistaken if you only counted numbers later on. At the RWC most men could quickly deteriorate from dignitaries to good old boys.
Greek voters face a choice between supporting a review of the country’s aid package or the “blind and catastrophic” route of terminating the deal unilaterally, Evangelos Venizelos, Pasok’s leader, said. Charles Dallara, head of the Washington-based Institute of International Finance, said the cost of Greece exiting the euro would probably exceed €1 trillion
“Greek opinion polls showed voters warming to parties supporting the European Union’s bailout agreement as political leaders at home and abroad warned of economic catastrophe should the single currency fragment”
— Use of words such as catastrophe, the propaganda lies have begun again…Anyone who believes this stuff, is an imbicile!
— Institute for International Finance….Sounds convincing doesn’t it!
Mustn’t be too definite about wanting more private input to biosecurity and research. Difficult when the mantra is that government shouldn’t be involved in things yet they have been supplying this essential service to our modern, forward-moving, clever (best in the world) farmers.
A World Wildlife anti report has brought out the staunch farmers, their haloes and excuses polished, though they won’t admit that there is a nasty group that will do little about pollution or not enough to comply as required. One guy I heard about has had native shrubs planted by his creek bed then sends his animals down there to use it as fodder.
The FedFarmers say that thirty years ago they were encouraged to do things that are now frowned on, and apparently it’s too short a period to make adjustments to such swingeing change. Though dairy farmers can move quickly to overstock and tie up any water they can get hold of and import extra stock food of palm kernel matter that has come from cutting down native trees in other countries on land that’s then taken over for private plantations. They can learn quickly when there is personal gain.
My question is how could PSA get here in pollen if our systems are so good as we are regularly advised? And why has there not been a reliable marker for tuberculosis in cows developed? Recently I heard of a whole herd which had to go when one cow case was found.
China Daily: Human Rights Record of United States in 2011.
The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 on May 24, 2012. As in previous years, the reports are full of over-critical remarks on the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions as well as distortions and accusations concerning the human rights cause in China. However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and kept silent about it. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 is hereby prepared to reveal the true human rights situation of the United States to people across the world and urge the United States to face up to its own doings.
joe90 Thanks for the link to China Daily. It’s not the sort of thing I would see in even precised form in my local news.
Amnesty Internationals 2012 report.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/usa/report-2012
Yes, the USA’s shit does stink – but to quote from a Chinese source?
To paraphrase Christine Keeler, well they would say that, wouldn’t they.
I rather imagine that Chinese sources are going to become pretty standard over the next 10-15 years.
Well it is standard practice to swap propaganda when you swap patron. In the defence of the US, they’re not quite as tight of censorship and disinformation as China is. You can at least still use the whole internet there.
Populuxe1 But to get the whole picture you have to work all night? And still be limited by USA censorship trying to prevent reality and unpleasant truths from emerging that don’t match the Disneyesque facade.
The US supports regimes that include Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, formerly Egypt and Libya, while maintaining countless military bases and personnel around the world.
The US is directly responsible for millions of deaths in Iraq, South and Central America, SE Asia, the Phillipines and beyond.
The US has active campaigns trying to control reproductive rights and repeal worker rights, supports state-sponsored executions, assassinations and rendition of their own and other nationals, legalised torture, draconian homeland security and surveillance legislation and the ability to hold anyone anywhere indefinitely without charge.
A rogue nation?. Fuck Yeah.
An interesting video on the hemispheres of the brain and what we’ve done to society.
Very good. Looks like we’ve become high-tech barbarians!
Watched it after dinner this evening. Cool, thanks DtB.
That is just lovely. It is pessimistic about where we are to be sure, but it also conceptualises a way out of it.
The WWF report cannot be ignored, especially when the government’s own Environment Commissioner supports the content. In terms of our carbon emissions, Solid Energies plans to dig up the lignite in Southland will increase them by 10-20%. Coal Action Murihiku today left a visible reminder to the Gore community of what Solid Energy plans to do on their back door!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/coal-action-murihiku-visible-in-gore.html
I heard the Shonkster on the radio claiming vast progress through the expenditure of massive amounts to save the planet from global catastrophe. All well rehearsed snake oil, a lot of wind amounting to nothing bar a salve for the idiots who believe him. Alarmingly he had zip to say re bio diversity and the loss of species, totally oblivious or more likely deliberately disinterested.
Its getting trite to say the least and the hollow man is becoming more vacuous each time he displays his psychopathic contempt for anything not John. Keep the heat on the creep, Johnnygrad is freezing over and will surely crack.
Bored, the Greens are putting on the heat in the house, asking daily questions about the evidence or science base for National’s roading developments or lack of urgency for environmental action. the replies are full of evasions and non answers. The cracks are appearing and we are becoming aware that there is no evidence or research basis to their governance, just rough guesses, ideological faith and pure ignorance. We just need mainstream media to focus on the cracks and we will have a government revealed in all its naked glory.
Fuckityfuckfuckfuck:
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/poverty-stricken-kids-resort-scavenging-4903003
This shouldn’t be happening, we’re a relatively well off, non-economic basket case nation, with a long history of trying to take care of our poor via government welfare, and yet this is still happening.
And National has the stupidity to claim they care.
Such is the result of the “free-market” dogma which has descended upon us since the 1980s.
And it’s nothing to do with the parents not looking after their own kids and/or not claiming all the multitude of government benefits that are available.
Evidence please.
Or stfu.
This may come as a surprise to you but, in some circumstances, the welfare that we give isn’t enough.
Not only has the machinery of our blindly watchmade brains geared us to do unspeakable things to society, Bastard, but we have pathetically succumbed to “free market” dogma while irreversibly altering planetary systems to the detriment of all but the Archaea.
We, we, we, we are bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, Bastard, so we should suffer as the machine dictates and feel guilty, guilty.
Load of crap, get outside and smell the daisies.
Have you actually got anything to say or are you just going to talk shit as per usual?
Whelp, shit is the only thing his mess of a brain can manage don’tcha know.
MSM
For weeks now I have been repulsed by the reporting of court proceedings of assaults and the journalists repeating the details of the charges and evidence. I have found the gruesome facts quite disturbing and wondering why I need to be hearing such detail. And now this …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10809244
The accused has been found not guilty.
Thus I didn’t need to be told repeatedly what didn’t even happen.
And the worst part? She shouldn’t have died from HIV caused complications if she’d been given anti-retrovirals, for which some is very much at fault for not doing the bloody blood work and tests on the kid to work out what was wrong with her.
That is as maybe NickS.
I am commenting on the fact that the reporting of court room deliberations are repeated ad nauseum (usually with, in my opinion, unnecessary detail).
If a court finds a guilty verdict, then the details of the offence will be a matter of record and those interested can surely research them. But cut the daily assault on our hearing …
There is a dilemma with reporting court cases. We need justice to be seen to be done. So the courts are generally open to the public. But few people have the time or inclination to go. So the media fulfill that role.
That poses the dilemma. We see the trial not as a process but as edited highlights selected by criteria that we not informed of, by people we don’t now, in circumstances we are unaware of.
Our evaluation of what took place is hampered by seeing it through the eyes of a host of people.
Australia expels Syrian diplomats. Considering that the Syrian embassy in Canberra is also our embassy was this discusses with MFAT?
If it was, was there anyone at MFAT to answer the phone?
If they ran it passed the Minister of Buffoonery, did he tell them not to do it? In the same way he blamed Sea Shepherd for having their boat rammed?
Oh, for the days when we thought nothing of sending warships into test zones!